SECTION THREE
Guinea Pigs and Chinchillas
Biology, Husbandry, and
Clinical Techniques of Guinea
Pigs and Chinchillas
Katherine E. Quesenberry, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ABVP (Avian),
Thomas M. Donnelly, BVSc, Diplomate ACLAM,
and Christoph Mans, MedVet
Biology and Husbandry of Guinea Pigs
Anatomy and Physiology
Behavior
Husbandry
Biology and Husbandry of Chinchillas
Anatomy, Physiology, and Behavior
Husbandry
Clinical Techniques for Guinea Pigs
and Chinchillas
Handling and Restraint
Physical Examination
Blood Collection
Urethral Catheterization and Cystocentesis
Clinical Laboratory Findings
Treatment Techniques
Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and chinchillas (Chinchilla lani-
ger) are hystricomorph rodents from South America (Fig. 22-1).
They share many anatomic and physiologic characteristics and
the approach to their veterinary care is similar. Both species are
monogastric herbivores with a large cecum, and both produce
precocious young after a relatively long gestation period. There
are also some important differences between the two species.
For example, guinea pigs require a dietary source of vitamin C
but chinchillas do not; dystocia is common in guinea pigs but
not in chinchillas; and chinchillas require dust baths but guinea
pigs do not. Both guinea pigs and chinchillas are small, gentle,
Copyright © 2012 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
CHAPTER 22
lively species that make good pets because they are docile and
relatively easy to care for.
This chapter summarizes the information on basic biology,
husbandry, and clinical techniques that is relevant to the medi-
cal care of these species as pets. Readers who are interested in
more detailed descriptions of anatomy and physiology of guinea
pigs can find these in the references.6,46,52 Guinea pigs have been
used as laboratory animals for more than 500 years, and abun-
dant information is available about them; until recently, less has
been published about chinchillas.
BIOLOGY AND HUSBANDRY OF GUINEA PIGS
Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, were domesticated in South
America between a.d. 500 and 1000 and possibly as early as
1000 b.c.66 At the time of the Spanish invasion of South America,
guinea pigs, known as cuy, were raised by the Incas for food and
for use in religious ceremonies.66 Guinea pigs were brought
to Europe about 500 years ago. Although they never became
popular as a food source outside of South America, in Europe
and North America they have been raised as pets and laboratory
animals ever since. Domestic guinea pigs remain a very impor-
tant food source with a very high protein content (19%) for
many people in the Altiplano region of South America.19 They
are raised by families and often left uncaged to forage for food
about the dwellings.61,66 A larger breed, weighing up to 2.5 lb
(1.1 kg), was recently developed by researchers at La Molina
National University to promote exportation as a food prod-
uct to Peruvian immigrant populations in the United States,
Japan, and Europe.14 Guinea pigs have been introduced into the
Democratic Republic of the Congo as “microlivestock” to serve
as a food source in that impoverished country.53
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