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maplecheese posted:I was at a newly opened Chinese grocery store before my SPCA exotics shift today when I discovered that they had yellow bell peppers for the utterly ridiculous price of $0.59/lb. So I bought one ($0.20!) to give to the SPCA guinea pigs... and when I got in and started cutting it up, as soon as they smelled it, they all completely FLIPPED THEIR poo poo. Just constant deafening WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK from all 9 of them at once. I've made guinea pigs happy before, but I've never made guinea pigs THIS happy. Definitely more than 20 cents worth of entertainment, right there. Excited guinea pigs are basically the best thing in the world. My girls are growing up, but I'll occasionally still get popcorning and tearing around when I do something as simple as clean the cage or put in an enormous pile of hay for them to play in, and it's always the highlight of my day.
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Dec 12, 2009 21:23
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Territorialism is huge. You can also try (if you've got the resources for it) introducing them on neutral ground, a trick that works with guinea pigs. There's generally less fighting if someone isn't defending their "turf". And when you do put both of them in the same space, scrub the hell out of it first to remove lingering odors as best you can and rearrange the furniture.
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Dec 18, 2009 10:26
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SolanaSkyes posted:The guinea pigs at the lab I used to work at would get cabbage as a treat a couple times a week. We always brought it into the room in a plastic bag, so anytime they'd hear a plastic bag rustle, they'd start squeaking. It was so cute. When I first got pigs, I had one girl named Kali who was the shyest, most timid pig ever. If you were moving around in the room, she was hiding in a pigloo, or if she couldn't find a pigloo in time, under another pig. One evening, I got the girls out for floor time (after carefully blocking off all hiding places). Undaunted, Kali managed to worm her way between two pieces of fencing and darted under the microwave stand. I spent about five minutes trying to dig her out with no success, and then went to the fridge, grabbed a plastic bag full of lettuce, and shook it. She darted out from her hiding place covered in dust and wheeking like crazy.
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Dec 22, 2009 02:56
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Ivermectin dosing is incredibly easy to do and it will save you SO much money. All it takes a little basic math to work out the dosage and you're good to go. You'll also have plenty of the stuff leftover should you have any further mite breakouts in the future; a bottle of injectable to dose a horse will topically treat more guinea pigs than you'll ever see in your life. (Just to be clear, you don't actually inject the stuff, it's just the injectable form is suspended in liquid and easiest to use. You draw off the dosage appropriate for your pig, squirt it onto their skin - the bald spots behind the ears are easiest - and sort of rub it in. Repeat a week later and a week after that, and no more mites.)
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Dec 31, 2009 17:51
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I wouldn't stake my money on a harness, either, I've heard way too many stories of pigs slipping out of those. Your best bet is an enclosed playpen, and definitely don't leave them unsupervised. More than one pig has fallen victim to a predator when left outside to play. As for temperature, 60 is just a little bit on the cold side; pigs tend to like mid-60s to mid-70s temperatures. 60 degrees probably won't do any harm, especially if it's sunny, but I'd keep an eye on them.
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Jan 22, 2010 21:17
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They really are. They get stereotyped a lot as loud, boring pets, but that kind of thing usually stems from them being kept alone and in a tiny pet store cage. Get them a friend or two and spacious accommodations, and their personality really and truly comes out.
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Jan 23, 2010 02:19
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Seconded, get her a friend. Guinea pigs are generally eager to socialize, and unless you're staggeringly unlucky you'll get a companion she'll take to without much difficulty, and I've only ever heard of a handful of incidents where two given females weren't eventually coaxed into coexisting together. You'll be amazed how much happier it makes her. To encourage you, I'll give you my handy-dandy never-fail technique for getting guinea pigs to get along. I've had a total of eight in my lifetime, and had to go through five different introductions. Most were reasonable, but one (a pig who hadn't been socialized and had been abandoned at the pet store for being "mean") was a nasty customer, and fought every time I put her in the playpen with anyone else. If you get a pig that's a problem like that and won't integrate, or you want to speed things along with as few fights as possible, what you do is you get some cologne or perfume, spray a very light mist on your hands, and then immediately rub most of it off. Then wipe down the back of each guinea pig. What you want to do is very, very subtly change their scent. Then when you put them together, they think, "Well, I don't know who this pig is, but she smells kind of like me, so maybe she's okay." Every time I've done it it's resulted in instant, permanent amity. As for spaying, if you're keeping females only it's not necessary. However, female guinea pigs can develop ovarian cysts, which are typified by sexually aggressive behavior and hair loss on the sides, in which case a spay will be necessary. A good exotics vet will have a passable success rate on spaying surgery, and honestly, don't be afraid to ask for that kind of information. Better you find a vet that does that sort of thing every week than one who's not 100% confident in the procedure.
