Do guinea pigs go into hibernation in winter

Do guinea pigs go into hibernation in winter?

Guinea pigs enjoy a certain temperature that they encounter.

They really like living in temperatures between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is the ideal temperature range for piggies who are originally from warm South Amercian Andean countries such as Argentina and Chile.

They are used to living in warm to cool climates high up the Andean mountains where the weather is variable depending on how high up they go.

So if you have a guinea pig that is exposed temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit then this becomes not so comfortable for them.

Guinea pigs the great survivors of the Andes mountains.

They have to find ways of dealing with it to enable them to survive.

In fact, if the temperatures reach around freezing then a guinea pig can seize up under these circumstances.

They can appear that they have maybe dead if they haven’t covered themselves in hay.

This is especially the case if it gets very cold below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

If it gets the type of temperature where you wouldn’t need to wear a coat then this is usually a good guide as to whether the weather is too cold for a guinea pig.

So it is important to keep them warm and one way to do this is to give them plenty of hay and bedding to try and keep them warm.

Hay will also enable them to chew and keep their teeth ground down over the winter time.

Do guinea pigs go into hibernation in winter?

So if they have plentiful hay, they can snuggle themselves in it and it appears like they are going into some sort of hibernation.

This is not the case though.

Guinea pigs do not actually go into hibernation like other animals do.

What happens in these circumstances is that their bodies shut down to conserve energy and retain heat.

They may look lifeless but they are still alive.

It can be quite daunting to see a guinea pig like this though.

This happens more so with guinea pigs that are kept on their own.

Keeping guinea pigs together is important in extreme temperatures.

Guinea pigs that are kept together are more likely to snuggle together and keep each other warm from their bodies.

This is very effective for them and is potentially life-saving if they live outside of a human house.

They provide much needed social stimulation for each other and as social creatures, they provide much-needed company.

You can get some other ideas for keeping your guinea pig warm during cold seasons in this post.

What if your guinea pig is not themselves during cold temperatures?

If you see that your guinea pig is not themselves over a prolonged period then it would be worth contacting your local veterinary surgeon to get them checked out.

It is always worth doing this if you have any concerns about them.

If it gets very cold then it is easy for a guinea pig to contract hypothermia and so always keep a close watch on your guinea pig to make sure that they are okay.

A good test is to how they respond to their favorite treat bring put out for them.

If you don’t get the usual reaction then something will probably be wrong and it is time to get them checked out.

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