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Looks like one of my hamsters has a permanently wonky head. He's finished his course of medication just incase it was an infection and he's still like it. He is still fine in every other way though. :3
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Nov 6, 2013 10:11
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I thought I was buying a 3rd "leak proof" waterbottle and it turned out to be the exact same kind as the first one I've bought. Sigh. Is there anything I can do at all to stop my dumb pigs from messing with it 24/7 which is a) extremely annoying and 2) soaking their litter and attracting fruit flies. I tried putting a small metal bowl under it but they knocked it away and filled it with litter. They have plenty of other things to chew on but they take turns chewing on the front of the bottle. I know they're not just drinking 32 oz every 2 days because the litter under the bottle and in a foot radius is always absolutely soaked and gross.
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Nov 6, 2013 15:39
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Buy this bottle: http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Bottle-Large-33-81-Ounce-Colors/dp/B006RQULN2/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_5 It doesn't have that stupid ball bearing style 'vacuum' seal to it so it's not going to leak, or be obnoxiously noisy. If you switch to this style bottle just keep an eye on the pigs the first day or so to make sure they figure out how to use it since it's a little different. Then buy this to put under it to catch the drips: http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Paw...a+pig+food+bowl It's ceramic and heavy. My pigs stand on the edge and drink water. Any wayward drips end up in the bowl and they don't tip it over. This is how I've been doing it for years with much success.
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Nov 6, 2013 15:45
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Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give it a shot.
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Nov 6, 2013 17:00
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Something unexpected came up and I'm stuck somewhere without gerbil food. My gerbil hasn't eaten all day, and the pet stores are closed at this hour. Could anyone confirm that cooked and cooled rice is okay to feed her, or recommend another common household food she can eat? What about plain oat bran?
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Nov 13, 2013 03:20
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Huge Liability posted:Something unexpected came up and I'm stuck somewhere without gerbil food. My gerbil hasn't eaten all day, and the pet stores are closed at this hour. Could anyone confirm that cooked and cooled rice is okay to feed her, or recommend another common household food she can eat? What about plain oat bran? Any type of grain or plain cereal would be safe for it to eat. Plain oat bran would be fine for the night.
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Nov 13, 2013 03:29
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Khisanth Magus posted:Any type of grain or plain cereal would be safe for it to eat. Plain oat bran would be fine for the night. Thank you. She seems to enjoy the oat bran quite a bit. I've given her a small amount of whole-grain brown rice as well.
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Nov 13, 2013 04:02
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Huge Liability posted:Thank you. She seems to enjoy the oat bran quite a bit. I've given her a small amount of whole-grain brown rice as well. Gerbils will love the stuff, they just get fat if they eat it long term.
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Nov 13, 2013 04:18
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What kind of experience do you guys have owning caged pets/rodents in no-pet apartments? My girlfriend and I fell in love with a pair of guinea pig rescues at the animal shelter last weekend and want to bring them home, but our lease has a flat "no pets" clause. I emailed the landlord asking if a caged pet was okay, and got a longwinded response back that didn't actually say we can't get them but made it clear he wasn't happy about the idea. His complaints were that he and his wife have allergies to dander (they live on the floor above us), the pigs' urine could damage the laminate on the hardwood floors in here, and that we'll use way more water taking care of them (he pays the water bill). Are any of these legit complaints or is he just being crotchety? We have an amazing deal on this apartment and I don't want to create any friction, but are any of these points actually likely to be a problem? We do plan to use fleece bedding -- what's the best way to clean that while minimizing water use? Could the piggies actually aggravate the allergies of someone living a floor above us? This seems like a stretch. Will the urine really damage the hardwood if we clean it up immediately (and what's the best cleaner to use to prevent that)? If the risk to the floors is really a big deal, we'll only give them floor time on towels, or in the kitchen where there's a vinyl floor. Thanks PI!
