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01/26/2019 A cute and affectionate skinny guinea pig brings comfort to the home atmosphere. She has a friendly character and minimal care for the hairless rodent. It is enough to provide the pig with conditions suitable for its body.
Origin
The idea of breeding hairless breeds of guinea pigs has been nurtured since the moment the first hairless mutant pig, which had a malfunction in its genes, was born. This happened in 1978 at the Armand Frapper Institute in Canada. After another 6 years, a similar story repeated itself. And scientists began to work closely on breeding pigs with extraordinary external characteristics. The first female was “skin and bones”, so she was nicknamed Skinny. So this name was officially assigned to the breed.
Hairless pigs did not leave the laboratory for a long time and were used for research in the field of dermatology. They had a very vulnerable immune system, which did not allow rodents to survive in home cage conditions. As a result, the skinnies were crossed with selfies, which strengthened the animal’s immunity at the genetic level.
Currently, every two generations of skinnies it is recommended to “renew the blood” by crossing with selfies. Only in this way can the vitality of the delicate animal be maintained.
Owner reviews
Features of hairless guinea pigs, in addition to their very exotic appearance, are incredible gluttony. Such domestic animals eat about five times more than their traditional relatives with fur. The high need for high-calorie nutrition is caused by an increased level of heat exchange and rapid energy consumption to maintain one’s own stable body temperature.
As practice shows, the owners of Skinny and Baldwin are often people who are allergic to pet hair. Hairless guinea pigs are completely hypoallergenic . The popularity of such pets is also due to their good disposition, non-conflict behavior and ability to get along with any other pets.
Breed standards
Skinny is a very expensive and rare breed of pig. Once upon a time, the price was so high that only wealthy families bought animals.
Breed standards, in force since 2008, provide for a certain shape of the head, eyes and ears, features of the external coat and other parameters:
- developed muscles;
- harmonious body proportions;
- wide chest;
- the bridge of the nose is slightly curved;
- large shiny eyes;
- ears are flat;
- the fur on the nose is hard and does not grow beyond the eyes;
- Pleasant to the touch leather with folds.
When choosing an animal, you need to carefully examine the skin, which should be free of wounds and bruises.
Skinnies are plump, but within reasonable limits. You can't call it obesity.
Appearance
Since skinnies have no hair, they are sometimes called "sphinxes" by analogy with the breed of hairless cats.
But if you take a closer look and stroke the animal, you can feel that the skin is not bald. Very short, silky fur is present. Thanks to this feature, the skinny feels very pleasant to the touch. Small amounts of fur are visible near the nose and on the paws.
Adults reach a length of 35 cm, height at the withers is 6.8 cm. Males are larger than females. The animal weighs one and a half kilograms or more.
The body can be smooth, but more often with folds. Eyes with a lively sparkle, expressive and large.
Pigs can be of different colors. There are brown, gray, beige, spotted. A great rarity is the black skinny, which looks very elegant.
Conditions of detention
The pig cares what kind of housing it will have and where it will be located. To make the cage easier to wash, it is better to have metal bars and a plastic tray. The minimum area per animal is 0.6-0.7 square meters. m. A rectangular cage is better than a square one, so that skinny can run around. The best option is to install a stationary enclosure nearby, where the animal can play and run around.
The bottom of the cage should be covered with a 1.5 cm layer of sawdust, which is changed regularly. Floor grates are excluded. A well-fed pig will break its legs on the first day.
The cage is equipped with two feeders (for rough and succulent feed), a hay box, and an automatic drinker. The house chosen is low, up to 10 cm, with a flat roof. A skinny guinea pig can not only relax and retire in it, but also use it as an observation post. For convenience, a ramp is provided.
You should not use an aquarium or a dune as housing for a skinny. Despite the fact that it is warmer there, air exchange is difficult. This negative factor will shorten the animal’s life. It is enough to maintain +24 ℃ in the room, do not place the cage in a draft, near a door or window.
