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I'm really fond of http://www.chincare.com/ because all of their information is based on scientific and medical research, and well sourced.
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Dec 21, 2009 15:16
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Lumi posted:Googling around seems to indicate that there are no breeders in the Vancouver area. Is there some other method of finding breeders? How big of a deal is it compared to getting one from the pet store? Check out the shelters first! Petfinder shows 5 hamsters at shelters in Burnaby, Surrey, and Coquitlam. They probably have more who aren't even listed, most shelters don't bother putting up every hamster. Most don't even have pictures, so if she's set on two you'll have to check to make sure they aren't syrians.
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Jan 12, 2010 16:32
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Sirotan posted:I'm not really an expert but I don't think ovarian cancer is as prevalent in guinea pigs as it is in some other rodents. There's not much published research yet, but a number of vets are starting to write that they see ovarian cysts (not cancer, but almost as disruptive) in anywhere from 75-90% of older female pigs (over 5 years old). Some of these vets are starting to say that ALL female pet pigs should be spayed, just like in rabbits, and are looking for funding for wide-spread longitudinal studies to determine whether this has any efficacy in reducing the incidence and increasing lifespans, and also whether uterine removal is necessary or just ovarian removal (the latter surgery is much less invasive and less expensive). The issue is that until relatively recently, seeing 5+ year old pigs was fairly uncommon in clinical practice, and this is most commonly a geriatric disease, so there's not enough preliminary evidence to get funding (and not enough funding in general). However, that's in the future. Right now, spaying IS still highly invasive, NOT easy to do unless your vet is experienced, and VERY expensive compared to neutering. So yeah, I wouldn't recommend spaying her unless a) she develops ovarian cysts, b) the possibility of a few extra years with her highly outweighs the immediate surgical risks, and c) your vet is HIGHLY experienced. Personally, I think once I'm done rescuing and have only pet pigs, I will spay all my females. In 10+ years of rescue I have only had a few girls live over 5 years, whereas my neutered boys typically see at least 7 and I have even had a few 9 year olds. I have a girl who was spayed by another rescue at about 1 year old, and is now between 6 and 7. I'll be very interested to see whether she lives longer than my intact females! Edit for Maplecheese: thanks for posting that, and especially for taking such care of that poor piggy. Surrender cages like that are all too common in rescue and it's important to see that side of it. I had this one come in in 2004. That's a 5 gallon aquarium. The cedar shavings, apples, and iceberg lettuce were the best of it - the only other food the pig had was dry catfood. He died a few weeks later of malnutrition. In 2005 we rescued a rabbit from this cage, which was at a school - he was left out during a hurricane, his food was a moldy wet mush and his water bottle had fallen off - and there were two chicken carcasses rotting under the cage. That was BunBun, who lived another four years. In 2006 a mouse came in who was being housed in a cheetos jar - this pic is AFTER it had been cleaned. I don't have a pic of this one, but later that year I pulled a pig from a local shelter who was dropped of in a birdcage, with only dry navy beans, canned garbanzos, and cornflakes to eat. Oh, and the bottom of the cage was a sold mass of maggots. A kid had brought her home from school without telling his parents, and they didn't find out till about 2 weeks later when the kid's room filled up with flies. Amazingly, that pig lived and thrived, but she was terrified of people for several months, as you can imagine. People astonish me. alucinor fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Jan 23, 2010 |
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Jan 23, 2010 16:08
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Blackmage Yapo posted:
As adorably edible as these huts are, keep in mind that the ingredients are alfalfa bound with molasses, so they are not a good idea for use - too much risk of stones and stasis.
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Jan 28, 2010 17:05
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kazmeyer posted:keep offering little bits This is critical. Don't ever stop trying. I've seen pigs come in whose owners insisted they wouldn't eat any veggies, ever, but usually the owners gave up and stopped offering them. Once the pigs were confronted with veggies every day, they finally had the opportunity to learn that veggies are awesome. And don't skimp on variety, either, just because he seems to prefer one thing over another. Other pigs, I've seen go through stages where suddenly one veggie is scary and another is great, only to have it flip-flop for no apparent reason. Kaz is also dead right about trying leafies - especially fragrant herbs. When spring comes around, go to the plant store and pick up some 99c herb pots to make yourself a window box of parsley, basil, dill, cilantro. You can also grow him some red clover - it's a legume, like alfalfa, meaning it can contribute to the formation of bladder stones, so use sparingly once he gets older - but I do still love giving occasional clover as a treat. I have never known a pig in 10+ years who didn't eventually decide that bell peppers are heaven on earth.
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Feb 2, 2010 15:10
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Spaying her will reduce any hormonal driven aggression/territoriality. But you need to find a REALLY good vet. Is Pompeii neutered?
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Feb 24, 2010 15:41
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Setanta posted:I have a 6 year old Guinea Pig sow ("Squeaky Toy") who is passing blood in her urine. The vet has her on antibiotics for a UTI but also recommended cranberry juice (unsweetened) for her. The problem is she wont drink it neat - does anyone know of a good ratio to dilute it at for it to be effective but not overpowering in taste for her? Mix about 50-50 with water. If she still won't drink on her own, you can use a 1 mL syringe to give it to her the same as if it was a medicine. Did the vet do an Xray to rule out kidney/bladder stones? Those are much more common in pigs than UTIs. Personally, in 10 years, I've never seen a suspected UTI that didnt turn out to really be stones. An Xray is a fast way to ease your mind that you don't have a wrong diagnosis. Good luck!