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Jan 23, 2010 05:39
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Is the pine bedding kiln-dried? If it's the brand that Petco carries with the black label, it should be, otherwise you should check. Raw pine can be harmful, and I'd recommend switching to either aspen shavings or Carefresh if you can. Broccoli is okay in small amounts, but too much can give him gas - and yes, guinea pigs can fart. Try leafy greens, those are usually an easy sell. Romaine, green or red leaf lettuce, parsley, cilantro. Never iceberg lettuce or cabbage, too much water content. Definitely watch the cats. I've seen plenty of cases where household cats and dogs took to a guinea pig just fine and became lifelong friends, but there have been bad outcomes as well.
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Jan 24, 2010 01:29
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The problem is, PetSmart selling something with a guinea pig on the package doesn't necessarily mean it's good for guinea pigs or even safe for them. I often tell people the only thing the pet store sells for guinea pigs that's worth buying are the water bottles and food dishes. Check the packaging and look for any mention of kiln-drying or something similar. Pine phenols won't kill a guinea pig outright, but constant exposure can lead to health problems down the road. Bedding keeps just fine, although with pine I'd make sure it's got a little airflow to help any lingering phenols disperse. To be safe, I'd recommend opening any new bag of pine at least a day before you're actually planning on using it, because once or twice (back when I used pine) I picked one up that was extremely pungent. Alfalfa hay and pellets are good for pigs under one year of age. Adult pigs should be switched to timothy-based pellets and either timothy, bluegrass, or orchard grass hay to cut back on the calcium. For bonding: Always make introductions on neutral ground. That way, one pig isn't defending their "turf" against an invader. Expect rumbling, bumping, butting, face-offs, and even the odd nip - it's all part of the process. Only intervene if they really start to go at it and/or blood is drawn, and for the LOVE of GOD wear a heavy gardening glove when you try to separate them. A berserk guinea pig will bite you hard enough to require stitches. If they get along on neutral ground well enough, put them together on a cage cleaning day. Take everything out of the cage, clean the hell out of it, spray it down with white vinegar, do everything you can to remove lingering odors. Put the furniture back in in a different configuration, so it's "new" to both of them. That should help with territoriality issues. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jan 24, 2010 |
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Jan 24, 2010 04:42
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SubbyMinx posted:My piggie used to LOVE eating dandelion leaves. Our lawn was covered in them and I used to go round and pick all the biggest ones for him and pop them in his hutch. Grass and fresh greens are awesome, but it goes without saying that you should make sure the grass you're using isn't treated. If you own your home, of course you've got control of the situation, but if you rent be VERY careful about letting your pigs out for playtime outside/harvesting fresh greens for them to eat. When I lived at a place where I couldn't trust the lawn service, I actually built a grass box - used an old C&C cage bin from before I expanded, filled it with soil, and grew bluegrass, parsley, and cilantro out on my deck.
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Jan 24, 2010 17:18
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Food is the way to a guinea pig's heart - and hilariously, their brain as well. When I lived in Nebraska, I would always give my girls veggies first thing when I came home at night. They actually learned to distinguish the sound of my tread on the stairs outside from everyone else's, and would go nuts when they heard me arrive.
