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Captain Invictus posted:That's adorable. There was a gentle "are you food?" nibble but that's par for the course. When my wife came back into the room Dio freaked and tried to hide under my chin. 
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Mar 9, 2014 11:19
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Last night I noticed a dark, crusty spot on my guinea pig's rear (about 1cm.) I don't know how long she's had it but I don't think it's been long. I called the vet and have an appointment for Saturday. I'm almost positive it's a subcutaneous cyst because there's a small crater in the center and it's a little raised. I thought only male piggies needed their anal glands expressed, but it's right in that spot. I'm going to do whatever the vet recommends but is there anything I can do in the meanwhile or anything I should be aware of ? I feel so bad I just noticed it, but it doesn't seem to bother her terribly.
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Mar 18, 2014 23:59
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First post here - hello! - got a guinea pig about a week ago and I had a question. I bought some pellet/mixed food for him at the store when I got him, but quickly switched to fresh veggies (and a handful of just the pellets). However, he's becoming a picky eater - he eats his small amount of berries and fruits but only picks at his greens, bell peppers, and carrots. He'll even whine when his bowl gets down to just the veggies. Should I just stop feeding him the sweeter stuff at all until he gets better at eating the rest? Also, I'm dreading it already, but I know I'll need to clean his *ahem* pouch before long. Anything aside from the smell I should know?
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Apr 2, 2014 01:03
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You've only mentioned pellets and fresh food... is he also getting hay? Pigs need a more or less unlimited supply of hay as it's both a staple of their diet and keeps their teeth from growing too much. Our two boys probably have 70% hay, 20% mixed veggies and 10% pellets (they're useful to keep around just to insure against any deficiencies). As for the fresh food, I'd maybe switch to non-sweet veggies for a while - he may be a little too used to the sweet stuff if he gets it with every meal. Some pigs can be picky though, try a bit of everything and I'm sure you'll find something he prefers. Herbs are usually a big hit - ours go wild for basil, parsley and mint. Cleaning the anogenital cavity isn't that bad for young boars, just do it gently using a cotton bud with a bit of vaseline. This page has some pictures and decent instructions: http://www.guinealynx.info/impaction.html General pig-tip: we recently tried adding a very small amount of alcohol-free vanilla extract to the boys' water which has helped make their urine a little less pungent. A friend does the same for her mice so I think it's a general rodent thing.
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Apr 2, 2014 18:39
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Yeah, he's getting a regular supply of hay as well. He eats it just fine, so no issues there. Thanks for the tips!
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Apr 2, 2014 23:16
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Well both my guys are gone, but there was a lot of fun times to be had while they were both here. I'm probably going to never get a pet that's not a guinea pig or a rat, when I have the time/ability to look after them decently. On top of the usual pig noises, there was the rare bird chirping from one of them, and then something I've never heard a pig do before. Instead of wheeking, it was a WHEEEE! Similar to what prairie dogs make, has anyone else ever heard their pig do this?
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Apr 6, 2014 03:32
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Sorry about your pigs, VolatileSky, but I'm sure they had a great (and cute) life. It's always sad when the little guys go  Princess Hamerella has started chewing the paint off the stand of her silent spinner. She hasn't gotten a LOT of it - just one corner of the stand - but I'm not sure why she's started doing this. When I cleaned out her cage today I was sure to put in a lot more chewables (paper towels, cardboard tube, a cherry-stick, etc.) and I hope that'll fix the bad habit. Do you guys have any other suggestions? A view of Princess Hamerella's kingdom: 
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Apr 13, 2014 02:13
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Got my cavy out of his Petco-prison-cell cage and into something from guineapigcagestore.com. He's not loving it so far, but he's got WAY more room, so I'm sure he'll be alright. The next step is to get him a buddy, now that I know I can reasonably take care of these guys.
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Apr 28, 2014 01:02
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tentawesome posted:Do you guys have any other suggestions? I know the response is late, but aside from adding all the extra toys as a distraction, which you've done, my only other thought would be to wrap the stand in a layer of paper towel/fleece/toilet paper if the chewing persists. It could be that she was just curious and not hellbent on destroying the thing out of boredom. Bitter apple spray would be the last alternative, but I honestly don't know if rodents experience taste similarly to dogs or cats.
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Apr 28, 2014 03:09
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What do all of you as lap protection when holding a pig? My towels are all either about to be used or dirty and I probably shouldn't hold em on something that may have wiped off soap with. I would be fine with dedicated towels if they're cheap. Right now I'm just holding them each at 5 minute increments to minimize accidents.
