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As you may have read in recent posts, Dot the Guinea Pig will be introduced to the HappyCavy Family later this week. Currently, Dot is in quarantine and is staying in the cage setup you see in the photo above.
Some of our wonderful readers have asked, “What is quarantine? And why is it necessary?”
Those are two excellent questions, the answers to which our Humans did not know when they adopted the original HappyCavy Sisters Hammy and Piglet. So we thought we’d write about what quarantine is and why quarantine is important for new guinea pigs.
So What Is Quarantine?
A guinea pig quarantine involves a 2- to 3-week period during which a new guinea pig is kept “behind closed doors” (in a separate cage in a different room) from a resident guinea pig or herd. By doing so, Humans are able to observe its health and behavior, making sure a new guinea pig will not introduce any contagious diseases to a resident herd. To prevent the spread of disease during a quarantine period, hands, arms, and clothes are washed between handling new pigs and resident pigs.
In addition to disease identification, quarantine is a useful time for Humans to acclimate a new pig slowly to every aspect of life in its new home. It’s also a good time to observe a new pig’s behavior and slowly introduce a new diet (like hay and pellets) into its old diet.
Admittedly, quarantining a new pig is not the easiest thing to do. Like a new member of the family, everyone wants to meet the newcomer and get on with introductions. Excitement is normal, but the quarantine process is an important, mandatory step for any guinea pig, no matter how healthy or happy it may seem.
Buttercup and Feebee were probably the hardest to quarantine. The Humans spent two impatient weeks with the new guinea pigs kept in separate quarters. The quarantine process was especially difficult for the Humans because Buttercup and Feebee came from a great home: clean, spoiled, and ready to party.
The reason the Humans wanted to end the quarantine early went something like this, “Well they seem perfectly healthy, and we did a thorough check. I’m sure it’s OK to go through introductions now!”
Fortunately, the initial “welcome-home” butterflies were quelled when the Humans reminded themselves of the importance of the quarantine phase.
Why Quarantine Is So Important
There are a lot of reasons why quarantine is important for new guinea pig, but we’ve listed a few reasons that we feel are the most important:
Identification of Possible Health Issues
A quarantine period gives you the chance to see if your newcomer suffers from any ailments. This pre-introduction time can be used to examine your guinea pig and his or her behavior thoroughly for signs of illness like lice, mites, respiratory infection, urinary tract issues, digestive health, and other common health problems. It is also a good time to clip nails, clean ears, check teeth and paws, perform a weigh-in, and get a routine examination from your local exotics veterinarian.
Behavior Observation
The alone-time afforded by quarantine can help a great deal in teaching you how to interact with your new guinea pig. Shy guinea pigs need more time to adjust to new surroundings, while active guinea pigs may need a little calming down before introductions. How the new cavy behaves can tell you a lot about how you and your current herd will get along with your new guinea pig friend.
Introduction of New Hay and Pellets
When adopting a new guinea pig, try to get some of its current hay and pellet supply. Guinea pigs have sensitive digestive tracts, so it’s important to keep them on their current diet while slowly introducing their new hay and pellets from your regular supply.
Acclimating Your New Guinea Pig To its Forever Home
Chances are that your household doesn’t run on the same schedule as your guinea pig’s former home. Your new family member will need time to adjust to your household’s everyday schedule. Try to set a consistent snacking and cage cleaning schedule to help your new friend adjust. Once your guinea pig adjusts to this new daily routine, it will become easier for it to adapt to life with a new herd.
Share Your Thoughts
Can you think of other reasons why a quarantine period is important for new guinea pigs? Please share your ideas in the comments section below!
I love this blog! So cute and full of relevant info:) Piggies are so cute too. I also have two buddies named Caramel and Biscuit. These animals are amazing and, to my mind, far better from dogs or cats;) btw. I love how they ‘talk’ when happy, curious or want a slice of cucumber 😉
Hi, Hana! So happy to hear you like the blog, thanks for that! I’d have to agree with you that guinea pigs win over dogs or cats anyway, but of course, I’m very biased! Thanks for stopping by the blog and commenting, come back soon! 😀
I just got my new piggy today (Buttercup) and started on the quarantine. She chattered her teeth and whistled at me which I perceived as “go away” so I could only observe from afar. But she’s eating so that’s good. She is a rather strong piggy, ran around the cage warily.She is around 2 months plus. I got my fingers crossed that this quarantine week will go smoothly.Here’s a pic of her. 🙂
Aww she is a sweetheart! And we LOVE the name 🙂
Thanks for sharing her photo, and good on you for sticking to the quarantine; it’s so important. *wheeks!*
Thank you Hammy. Buttercup wishes to say “Hi “to you and your sisters. She is doing well and more settled now. She loves running through tissue box tunnels and getting massages from mummy.
Oohhh, massages are the BEST!! 😀
I had a hard time quarantining my newest piggy.I have a fairly small place, and my girls would have late night chats from across the room. Of course when they’re so far apart, they’re rather loud conversations.
I am getting my second piggy today, I had the other for about a month now. They both lived in the same place together but I took them one at a time to make sure I could take care of one before i took on the responsibility of two. Because they lived together and I know where they come from and both are healthy, do I need to quarenteen the new one?
Hi, Alyssa! It’s really up to your best judgment. We always quarantine as a rule, since you can’t ever be sure that the “new” pig didn’t catch something in the meantime, but, if you are sure of his health and aren’t concerned, it’s entirely up to you 🙂