10+ year old guinea pigs?

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Popcorn bby

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I don't even know if this is the right section to ask this, but I was wondering if anyone has ever had a guinea pig live to 10 years or up? Also, do American guinea pigs tend to be one of the breeds of guinea pigs that live a bit longer? 💕💕
 
I’m not sure there’s any particular breed that would outlive it’s counterparts, excluding those known for their genetic dispositions to certain life-shortening illnesses.

I’m sure there are a few piggies that have lived to 10 years and a little beyond, though I can’t remember if any where masters of forum members.
 
Siikibam said:
I’m not sure there’s any particular breed that would outlive it’s counterparts, excluding those known for their genetic dispositions to certain life-shortening illnesses.

I’m sure there are a few piggies that have lived to 10 years and a little beyond, though I can’t remember if any where masters of forum members.
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That sounds like good news, since my Piggie is an American Piggie I'm glad to hear her breed shall not affect how long she lives. I have high hopes for a long life ahead of her, she's 4 1/2 years now and I am looking forward to the many more to come. She does struggle with URI and is recovering from her first (and hopefully last) UTI, but she's a powerhouse and won't let that affect her. I'm curious to see any replies 👀
 
Her breed may not but other illnesses can unfortunately. The breeds I was speaking of are, for example, silks?...if I remember correctly. Can’t think of any others off the top of my head.

glad to hear she’s still sprightly. I hope to see my piggies into old age 🥰
 
Siikibam said:
Her breed may not but other illnesses can unfortunately. The breeds I was speaking of are, for example, silks?...if I remember correctly. Can’t think of any others off the top of my head.

glad to hear she’s still sprightly. I hope to see my piggies into old age 🥰
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I hope and pray both our piggies live into the double digits, I'll message you when it's Popcorn's 10th birthday! 😊😊
 
Siikibam said:
Her breed may not but other illnesses can unfortunately. The breeds I was speaking of are, for example, silks?...if I remember correctly. Can’t think of any others off the top of my head.

glad to hear she’s still sprightly. I hope to see my piggies into old age 🥰
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I think you're thinking of satins @Siikibam :D
 
Being honest it's unlikely that piggies will live to 10 years plus. Anything over 5 years old is considered their senior years with life expectancy 5-8 years. Yes there are several pigs who live longer than this and there are several examples on this forum alone but I think an expectation of 10 years upwards is much more likely to result in disappointment
 
My record pig was in his 7th year, his brother was in his 6th year. My boar who lived to 7 never see a vet until about 6, which is pretty impressive, but in his 6rh to 7th year is when he started having tummy issues and in the end died from cancer.

This is a pig that bearing in mind was neglected for the first 2 years of his life by rubbish owners and he was kept in a loud busy school.

My sow who is in her 3rd year now, I honestly doubt she will get to 6 or 7, but you never know, sometimes it's the ones that scrape through life with issues that just keep going, and the healthy ones that just go downhill overnight, its pretty much a lottery
 
My record is 11 years, claimed by my very first piggy, a coronet boar called Fudge :) his children (accidental litters, we thought he was a girl!) lived between 7 and 9 years, along with his 'wife' Badger who was 8ish I think?
That was luck though I think and possibly good genes.. my 2 current oldest are 4 in April but showing their age already, although they're 1/4 cuy, a breed that usually only lives 2-3 years so I suppose they wouldn't have as long of a life span as regular piggies. I've already lost 3 before their second birthday and one just on their 3rd in the last few years, so really, it's probably more luck than breed.
 
Eriathwen said:
My record is 11 years, claimed by my very first piggy, a coronet boar called Fudge :) his children (accidental litters, we thought he was a girl!) lived between 7 and 9 years, along with his 'wife' Badger who was 8ish I think?
That was luck though I think and possibly good genes.. my 2 current oldest are 4 in April but showing their age already, although they're 1/4 cuy, a breed that usually only lives 2-3 years so I suppose they wouldn't have as long of a life span as regular piggies. I've already lost 3 before their second birthday and one just on their 3rd in the last few years, so really, it's probably more luck than breed.
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10 is amazing 👍. I had a gerbil go to 5. That's quite rare
 
Now I was told, very firmly, by the lady who runs the pet shop in the village I now live in that I shouldn’t feed my piggies grain free pellets and she should know. As she used to breed guinea pigs she had studied their digestive systems and all hers lived to 12 years!
 
Merab's Slave said:
Now I was told, very firmly, by the lady who runs the pet shop in the village I now live in that I shouldn’t feed my piggies grain free pellets and she should know. As she used to breed guinea pigs she had studied their digestive systems and all hers lived to 12 years!
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And their digestive system is the only factor in living longer 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨😒
 
Eriathwen said:
My record is 11 years, claimed by my very first piggy, a coronet boar called Fudge :) his children (accidental litters, we thought he was a girl!) lived between 7 and 9 years, along with his 'wife' Badger who was 8ish I think?
That was luck though I think and possibly good genes.. my 2 current oldest are 4 in April but showing their age already, although they're 1/4 cuy, a breed that usually only lives 2-3 years so I suppose they wouldn't have as long of a life span as regular piggies. I've already lost 3 before their second birthday and one just on their 3rd in the last few years, so really, it's probably more luck than breed.
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You’re one lucky piggie mom! May God bless me and my piggies with the same luck, and may he bless you as well. I have hope and faith that my piggie Popcorn can live to be at least nine (I truly do have faith in her). She’s four and she’s not exactly the healthiest piggie, but she’s the strongest piggie. Poor cuy guinea pigs, so sad that they have to live like that because people wanted food. Be proud though, those ages are stunning!
 
Merab's Slave said:
Now I was told, very firmly, by the lady who runs the pet shop in the village I now live in that I shouldn’t feed my piggies grain free pellets and she should know. As she used to breed guinea pigs she had studied their digestive systems and all hers lived to 12 years!
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Gosh I hope that’s a true fact cause I might as well try it 🤔have you tried it with you’re piggies?
 
Not many piggies reach 10, though there are a lucky few that do, kind of like the odd person who lives to be 110! My pigs on average have lived close to 7 years, with the exception of one who died young due to a massive dental abscess that caused osteomyelitis. The breed doesn't have a lot to do with longevity, especially given that most guinea pigs in the pet market have a variety of different genes in their background, no matter what they look like! I got to see a sibling of one of my current pigs, who looks like an American pig with some long-haired genes in there somewhere, but her sister looked completely abyssinian!
 
Popcorn bby said:
Gosh I hope that’s a true fact cause I might as well try it 🤔have you tried it with you’re piggies?
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It's absolutely not true at all. Grain free pellets are better for piggies and as said above digestive health isn't the only thing that determines how long they live
 
I feed grain free, I don't even properly know why, but I think it's because Guineas apparently don't need grain or wheat filler?
 
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