The hairless animal loves to climb into warm fabric sleeping bags and explore tunnels and labyrinths. They can be made from cardboard boxes and fabric, or bought ready-made.
Guinea pig of the Skinny breed - reviews
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Chieffa
https://conf.7ya.ru/fulltext-thread.aspx?cnf=Animal&trd=11353
From a communication point of view, this is, of course, not a cat or even a rabbit. When taken in your arms, it sits quietly, allows you to pet it, and allows you to trim your nails without resisting. Skinnies are extremely pleasant to the touch - they, like all naked animals, are warm and velvety. In general, the money they ask for is not worth it, IMHO. But in everyday life it is unpretentious, only a little noisy.
Author
https://www.kakprosto.ru/otzyvy/review-10824
Family favorite
My daughter-in-law and son got themselves a Skinny guinea pig. I must say, she is quite nice and friendly. Sometimes when I come to visit them, they let her out of her cage for a walk. There is no fur on it at all; if the apartment is cool, the pig begins to shiver from the cold.
Actually, she is always hot, probably because of her metabolism. She gets along well with the cat; sometimes, after playing enough, they fall asleep together, cuddled up to each other.
It is unpretentious in its maintenance, you just need to carefully choose the bedding so that the pig does not freeze. It is clear that my children are very attached to their pet.
Breadwinner
https://conf.7ya.ru/fulltext-thread.aspx?cnf=Animal&trd=11353
DISADVANTAGES OF GUINEA PIGS Completely uninteresting animals. You can admire them, but they have no intelligence at all.
They whistle when the refrigerator opens. From morning to evening she just chews. She makes a lot of dirt, she smells, she tramples all her waste with her paws. She is a completely stupid creature, she scratches very much and does not like hands.
The skin of the naked ones is kind of oily and sticky, it stains the hands when they are black. If you let them out, they will gnaw on the wires unnoticeably
Vedenets;)
https://otvet.mail.ru/answer/439579832
The smell is noticeable for the first time (a week). We decided that this was a reaction to stress - a change of place of residence. I only have allergies and only when a pig crawls under my neck. There is almost no smell from the cage, although my daughter cleans it less often than once every three days. Our cage, in my opinion, is very comfortable - with high sides and a plastic top with a lattice door in the ceiling: pebbles are afraid of drafts. And our little pig is simply adorable and leaves no one indifferent. It feels dry and very warm to the touch.) ) sometimes I wash it with soap.
inyla
Advantages: unfriendly food
Disadvantages: the smell still appears sometimes
Good afternoon, the animal is generally quite interesting. When you approach the apartment, you feel it and start beeping loudly. When he walks around the apartment, he tries to climb into the far corner and announce something from his hiding place. It is very easy to care for - eats grass, vegetables, fruits. Mine especially loves dandelion stems. He loves compote, but almost never drinks plain water. Due to eating a large number of urgent meals, hair may lose, but this can be easily restored if calcix is introduced into the diet. A very cute animal perfect for teaching responsibility in children. Life expectancy is from three to six years, mine lived for 8 years. I still don’t want to talk about him in the past tense. Unfortunately, there is no photo, my Jacqueline’s fur grew in rosettes, the color was white and black. I recommend it to anyone who accepts rodents.
ukrconcent
Pros: plump
Disadvantages: dirty
Our children left the war, and left the animals to us, one of the animals was a guinea pig - I thought it was cute and beautiful, but during my stay my opinion changed - it is completely unclean and requires a lot of care. She is not very picky about food, eats everything that is given, and does not suffer from lack of appetite. You can immediately see from the animal that it is being fed, and it gains weight instantly. You put fresh grass for bedding, and she lies on it and eats it. It turned out that it was not very expensive in terms of maintenance, but it was a hassle to take care of and we were glad that we gave it away.
