Proper Care of Guinea Pigs (Proper Care of...Series)

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Summary: The ONLY Guinea Pig reference book
Review: All Guinea pig enthusiasts know Peter Gurney, and have spend many an hour researching and reviewing this book. All piggie experts will tell you that this is the book to own, and reference with those difficult questions. Next to biological hand books for veterinarians this is the best book for the care and health of Guinea pigs.

Peter has spent the better half of his life living with Cavys (guinea pigs) and has much to share on the subject. If you own a piggie, buy this book, if you are considering buying or adopting a guinea pig buy this book, if you need to do a school assignment on guinea pigs, buy this book. Just buy it, you won't be sorry.

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Summary: 5 Stars for Guinea Pig Care
Review: An excellent compendium on all you would ever want to know about raising guinea pigs. I have now raised over twenty guinea pigs to healthy adulthood and both myself and many a friend can vouch for their deliciousness. The guinea pig, if raised incorrectly, will not appeal to the palate. The meat of a wild guinea pig is tough and gamey, however, a properly raised guinea pig in captivity will produce the most tender, savory flesh. One needs to increase the guinea pigs calorie consumption and reduce the cage in order to create the ultimate "fall off the bone" guinea pig meat. My Ecaudorian friends swear that you should only feed your guinea pig chicken to increase its fat tissue, but I've had mixed results. I recommend buying a Mcdonalds' double cheeseburger and drizzling it with bacon fat to really give the little critter a diet busting entre. We both agree on a cage five to six inches long, three inches wide, and five inches in height. Food and water are stored outside. Preparation is another issue, and I highly recommend esteemed Guayaquilean chef Aurelio Guzman's Yummy por el Guinea! for a variety of fantastic recipes.

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Summary: Hands-down the best book for GP owners
Review: For those who haven't heard of Peter Gurney, he's a British layperson (non-veterinarian) who has a remarkable love for and knowledge of guinea pigs. He is a one-man public relations force for GPs around the world. He initiated a highly successful project which brings GPs into Children's hospitals in the UK for pet therapy. Through his many decades of experience living with (and for) GPs, he offers REAL information for GP owners - not fluff propaganda gleaned from manufacturers of pet supplies. This is an invaluable book for people who really want to understand their GPs, and is of immeasurable benefit to the health and welfare of the species.

His writing style is enjoyable and humorous, providing medical information in words the layperson can understand. Gurney addresses concepts including GP biology (how many teeth do GPs have?), behavior (what does that squeak mean?), nutrition (GPs, like humans, require vitamin C in their diets), husbandry (how to trim toenails with a minimum of pain to human and pig), housing (no cedar chips!), safe toys (GPs aren't hamsters - no exercise balls!) and so much more - all of which will help to make your life with GPs healthy and enjoyable.

If you're really interested in what makes your piggie tick (and squeek and wheeeeek and purr...), this book will help you get there.

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Summary: The difinitive guide to amateur guinea pig husbandry
Review: I have raised and bred guinea pigs for many years and havegreatly benefited from information gleaned from Peter Gurney's book.His expertise and experience cover numerous and vital facets of guinea pig care and he is adept at explaining the concepts and procedures he discusses. I have read many guinea pig books and can without reservation state that Peter Gurney's book is by far the best. This book discusses important and often neglected issues of guinea pig health and care. Guinea pigs are generally very healthy animals but The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs comprehensively mentions a wide array of health conditions that may potentially arise and clearly discusses how to diagnose and treat these problems. This is by far the most thorough guinea pig book on guinea pig health care I have ever seen and it has even been instructive to many small animal veterinarians who only rarely see guinea pigs in their practices. I have read some gross inaccuracies in books about breeding guinea pigs but Peter Gurney's chapter on the subject is extremely accurate and helpful. The information I have learned from Reading this book has without doubt helped to improve and even to save my guinea pigs' lives. I strongly urge everyone who cares for guinea pigs to read this book to enrich their lives with their furry companions and to learn how to give them the best possible care.

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Summary: Best guinea pig book ever!
Review: I only wish I could give more than 5 stars! I absolutely love
this book. If you didn't already love guinea pigs you will after you read this entertaining and informative book. It is very helpful for guinea pig owners of all ages and the pictures are absolutely adorable. I could read it over an over and I never tire of it. If you have a g-pig or are thinking about getting one you have to have this book!

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Summary: Peter Gurney wrote an entertaining yet useful book
Review: It is true that Peter Gurneys book is an excellent source about guinea care, but i also found it funny. The book includes a few phrases that may trigger laughter such as "the sight of a brood of guinea pigs suckling from their mother is for me one of lifes greates pleasures" and "[the guinea pig's] nose remains, for me, one of the most engaging of is physical assets. With the line of its split upper lip, below the flair of its delicate nostrils, it always reminds me of a lovingly stitched "y" on upon the face of a child's dearly cherished teddy bear." I thought such phrases as these were funny, and made for entertaining reading-rather than boring encyclopedia style. However Gurney manages to pull this off with a wealth of information as well. Also, a prime advantage of this book is the pictures. Peter Gurney has around 35 adorable guinea pigs. They are featured in the book in wonderful quality photos. If it is a book about guinea pigs you want this is probably your best bet.

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Summary: The best guinea pig book!
Review: This book is a must for any guinea pig owner! It is not a basic facts on guinea pigs book. It gives so much more useful information on how to take of our guinea pigs when problems arise. Especially nice feature is what to do with birthing guinea pigs, their babies, and how to be a wet nurse when necessary.
The aurthor, Peter Gurney, is a guinea pig expert, and has done a great service for guinea pigs and their owners everywhere!

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Summary: If you have a guinea pig, YOU NEED THIS BOOK!
Review: This book is perfect for anyone who has a guinea pig or is thinking about buying one. You may find after reading it you know more than your veterinarian seems to know about guinea pigs. That's how it turned out for me. This book contains everything you need to know, including how to care for ailments, which is very valuable knowledge.

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Summary: Peter Gurney is a wonderful author
Review: This is a great book to have in your library if you have guinea pigs - anything you would need to know to take good care of your pet is in this book, or on his website - I refer to both quite often, when it comes to my pigs!

It is over 250 pages of information, with color photos. All different kinds of pigs are pictured, and everything from choosing a pig to routine care, to preventive maintainance to curative procedures are included, and even a section on guinea pig behavior. P.G. has a lot of pigs himself and obviously cares a great deal for these animals. I respect him very much!

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Summary: The best guinea pig book!
Review: This is one of the best guinea pig books out there. There is a lot of information and many pictures to go with it. Being the owner of six guinea pigs, I do like to read a lot about them. I was trying to find a book that contained more than just words and cute pictures. (Although this book is packed with great pictures!) I had a skin condition on a newly acquired pig, and I really needed a picture or two to help me figure out what I was dealing with. This was the ONLY book out of the ten I own that showed pictures of two of the most common skin conditions - ringworm and mites. Although I do have a knowledgeable veterinarian, I do like to have something on hand that helps me to recognize common conditions so that I know when it's something I can treat or when it needs a trip to the vet. (This time it did - mites!) I wish I had bought this book early on in my guinea pig ownership. I recommend it to all guinea pig owners.