Average Age For a Guinea Pig?

[lovinwdw]

My guinea pig (Francine) is 5 years old. It was my & DH first pet together. Anway, she's not acting right. She hasn't gone to the bathroom and she is barely eating. Yesterday, she didn't even squeek for her carrots and when i gave them to her she only ate 1 (I have always given her 4 of the mini carrots everyday). We checked her stomach this morning and she does not have wet tail. Anyone with expertise, can you please give me an idea if this is the beginning of the end???

 

[froglady]

I did a quick search, and the average lifespans seem to be all over the place, but according to some, your pet is probably close to the end of hers.

Interestingly, one source had the lifespan in the wild being almost double that of captivity (14 years vs 8) so despite their being a popular pet, it doesn't seem to be vary good for them.

 

[mickeyfan2]

A typical GP life expectancy is 3-5 years. Our Rosie is over 6 and still going strong. Our vet had on in college that was diabetic. He kept it alive until it was 8. He checked it's blood each day and gave it shots.

A GP has a high metabolism. They either get over it quick or are gone quick.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Interestingly, one source had the lifespan in the wild being almost double that of captivity (14 years vs 8) so despite their being a popular pet, it doesn't seem to be vary good for them.

I find this hard to believe. GPs have been domesticated and raise as food for 1000s of years. What source was this from.