Guinea pigs (also known as cuys or cavies) are rodents belonging to the genus Cavia and are commonly seen as domestic pets in modern households worldwide. They are known to be cute pets, often seen with rabbits and hamsters. While they are known as lovable pets, they are considered important animals, especially in South America, where guinea pigs are consumed as food and an ingredient in folk medicine.
While the etymology of the word ‘guinea pig’ is hard to explain, animals have been popular because of their value in laboratory experiments since the 17th century, when the cavies served as model organisms for experimentation. Because of this, we have also used the word ‘guinea pig’ as an epithet for any test subjects.
Even though cavies are now replaced by other test subjects (like mice and rats), they are still important in research involving diabetes and cough-related diseases.
Our group at school decided to conduct research that deals with cough. With the earlier information in mind, we have no other choice for test subjects but the guinea pigs. After several months of processing with our university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and with the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI), plus training from someone accredited by the Philippine Association of Laboratory Animal Science (PALAS) we were given clearance and accreditation to do the said experimentation of the cavies.
Initially, we thought that test animals should be euthanized after any experimentation. However, through these various outfits and training, we were educated that not all test animals need to be euthanized, especially if the methods are non-invasive. Our methods were deemed not harmful to the animals, so we were approved.
However, the authorities were clear in telling us that our country’s laws prohibit animal abuse. As much as possible, the laws require that there should be no killing of test subjects.
That is why we divided our test subjects and took them home as pets after our research. Now, I am starting to become a cavy pet owner and am still finding other ways to manage them and let them grow.
Here is a video of my pets. I hope I can post more about them in the future.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM2ISBVQaXM?rel=0]