Prolonged elevated levels of cortisol place a strain all of the body’s functions, including the heart and the immune system. Not only can guinea pigs can inherit a general propensity for longevity from their parents, they also inherit very specific genes which influence how long they live. They always get plenty of food and of course lots of cuddling and love. Newborn guinea pigs come complete with fur and up to twenty teeth at birth. A good example would be teacup pigs. Not only might they not get along as well, pregnancy will almost inevitably follow. If left untreated, this condition could become life-threatening. As long as you keep your guinea pigs healthy and happy they should live for AT LEAST three years. Illness can shorten that lifespan considerably, but timely and proper care can address most health issues. Guinea pig life span is influenced by factors like genetics, diet, and environment. It's a totally valid question, and one that you should know the answer to if you have guinea pigs in the family, or are considering adopting a few. If your guinea pig does suffer from some genetic disorder, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world. There are many factors which will influence the lifespan of a guinea pig. Still, you can do your part by researching the place you are buying your guinea pig from. So, unlike their ‘wild’ guinea pig relations, who can only be expected to live for 1-4 years, pet guinea pigs can live 5-7 years providing you with many years of love, snuggles and wheeks! A wild guinea pig lifespan is an average of 1 to 5 years, however, a pet guinea pig lifespan can be up to 8 years, which is why people prefer guinea pigs over hamsters that live no more than 3 years. You can expect a guinea pig to live for 4 to 8 years. Guinea pigs age at different rates, so it isn’t always easy simply to go by their actual age. Since these genes are usually associated with specific pedigrees, we’ll look at them in the next section. The exception, as mentioned previously in this article, may be a guinea pig of mixed parentage. Pregnancy is quite dangerous for guinea pigs, and about 20% of females die due to childbirth. 2012. In fact, the lifespan of your guinea pig is hugely affected by a number of factors that can reduce it or extend it. Yep, just like a pirate from a childhood storybook. By paying attention to their needs and health, you can maximize the amount of time that you get to spend with your cavies. A guinea pig’s lifestyle will also affect how long it lives. We’ll talk about specific health issues and what we can do to help a little guinea pig life span further down. About three months ago we rescued a pair of guinea pigs living in a tiny cat carrier. He's had two Americans, two Abyssinians, and one Silkie Guinea Pig. It can be tempting to buy a guinea pig from a random seller. 2013 “Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England”, The Veterinary Journal. There are types … On average, guinea pigs live 5-8 years. However, some closely related cousins still survive in the grasslands of South America. Your vet will check for urinary stones and a possible urinary tract infection. An enclosure should be the appropriate size for the number of guinea pigs living within it. he is not squealing- (making his sounds at all)- should I be concerned? Some livestock breeds weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) when full grown. But cleanliness only goes so far. Baldwin is an amusing mutation of one of the breeders. Here are some possible signs that your guinea pig is entering the middle of his golden years. Usually they survive 4-5 years though. Guinea Pig Facts, LiveScience. A common side effect of inbreeding to protect a pedigree is an overall loss in quality and vigor, known as “inbreeding depression.”. For the rest of us, we can completely shape a guinea pig’s environment to be the most conducive to them living a long and happy life! Most guinea pigs will live between 4-8 years. So the only clues will be in their family tree, if you have access to it. Avoid leaving unfinished pellets or fruit snacks lying around in your guinea pig’s enclosure. Check out our fun list of guinea pig exercise activities to get your cavy feeling sporty! Good luck with your new friend! It’s important to make sure that your guinea pig eats well and has access to toys. Guinea pigs that have a compatible friend will have significantly lower levels of stress and be happier overall. Since guinea pigs live longer than other small animals, buying one is much more of a commitment. Comparatively the all-too-brief 1-2 year lifespan of a hamster, guinea pigs are relatively long-lived little guys, with an average lifespan of about 5 years. According to the 2006 Guinness World