Guinea pigs are very active but fragile animals especially when it comes to certain parts of their body like their back.
That part of their body can be very sensitive, so is it bad to put a guinea pig on its back?
It’s bad to put a guinea pig on its back because their spines are not that strong and any pressure that’s put on their back can injure them when they’re in that position, even for a short amount of time.
So the fact that they shouldn’t be on their backs can make it hard to care for them especially when you have to check their body.
But the good thing is that there are some alternatives that you can try instead of putting them on their back all the time.
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Is It Bad To Put A Guinea Pig On Its Back?
So it is bad to put a guinea pig on its back because it’s just not good for them and there are a few main reasons why they shouldn’t be in that position.
The first reason why it’s bad to put a guinea pig on its back is that their spines are not that strong.
If they’re in that position the pressure that’s put on their spine from being on their back can really injure them.
The second reason why it’s bad for them is that their spines are curved for them to be mainly upright most of the time.
So if they’re on their back for too long then it can start to affect the natural curve that they have. What that can do to a guinea pig is cause them to develop back problems throughout their lives.
The third reason why it’s bad to put a guinea pig on its back is that they can hurt themselves when moving around in that position.
This mainly happens when they’re in the process of trying to get up off of their back and all the twisting and turning that they do while trying to do that can cause injuries.
So when it comes to guinea pigs it’s always better for them if they can have their little feet on the floor for most of their lives.
That way their body and back can be in a natural position that it’s supposed to be in.
Why Don’t Guinea Pigs Like Being On Their Back?
It’s true that putting a guinea pig on its back can be bad for them and it’s something that they don’t like doing as well.
One of the reasons why guinea pigs don’t like being on their back for long periods of time is that they can feel a decent amount of discomfort when they’re in that position.
They won’t like that feeling so most of the time they’ll usually try to stay off of their back as much as they can.
Another reason why guinea pigs don’t like being on their back is that they are prey animals.
So because guinea pigs are prey animals, that means that being on their back can make them very vulnerable.
Guinea pigs don’t like being vulnerable like that because when they’re in that type of position it can make it really hard to get away from any potential predators that may be nearby.
They’re always on the lookout for anything that can harm them, and being on their back can make it hard for them to see what they think is coming after them.
Plus when a guinea pig is on their back it can also make it hard for them to escape the situation that they’re in so that they can hide somewhere when they get too stressed out.
So guinea pigs don’t like being on their back, which means that you should try to avoid putting them on it if that’s something that you’re able to do.
What To Do Instead Of Putting Your Guinea Pig On Its Back
Guinea pigs don’t like being on their back and it can be bad for them if they’re put in that position, but luckily there are some other alternatives that you can try.
So if there’s something that you need to do for your guinea pig and you think that they need to be on their back for you to do it, you actually have other options.
For example, you have other options for keeping them off of their backs if you need to clip their nails, check their belly, or check their butt.
That way you can try to avoid as many back problems for your guinea pig as you can.
One alternative that you can try is putting your guinea pig on a small mat on a table so that you can sit close to them and get a good angle for what you’re trying to do.
The fact that they’re on the small mat can allow you to spin them around to get even better angles all without annoying them too much.
So this alternative to them being on their back is really good for when you need to do something like clipping their nails.
Another alternative that you can try is to have someone else hold your guinea pig gently while you do what you need to do.
But when you do this don’t hold them too high up so that they’re closer to the floor just in case they get too stressed.
That way if they do become stressed out and try to wiggle free there won’t be that much of a fall because they’re already close to the ground.
So this alternative is great if you need to check their belly, butt, and clip their nails.
Keep Your Guinea Pig Off Of Its Back
So when it comes to guinea pigs you don’t want to put them on their back if you can avoid doing that.
It could be very bad for them if they spend too much time on their back because they weren’t born to be in that type of position.
Their back can easily get injured initially and they can also develop back problems as time goes on as well.
They won’t like being on their backs because it can cause them to stress out while also limiting their options for running away.
So for those reasons you should try to avoid putting them in that position for the mental and physical health of your guinea pig.
Instead of having them on their back try some of the alternatives when you need to do things for your guinea pig, like when clipping their nails or checking parts of their body.
It may make it harder to do what you’re trying to do but in the end, it’ll help ensure the health of your guinea pig, which is what’s really important.