Famingolfin
https://otzyv.expert/oni-deystvitelno-chudesni-laskovi-i-dobri-788980
Advantages:
Kind, affectionate, gentle, active, playful, eat well, look wonderful.
Flaws:
Needs careful care, weak intestines.
Details:
Quite recently we acquired a new pet, the fourth in a row - Skinny. My mother, sister and I liked it as soon as we saw it! These guinea pigs are really very cute and cute in appearance. And how funny they chew grass or lettuce leaves. You can watch them all day long, all these pets do is delight the eye! They, of course, need to be carefully looked after, like any other guinea pigs. Feed with food, carrots and apples. Very rarely you can give greens and cucumbers. Unfortunately, their stomach is weak. If something is wrong, you immediately have an intestinal upset, and you have to limit your food intake. As I noticed from my guinea pig, he drinks a lot, a lot, we pour water into the drinking bowl twice, sometimes even three. He eats a lot, our little swallow. In general, these pets are simply wonderful!
Snowboarders' Daughter
https://otvet.mail.ru/answer/439584041
I had 2 skinnies and 2 wool pigs.
Skinnies eat DOUBLE as much hair and waste from 2 skinnies as from 4 hairies. Therefore, cleaning has to be done twice as often. Keep in mind that pigs eat almost without a break :))
I had an allergy to naked skin, which manifested itself in the form of urticaria upon contact with skin and rhinoconjunctivitis. Exactly on the naked! Allergy tests showed a minimal reaction to mumps, but that's where they check for fur.
So I had to part with the skinny ones, now I have 2 hairy ones. Think.
Irina-Polina
Pros: Doesn't bite, fun to watch
Disadvantages: Eats a lot and often needs to change the contents of the cage tray because there is an unpleasant odor
After my son turned 1.5 years old, my husband and I decided to get a pet. Having thought through all the options, we settled on a guinea pig: they are not aggressive, not small in size (so that my son would not run over them) and do not squeak (so I thought to myself). At first I wanted to take a small animal so that it would adapt easier and get used to being held in my arms, but there were no small ones left, so I had to take an adult one. Moreover, this is an adult animal, previously lived with rabbits in the same cage and was very rarely handled.
I bought a cage for rodents and brought the fluffy animal, a girl (at least that's what I was told, that it was a girl) home. When my son saw it, he immediately demanded to play, but I was afraid to give the pig to him, because she already had a lot of stress for 1 day.
At first the pig was afraid of every rustle and sudden movements, but 2 months passed and she got used to it, even began to demand food. Every time the bag rustles, she starts screaming, because I bring her the grass in the rustling bag. Its main food is grass (hay in winter). He also loves apples, watermelons, pumpkins, carrots, and cabbage.
It seems easy to care for, but I didn’t think that she eats so much and that she needs to change the toilet so often. I wouldn’t call her clean, although she washes herself like a cat.
Externally, the pig comes in three colors: white, red and brown. She has a few curls on her head and sides, but she is probably not a purebred Abyssinian, because there should be more curls.
There are pros and cons to keeping this animal, but if you need a non-aggressive animal for a child, this guinea pig is not a bad option.
Werdiga
https://irecommend.ru/content/lysaya-morskaya-svinka
Very cute, warm, bald, with a hairy nose, pigs) They come in a wide variety of colors, spotted, solid.. You will definitely like this pig if you are a lover of exotic animals. However, they may have problems with their skin and paws due to their hairlessness. You should carefully select bedding for your pet and take action at the slightest sign of allergy. Don't forget about a hammock for her and of course a lot of fresh greenery and hay :) In the warm season, if possible, you should remember to walk her with careful supervision. They love company and recognize their owners. Mine loved listening to music and sang along! I’ve never seen anything like this) although I’ve never had pigs before :) And don’t forget to pet them often, they really like it)
Elena Babanina
https://vk.com/topic-16110503_28624285?post=434
better than another breed. Skinnies get cold quickly. You need to maintain a certain temperature. Avoid drafts. They live better in terrariums. Or large cages with a high bottom. Travel is contraindicated for them)))
Degaev
https://www.lynix.biz/comment/63561#comment-63561
They are truly hairless, without fur. This breed was bred specifically for laboratory research and experiments. But then, apparently, they took pity... Now these pigs are bred by animal lovers. Skinnies need to be kept in warm terrariums, they are afraid of drafts and cold. They love affection, but they don’t really give into the hands of a stranger.
