News & Updates

On the 10th September I attended the Guinea Pig Welfare Forum in Birmingham, England, UK. Firstly, it was a wonderful day to see so many people come together to try to improve the welfare of guinea pigs. There is now a UK charity Guinea Pig Welfare UK (GPWUK), which aims to advance the health and welfare of all guinea pigs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland through education and ethical research. Please see the charity's website here. I am now proudly a member. 

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Key discussion points:

• Concerns about medical issues in guinea pigs seen by veterinarians such as bladder or kidney associated conditions.

• There is concern about indoor living piggies and possible insufficient UV exposure. Veterinary Nurse Abi Edis talked about options to provide UV light for mostly 'indoor' living piggies, such as UV (not heat) floor lamps. 

• Research conducted by Carroll et al. (2025) highlights that small companion mammals are frequently kept in conditions that do not meet their welfare needs. Fenton et al. (2025) supports this, finding that small housing was the welfare issue rated as the most impactful for small mammals including guinea pigs. Inappropriate diets are also a major issue for small mammals. small companion animals’ welfare needs are not being met by many owners. Unfortunately, barriers to meeting piggy needs still include the marketing/selling of inappropriate housing and diet. 

• Concern over guinea pigs bought as children's pets connected with a reluctance to pay for things necessary for their needs such as veterinary costs. 

• Upcoming research includes studying the welfare of guinea pigs kept for educational purposes such as husbandry and handling training, and guinea pig communication.