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Apr 28, 2014 03:26
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Protection from what exactly? I usually just hold them on my lap, cushions, towels whatever. If it's the poop, there's something wrong with your pig if it's not coming out pretty hard and they generally won't poo poo much when we hold them so you're talking one or two poops you can just clean up after you're finished. It really isn't that big of a deal and you should be washing your hands afterwards anyway. I've never had a pig urinate while being held.
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Apr 28, 2014 07:21
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I'm definitely talking about urine. Every pig I've ever had (which is 4 at this point) has pissed on me when being held. It's not a 100% thing of course but usually around the 10 minute mark they start getting really antsy and if I don't notice they'll doing it right on me. Also I'd rather catch all the pig poop on one blanket so I can just shake it off into the cage/trash/outside instead of having it all over my legs. When I say hold I mean that I sit on the computer/couch for a while and pet them. If I pick them up to say HI HOW ARE YOU PIG it's not like they'll instantly go for it.
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Apr 28, 2014 14:39
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Buy new towels, retire old ones to become pig towels. This is pretty much what I do. As an added bonus I've had more than a few pigs who love to climb inside the folded up towel and sleep on my lap for sometimes hours at a time.
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Apr 28, 2014 18:44
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Adult Sword Owner posted:I'm definitely talking about urine. Every pig I've ever had (which is 4 at this point) has pissed on me when being held. It's not a 100% thing of course but usually around the 10 minute mark they start getting really antsy and if I don't notice they'll doing it right on me. We have two large fleece blankets that we use for ours, but at around 15 to 20 minutes they'll start shuffling like a toddler who needs the loo and knows enough not to just go for it, we put them back in the cage for a few minutes and then get them back out if they're being happy about cuddling. We gave up on towels when we figured out they love to roam when on the sofa with us. (or hide in hoods if they've clambered up that far :3)
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Apr 28, 2014 19:33
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You could also use those padded sheets that are for kids who wet the bed to hold them with, that's what we used to use for our pigs, when my mom ran a daycare we had a surplus of them so it worked out well.
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Apr 28, 2014 23:14
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I use diaper changing pads. Little blankets with a waterproof back. Washable and cheap enough.
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Apr 29, 2014 12:53
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I'm thinking of getting a guinea pig, or two pigs, for my kids, which are five and three. A few questions: First, is a pig an appropriate pet for children that young? Neither of them are malicious or cruel in any way, as far as I know. I hand them all manner of insects and spiders all the time and constantly, constantly emphasize how they are delicate and are not be treated roughly. I realize that's anecdotal information, but I'm just saying that from my experience, my kids arn't going to want to mistreat an animal just cause. The kids would not have free access to the inside of the pig's enclosure without my or my wife's supervision. Should I buy a young pig from a big store, or a local breeder, or adopt? Is there a way for me to tell if a pig isn't going to be okay with being handled by children just by meeting it and spending some time with it? Are there any behavioral signs in a more general sense that I should watch out for when picking one out? I like how tri-color Abyssinians look, is there anything special I would want to know about that breed? Boar or sow? I read that two boars will have social issues figuring out who is more dominate, but would a pair of sows do this? A pet store employee told me that a single pig will acclimate to interacting with humans more easily, but would she be happier overall with another sow to live with? Thanks! Tricerapowerbottom fucked around with this message at 00:07 on May 2, 2014 |
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May 2, 2014 00:05
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:I'm thinking of getting a guinea pig, or two pigs, for my kids, which are five and three. A few questions: Before answering your questions I guess I first want to state that I'd hope you would go into owning guinea pigs with the mindset that they are YOUR pets, not the kids'. I don't think any small child or even a young teen would be able to make a big enough commitment to taking care of guinea pigs. They are A LOT of work and expensive if any medical issues crop up. Now, assuming you are looking at it that way, I don't see any reason why small children couldn't be around them if you are supervising all their interaction. I would mostly be concerned about the children picking up the pigs and maybe walking around with them, if the pig is spooked or nibbles too hard I could see them getting dropped. Definitely I would explore looking into local rescues or humane societies first, to find a bonded pair to adopt. This eliminates any worries about whether the pigs will get along, and you'll be doing a good thing for some animals that need a home. Depending on the rescue the pigs may have been socialized somewhat, may have been spayed/neutered, and the rescuers can probably determine which pair would be a good fit for small children. Pet stores would definitely be a last resort, most have extremely poor records of animal health and it would be hard to guarantee coming home with an animal that is healthy, let alone sexed correctly and/or not pregnant. Imho I wouldn't bother getting a pig at all if you cannot rescue one. Assuming you get an already bonded pair, (and please get a pair, having only one pig is really quite cruel to the animal), sex isn't going to matter much in regards to their behavior. I personally prefer having sows but that's more because I can avoid dealing with 'male pig issues' and also don't have to look at their giant hairy balls........ And no, behavior isn't going to be different across different breeds. Assuming there is a lot of choice at the humane society/rescue, pick a pair you find the most cute. They're all going to be a bit skittish of you, some more than others (you will be able to tell), but most should warm up to you as you become more familiar and they learn where the food comes from.