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Jan 27, 2010 01:21
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Unfortunately, it depends entirely on the personality of the pig. Most pigs have trouble getting over their prey instinct, and even if they'll come up to the side of the cage for a scratch behind the ears or a veggie treat, the instant you reach two hands into the cage all of a sudden you're a condor. As you've noted, though, once you get them out they usually calm down substantially. I had a pig who would chatter her teeth whenever you tried to pick her up - which is the piggy equivalent of "I will loving murder you" and usually happens about three seconds before someone needs stitches - but the instant she was picked up, she settled down completely. The only advice I can recommend is hand-feed them a lot when you pick them up, so they associate "the claw" with munchies. I looked into the Zupreem stuff, and while it certainly doesn't look too bad, corn being the second and third ingredient bothers me a little bit, and dextrose being so high on the ingredient list isn't fantastic either. I've definitely seen a lot worse, though. I can tell you where to get the best hay and pellets in the world. Kleenmama's Hayloft. She's actually a guinea pig owner who got frustrated by the hay and pellets she had access to, so she set up some deals with local farmers and started her own business. Her specialty is bluegrass hay that is mindbogglingly fresh and amazing - Oxbow does good work, but her hay puts them in the shade. I've seen pigs drop baby carrots to dive into her bluegrass. She does pellets as well, and they're just as good. Highly recommended. Oh, and speaking of Oxbow - if anyone sees "Oxbow Organic Pellets" in the local pet store, save your money. They came up with some weird new formulation and as far as I can tell no guinea pig anywhere in the country likes the stuff. It's apparently doing so badly they're in the process of discontinuing it. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 10:38 on Jan 28, 2010 |
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Jan 28, 2010 10:30
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Sirotan posted:Find a farm feed store, buy yourself an entire bale of hay for $5. Unfortunately, not everybody lives in an area where that's feasible; the only stuff I can get around here is pretty crappy and sets off my allergies. But yeah, if you're in a semi-rural area and have the storage space, definitely check out your options. (Speaking of allergies - if your guinea pig cage sets you off, the most likely culprit is timothy hay. That stuff loving murders me. Switching to bluegrass hay might help.)
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Jan 30, 2010 02:03
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TShields posted:So when he makes little chirpy noises when I'm petting him, he's happy, right? Piggy vocalization is kind of a subjective thing. Chirping/burbling can be good if it's kind of low and muted, but if it gets shrill that's distress. Likewise, purring can be either good if it's accompanied by the pig stretching out and getting comfortable or bad if it's accompanied by the pig hunching up. You can usually tell by the body language, though. An interesting note - the ear-splitting WHEEK noise we're all familiar with is a sound of alarm in the wild. Domesticated pigs have translated it into a demand for food and attention. And if you're really lucky, you'll get to hear the mystery noise. Chirping. I don't mean burbling or squeaking, I mean "holy gently caress there's a bird in the living room". Occasionally, guinea pigs just zone out and start chirping, loudly, like a bird. No one knows why they do it, not every pig does it, but once you hear a pig do it once you'll usually hear it again. I had a chirper, and it was an amazingly fascinating phenomenon to see and hear.
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Jan 31, 2010 05:29
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cat with hands posted:According to my girlfriends experience, it's a challenge or call-out to a foreign pig. Like "fight me or the hell out of my territory". She told me that it's something that only happens when they feel challenged by someone they can smell but can't see or can't get to, maybe some chirpers just have vivid imagination? Everyone's got anecdotal evidence, but none of it matches up. Some pigs do it under stress, some pigs do it when they're mourning, some pigs just do it randomly. I've had a random chirper, and one who only chirped one time and that was when she was mourning a friend. The random chirper I had plenty of chances to observe, and I can tell you this much - it wasn't a voluntary experience. She would tense up and get a blank look on her face (let me tell you you need to be a piggy expert to tell when a guinea pig gets a blank look) and would start the process. I also got to see her on a few occasions struggling to not chirp, and it was very strange to watch. She'd actually come out of it, bumble around the cage a bit, but then she'd lock down in one place and start taking huffing breaths before building up volume again. All the other pigs in the cage would stop whatever the hell they were doing and stare at her while she did it. So anyway, there's plenty of theories, but nobody's got a clue why it really happens.
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Jan 31, 2010 12:02
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cat with hands posted:Alien transmissions from outer space. Guinea pigs just happen to be the only life form that can receive them. The consensus on Guinea Lynx is generally accepted to be "communicating with the mothership", so you're not far off. Guinea pig bereavement can be an awful thing. One thing that can help is if their companion passes at home; if they actually see their friend's body it can help them understand they're gone and not just missing. But in any case it's a traumatic experience for them. As for new companions, definitely. While most pigs will get over the loss of a bonded companion eventually, as you know they do much better when they have a friend or two. I moved back home from Nebraska with five girls all around the same age, which unfortunately meant they all passed fairly close together. When I was down to one, the constant cycle of illness and death had gotten me to the point where I considered just letting Parvati live out the rest of her days as a solitary pig, but seeing her toddling around the big cage by herself with nothing to do eventually got to me. So I found someone who had rescued a guinea pig herd that had been dropped off on the loading dock of a pet store in the July sun and brought two girls home. The one major benefit of bringing new pigs to a grieving one is that you usually get to skip a lot of the introduction unpleasantness. You do have to kind of watch that the newcomers don't start bullying the older pig, especially if you introduce more than one at a time. But it usually goes very well, and older pigs definitely take to younger ones. For me, the few months Parvati got to spend with Freyja and Nanna were totally worth it.
