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” 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!

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