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Nov 19, 2013 17:47
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In my experience most apartment managers think that guinea pigs cages are like dog crates, so they spend most of the time out of the cage. I've asked before and gotten the same response, but when I made it clear that they live in the cage they said "oh, that's fine then." Urine won't damage anything if you clean it up immediately, again they're assuming they will be like dogs and allowed to freely roam. As for the dander, that's absolute nonsense. If they're not even on the same floor, even a dog or cat wouldn't be bad unless they were some floofmonster and constantly shedding, and even then...there's solid walls. As for the water, that's the dumbest statement I've ever seen. No pet is going to increase water usage noticeably. People make really weird assumptions about guinea pigs.
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Nov 19, 2013 18:00
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I suppose you will increase water usage solely by the laundering of the fleece bedding, assuming you have laundry facilities in the unit/building. (But if he's that crotchety I wouldn't share this...) I would make sure your landlord understands that guinea pigs live in enclosures and won't be making a mess around the apartment. Every apartment I've been in with pigs hasn't been concerned, for the most part they consider 'pets' to be either dogs or cats.
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Nov 19, 2013 19:06
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Tabemono posted:Could the piggies actually aggravate the allergies of someone living a floor above us? If the person is allergic to hay, and the two floors have a shared air system, yes. Pig hay generates a TREMENDOUS amount of dust over time, and even small amount of it can be a problem for people with serious allergies. I can definitely smell fresh hay on the top floor when I open a new box on the bottom floor of the a/c or heat is running to circulate the air.
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Nov 19, 2013 20:51
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I've never lived in any "no pets" apartments as I have a cat in addition to a chinchilla, but I've occasionally seen posts like "I live in a 'no pets' apartment so I want to get a [rabbit/budgie/snake, etc]." The answer is ask your landlord. They're all different.
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Nov 19, 2013 21:53
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A little earlier today, I went to Petsmart to get something for my cat and ended up walking out with a free guinea pig as well. (The employee said that they'd just been there a little too long, so they were willing to adopt them out to the right people.) She's about six months old and super cute.  The problem, though, is that ever since I put her into her cage, she's just been hanging out in the corner and not moving a whole lot... She won't even go into her pigloo. She's breathing and doesn't seem visibly ill, and the employee who helped me out said the pigs hadn't been sick (there were two other females with her). I'm wondering if maybe she's just freaked out by everything going on, and needs a few days to adjust? Or could it be that she's just gonna need a friend? I've only had her for a few hours, but I worry. 
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Nov 30, 2013 04:01
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Scooty Puff Jr posted:A little earlier today, I went to Petsmart to get something for my cat and ended up walking out with a free guinea pig as well. (The employee said that they'd just been there a little too long, so they were willing to adopt them out to the right people.) She's about six months old and super cute. They're herd animals and you should definitely get her a friend (You might want to see if you can go back and get one, or both (if you're up to it), of the other two females she was originally with). And yes it sounds like she's just freaking out from being in a new place on her own. Some fresh veggies placed where she can reach from her corner might help in the meantime and give you a better gauge on if she's actually sick at all.
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Nov 30, 2013 06:08
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Yeh, she's just in the "what the gently caress is this?" stage. Soon she'll be running away from you when you get near the cage! My pigs for some reason have gotten into the habit of losing their small pig minds whenever someone makes a rustling sound, even rooms away. One of them launches into the loudest SWEEEEEEEEEE I've ever heard and the other one starts running around and doing a quieter version. They have food and water and they do it literally right after I give them too many vegetables. If I approach them they of course shut up and bolt for cover. Is pigs?
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Nov 30, 2013 08:24
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Dead Inside Darwin posted:My pigs for some reason have gotten into the habit of losing their small pig minds whenever someone makes a rustling sound, even rooms away. One of them launches into the loudest SWEEEEEEEEEE I've ever heard and the other one starts running around and doing a quieter version. They have food and water and they do it literally right after I give them too many vegetables. If I approach them they of course shut up and bolt for cover. Is pigs? Is pigs. They've worked out that the rustling of plastic bags means veggies for them, and if it doesn't then it drat-well should so they better let you know as loud as possible that they're expecting those veggies you rustled about!  .
