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Week 13: Rodents

Text and Images from Slide

Chinchillas and Guinea Pigs

Photo of a chinchilla being held in someone's hand.

Dusty the chinchilla, by Nick Carson / Flickr

Photo of a guinea pig eating a piece of green vegetable.

Ron the guinea pig, by RaGardner4 / Flickr

Photo of a chinchilla in his cage.

Riko the chinchilla, by galetia / Flickr

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Lecture Notes

Chinchillas and guinea pigs are both herbivorous species. As with rabbits, they have a higher fiber requirements. It is best to feed these animals a commercial pellet diet that is supplemented with a high quality hay, such as Timothy hay. Fresh forages should be avoided because of their high moisture content and can lead to softer feces and even to diarrhea if the forage is very young in maturity. If you want to feed fresh forages, it is recommended to let them sit and dry for 24 h after cutting them.