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Jan 31, 2010 21:17
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Pigs can be strange in new environments. While most of my girls took to veggies well, one or two wouldn't eat them the first week in the house, and one actually wouldn't touch vegetables until she was fully integrated in the herd and saw everyone else going nuts on some parsley. If he's still a little freaked out, he might not be quick to go after any foodstuffs he's not amazingly familiar with. I'd say give him some time, but keep offering little bits. And get some leafy greens - romaine, red leaf, green leaf, parsley, or cilantro are all good, and I've never seen a pig that wouldn't eat something off that list. In the meantime, hay and fortified pellets (or regular pellets + C tabs) will provide all the nutrition he needs, so there's no huge rush.
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Feb 2, 2010 09:52
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cat with hands posted:They have to be green though. White, yellow, orange or reds are shunned like a nail cut. I had a pig that would devour parsley and any other leafy green, but wouldn't touch cilantro no matter how hard I tried to get her to check it out. I even painstakingly mixed together a bunch of parsley and a bunch of cilantro to try to trick her into eating some and she wouldn't have any of it. Pigs are weird sometimes.  Growing your own is definitely a good idea, too. I mentioned it before, but when I lived in Nebraska and had a lovely lawn I put a box out on my deck and filled it with soil. I liberally sprinkled bluegrass seed, parsley, cilantro and about half a dozen other seed packets over top, and then watered it regularly until I had my own little wild herb and grass garden. First time I set the girls down in that green field they thought they'd died and gone to heaven. It was hilarious - I figured they'd trundle around and graze, but there was so much good stuff growing they just froze in place and tried to eat everything within reach of their mouths. I ended up having to consciously put them in different spots for even coverage, or I would have ended up with bald patches.
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Feb 2, 2010 22:23
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Just make sure you're getting the right kind of hay - you don't want alfalfa for adult pigs - and check it over as you're doling it out. KM and Oxbow are pretty good about watching their products for foreign objects, nettles, dead critters and other nastiness, whereas the local farmer might not be quite so meticulous. Other than that, go for it. The only reason I don't shop by the bale locally is a) not enough storage space b) I have to be insanely picky about my hay because of my allergies and c) the only stuff I've been able to find around here is generally on the brown and grotty side rather than the vivid green stuff I get from KM.
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Feb 3, 2010 07:09
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That kind of thing is absolutely normal. When introducing two pigs, do it on neutral ground, and be prepared to watch them tussle. Here's (approximately) the list, from most benign to most severe: Sniffing. Chasing. Rumblestrutting (they purr and shake their butt in the face of their opponent). Humping. Facing off (they rear back, and the "loser" is the first one to drop their head). Chattering of teeth. Nipping. Barbering (biting off bits of fur). All that is perfectly normal, and you've just got to sit there and let it happen. And yeah, the pig on the receiving end is going to get stressed out. But basically what's happening is, they're establishing a hierarchy, and once they've worked out who's alpha pig, it will settle down and they'll get along. Every time you break it up, they have to start over from square one. The only time you should intervene is if you see blood drawn, or they get into a furball. And like I've said before, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD if you have to break up a furball do it with a heavy towel or a glove, because a berserk guinea pig will bite you hard enough to require medical attention. You can try the cologne/perfume trick to smooth things as well.