Records, the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months. A guinea pig’s lifestyle will also affect how long it lives. KEY TIP: If your guinea pigs do not get along, this could have an effect opposite of what you intended. Find out how long their predecessors lived, and what their overall health was like. It’s a natural question if you’re considering bringing one of these small furry friends home. We put blankets and towels on the floor and we change them every couple days. This automatically imposes a degree of inbreeding, and puts a limit on genetic variation between individuals within the pedigree. The guinea pigs are said to have a longer lifespan than most dogs, or rather most pets. 2015. Put simply, a bored or lonely guinea pig’s body will wear out sooner. Rat Names – Over 200 Great Ideas For Naming Your Pet... Hamster Breeds – Differences, Similarities, and Choosing the Best One. Enjoy Life With Your Furry Friend, Can Guinea Pigs Eat Spinach? Where do guinea pigs fit in? They’re also pint-sized adventurers who like mental stimulation. How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live – Life Span. In the last couple of decades some important advice about keeping guinea pigs has changed. The solution: a balanced range of snacks with Vitamin C. These could take the form of fresh fruits such as oranges, or you can go with Vitamin C supplement snacks! The life span of pet pigs depends on the breed actually. Within all species, there is a genetic component to longevity. Still kept for the same reason in many areas, the guinea pig variant we are familiar with no longer exists in the wild. He may lose weight, and become less energetic overall. How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live. But on the whole, you can expect a domesticated animal to live longer than a wild animal. There are a number of different factors that influence the length of a guinea pig’s life. Richardson, V. 2000. If they aren’t getting enough, they might develop scurvy. This article has been extensively revised and updated for 2019. These wild guinea pig relatives are quite common. On average, a Guinea pig can live anywhere between 4 to 8 years. Our genes control the aging process at the very minutest level within our cells, and some of us simply inherit better genes for longevity than others. How long can a really lucky guinea pig go on living? This is often simply because of regular food, vet check ups, and lack of predators. The average life expectancy of guinea pigs in natural conditions is about 9-10 years. Some of these factors are beyond our control, but there are also lots of things we can do to help our guinea pigs stay healthy for longer. The answer to this is 4-8 years on averagewhich is longer than any other popular rodents. Tracing a guinea pig’s pedigree can be much trickier than doing so for another animal, like a dog, for instance. Genetic disorders can account for anything from hair loss to being more prone to developing tumors. Because of the way these genes are inherited, a responsible breeder can protect future pups by not breeding two roan guinea pigs or two dalmatian guinea pigs together. Get them checked over by a vet once a year, and seek treatment for health problems promptly in between check ups. The older they get, the harder it is for them to recover from health issues. Seven is a good age – hope he continues to stay well , Sadly tonight at about 10pm, little Peanut died cuddling on my lap watching TV. Much of a guinea pig’s life expectancy depends on environmental factors. Share: Don’t let the name fool you, guinea pigs are nothing close to the size of an actual pig neither are they from Guinea. He had a bit of an ucky eye this morning, but late this evening he started to have laboured breathing and sadly passed away quite peacefully I hope. A quick search on the internet will tell you that a guinea pig's average lifespan is 4 to 8 years. O’Neill, D., et al. On an average level, guinea pig life span normally exists from 5-7 years old. I had 4 guinea pigs but one died last night at 8:39pm Sept 23rd 2018 and he was 7 yrs old. Happy Cavy Tips, Himalayan Guinea Pig – Ultimate Breed Care Guide, Baby Guinea Pigs – The Owner’s Care Guide, Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberries? More recently, but unverified, a boar in Australia called Sweetie was reported to be seventeen years old when he passed away. The only difference is that a guinea pig’s version of a healthy diet will look different from a human’s. Originally, the first domesticated cavies were farmed as a food source. The second answer would be that each individual pig has its own different life span. Introduce them slowly and carefully. He spends hours on Instagram browsing guinea pigs, wombats, hedgehogs, and Dungeons & Dragons. Some don’t