NoxBlade
https://irecommend.ru/content/velyurovoe-chudo
In my city there is only one nursery, and, unfortunately, it has collapsed; only two six-month-old girls were put up for sale. Before this, I heard purely by chance from friends that there is a miracle animal for allergy sufferers. I doubted for a long time whether it was worth “taking on a new concern” and decided to go on a visit to the nursery to see what a skinny guinea pig is like. In general, I left there not alone, but with a hippopotamus :)
I just couldn't resist! So, as of today, I have had it for 2 months. In terms of care, she is quite unpretentious - she lives in a terrarium, quietly crunches hay and grains, I give her juice twice a day. This is, for example, a carrot or a piece of apple.
Skinnies are very affectionate, warm and funny.
As soon as they get used to you, they will chat with you, sing and beg you for food :) Each of their sounds, like those of ordinary guinea pigs, means something. Also, they have a wonderful character, they don’t bite, they only get angry (vibrate and whistle) when you touch their butt. They show aggression only towards their own species, so they can safely be taken as a pet for children.
Buka
https://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/petsandcats/1709415
Pigs are animals more for observation. Communication with young children is strictly under adult supervision. A fall from your hands can lead to the death of the animal and stress for the child. They don't smell if you clean them up. Depends on the size of the cell. For skinny, cleaning is done more often, because... more intense metabolism. Accordingly, they eat more, and everything else, too, more))) Gender makes no difference, there is no sexual desire. Males are more sociable, in my opinion. Aesthetically, not everyone likes masculine assets, which are clearly visible in bald ones))) The price depends on the quality of the pig, color, and origin. From 1000 to 3500 rub.
villou
https://otzovik.com/review_280935.html
Advantages:
beautiful, cute, emotional and amorous pigs)))
Flaws:
cost and a loud statement about your person)))
Small, cute creatures. Good-natured and cheerful. We fell in love with them at first sight, and therefore bought this “piggy” instead of the planned parrot. He eats a lot for his size, is a very emotional creature and expresses bouts of joy just as loudly. Before this, I didn’t know why they were called “pigs.” Now I understand. They cost a little more than their mongrel counterparts, but are incredibly beautiful and neat. So they are definitely worth it. By the way, they reproduce without problems. And if you evaluate their cost, then you can pay for your pet)))
Turn
https://otzyv.expert/rasstroystva-i-razocharovanie-1820454
Advantages:
good, does not cause allergies
Flaws:
He eats a lot, poops and pees a lot, doesn’t sleep at night, but runs around the cage like crazy and, despite the presence of 3 rooms, prevents everyone from sleeping!
Details:
We bought our beauty 2 months ago. I REALLY dreamed of just such a pig and waited a long time for the moment when we found her in the nursery. I read a lot of reviews and I was satisfied with everything I learned about this breed: unpretentiousness, general cleaning once a week, and once every three days, kindness, does not cause allergies. In fact, everything turned out to be quite the opposite, as for cleanliness and infrequent cleaning, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT TRUE!!!!! The pig is actually very kind (never bit us), but my 2 months are cleaning in the morning (after the night everything is covered in poop and urine)!!!!! Cleaning up poop in the afternoon and in the evening, if you don’t do this, then there’s an unpleasant smell, just a terrible aesthetic appearance, mountains of this stuff!!!! I wash the cage every 2 days, the filler flies away 7 kg in a week. granules and sawdust 4 kg, + I mix with paper filler so that there are no calluses... It began to seem to me that all I do all day is clean, pour food, because she eats a LOT and accordingly... I don’t want to offend skinny lovers , I also love mine very much and I have it in perfect cleanliness, but if I received reliable information, and not reviews from breeders (who want to sell an animal for big money), I would think about dooming myself
for 8 years of such life. Think many times before you take such an animal!!!!! Maybe this review will help someone come to their senses...