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May 2, 2014 02:03
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So, I walked downstairs today, and one of my male gerbils (Ralph) died in the night. I didn't examine him too closely (I was a little upset... He was the one that would always come out to greet me and seemed to enjoy being around people, so I spent the most quality time with him ), but he looked a little bloody. My husband asked me if I would get a new companion for my remaining male (Cecil), and I said I wasn't sure. Is it a good idea to get another male to keep Cecil company? I know gerbils are social, but those two have been together for a few years now... Would it be weird to (slowly) introduce a new friend? The blood had me a little nervous as well. I know sometimes gerbils will just up and decide they aren't friends anymore--could that have been it? Or could Cecil have gnawed on Ralph a little bit after Ralph passed? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
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May 2, 2014 20:26
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Niemat posted:So, I walked downstairs today, and one of my male gerbils (Ralph) died in the night. I didn't examine him too closely (I was a little upset... He was the one that would always come out to greet me and seemed to enjoy being around people, so I spent the most quality time with him From the sound of it, they probably started fighting, the other gerbil wouldn't really have any reason to start eating the other if it still had food around. (unless it had some sort of deficiency it could get from eating meat) Sorry about your loss, not really a nice way to wake up.
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May 3, 2014 15:00
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:I'm thinking of getting a guinea pig, or two pigs, for my kids, which are five and three. A few questions: I got a pair of bonded young adult sows from a small animal rescue for my girls when they were 2 and 4 a couple of years ago. The lady who ran the rescue picked out a pair who would be the best with kids, and we got to meet them for play time and "babysit" them for a couple of weeks before finalizing the adoption to make sure my one daughter's allergies didn't react to them. The two I have are great, they're gentle and quite laid back, the girls can hold them with supervision and they love to feed them treats. I look after them of course, but they "belong" to my daughters. The two I have are sows, but they'll still have little spats from time to time. One of them is definitely very dominant and the other is very passive. They really enjoy each other's company, but are happy being handled by people.
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May 3, 2014 20:17
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Hi everyone! Nice to see there's an active rodent thread on SA  I have some questions about our syrian hamster Pippi. She's a girl and about 1 year old. We got her from an animal shelter last winter, so she's been with us for about 4/5 months. I'd like to add some pictures but somehow they're not displaying so I'll try again later. Anyway, last week I took her out of her cage and I noticed a strong, sort of fishy odour. I checked her bottom to see if she had wet tail or something, and I noticed some white/yellowish discharge coming from her, well, lady bits. Because I was worried she might be ill I took her to the vet the next morning, who has very little experience with hamsters unfortunately. She said it might be a uterus infection and gave me antibiotics to give to Pippi twice a day for ten days. I did some research online and the information I found is contradictory. I found the 'symptoms' might indicate a uterus infection OR it might just be her normal 'cycle' that happens during the breeding season (april/october). As this period has just started, that might explain why we haven't seen (or smelled) it happening before. Also, Pippi is just her normal, active and curious self, she's eating and drinking well and otherwise looks healthy. So I'm uncertain if there is anything wrong with her at all... But decided to finish the antibiotics course anyway, just in case. Q: Does anyone here have a similar experience with female hamsters? Should we be worried that there is something wrong with her, or is this normal for female syrian hamsters during breeding season? We're on the fifth day of the antibiotics now and Pippi is really starting to get grumpy about it. She has never once bitten me before (or anyone else, even the vet who was pinching and poking away in her belly), but this morning when I took her out she bit my finger. This was when I was just taking her out of the cage, so before I even came close with the pipette. I hope this is not a new thing that she's developed, I really want to still be able to take her out to play without having her hanging off my finger . Also I'm not sure how to keep giving her the antibiotics without getting my finger full of battle wounds.Q: Does anyone maybe have any advice on how to handle a biting hamster (and on how to gain her trust back )?Thanks!