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Nov 30, 2013 08:31
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My wife's old pigs learned the sound of the refrigerator opening and would start squeaking as soon as the door got opened.
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Nov 30, 2013 09:10
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Our pigs get excited by rustling, the fridge door and the kettle boiling, because humans making coffee = morning = food time! Except when it doesn't! But we don't care! WHEEEEEEEEK!
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Nov 30, 2013 10:30
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Khisanth Magus posted:My wife's old pigs learned the sound of the refrigerator opening and would start squeaking as soon as the door got opened. We never had a pig that didn't learn the sound of the refrigerator. One even squealed every time she heard my uncle's voice when he visited because while he lived with my family for a while, he'd stuff her full of veggies so his was the voice of the Food God.
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Nov 30, 2013 22:00
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Party Boat posted:Our pigs get excited by rustling, the fridge door and the kettle boiling, because humans making coffee = morning = food time! Except when it doesn't! But we don't care! WHEEEEEEEEK! Our pigs do this too, but they now also get excited every time the toilet flushes too. Try explaining that to friends coming over.
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Dec 2, 2013 01:07
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My new pig is still acting pretty much the same as she was a few days ago, with the exception that she now hides in her pigloo instead of in the corner. She's been eating and drinking water, so I'm pretty certain she's not sick, and I'm thinking that getting her a friend is gonna be the best thing. With doing that, if one of her sisters is still available, is there anything special we'd have to do with re-introducing them? I don't really wanna just throw two pigs in a cage together all of a sudden and see what happens, heh. The last time I owned pigs, I adopted a pair, but I don't have any experience with introducing (or re-introducing) one pig to another pig. Should both of the sisters happen to be gone, what should I do with introducing a stranger pig to her? I really wanna make sure I don't end up with pigs making confetti of each other or something...
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Dec 2, 2013 11:14
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Regardless of what pig you bring home to be her cagemate, I would do introductions on some neutral territory and thoroughly clean the cage you are using now so you can minimize any possible territorial fights. I've had times when one of the herd has gone off to the vet or been quarantined for several days due to illness, and even after that short period of time sometimes the rest of the pigs will do their little dominance dance with the 'new' pig and act like she's some intruder. I think it's that their brains are just teeny tiny. Just give them a big corralled space to run around in and sniff each other and they will probably get to liking each other right away, especially if the one has been by herself since you got her. If they do fight, you can always try the 'shock and awe' routine of bathing them together then trying for introductions again. I know some people here also like to use very diluted perfume to rub on the pigs so they smell similar, which essentially does the same thing as communal bathing, with less effort.
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Dec 2, 2013 16:06
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Sirotan posted:Regardless of what pig you bring home to be her cagemate, I would do introductions on some neutral territory and thoroughly clean the cage you are using now so you can minimize any possible territorial fights. I've had times when one of the herd has gone off to the vet or been quarantined for several days due to illness, and even after that short period of time sometimes the rest of the pigs will do their little dominance dance with the 'new' pig and act like she's some intruder. I think it's that their brains are just teeny tiny. Thanks! Both of her sisters were still there when I went back today, so I said screw it and got both, because I couldn't in good conscience take one and leave one pig behind by herself. I let them run around together for a little bit, and everything seems great. They immediately seemed to remember each other, and already, they're all more social and it's making me really happy to see.  So far so good on them not fighting, but we'll see!
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Dec 3, 2013 02:52
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That's awesome, I think you definitely did the right thing. And pig introductions (when they go well...) are so freaking adorable. They're always just so happy to get new buddies. I just got two more pigs to be with my older pig who had lost her two cagemates in a month's time and her happiness in having new friends was plain as day.
