guinea pig help needed

[Eudora]

Hi, Eudora here-- my parents may allow me to have guinea pigs but I need info on taking care of them... what cage they need, what to feed them, how to clean them even! so anybody who already has guinea piggys could u help!!

[PJ's Mom]

Hi Eudora.

Congrats on being able to get a piggie! That's very exciting.

My daughter has a guinea pig she named Herbert. Look here to see his Pet of the Day page: http://petoftheday.com/archive/2001/April/18.html

Although I don't take care of him much, I can tell you a few things you need to know. You'd be better off talking to her, but she's at school now.

Piggies like to have a place to hide, such as a box, or in Herbert's case, an igloo. It goes in his cage with him, and when he's out roaming the house, she takes it out of his cage so he has a place to go in case he gets scared, or tired.

For bedding, we use "Carefresh" instead of pine or cedar. We were using pine for awhile, but Herbert ended up getting mites from it, and his vet recommended this other stuff instead. It's more expensive, but we've been happy with it so far.

As far as food goes, any guinea pig food is ok, but you need to supplement their diet with fruits and veggies. Herbert likes carrots and apples.

Keep your piggie's nails trimmed. They seem to grow quickly, and you don't want him tearing one off in his cage.

You'll also want to buy some little chew sticks (they're sold specifically for piggies) to help him keep his teeth trimmed. If not, they get too long, and he won't be able to eat.

Herbert also has a salt wheel that he likes to chew on sometimes.

One thing we were told before buying Herbert and his accessories...if you buy a piggie starter kit (cage, food, toys, water bottle, etc.) it won't be enough to last you very long. Make sure you buy a bigger water bottle, and lots of bedding too. We didn't believe the guy at the pet store who told us this, but we soon figured out he was right.

And last, but certainly not least, is water. Always keep fresh water available to your new friend. They go through a lot of water, so it's important to check it often.

I'm sure I left out a lot, but I hope this helps a little. Good luck!

[tatsxxx11]

Oh geez...Someday help me here. A while back I posted huge bunches of info. to a new piggie parent. I going to try and search for it. If anyone finds one in their searches, please post the address!

[tatsxxx11]

Here's the link to the thread. It has a lot of good info. and links! Piggies are precious! Good luck to you and your piggie from me and my piggie Squeekers!

http://64.246.0.213/talk/showthread....&threadid=6601

[LoudLou]

I had a Guinea her name was Fleetwood she lived to be almost 10.5yrs. before she went to the "Bridge". She was both a joy and a brat...very demanding!...weep! Weeeep! WEEEEEEEEP! You WILL have so much FUN with your Guinea. The only thing I can remember (as this was long ago)is to make sure he/she gets Plenty of veggies. And LOTS OF LOVE!

[tatsxxx11]

Did you get a chance to check out the links above? Guinea pigs really do require some extra special diligence in certain areas, e.g. maintaining proper room temp., no drafts, or being left in direct sunlight. Temp. should be pretty constant, between 65 and 75 degrees. Vit.c supplementation (or diet high in) plenty of fresh, cold water daily (make sure you clean out the water bottle weekly with a very mild bleach solution; toxic algae will form around the bottle neck, bottom and cap) and absolutely NO cedar chips as bedding!! They can be toxic! And only some types of "untreated" pine bedding. As has been said, a safe place in the cage to hide and sleep, like an igloo or "timber hideaway." Plenty of fresh veggies, especially dark, leafy greens or parsley, baby carrots, red pepper (only romanine for lettuce) and smaller amts. of fruits like apples, raisins, blueberries, bananas and fresh orange bits...not too much, high acid! Timothy or fresh Meadow hay is essential for good digestion, and about 1/4 cp of pellets daily. Baths every few months are great. I place a washcloth in the bottom of the bathroom sink, plop him in, and fill with warm water up to his shoulders. I use baby shampoo as recommended by the vet. Squeekers loves his bath and purrrrrrrs all the way through! Try not to get water in the eyes or nose area. And make sure you dry him off well in a towel and either "blow dry" him on the LOWEST setting and/or keep him in a nice, warm, draft free room. Make sure you keep the nails clipped using regular human nail scissors or baby nail scissors. And OF COURSE, tons of love and companionship. Two piggies are great together. They are SO social. If not, lots of human loving and cuddling. Mine loves music and the "company" of the kitties and doggies! Check on the links. Lots of great Guinea Pig sites, health and dietary info., veterinary care and message board links. Good luck!

[Eudora]

Oh. My . GOSH!!! A piggy is so demanding? I think that I will need a lot of help! If this isn't oo much trouble could you tell me what you do in the day as you go along taking care of your piggies? Another problem. I live in s'pore and it can get pretty hot and moderately cold here. air-conditioning all the time isn't an option as my dad has said to keep them outside, they can't come in since my siblings are allergic to fur. Will a small enclosure with a cover be OK? it would be like quite large and made of wood, sanded down of course, with cedar chips in the bottom. And about their toilette! What do i do when they pee or poo? Can you toilet-train them??And then my schedule. some days i don't get home until 6 pm because of school! will playing with them only once a day be all right? Cos my class mate said they need a lot of care. Should I get full-grown ones or babies? if i gave them an enclosure, can I just clip the bottle on the side? they wouldn't knock it over? would they chew the enclosure walls made of wood? What kind of chew sticks should i give them? if i can't get them in singapore what substitutes are there?

I know these are a lot of questions, but i need to know everything before my dad will allow the piggies!

[tatsxxx11]

I'll get back to you soon Eudora. But first, check out these links. They are great guinea pig care sites. And they have message boards as well, where you can ask questions. I'm sure the breeder or pet store would also offer you a lot of info. Have any freinds with piggies?? Anyway, it really ISN'T a lot of work!! Just getting a simple routine down. I'll get back to you later!

Try these:
www.beanmakers.com www.cavyseek.com

[Logan]

Sandra, I have to ask this. What is it with the Aspen chips? Could they possibly be lethal to guinea pigs and not hamsters? Everyone who had hamsters, including the pet store, told me to get the Aspen chips as it was much healthier than the pine or cedar. Now I'm all confused!! We have used Aspen with much success in our home, although it looks like we might be losing one little hammie girl now. I certainly hope I am wrong about that.

Logan

[tatsxxx11]

Logan, that was a TOTAL mis-speak on my part. I MEANT to say CEDAR was harmful, not aspen!! I will go back and change that immediately!!! Thank you so much for pointing that out to me. I'm most upset though about your comment about losing a hammie. Please, what's happening??????

[Eudora]

Oh no!!! CEDAR is harmful? My friend with three dwarf hammies has been using them for years! I have to tell her before something happens to them!!





*i added the rating as the best cos u guys were great at supplying info*