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May 4, 2014 14:43
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Sirotan posted:words Oh yes, any pigs we get will be our collective pets. I don't expect children to assume the responsibility of taking care of an animal, any animal really. I might use them as a chore later, but the pigs would not suffer any neglect if my kids sluffed something. I did look into it, and there is a cavy rescue operation in the Puget Sound region that has a lot of good info, and only adopts out bonded pairs. I'm liking a pair of neutered males. What are the "male pig issues" you're talking about? The fecal impaction thing? I think that's not an issue with altered males. Green Canary posted:more words That sounds good, letting the kids meet them and get an idea about the pairs behavior. Thanks, both of you. One more question: What is the kind of grass or hay that gives people the most allergen problems? I'd like to get some and something with pig dander on it to check if any of us has a reaction to it before we buy the materials for the cage.
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May 4, 2014 20:04
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SweetPotato posted:Does anyone maybe have any advice on how to handle a biting hamster (and on how to gain her trust back So long as you keep feeding her and give her a little space, she'll soon forget she's annoyed. For the bites, try a leather glove.
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May 4, 2014 22:43
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VolatileSky posted:On top of the usual pig noises, there was the rare bird chirping from one of them, and then something I've never heard a pig do before. Instead of wheeking, it was a WHEEEE! Similar to what prairie dogs make, has anyone else ever heard their pig do this? We had several guinea pigs over the years when I was growing up, and we had a few that would make those noises and they all seemed to be sows. The first time it happened it was in the middle of the night and we thought a bird had gotten in somehow and we spent a long-rear end time looking for this mystery bird. Eventually the offending pig started making the noise while we were near the cage and we managed to realize we didn't have a rogue bird. A vet explained it to us once, but hell if I can remember the reasoning other than "guinea pigs are weird".
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May 4, 2014 23:23
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Tricerapowerbottom posted:One more question: What is the kind of grass or hay that gives people the most allergen problems? I'd like to get some and something with pig dander on it to check if any of us has a reaction to it before we buy the materials for the cage. I think some of the hay problems come from the quality of the source. My nose gets runny after prolonged exposure to hay dust when I'm at my friends' house, especially since their two rabbits track hay all over the house, but I could shove my face in a bluegrass box from KMS Hayloft and be fine. I found out just recently that while Oxbow is a good brand, the batches can be inconsistent in cutting and quality so one will be leafy while another is mostly stems. I inherited half a bag of Kaytee hay when I rescued my chinchilla and that poo poo was so dry, yellow and dusty I threw it out on the lawn for birds to build nests. I haven't experienced any allergy problems with timothy pellets or alfalfa blocks.
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May 5, 2014 03:38
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One of our male gerbils has had a lump on his belly for a while, it looks red and sore and he keeps grooming it. Reading up it sounds like it's a tumour. He's still eating and running about but I'm worried that he's secretly in pain and just hiding it. He's about 2.5years old. I don't want to get him put down if he's not suffering, but it looks quite open - what should I do?
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May 9, 2014 18:24
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Jedit posted:So long as you keep feeding her and give her a little space, she'll soon forget she's annoyed. For the bites, try a leather glove. Thanks. You're right, she did forget quickly and didn't bite anymore since . She also still does not seem or act sick... So looks like she's okay for now. Finished the antibiotics course so now we can go back to just playing & cuddling. And maybe even feeding her tiny burrito's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOCtdw9FG-s and pizza's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNf-IGmxElI - it seems to be all the rage these days.Greyish Orange posted:One of our male gerbils has had a lump on his belly for a while, it looks red and sore and he keeps grooming it. Reading up it sounds like it's a tumour. He's still eating and running about but I'm worried that he's secretly in pain and just hiding it. He's about 2.5years old. I don't want to get him put down if he's not suffering, but it looks quite open - what should I do? I've heard rodents don't show their pain, because being prey it would make them look weak to a predator. Have you taken him to the vet yet? Maybe a specialized vet can tell if he is suffering. It also sounds like it could be an abscess or something, that maybe could be drained? It's good that he's still eating & doing his usual stuff though.
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May 9, 2014 22:13
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SweetPotato posted:I've heard rodents don't show their pain, because being prey it would make them look weak to a predator. Have you taken him to the vet yet? Maybe a specialized vet can tell if he is suffering. It also sounds like it could be an abscess or something, that maybe could be drained? It's good that he's still eating & doing his usual stuff though. Not yet, purely because I've read a lot about operations being the only cure and I don't want to spend his short remaining life at the vets for limited results, and I also don't want to put a happy(seeming) pet down. But now you've suggested absess, I'll get it checked out, that seems ore realistic really, thanks.