Marianik777
https://otzovik.com/review_4974478.html
Advantages:
Hypoallergenic, little odor, do not bite, smart, good with children, unusual.
Flaws:
They do not tolerate temperature changes well, are very sensitive and “talkative”.
Good afternoon to all my friends and readers. We have always had animals in our house, now we have three wonderful dwarf hamsters and two huge cats, but recently, my husband surprised me with an absolutely amazing and interesting animal - a hairless skinny guinea pig. Almost naked (he only had fluff on the tip of his nose), she looked like anyone, but not like a guinea pig: a little like a dog because of her drooping ears and elongated muzzle, her body looked like a small hippopotamus, and her paws with long claws generally looked like he looks like some kind of ancient dinosaur; in general, a very amazing animal has settled with us. Larry, as we called him, is a very active and curious pig. We bought a special plastic terrarium for him with a lattice on top so that he could easily frolic there. I’ll tell you a little about the maintenance of these pigs: they need to be kept away from drafts and preferably in solid terrariums or cages; without fur, they quickly get cold. These pigs eat a lot, since they need a lot of energy to heat their bodies, but you shouldn’t overfeed them either - they are prone to obesity. The food itself should be varied: in the first place there should be hay, they eat it in large quantities, then cereal feed, and then various fruits and vegetables: apple, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, etc. Due to the fact that pigs These eat a lot, and accordingly, cleaning their cages is an almost daily task, but I must say that there is almost no smell from them when they are regularly cleaned, and they themselves are very clean animals and another plus of these animals is that they are hypoallergenic and are suitable for people who have allergy to animals. These pigs are also very sociable and when they see their owner, they begin to whine quite loudly; they also whine if they want to eat or are cold. Our Larik is no exception to this, if he wants to eat, he whines, runs up to the cup and sticks his curly nose into it, showing that he is hungry, a very intelligent and intelligent creature, and he simply amazed us with this! Guinea pigs are great with children, my daughter is 5 years old, and at first she was very afraid to pet him, but he ran up to her and poked his nose into her palm, and since then they have been great friends. If you take a guinea pig in your arms, then its skin will seem very hot to you, this is due to the fact that its body temperature is much higher than ours - 38 -38.5 degrees, so our hands will seem cold to the pig and they usually They flinch when you pick them up and try to run away. We got out of this situation by getting winter woolen gloves for ourselves and our husband; now our pet feels warm and, without twitching, allows itself to be picked up. That's all I wanted to tell you about this very unusual guinea pig. He hasn't been living with us for very long and maybe over time I'll add something else to this review. Thank you all for your attention and love your pets!