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Dec 3, 2013 03:09
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Anybody have experience dealing with bladder stones in their pigs? If so, what happened? I came home today to find bloodstains on Peanut's fleece bedding. I checked him for obvious wounds, didn't see any, so I put him on a towel and gave him some veggies. He ate enthusiastically and explored the table. Sure enough, when he urinated it was red. It was already late so I had to take him to the emergency vet ($$$) where x-rays confirmed multiple bladder stones. He got a shot of antibiotics and I got some more to bring home. Now I'm laying awake worried about him because he looks absolutely miserable and won't come out of his sleeping bag - he didn't even move to sniff or eat the veggies I brought him. I'm going to call the local exotic specialist first thing in the morning but I am worried sick about surgery and whether he'll be okay tonight. I'm way too attached to our pigs and we just lost one of our herd earlier this year.
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Dec 3, 2013 09:07
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Tuxedo Gin posted:Anybody have experience dealing with bladder stones in their pigs? If so, what happened? I've had one pig develop stones too big to pass when she was 5. I opted for surgery and she came through it without complications and bounced back within just a day or two. It was, however, quite expensive. Including all the medications and follow-up visits I probably spent $500-600. Know that pigs who develop stones are very likely to develop more down the road. After the surgery I put her and her herd on a diet low in calcium to prevent further stone development but she still grew more a couple years down the road. By then she was nearing 8 years old and I didn't think surgery was a wise decision. One they pulled directly from her urethra under sedation. She passed away (some months later) before the rest became a problem. Sirotan fucked around with this message at 13:34 on Dec 3, 2013 |
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Dec 3, 2013 13:32
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So my girlfriend and I adopted an adorable pair of baby pigs (four weeks old!) last weekend, and the first two days have been really promising. Of course, they sat frozen for the first 24 hours or so, but yesterday we managed to get them both to eat from our hands while holding them, and this morning they timidly made their way out into the cage a bit while we were hovering overhead, so they're getting comfortable faster than I anticipated. Anyway, everything is going well...except that we're both painfully allergic to the alfalfa hay we got for them from the rescue. I've got some questions about that. -What's a good way to store hay that minimizes dust or allergens from it getting into the air? We've got a HEPA filter on the way that we're going to run in their room (and may get a second for the bedroom if it helps), but we also need to figure out a safe way to seal up the bulk of the hay supply without causing mold to grow on it (moisture will probably be less of an issue once we switch to branded hay). Right now it's just in a big paper bag with the sides folded down. -The alfalfa hay we got was locally sourced from a farm/feed store near the rescue, and they gave us an enormous bag of it that'll last at least a couple of weeks. But we live in the city about 90 minutes away, so once the offending hay is gone we'd rather move to something we can order by mail. As far as I can find, neither KMS Hayloft nor Oxbow sells alfalfa hay specifically meant for young piggies, so are there any other good major suppliers you guys recommend who ship? (I saw some Oxbow alfalfa hay on Amazon marketed for rabbits -- is that appropriate?) -Do pigs under 6 mos. actually need both alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay, or just one or the other? Should either be mixed in with timothy/orchard? I've got a bag of Cavy Performance on the way (right now we only have Cavy Cuisine, which I think is fine for a few days since they have good hay) but going forward, I'm not sure what proportion of alfalfa is appropriate on both the hay and pellets side. Thanks for any advice, we love these little goobers and want to find a way to keep taking care of them while also making our place habitable for ourselves.
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Dec 3, 2013 23:31
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I'm getting a new cage delivered tomorrow for my three pigs (the one I currently have is in no way large enough for three energetic pigs), and I wanted to ask: with bigger cages, what's the best method for bedding? I'm not super duper strapped for cash or anything, but I originally wasn't expecting to end up with three pigs (totally worth it, though) and I wanted to see what the most economic thing to do in terms of bedding is. Currently I've been using the Carefresh Natural stuff (Amazon's got the 60 liter packs for under $20), but I've noticed a lot of people seem to use the fleece bedding method here, which I know very little about. One website I read basically said it's a huge pain in the rear end, and that you're using up a lot more water with washing the fleece. I figured I'd just ask here since ya'll seem to know more than most websites I've stumbled upon.