live long enough and some make it to a much riper old age. Guinea pigs on the other hand live much longer and grow to a much larger size. Do you have a guinea pig? Guinea pigs are social animals, as we’ve covered before. But, it also means you have a longer, rewarding time that you can spend with them. There are many pedigrees of guinea pig these days. Skinny guinea pigs can live up to eight years, while the long-haired variety only lives up to six. Domesticated guinea pigs that live in captivity as pets have a different lifespan than guinea pigs living in the wild. That was 3.5 years ago. Below is a list of common risk factors. However, there is a bit of variation, with some listing the average lifespan as 4 to 6 years, and others reporting that guinea pigs typically live about 5 to 8 years. As they are social animals, it’s best for them to have companions. Don’t go overboard when sharing fruit snacks with your cavies! Feed them an appropriate and balanced diet. Lucy. It’s plain to see why Guinea Pigs are so popular as pets. At the first sign of something out of the ordinary, visit your vet. Therefore, most of them can expect to have about the same lifespan. However, guinea pig life span in the wild is typically much shorter than those in captivity, ranging from one to four years. The lifespan of a guinea pig, as with any animal out there, depends on several factors, and the most important of them is if the guinea pig in cause is wild or domestic. You may find he starts to whistle to you when he gets to know you better. Woolliams, J. The larger pigs in each breed range from 10 to 12 inches (25-30 cm). This means guinea pigs require a long-term commitment on your part. With this power comes responsibility. Unfortunately, other genes can bring problems rather than protection. . The remaining brother was the more dominant one of the two.. Hi Rachel, Sorry for your loss. 437–446. How long does a Guinea Pig Live? To begin with, guinea pigs live about five years on average, with a maximum life span of eight years. Doing so increases the risk of bacteria building up on them before they get eaten. However, this depends on quite a few factors and circumstances. Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs. Your guinea pig experiences high amounts of stress. While having a companion can make a guinea pig happier, don’t mix sexes. Addressing any genetic concerns can go a long way to prolonging your guinea pig’s life. The type of pet really does not concern much in terms of food and diet as it can eat almost any food that it has been laid in front of it. But, it also gives them psychological benefits. Guinea pig life span is influenced by factors like genetics, diet, and environment. The diet of your pig is very important and also plays an important role in determining their lifespan. They can live even longer. However, this depends on quite a few factors and circumstances. A Guide To Guinea Pig Life... Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Girl Guinea Pig Names: Over 200 Great Names For Female Guinea Pigs, Bunny Names – All The Best Rabbit Names In One Place, Guinea Pig Breeds – Discover 13 Different Cavies, Guinea Pig Sounds: A Guide To Guinea Pig Noises, Cute Guinea Pig Names – 200 Unique Names To Choose From. List of Short Haired Guinea Pig’s Lifespan. The species of bald guinea pigs include breeds: boldwin and skinny. Or, guinea pigs can eat strawberries for a boost as well. There is no guaranteed way to prevent this serious illness, but there are steps you can take to keep the odds down. An active guinea pig is one that will have better chances of living a full life. The average size of a litter is three babies. Bacteria love nothing more than a dirty bowl or water dispenser. How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live? Picture of mother and baby guinea pig. Let us know how old they are in the comments below! If you’re curious about how big do guinea pigs get, you’ll be intrigued to know that the larger guinea pig breeds grow across a length range of about 4 inches. – Average Life Span. And health problems may seem to be more common. Stressed guinea pigs also produce more cortisol, the “fight or flight” hormone. However, factors such as environment, diet, exercise, and social requirements all still play a large part in guinea pig life span. You can’t test for these kinds of genes, though. Introducing more variation to a genepool boosts animals’ health and longevity. Guinea pigs with these problems often die prematurely when their digestive system fails. The female guinea pig is called a sow while the male is called a boar. Playing with your guinea pig will stimulate their minds, which results in a more active and happier piggy. A suitable diet for a guinea pig can be broken down as follows