marike
https://otzovik.com/review_214346.html
Advantages:
Do not cause allergies, active, cute
Flaws:
They eat a lot (if this bothers anyone), cost
I first came across this amazing creature in the spring, when there was an urgent need to buy my daughter a pet that she could cuddle. We have a cat, but she, like any cat, walks on her own. My daughter always wanted a hamster, but due to her age (she’s 4 years old), I wasn’t really ready to have such a tiny rodent, so we decided to settle on a guinea pig and started looking through ads. And then we saw this miracle: a completely bald guinea pig (the spitting image of a hippopotamus), with fluff only on his nose! Of course, we immediately fell in love with her and bought our Dee Dee! Keeping a skinny pig is similar to keeping a regular guinea pig, with the only difference being that hairless pigs eat a little more (they are hairless, so they have reduced heat exchange, which they make up for through constant gluttony))). They prefer carrots, apples, and cucumbers (when they smell a cucumber, they start squealing funny). These pigs are very active and curious; you should let them out to walk around the apartment with caution - they hide in secluded corners and can sit in their shelter for a sufficient amount of time (enough to shit there en masse). My husband and I built a kind of sandbox for the pig, put a disposable diaper on the bottom - and that’s it, our pig seems to be free (not in a cage), and at the same time he doesn’t shit around. In general, skinnies are very nice, they are ideal for people with allergies and for small children (after all, they only have fur on their nose). The skinny feels velory and hot to the touch. If skinny is dissatisfied with something, she starts jumping up like a horse - absolutely hilarious! Of course, the cost of such a pig is much higher than an ordinary one, but when people spend large sums on dogs and purebred cats, they know that they are acquiring a faithful companion. Moreover, skinnies from nurseries are sold with documentation from the breeder (in the future you can start breeding them). We are very happy with our hippopotamus pig, and our daughter’s happiness has no limits!
Nutrition
To maintain your skinny pig's immunity, it needs to be fed a balanced diet. The diet should include fresh hay from cereal crops, grains, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Basic feeding rules:
- The haybox is filled with fresh hay. Additionally, branches of fruit trees and shrubs are placed to grind down the teeth.
- Roughage should consist of a variety of grains and prepared grass pellets. The animal needs 3 tablespoons of grain per day.
- Fruits and vegetables in the daily diet include pumpkin, carrots, apples, lettuce, parsley and sweet bell peppers. Feed is alternated and added as it is eaten.
- The animal needs to drink a glass of water per day. A solution of vitamin C is added to the water two or three times a week.
- As a treat, the animal is offered low-fat dry cookies, unsweetened crackers, nuts, and dried fruits.
The rodent will like liquid cereal porridge cooked in water.
You should not give your animal chocolate, potatoes, eggplants, hot peppers, avocados, garlic, radishes, radishes, or mushrooms.
Bald guinea pig - care and maintenance
Those who want a hairless guinea pig to live with them are wondering how to care for such a pet. Hairless skin is very vulnerable, so caring for your pet should include the following items:
- Attention to temperature conditions: 20-25°C is optimal.
- Moisturizing the skin with baby cream “Antoshka”, “Umka”, or any other.
- Trimming nails to avoid wounds and scratches.
A small bald guinea pig needs spacious housing - a cage, an aquarium or a terrarium. A curious animal can easily learn to open the cage door, so it is safer to choose from the last two options. The bottom of the house should be covered with soft sawdust, which must be changed every 3 days, and the entire tank must be thoroughly washed every 7 days.
Hairless guinea pig - what to feed?
When answering the question of how long a hairless guinea pig lives, it is important to talk about its diet, because the health and life expectancy of the animal depends on it. With proper nutrition and proper care, the animal will delight you for 6-8 years. High body temperature is the reason for accelerated metabolism, so the hairless hippo guinea pig is always hungry and requires more food than its woolly relative.
About 60% of a rodent's food is hay or fresh grass. It is important to provide the animal with vitamins from carrots, beets, herbs, and apples. Just don’t feed your pets potatoes, mushrooms and radishes. Pre-made dry food for guinea pigs, such as Little One, Menu Vital and others, include corn, barley, oats and sunflower, which are also good for their digestion. They need 1-2 tbsp. spoons. The pet's constant access to clean water is also required. For health and teeth grinding, the animal will benefit from hard branches of fruit trees.
Optimal weight and walking
A skinny pig needs 2 times more food than rodents that have fur. Food helps maintain the desired weight and provides energy so that the animal does not freeze.
Obesity is just as dangerous for skinnies as exhaustion. Therefore, the rodent is provided with the opportunity to spend its life in motion, walking and playing.
The cage must be a meter long. An enclosure is set up near the home or a walking area in the room is fenced off so that the rodent cannot get into hard-to-reach places.
