Do guinea pigs need natural light?

[swaller]

Hi,

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to shift our piggies from a daylight-filled room to the only other place we can fit their 2x6 C&C and where the dog can't get at them which is in the the basement and where there is literally no natural light. They spend a couple sessions a week in an indoor run where there is some natural light but very rarely go outside as we have just planted new grass and the lawn is almost constantly damp as a result. We also have a dog so I'm wary about peed-on grass in the future. Pigtures below of the before/after.

My question is, do piggies need natural light and if so how much / often? For vitamin D production or other reasons concerning their physical health / mental well being?

Since the move they seem perfectly content but it's the longer lasting effects I'm querying.

Thanks from Coco, Frida and Ted's mama.

 

[Siikibam]

Yes I think they should have some daylight.

 

[Caramelchip18]

Yes, maybe perhaps do this by taking them outside once in a while or making sure there’s a window to shine in some sun?

 

[tabelmabel]

I have 2 dogs and a cat. One of my dogs is a hunt, point, retriever with a very high prey drive. However, my pig cage is able to be sited in my kitchen due to it having a lid on and a well trained dog.

If it didnt have its lid, i think i have now got my dog to such a standard of training that the pigs would be at more risk from the cat.

What breed of dog have you got and what have you done in the way of impulse control training?

My cage is 2 storey which also helps it be more secure. There isnt such a clear view into the lower storey and the upper storey is above the level of my dog's vision.

When she was a puppy, she could not be unattended in the kitchen at all and was very over threshold near the pigs. I think i had a longline on her in the kitchen as she was at high risk of lunging at the cage.

Now, she shows no interest whatsoever. Obvs i would never trust her with no lid on the cage and i dont leave her unattended in the garden if i have pigs in an outside run because dogs dont generalise their learning from one environment to another and i havent put enough work in with her in a garden environment.


With training though, your dog should be able to leave the pigs alone if their cage is secure. Your dog should definitely be able to get to a stage where he is not lunging at the cage, jumping onto the cage, or destroying it.

If you want an idea of the kinds of training games to help impulse control, let me know and i can tell you the sorts of things.