Backswept silken coat on the mellowest cavy · Intermediate
SG
Lifespan
5-7 years
Adult size
20-30cm; 700-1200g
Min. habitat
Indoor cage 1m2+ for a pair, on fleece
Social needs
Highly social, keep 2 or more
Diet
Herbivore: unlimited hay + vitamin C
Time
High; daily grooming on top of daily care
Cost
Medium
Overview
The Silkie, called the Sheltie in the UK, is a long-haired guinea pig breed whose coat sweeps back from the face like a mane, giving a teardrop silhouette seen from above.
Unlike the Peruvian there is no centre parting and no fringe falling forward over the eyes, and the coat is noticeably softer and glossier to the touch.
The breed was developed in Britain in the early 1970s from crosses between Peruvians and Self Black shorthairs.
The coat grows about 2.5cm a month for life and can pass 50cm in show animals, so daily grooming and regular trims are a lifelong commitment, not a phase.
Of the long-haired breeds it is generally the most manageable, but underneath the hair it is still an intensely social cavy that must live with at least one other guinea pig.
Housing
House at least two together on a solid floor; welfare bodies set a minimum of about 0.7 square metres for a pair, but aim for at least 1 square metre, with more strongly preferred.
Long-haired breeds belong on clean fleece liners rather than loose shavings, which work into the backswept coat within hours.
Provide a hide for each pig to prevent squabbling, and never use wire floors, which injure feet.
Keep them indoors at 18-23C, away from drafts and damp, and treat anything above 26C as dangerous, because the heavy coat makes Silkies overheat faster than short-haired breeds.
They need ground-level floor space rather than height, plus daily supervised floor time.
Spot-clean every day, since a soiled floor becomes a soiled coat and skin trouble underneath it.
Diet
Unlimited grass hay is the foundation of the diet, wearing down continuously growing teeth and keeping the gut moving.
Add a measured portion of plain, vitamin-C-stabilised guinea-pig pellets and a daily variety of fresh vegetables such as bell pepper.
Offer hay from a low rack positioned so the trailing coat drags through it as little as possible.
Like all guinea pigs, Silkies cannot make their own vitamin C and need roughly 10-30mg a day from fresh vegetables and stabilised pellets, or they develop scurvy.
Provide constant fresh water and avoid sudden diet changes, muesli mixes, and rabbit food.
Health
The coat is the main clinical risk: mats pull at the skin, trap moisture and droppings, hide mites and fungal disease, and invite flystrike around the rear in warm weather.
Most pet keepers trim the coat to floor length or shorter, and the rear end needs checking daily whatever the trim.
Because the Silkie's hair sweeps back rather than over the face, eye checks are easier than in a Peruvian, but the rump coat still soils fastest.
Otherwise the breed shares the standard cavy problems: scurvy, dental malocclusion, respiratory infections, bladder stones, ovarian cysts, and bumblefoot on poor flooring.
Any guinea pig that stops eating is a medical emergency, because gut stasis kills quickly.
Weigh weekly and keep an exotics-savvy vet on hand.
Temperament
Silkies have a reputation as the calmest and most laid-back of the guinea pig breeds, though they start out as shy as any cavy and need patient, gentle handling to settle.
They wheek at feeding time, popcorn when content, and recognise their keepers.
Daily brushing started young, kept short and calm, becomes a bonding ritual rather than a struggle, and this breed tends to tolerate it better than most.
They must live with the company of their own kind in quiet, predictable surroundings, because a solitary guinea pig becomes stressed and unwell.
A good fit for
Committed keepers ready for daily coat care
Homes wanting a long-hair with a mellow, tolerant nature
Keepers housing a bonded pair or trio indoors
People who enjoy grooming as a quiet daily ritual
Adults or older teens who handle pets calmly
Common mistakes to avoid
Skipping grooming for even a few days; mats form fast
Loose shavings tangling into the backswept coat
Overheating above 26C under the heavy coat
Keeping a single guinea pig alone
Forgetting daily vitamin C, causing scurvy
Choosing the breed on looks without planning lifelong trims
Weigh weekly. It is the highest-value two minutes in guinea pig keeping, and it is the only way to see trouble coming.
Go now
Not eating, or not producing droppingsCall now. The gut stops when food stops moving. Same mechanism as a rabbit, same urgency.
8 hours
Crusty eyes, laboured or clicking breathingGo now. Respiratory infection moves fast in cavies and is a leading cause of death.
Now
Today
Weight down 50 g or more in a week, or falling three weeks runningCall an exotics vet with the weight log. A guinea pig can lose a significant share of its body weight before an owner sees any change through the coat.