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Dec 4, 2013 01:39
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Scooty Puff Jr posted:I'm getting a new cage delivered tomorrow for my three pigs (the one I currently have is in no way large enough for three energetic pigs), and I wanted to ask: with bigger cages, what's the best method for bedding? I'm not super duper strapped for cash or anything, but I originally wasn't expecting to end up with three pigs (totally worth it, though) and I wanted to see what the most economic thing to do in terms of bedding is. Currently I've been using the Carefresh Natural stuff (Amazon's got the 60 liter packs for under $20), but I've noticed a lot of people seem to use the fleece bedding method here, which I know very little about. One website I read basically said it's a huge pain in the rear end, and that you're using up a lot more water with washing the fleece. I figured I'd just ask here since ya'll seem to know more than most websites I've stumbled upon. Fleece or not depends on just how messy your pigs are. If they drag hay everywhere, don't use a litter box and shed a lot like mine did it's going to be way too much work keeping the fleece nice. Not to mention cleaning the washing machine after every use so you don't get hay and piggie hair on everything you own. I had to give up fleece after the first year or so and just use bedding. If they are relatively tidy and don't shed too much you can do a lot with just daily spot cleaning, then fleece should be better.
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Dec 4, 2013 11:17
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cat with hands posted:Fleece or not depends on just how messy your pigs are. If they drag hay everywhere, don't use a litter box and shed a lot like mine did it's going to be way too much work keeping the fleece nice. Not to mention cleaning the washing machine after every use so you don't get hay and piggie hair on everything you own. I had to give up fleece after the first year or so and just use bedding. Hmmm. They all shed like crazy, don't use a litter box, and drag hay everywhere, so... maybe I'll stick to bedding. Thanks!
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Dec 4, 2013 11:37
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Scooty Puff Jr posted:Hmmm. They all shed like crazy, don't use a litter box, and drag hay everywhere, so... maybe I'll stick to bedding. Thanks! Have you tried to give them a litter box or designated feed area with a way too keep the hay in place? The shedding will slow down as they grow older but the first two is something you need to try for your self.  A couple of fleece blankets and dollar store towels isn't expensive, if you can make it work it's probably the best for you and the pigs, so at least give it a try.
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Dec 4, 2013 12:31
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Hey, so I'd like a little palliative care advice. I have a guinea pig who is rapidly fading away, he's lost nearly half his body weight in the last few weeks, is barely eating (though still drinking a little), isn't moving to urinate and can't form proper excrements, so as it is I'm changing his bedding daily, wiping his bum several times a day and keeping him dosed on infant calpol to try and relieve any pain he's experiencing. So given his condition, how long is he likely to naturally live? I've been hoping that he will pass away fairly quickly at this point and he can die feeling relatively safe and comfortable in his own cage with his cage-mate, but every day he's still hanging-on to life somehow and I'm wondering if the more responsible thing to do would simply be to have him euthanised at the vets, which I've been holding off doing as he hates the place and I haven't wanted his last experiences to be fear and confusion. Is it likely at this point I can just wait this out and keep him as comfortable as possible in the meantime or this there still a chance this could go on for a good few more days?
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Dec 4, 2013 16:04
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You are probably the only one who is going to be able to know when the time is right to have him put to sleep or not. I went through the same experience recently, elderly pig in poor health who I had hoped would pass away on her own at home but there came a point where I knew her quality of life had deteriorated enough that not putting her to sleep would cause her suffering. It was also very hard on me emotionally to see her like that. It might be the kinder thing to do for him and for yourself to bring him to the vet. Sorry to hear you are going through this. And on a lighter note, Scooty Puff Jr, I use fleece but have a separate box with bedding that I put hay in so it makes less of a mess on the fleece. Since pigs also like to do a lot of their business where they eat, it also makes it easy for me to empty/refill that box 1-2x a week to keep the cage smelling fresh. Using fleece and towels as bedding will certainly increase the amount of water you use, but the added benefits are a lack of dust (for you and pigs!), cost effectiveness (I only make new bedding every 1.5-2 years or so), it's a lot quieter than carefresh when they're running around on it, and fleece comes in so many cute patterns that you can make all kinds of adorable sets of bedding. I sew all my bedding to custom fit my pig cage too. You should give it a try! Tabemono: I can't speak to the necessity of alfalfa for younger pigs, but I know some people in this thread with allergies to hay have found good results buying bluegrass through KMS. You could try that?