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Feb 4, 2010 22:46
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Imaduck posted:^ Is it best to do it in a number of "sessions" or just kind of, let them keep going for hours and then plop them back in the same cage together and hope it works out? First and foremost, don't just plop one in the other's cage or you will have a fight, guaranteed. All introductions should be on neutral ground, and the longer you leave them together, the better. Before you put them in to cohabitate for real, clean the cage and then clean it again, rearrange all the furniture, make it as different as possible so the home-team pig won't really see it as his inviolable turf anymore. And if all else fails, whip out the cologne. I've never, ever seen that trick not work. And when it comes to dominance, don't panic if it looks like the beta pig is getting bullied. That's kind of how it works. Alpha pig gets first crack at water, veggies, pellets, while the others have to wait their turn. If you're really concerned - and this isn't a bad idea in any case - put in extra water bottles, food dishes, hides, et cetera so that the non-dominant pig can't ever get completely frozen out. Eventually, it will become much less of a big deal to them. (Although sometimes even that's not enough; Freyja is my alpha pig, and despite the fact there are two water bottles, Nanna will patiently wait for her sister to be done drinking before taking her turn. It's bewildering.) And maplecheese - some guinea pigs never get that comfortable with a human. Sounds like Rocco's a really special pig if he can bond with you like that in a shelter situation. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Feb 5, 2010 |
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Feb 5, 2010 03:36
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Imaduck posted:No, I wasn't just going to throw them in the same cage and let them duke it out It can take a while, but the cologne trick can definitely speed things up. Spray some on your hands, very light mist, and then wipe as much as you can off on a towel. You just want to alter their scents very, very subtly, just enough so they think they have something in common. The worst intro I ever had was the one where I learned about using heavy gloves. Sita had been abandoned at a pet store for being a "bitey pig", and when I introduced her to my girls it went from bad (I've never heard the term "projectile urination" but that's about the long and short of it) to worse (full on screeching furball and my bleeding in two places). One dose of my then-girlfriend's perfume later, and she was as docile as I've ever seen, and an hour later they were all coexisting in the same cage. Good luck.
kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 06:27 on Feb 5, 2010 |
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Feb 5, 2010 06:25
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drat. That's actually the first time I've heard of that not helping. Do you have anything where you can put them within sight of each other, but not get at each other? Like move their cages adjacent to one another, or a playpen with a fence down the middle? Maybe letting them see each other but not interact might help with the process.
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Feb 5, 2010 08:33
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maplecheese posted:I may have convinced a currently pet-less acquaintance to enter the Cult of the Cavy. She MIGHT be interested in adopting Rocco. This would be perfect, as I would be able to fuss over him and buy him vegetables and design his C&C cage and make sure he's being taken care of and visit him, but I wouldn't have to keep him safe from my various predators or make sure that he has space even if we have to move to NYC in a year and a half. Even if she wouldn't completely spoil the gently caress out of him like I would, I feel like with my meddling, she could be in the top 10-15% of guinea pig owners. (if guinea pig owners are anything like ferret owners, I know that's not saying much, but still) If you're talking C&C cages, she's already ahead of the game by a considerable margin. Most guinea pigs spend their lives in godawful pet-store cages and never have any real freedom to move around. Good on you.
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Feb 10, 2010 08:28
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cat with hands posted:Is there any way to active pigs? Mine doesn't seem interested in getting any exercise despite having plenty of space. Well, pigs are usually most active when they're young, but I've had even 5 year old sows start a stampede now and again. The best thing you can do to encourage exercise is give them as unobstructed a track as possible around the outside of the cage. This will encourage them to run laps, which they'll do at odd hours and whenever they get the notion. Another good exercise is floor time, if you can block off a section of a room and let them just explore around, they'll get plenty of exercise checking out all the unfamiliar terrain. They also might pee on your carpet, so be prepared to deal with that. And the more pigs you have, the more exercise they'll get, just from interacting with each other. But occasionally one will just randomly feel the need for speed, and that will sometimes set the others off. There's few sights funnier than five guinea pigs, all lined up nose to tail, trotting around the living room until one gets spooked and they scatter like a bunch of neighborhood kids that just broke a window at the creepiest house on the block.
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Feb 10, 2010 11:22
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cat with hands posted:Plenty of floor time, but they tend to just hang around the cage anyway. Maybe they're just lazy because of the cold. That could kind of be a factor, guinea pigs like it in the 65-75 degree range, and I noticed the few times I managed to let the thermostat slip a few degrees below that they really didn't want to do anything but huddle in their pigloos and not move.