Today
Dropping food, drooling, or a wet chinBook a dental examination. Back teeth grow continuously and can bridge over the tongue. The animal keeps trying to eat and cannot.
Today
Soon
Sitting apart from the others, or stopped talkingWeigh, then watch closely. A social species going quiet is often the first behavioural sign.
A day or two
A guinea pig must not live alone. Switzerland treats keeping a single guinea pig as a welfare offence, and the practical consequence there is a rent-a-companion service for a bereaved survivor.
This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.
Can a silkie guinea pig eat that?
Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, so a daily source is not enrichment — it is the difference between health and scurvy.
Never (20)
AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
never
AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the skin, stone and leaves. Implicated in cardiac damage across birds, rodents and reptiles.
never
Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.
never
CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
never
ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
never
DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.
never
Dried fruitSugar concentrated several times over, and it sticks to the teeth. Most commercial small-pet treats are exactly this.
never
GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
never
Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.
never
LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
never
MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.
never
MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.
never
NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.
never
OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
never
PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.
never
Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.
never
RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.
never
Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
never
SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.
never
Vitamin C drops in waterDegrades within hours, makes the water taste odd so the pig drinks less, and gives no reliable dose. Feed the vitamin, do not dissolve it.
never
Rare treats (13)
AppleSugar. The seeds contain a cyanogenic compound and must be removed. A thin slice, once or twice a week. Never the seeds or core.
rare treat
BananaVery high in sugar and starch, and most animals will overeat it given the chance. A slice the width of a fingernail, rarely.
rare treat
BlueberrySugar, but a small portion size makes it easy to control. One or two berries, twice a week.
rare treat
Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.
rare treat
CarrotSold as the archetypal rabbit food and it is nothing of the kind: carrot is a root vegetable with a high sugar content. The leafy tops, by contrast, are an excellent green. A thin slice as a treat. The tops can be fed freely.
rare treat
CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.
rare treat
GrapesVery high in sugar. Halve them, because a whole grape is a choking hazard. One halved grape, rarely.
rare treat
OrangeAcidic and sugary; can irritate the mouth and gut. A tiny segment, rarely if at all.
rare treat
PearSugar. Remove the seeds. A thin slice occasionally.
rare treat
PeasHigh in starch and sugar. The pods and leaves are better than the peas. A few pods occasionally.
rare treat
StrawberrySugar, though lower than most fruit. The leaves are actually the better part. Half a small berry, once or twice a week.
rare treat
TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain solanine and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.
rare treat
WatermelonSugar and a very high water content, which together can loosen the gut. Remove the seeds. A small cube in hot weather, rarely.
rare treat
Occasional (18)
BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.
occasional
Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.
occasional
BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.
occasional
CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.
occasional
CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.
occasional
ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.
occasional
CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.
occasional
CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.
occasional
DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.
occasional
Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.
occasional
KaleHigh vitamin C, high calcium. Good in rotation, a stone risk as a daily staple. A leaf or two, twice a week.
occasional
MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.
occasional
ParsleyVery high in vitamin C, and also high in calcium. Rotate it rather than feeding it daily. A few sprigs a few times a week.
occasional
PelletsA plain vitamin-C-fortified guinea pig pellet. Vitamin C degrades in the bag, so buy small and check the date rather than relying on it as the only source. About a tablespoon per pig per day.
occasional
PumpkinSafe and well tolerated in small amounts. A small cube occasionally.
occasional
RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.
occasional
SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.
occasional
WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.
occasional
Everyday foods (6)
Bell pepperThe single best everyday vitamin C source on this list, and low in sugar and oxalate with it. Red has the most; green is still good. A quarter of a pepper per pig, daily.
everyday food
Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and much better food than the root. A handful as part of the daily greens.
everyday food
CorianderWell liked, good vitamin C, no oxalate problem. A generous handful daily as part of the mix.
everyday food
Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens available, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and anywhere that may have been sprayed. A generous handful daily.
everyday food
Grass hayShould be about 80 percent of what this animal eats, available at all times. It is what wears the teeth down and what keeps the gut moving. Unlimited, always.
everyday food
Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content and a good water balance. A generous handful daily as part of a mixed selection.
everyday food
That food is not on our list. Leave it out and check with an exotics vet — guinea pigs are conservative eaters and a food they have never had can be refused for weeks afterwards.
Guinea pigs imprint on what they ate as youngsters and can refuse anything unfamiliar for life. Offer variety early and keep offering it.
Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
AdvancedAdvanced
Intermediate