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Dec 4, 2013 16:40
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Sirotan posted:You are probably the only one who is going to be able to know when the time is right to have him put to sleep or not. I went through the same experience recently, elderly pig in poor health who I had hoped would pass away on her own at home but there came a point where I knew her quality of life had deteriorated enough that not putting her to sleep would cause her suffering. It was also very hard on me emotionally to see her like that. It might be the kinder thing to do for him and for yourself to bring him to the vet. Sorry to hear you are going through this. He's gotten worse through today and I think he's in alot of pain so I'm going to take him to the vet tomorrow. Thanks for the advice and support.
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Dec 4, 2013 21:22
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A Steampunk Gent posted:He's gotten worse through today and I think he's in alot of pain so I'm going to take him to the vet tomorrow. Thanks for the advice and support. That's always been the hardest choice for me, but we do our pets a disservice by forcing them to hang on when they're clearly suffering a lot. It always helps me to think about my great grandfather, who lived a long time. Once he hit a certain point, whenever we asked him "What're you doing, Pops?" he'd always reply "Oh, just sitting here waiting for the good Lord to take me." He had a good, long life, but he was ready to go. Thanks for loving your pet and making the hard choice for him. He's a lucky little dude.
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Dec 5, 2013 02:58
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Tabemono posted:So my girlfriend and I adopted an adorable pair of baby pigs (four weeks old!) last weekend, and the first two days have been really promising. Of course, they sat frozen for the first 24 hours or so, but yesterday we managed to get them both to eat from our hands while holding them, and this morning they timidly made their way out into the cage a bit while we were hovering overhead, so they're getting comfortable faster than I anticipated. HEPA filters are your friend. So are rubbermaid tubs you can use to (mostly) cover the hay, leaving enough of a gap for airflow, or simply shutting the excess away in a closet. Honestly, I've never really seen moldy hay, but most of the stuff I get has been in drying sheds for a while -- local product might be more hit and miss. KM may just be out of alfalfa at the moment; she's carried it in the past, if I remember correctly. Alfalfa for rabbits is alfalfa for guinea pigs, there's no difference. Honestly, it's not really an exact science, as long as the pigs have some source of extra calcium in either alfalfa pellets or alfalfa hay they should be fine. I had a young pig join an older herd, and gave her the same timothy-based stuff and just supplemented with calcium-rich veggies during lap time and she turned out okay.
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Dec 5, 2013 22:22
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Is it possible to overfeed pigs? I have a guinea pig that always has a fresh bowl of pellets, and usually once or twice a day I'll give him a lettuce leaf or an orange section or some spinach. He doesn't have any difficulty moving or anything, he still popcorns and races around his cage and shoves his pigloo around, he's just got a bit of a belly on him and I feel like he's an unusually large pig. I got him from someone else who knew nothing about him, so I have no idea how old he is.
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Dec 5, 2013 22:48
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I had a pig that reached a kilo and a half, but she tore around like nobody's business and could probably have leapt out of the cage from a standing start if she'd had a mind to. As long as he's not having any trouble getting around, I wouldn't worry about it -- some animals are just predisposed to being larger than others.
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Dec 6, 2013 00:21
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| # ? May 21, 2024 19:26 |
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Guinea pigs will self-regulate for the most part, as long as they have enough room to run around I wouldn't be too worried about it. If you're really concerned you can always consider cutting back the pellets a bit.
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Dec 6, 2013 00:30
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