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Feb 10, 2010 22:24
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Maplecheese, that sounds great. Pretty much the mention of C&C seals the deal - if anyone's done that much research, especially on their own without being evangelized at, they're going to be a decent home. As for ramps - what's it made out of and how steep is it? It's easy to forget that a vertical distance of just over a foot is like two stories to a guinea pig; they might be freaked out if they don't feel safe enough on the ramp to use it. The ones made out of bent grids that have their own little railing seem to be the most successful, and make sure the slope's as gradual as possible.
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Feb 12, 2010 07:07
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Well, there is one more technique I've heard used, but it's kind of extreme. I don't advise it, I'm just posting it out of historical interest. One of the rescuers in Atlanta was stuck with a situation. She had two sows who absolutely had to live with each other, because everyone else had bonded and she didn't have any space. She tried everything she could think of, but they just wouldn't get along. So finally she took them into the bathroom and plopped them down in the tub. At the first sign of fighting, she flipped the shower on, started flailing her hands around and gibbering like a madwoman. The pigs freaked out, forgot about the fight, and just cowered. She shut everything down and watched them. More aggression, more water, more noise. After a while, they stopped chattering at each other. Primarily because they were huddled at the far end of the tub, giving her the stinkeye. They bonded together - against her. Neither one of them ever really took to her or enjoyed being handled from that point forward, but they lived together in harmony. Have you seen what they do if they can see each other but not get at each other? Put them on either side of a divider, perhaps, and see if they settle down, show interest, or try to kamikaze through the bars. How many introductions have you tried, and how much time have they spent in each other's presence? I don't think you're SOL just yet, but the fact that they keep going at each other is kind of worrisome.
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Feb 15, 2010 03:50
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Imaduck posted:We moved their cages next to each other a few hours ago. At first, they were a bit agitated, but once they realized they couldn't reach each other, they just ignored it. If I go to grab one however, and he sees the other, they'll start the teeth chattering all over again. At this point, Milo (the new pig) seems to be the aggressive one. I'm thinking maybe try this for a few more days, and then one more meeting perhaps. Any suggestions are highly appreciated. Definitely give this a shot. If they spend more time being able to see, hear and smell each other without being able to go at it, they might get used to each other's presence enough to make integration a possibility. Maybe try shaking the veggie bag to get them out, agitated, and in sight of one another but focused on something else, and observe how they behave. You might also try swapping bits of cage furniture between the two cages, to sort of let them get used to the other's smell. Hang in there, I really hope you can still pull this one off.
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Feb 15, 2010 05:02
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Blackmage Yapo posted:Any tips/tricks for trimming guinea pig nails? I've only ever done it on an 80lb dog before who wouldn't fight too much. I don't seem to have enough hands to do everything needed with these guys. If you've got an extra pair of hands around, press them into service. Otherwise, I find that a nice strong grip on the body and lifting them to get at the toes but not actually picking them up off the surface helps - they tend to feel more secure if their back feet are still in contact with the ground. Don't pull on their feet, and don't hold their limbs too tightly, as they can dislocate something if they freak out; I place my left hand underneath the belly and kind of guide each leg that I'm working on through my fingers. Most of all, be patient. You'll eventually learn to read when your pig's going to freak out on you, but until then go slow. 90% of the time, overclips are caused by the pig trying to get away at the wrong moment. If you do draw blood, styptic powder or flour will stop the bleeding. Take it slow, try to avoid cutting too short, and offer veggies immediately afterward. The more pain-free sessions they have followed by snacks, the less they'll loathe toenail time. They'll probably never like it, to be honest, but it should make things easier in future. Oh - and when you're first starting out you might want to wear a glove on that hand. Most of the bites I've endured have come as a result of bad toenail sessions.
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Feb 25, 2010 08:47
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Maybe try posting that you're looking for pigs on GuineaLynx? They have an entire forum devoted to cavy placement, and if there's any bunch of people who are expert at getting homeless pigs into homes it's them. Back in 2002, a breeder in Hollister, California got shut down, and there were something like 140 horribly abused pigs that needed homes. They ended up renting an RV and organizing a cross-country piggy train, adopting them out to people in at least a dozen different states. If they see you've done your homework and are willing to give a good home to pigs in need, they'll bust rear end to find you some pigs, believe me.