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May 9, 2014 23:18
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SweetPotato posted:And maybe even feeding her tiny burrito's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOCtdw9FG-s and pizza's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNf-IGmxElI - it seems to be all the rage these days.
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May 10, 2014 01:13
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I made a short video of hamster Pippi today, she got a treat and has some trouble finding a good place to store it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6eCFy7FNHo As you can see, she's doing great! 
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May 13, 2014 15:53
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SweetPotato posted:I made a short video of hamster Pippi today, she got a treat and has some trouble finding a good place to store it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6eCFy7FNHo Back before I knew her my wife had some degus. At one point she gave them a brazil nut, figuring that it was something that would take the little 4-legged chainsaws a while to chew apart. One of them was very determined that the nut was to go into their house, despite it not really fitting. It proceeded to spend the next few hours trying to jam the nut in every way it could think of. In the end it did succeed!
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May 13, 2014 16:00
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I have no idea how people get their rodents to pose for pictures. This took way too long to make happen and was somehow the best photo out of like fifty. Card Captor Hamerella unfortunately has a tumor growing at the base of her ear. You can't tell that it's there unless you touch it, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her and she's still remaining active. It gets agitated and red sometimes, but I've been putting neosporin on it which seems to be helping.
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May 16, 2014 07:06
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One of my pigs has started doing this weird thing while drinking where she will stamp her right front foot every 5 seconds. I think it's because they're pigs so they managed to make the drip-proof bottle drip enough that it's a little ugly pool under the spout and standing in the water bothers her. So again how can I stop them from being utterly stupid and causing it to drip? I have that expensive bottle that was listed before that insists it can't drip yet here we are.
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May 19, 2014 17:43
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Adult Sword Owner posted:One of my pigs has started doing this weird thing while drinking where she will stamp her right front foot every 5 seconds. I think it's because they're pigs so they managed to make the drip-proof bottle drip enough that it's a little ugly pool under the spout and standing in the water bothers her. Some guinea pigs will actually stand up at the water bottle with their tongue pressed against the ball and make it leak out. I do not know why, as I do not pretend to understand guinea pig logic.
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May 19, 2014 18:11
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Adult Sword Owner posted:One of my pigs has started doing this weird thing while drinking where she will stamp her right front foot every 5 seconds. I think it's because they're pigs so they managed to make the drip-proof bottle drip enough that it's a little ugly pool under the spout and standing in the water bothers her. Are we talking this one: http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Bottle-...ttle+quick+fill? If so, I would probably send it back and get a new one because it sounds like it's defective. You really don't want to have a perpetually leaking water bottle, it's a waste of water and waste of your time cleaning the cage constantly. If it's NOT that bottle, that's what I would suggest buying as a replacement. I've got a couple and have never had a problem with them leaking. Anything is better than the 'vacuum' sealed ball-bearing type.
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May 19, 2014 18:51
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Rodents do weird things with water bottles. My current batch of hamsters will knead the nozzle as if it's a teat.
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May 19, 2014 19:10
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Sirotan posted:Are we talking this one: http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Bottle-...ttle+quick+fill? If so, I would probably send it back and get a new one because it sounds like it's defective. You really don't want to have a perpetually leaking water bottle, it's a waste of water and waste of your time cleaning the cage constantly. If it's NOT that bottle, that's what I would suggest buying as a replacement. I've got a couple and have never had a problem with them leaking. Anything is better than the 'vacuum' sealed ball-bearing type. Yeh, it's one of those. It worked fine for months but I'm pretty drat sure they're just chewing on the nozzle so it leaks everywhere. I should grab one in the middle of doing it and see if her chin's soaked as well.
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May 19, 2014 19:18
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Adult Sword Owner posted:Yeh, it's one of those. It worked fine for months but I'm pretty drat sure they're just chewing on the nozzle so it leaks everywhere. I should grab one in the middle of doing it and see if her chin's soaked as well. With the ball bearing types I got used to replacing them every couple of months because they were such pieces of poo poo. Maybe your pigs just abuse theirs more than mine? You might want to just keep some stock on hand maybe...
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May 19, 2014 19:21
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Captain Invictus posted:Rodents do weird things with water bottles. My current batch of hamsters will knead the nozzle as if it's a teat. One of our pigs, uh, deep-throats the tube.
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May 19, 2014 19:22
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