Alpaca Guinea Pig: Everything You Need to Know

The Alpaca guinea pig is perhaps one of the cutest, yet rarest breed of guinea pig there is. You will be hard-pressed to find an Alpaca guinea pig breeder, and even less likely to find a pet shop that has Alpaca guinea pigs.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself an Alpaca guinea pig, you will be pleased to discover that they are one of the friendliest guinea pig breeds out there. So, let’s start off with a brief overview of the Alpaca guinea pig.

Alpaca Guinea Pig Profile

Coat Type	Thick, long, coarse and wavy
Fur Coloring	Variety, particularly on ends of the body
Lifespan	Up to 8 years
Gestation Period	59 to 72 days

Personality and Temperament

Guinea pigs are generally known to be affectionate and friendly pets and this is especially true for Alpaca guinea pigs. Alpacas are known to get along with all other guinea pig breeds very well and enjoy human interaction too.

Due to the extensive grooming requirements of the Alpaca, owners will be required to handle them on almost a daily basis. This will naturally build a strong bond between owner and guinea pig, which is why the Alpaca is considered to be very friendly towards humans.

If you’re thinking of getting your first guinea pig you should read my article on 13 Things You Need To Know Before Getting Guinea Pigs.

Grooming Requirements

Alpaca guinea pigs are not recommended for inexperienced owners as their long, coarse coat requires constant maintenance. If this is neglected, their coat can become tangled, matted, and will become dirty very quickly which can lead to illness.

What you need to do:

• Daily brushing – Their long and coarse hair quickly gets knotted and tangled if ignored. Use a pet grooming comb to carefully work out and knots every day.
• Weekly bathing – Because their coat grows long and thick, the Alpaca’s coat is going to get dirty a lot more quickly than shorthaired guinea pigs. Bathe them weekly to avoid the build-up of bacteria and infection.
• Monthly fur trimming – Alpaca guinea pigs fur grows quickly and will need trimming often. A monthly trim is advised, but it may be required more often. If their fur is dragging along the floor, it’s time for a trim.
• Monthly claw clipping – This is true for all breeds of guinea pig. If their claws become too long they curl up, making walking difficult and painful. Long claws may also curl into their foot pad which can cause serious issues, such as bumblefoot.

Alpaca Guinea Pig Grooming Tips

• Have someone help you with grooming until you become confident enough to do it alone.
• Feed your guinea pig their favorite food during a grooming session. This will make the experience more enjoyable for them, calm them down and helps create a bond.
• Be extremely careful when trimming their fur, especially if trimming near their genitals. If in doubt, seek a professional groomer.
• If you find a particularly stubborn knot when brushing, do not use excessive force to detangle it. You are better off just cutting the knot out to avoid hurting and stressing your guinea pig.

Bathing an Alpaca Guinea Pig

As mentioned above, Alpaca guinea pigs will require bathing at least once a week. Here are some helpful tips for bathing a guinea pig:

• Only use a shampoo that is specifically designed for guinea pigs. Regular shampoo and even baby shampoo can cause skin irritation and make your guinea pig ill.
• Avoid getting shampoo in their eyes.
• Bathe your guinea pig in lukewarm water. Test the temperate of the water first by dipping your elbow in.
• Use towels to dry their fur by wrapping and gently patting them. You can also use a hairdryer set on low but stop immediately if they display distress.
• Pay extra attention to their rear end as they get especially dirty there.
• Don’t put your guinea pig straight into the bath. Use a soft cloth to wet their fur first.

Best Bedding for Alpaca Guinea Pigs

Alpacas are one of the longhaired guinea pig breeds which means that not all types of bedding will be suitable for them. This is even more important for an Alpaca as their coat is also coarse, so they are more likely to get loose bedding stuck in their fur.

The best bedding for an Alpaca guinea pig is hands down fleece cage lining. Fleece bedding is ideal because it completely eliminates the chance of bedding getting trapped in their fur.

Fleece bedding needs to be washing regularly, even more so because Alpaca guinea pigs will drop hair considerably more than shorthaired guinea pigs.

Alternatives to Fleece Bedding

If for some reason you prefer not to use fleece bedding or are put off by the initial costs, you may also use:

• Paper-based bedding
• Wood pulp bedding

Just remember – using loose bedding is fine as long as you are diligent with brushing your Alpaca.

Bedding Types to Avoid

• Straw – Should never be used for any guinea pig.
• Hay Bedding – Guinea pigs need a constant supply of edible hay, but regular hay is not recommended to be used as bedding for longhaired guinea pigs such as the Alpaca.
• Wood shavings – This will quickly get stuck in an Alpacas fur.
• Sawdust – Avoid at all costs. Sawdust will cause respiratory issues.

Indoors vs Outdoors

Should Alpaca guinea pigs be kept indoors or outdoors? Personally, I would never keep any breed of guinea pig outdoors as they are social creatures and do better in an environment with regular human interaction.

Alpaca guinea pigs should be kept inside, as outdoor hutches are not suitable for longhaired breeds. Being a longhaired breed they will get wet and dirty very easily, causing bacteria to build up quickly, and are more likely to pick up mites and parasites if kept outside.

Diet

Alpaca guinea pigs have the same dietary requirements as any other breed. It is important to note that guinea pigs are unable to naturally produce vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs can cause serious health problems so you must provide food that contains it.

Recommended diet:

• Timothy hay – a constant supply of hay is needed to aid digestion and to grind down guinea pigs’ teeth, which constantly grow.
• Pellets – about a cup each morning of vitamin C containing pellets.
• Vegetables – leafy greens and other vegetables like carrots should be provided daily, usually in the evening.
• Fruit – should be provided in small quantities as a treat because fruits are high in sugar. Too much fruit will cause obesity and diarrhea.
• Water – this shouldn’t even need mentioning. Don’t ever let that water bottle go empty!

Health Concerns for Alpaca Guinea Pigs

Disclaimer – I am not a veterinarian. This information is based on extensive careful research. For any suspected health issues with your guinea pig, please seek a professional.

It is important to monitor the health of a guinea pig, no matter what breed they are. However, there are a few specific health concerns that are more likely to occur in Alpaca guinea pigs. These are:

Overheating

As Alpaca guinea pigs fur is both long and thick, they are far more susceptible to overheating than other breeds. How to tell if a guinea pig is overheating:

• Rapid or shallow breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Eyes fixed closed
• Lethargic / not moving
• Drooling

Overheating can occur in any breed of guinea pig, but to reduce to the risk of this happening in an Alpaca, simply keep their fur trimmed nice and short.

Skin Problems

There are several skin problems an Alpaca guinea pig may experience which you can read about here.

Alpacas are more likely to experience certain skin problems because of how thick their fur is. Following the grooming and bathing tips mentioned above will reduce the chance of these skin conditions occurring.

Similar Breeds

The Alpaca guinea pig shares a lot of similarities with the Texel guinea pig breed. They share the same thick, wavy coat and grow to be a similar size.

The main defining difference between these two breeds is how the fur on the forehead lies.

An Alpaca will have fur that hands forward, almost over their eyes, whilst a Texel will have fur that falls back.

Conclusion

The Alpaca guinea pig, whilst a lovable breed, is only recommended for experienced owners who have plenty of time spare to fulfil the extensive grooming needs. That said, the Alpaca is such a rare breed and finding one is very difficult.

Personal opinion – I’m not a fan of the Alpaca. Not because I don’t like the breed, but because I disagree with the breeding of animals for how they look. What do you think of Alpaca guinea pigs? Let me know in the comments.