from the most to the least: KEY TIP: Don’t let treats go bad! You have entered an incorrect email address! Pet breeds live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight. But that doesn’t mean that you need to be entirely in the dark. I have inherited a 7 year old Guinea Pig named Sam. A cage that is cleaned every week will have significantly less bacteria and germs than one that is left alone. How Long do Guinea pigs live – all you need to know. On average, guinea pigs will live between 6 – 8 years if given the proper care. Well,my guinea pig is 6 turning 7 in september 1st and seems lively as a puppy so i was wondering if anyone could figure out how long she will live for and she is a girl called "Poppy!!" The same goes for their food bowl and water bottle. The lifespan of a guinea big depends heavily on the breed. Now, let’s take a look at some deciding factors. Give it a balanced diet that consists mostly of grass hay, feed it leafy greens as treats, and make sure fresh water is always available. Cute, furry and about the size of a hamster, something about the word guinea pig often calls to mind laboratory-based medical research. Published 13:47 pm. Fortunately, many of these are easily avoidable. In my experience adult guinea pig males can have a hard time accepting new friends. Guinea Pig Life Span. One option you could try asking your local animal shelters whether they have any solo male guinea pigs that you could attempt slowly introducing your boar too, to see if they are compatible. Activity provides guinea pigs with physical exercise, which is crucial. But compared to other smaller pet animals, like pet rats, a lifespan of up to eight years seems quite generous! Or any species of animal, really. For this reason we give an estimate of 5 years, since many guinea pigs have lived until 9 years … Those of you living on mountain tops with your guinea pigs might have less control over these factors. There’s always a chance that with good genetics, environment, and diet, you could end up with a long-lived guinea pig yourself! Weir, B. Make sure your guinea pigs get along before letting them live together! Factors like the care you provide to your pet, Living environment, Breed and genetics affect the lifespan of guinea pigs. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest guinea pig ever lived a long life, much longer than the four year average: fourteen and a half years, more than three times the average lifespan of a guinea pig. And of course, with guinea pigs being so adorable and cuddly, that’s exactly what we want! Illness can shorten that lifespan considerably, but timely and proper care can address most health issues. Not on my bucket list, but I asked the people if I could bring them to my house. But there are certainly things that we can do as pet owners to help them live longer, happier lives. Breeding within a confined gene pool can also cause hereditary illnesses to become fixed, and even amplified in successive generations. So, be prepared to do all you can to provide them with a long, healthy and happy life, and they will indeed brighten up your days in return! And it’s likely that hybrid guinea pigs also live longer on average than pedigree guinea pigs. Notice: It seems you have Javascript disabled in your Browser. On the other hand, guinea pig life span as a pet may be a completely different story. How long can you expect your guinea pig to live, under good circumstances? Did any report health issues? KEY TIP: Always ask about the health history of a guinea pig’s parents! In such cases, the fix could be as simple as making dietary adjustments. This variance can be due to the wide range of genetic and environmental circumstances that individual guinea pigs face. The same applies to guinea pigs. As guinea pigs are more robust than their smaller cousins, they can live longer than hamsters that stay alive for around 2-3 years. Guinea Pig Lifespan: How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live? This really sounds like very vague information! Unless you plan to present your guinea pigs at shows, or breed them for profit, then choosing a non-pedigree guinea pig is likely to increase the amount of time you have with them. Kind of like humans. Signs of these stones include anorexia and difficulty urinating, among others. pp. Kurloff cells are a specialized type of white blood cell which kill leukemic cells, and protect guinea pigs from many spontaneous tumors. According to the VCA, guinea pigs are “very prone” to developing urinary stones. How long do guinea pigs live? Less germs means better chances at health. The Guinness Book of World Records entry for the world’s longest living guinea pig was a boar in England called Snowball. 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