Skinnies can only be walked in the fresh air in the summer. At temperatures below +22–24 ℃ the pig freezes.
Character and behavior of hairless animals
Like their hairy relatives, these guinea pigs have amazing intelligence and developed empathy for humans. Calm and measured, they never show aggression towards their owner. You don’t have to endure the animal’s hysterical behavior; they prefer to spend their leisure time napping or entertaining games.
Guinea pigs simply love long sleep and are ready to make friends with your other pets and share their daytime rest with them. A distinctive feature of this breed is its extreme affection for people. The owner should not leave his own for a long time, much less forget about him. These rodents always feel sad from loneliness and can fall into a state of stress that can cause harm to their health.
The hairless breed of guinea pigs has a vulnerable character and a sensitive psyche, so you should not keep them in a stressful environment. Daily screams and human cruelty can lead to the early death of an animal that is unable to withstand such stress on the nervous system.
In addition, these animals have an amazingly developed intelligence, allowing them not only to immediately remember their nickname, but also to communicate with their owner, rising up to him on their hind legs. With the help of rewards, you can train your pet, but you should not get too carried away and tire him out with complex tasks.
Behavior
Skinnies do not conflict with other pets. They are emotionally sensitive, quickly become attached to kittens, birds, puppies, and try to cuddle with them. They seek affection from their owners. They can sit on their knees for a long time. They love it when a warm hand is placed on their back.
The rodent does not bite, is very inquisitive and active.
If the animal is healthy and well-fed, it is not dangerous for small children.
Pigs are chosen as gifts for children as the most socialized and contactable pets.
Skinny care
Caring for a hairless breed is made easier by the fact that the pig does not need to be constantly brushed; it does not shed. To prevent the pig from scratching its delicate body, you should not leave objects in the cage that could injure the animal.
You should trim your rodent's nails regularly. Otherwise, there is a danger that the animal will scratch itself. Since Skinny's immunity is low, the wound will take a long time to heal.
Every three to four weeks, the animal’s ears are carefully cleaned and the eyes are washed with clean boiled water using a cotton swab.
Skinnies should only be bathed as a last resort if there is severe contamination. To maintain cleanliness, the animal is regularly wiped with a damp cloth.
Flavorings, alcohol solutions, detergents and disinfectants cannot be used to wipe the pig.
Invisible dangers
A guinea pig faces dangers that the owner may not even suspect. Despite the fact that skinny looks well-fed and strong, she can easily damage her internal organs and limbs if she falls even from a small height.
With a lot of weight, there is a lot of stress on the paws. The diet must contain food high in phosphorus and calcium, otherwise the pig’s paws may become crooked. Cereals such as oats, barley and corn are sources of phosphorus for rodents. The pig is given mineral stones containing calcium (chalk).
A hairless animal is absolutely helpless in the cold. The slightest draft will quickly catch a cold. Even if you sew clothes for the animal, you cannot go outside with the animal in the cool season.
Pros and cons of content
The undoubted advantages of keeping this particular breed include the absence of wool, which can cause allergies. There will also be much less debris in the cage. These animals have an increased level of intelligence and an incredibly cute appearance that can charm even the most skeptical person.
However, we should not forget about the disadvantages, for example, you should not have a hairless guinea pig in a family with small children. They are susceptible to stress, and a child’s cry can provoke it. Don’t forget about feeding, too; a large expenditure of calories on heating provokes increased food consumption.
Skinny Breeding
Breeding skinny pigs is possible if you provide the female and male with comfortable living conditions and proper nutrition. When the female is six months old, she is ready to become a mother and feed her cubs. Males are considered sexually mature at 3 months. But you should wait until they are seven months old to mate.
The diet of animals before mating includes nuts and sunflower seeds. Particular attention is paid to daily walks to ensure that the pigs remain in good physical shape.
The female carries the cubs for about 70 days. All this time, she is carefully protected from stress factors and adequate feeding is organized.