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Feb 28, 2010 06:55
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Fishbulbz posted:Thanks for the info. Just checking that forum shows that it's pretty easy to import a guinea pig from the states. That's useful info. I'll probably just be patient and wait for some to show up within the province. You might consider posting anyway. I know there are a few Canadian members, even out in the wilds, and they might know of rescues or fosters that might not be easy to find. Couldn't hurt, and that place is an absolutely amazing resource when it comes to health and medical issues. Just don't ever let them hear you say something like, "Gosh, that's kind of expensive, I mean, this is just a guinea pig we're talking about here." They will never find your body.
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Mar 2, 2010 03:43
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Guinea pigs are amazingly good at hiding the symptoms of illness. Because they're herd animals, the only real defense they have against predators is kicking out the weak and the sick from the herd; therefore a guinea pig will make every effort to appear like everything's okay even when they're deathly ill. Because of this, it can seem like a perfectly healthy pig crashes in a frighteningly short period of time. The first - and sometimes only - warning sign you get is when they start losing weight. The number one thing you can do to monitor your guinea pig's health is weekly weigh-ins. Digital kitchen scales aren't too hard to come by, just make sure it's got a big enough cup or platform to support a pig, and document weekly. A fluctuation of an ounce isn't an issue, but more than two ounces in a week, or a sustained loss of three or more over a longer period means you should sound the alarm.
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Mar 17, 2010 02:05
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Unfortunately, these little guys and girls can't stay with us forever; all we can do is give them the best we can for as long as they're with us. You gave Rocks a loving, caring home for three years and that's a drat sight better deal than a lot of them get, and that's what you should focus on.
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Mar 18, 2010 03:13
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You definitely want to monitor her intake and weight while she's getting over this, as medications can screw around with their appetite. But it definitely sounds like an improvement.
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Mar 19, 2010 22:21
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cat with hands posted:Piggies are almost at 1.3 kilos, time for diet? I wouldn't worry about it too much unless they start showing signs of having difficulty getting around. Pig weights can vary substantially, I had one girl who ballooned up to 1.5 kilos shortly after we got her (leading to a serious pregnancy panic), but I always knew she was healthy and mobile enough because she never had any difficulty leaping into the suspended hay rack at the end of the cage so she could just lay there and munch. On the other end of the spectrum, I had a girl who never broke 900g in her life. So if they're still running around and not lethargic, I wouldn't worry about it overmuch.
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May 6, 2010 21:58
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SubbyMinx posted:I get the distinct impression that guinea-pig culture in the US is *very* different to here in the UK. I've never been advised to weigh my pig (when I had one), most vets will see pigs, and pets stores always sell healthy animals. (private sales are different, obviously) Yeah it's definitely different. Pet stores here in the US are awful when it comes to the animals, and not just from a breeding standpoint; about 95% of the things in pet stores that are marketed directly at guinea pigs are junk at best and actively dangerous or harmful at worst. The thing in the UK that's always baffled me, though, is keeping them outside like livestock. Guinea pigs need more protection than that; we're talking about a species whose only defense against predators is to breed quicker than they can be eaten (perhaps defeating their predators by giving them heart disease and lifestyle-based illnesses). They really aren't up to dealing with all that Mother Nature can throw at them.
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May 15, 2010 13:54
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Amorphous Blob posted:I've been wondering this for a while, and PI should be a good place to ask. Should I get a second piggy to keep my current one company? I've got a pretty big cage which used to house three pigs, and the pig I have now is about a year old. He used to have a friend that he got along very well with, but he was four at the time and passed away a while ago. Any advice? Is that pretty big as in pet-store cage terms, or pretty big as in really pretty big? If it's big enough to house multiple pigs according to guineapigcages.com, there's absolutely no reason not to bring home a new friend. Guinea pigs do so much better when they've got someone to socialize with, you really get to see a lot more of their personality come out and they're less likely to be needy and loud.
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May 17, 2010 03:30
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As for bedding, I'd stick with Carefresh, aspen, or worst-case scenario, kiln-dried pine. If you choose pine, make absolutely sure it's kiln-dried, as that gets rid of the phenols in the soft wood that can be harmful to your pet's health. Absolutely NEVER use cedar, that poo poo is very bad for animals.
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May 31, 2010 21:46
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Ishkibibble_Fish posted:Either way, yes, it's disturbing. It's hard to beat watching guinea pigs contort themselves so they can eat a poop directly out of their butt. Plus, with males, the same-sex indiscriminate dominance humping sometimes literally leads to someone getting hosed in the ear.
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Jun 3, 2010 02:19
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