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Mar 15, 2010 14:36
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Are you getting them from a rescue? If so, that will help make sure they aren't pregnant, sick, mis-sexed, or mite-infested, like most pigs from craigslist/pet stores tend to be. Do you already have a kitchen scale to do their weekly weighings? Have you already located both a regular and an emergency/after hours exotics vet who sees guinea pigs? I'm currently giving sub-cu fluids and critical care to an 8 year old who is experiencing bloat and stasis, so making sure you're prepared for medical issues comes most readily to my mind right now.
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May 14, 2010 19:54
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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. Incredibly different. If kungfu_hammer is in the UK, the vet and pet store thing probably don't apply (although there's still lots of UK pigs in rescue who need homes!) The weighing issue should apply all around, although it's a bit of a new concept (last 8 or 10 years, really). Quite simply, weight loss is THE very first sign of illness. So if you weigh weekly, you've got a better chance of spotting illness before it gets too serious. I spotted Chester's illness on Sunday because his weight was down from last week; but only last night did he start showing symptoms, and so I've had four days to diagnose and treat that I otherwise would not have had.
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May 14, 2010 20:35
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ohnoitsphil posted:I have a guinea pig medical question. Exotics vet, stat. Ear infections are really rare. The two most common medical problems with pigs are bladder stones and molar overgrowth. So the two things your girlfriend's boss can possibly do to help are a) x ray to check for bladder stones, and b) use an otoscope to check the molars for points, spurs, or tongue entrapment. Have you been weighing the pig regularly? Has his weight changed at all between now and the last time he was weighed? The amount of weight loss will tell you whether this has been a hidden but ongoing problem, or something sudden.
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May 17, 2010 18:57
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ohnoitsphil posted:edit: I know we should be weighing him often but the last time we weighed him was in March and he was 2lb 7.5oz and today he was 2lb 3.5 oz. That's a fairly significant weight change in 2 months; I'd be highly concerned. Stones should show up like shotgun pellets on x-ray; even a non-exotics vet should recognize them. It could still be bladder sludge which it's possible could be confusing to distinguish from other structures. Is celery a regular part of his diet? What other veggies do you feed regularly? Do you choose veggies to balance the calcium/phosphorus ratios and oxalate levels? While he's ill, I'd feed extra vitamin c in the form of red bell peppers (low in calcium and oxalates but super high in C). They're also very wet which helps if he's not drinking enough. Keep us posted!
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May 18, 2010 14:33
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ohnoitsphil posted:I feel bad that I didn't even know about that part of their diet. Almost nobody does, which is why I hype it up at every opportunity.  Don't worry, there's still time. I've gotten pigs who ate terrible diets for 4-5 years, who ended up living 7-8 years after switching to a good diet.Don't forget to check your pellet brand for hidden calcium, too. Any alfalfa content is a no-no. Did the vet check the molars for points and malocclusion? That's the second most common reason for weight loss that I see in pigs. He basically just needs to get in the mouth with an otoscope and at least rule it out. Does the vet have access to Critical Care? It's a handfeeding formula by Oxbow which is really good to keep their guts moving. If you can't get any, you can grind some pellets and mix them with water or OJ to make a mash. Critical Care is much easier to syringe feed than pellet mush, though.
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May 18, 2010 15:57
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I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you getting a necropsy done to look for an underlying cause? I feel for you. I lost two pigs last week - my 7 year old hyperthyroid pig had a probable heart attack last Tuesday, and one of my 8 year old boars died Friday after a week of intractable stasis; I got him out of stasis but then he couldn't breathe. Necropsy revealed tons of nodules in the lungs consistent with lymphoma. I suspect it probably wasn't a bladder infection; UTIs and URIs are pretty rare except in breeder mills where the husbandry is very bad. Unfortunately, infections are the easiest of the differentials to treat, so that's what vets usually start with. But antibiotics upset the GI system, which makes them very risky for a pig already having trouble eating. The vet who saw my 8 year old first thought it was an upper respiratory infection and wanted to put him on antibiotics; fortunately (?) I've been down that road and knew it wouldn't work unless we could get him out of stasis first. I'm down to eight pigs now, my lowest number since 2005.  And two more at the vet today; one with lumps on his neck (lymphoma?), one with ovarian problems (cysts or cancer) which will probably require a spay, at least.
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May 19, 2010 15:08
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pokie posted:3. If I get an auto feeder and leave conditioning on, can they survive on their own for a week or so? I do travel sometimes and there is no guarantee that I can get a pet sitter. No. There's really no way to autofeed hay, which needs to be the bulk of their diet. You can't just load them up and hope they don't run out. Sudden dietary changes like a week of having only pellets could put them into GI stasis. That can be treated easily if you catch it fast enough, but if you're gone for a week you're just going to come home and find a dead chin. Additionally, these are very active animals who aren't going to sit quietly for a week. The longer they're left alone and unable to engage in their usual exercise routines, the more likely they are to try escaping their cage or engaging in other displacement behaviors which could end up with them being trapped or injured. If they knock their water bottle off the cage while you're at work, that's one thing; you'll be home in 8-12 hours to fix it. But a week? All I can think of are how many ways that could end badly. However, most exotics vet who see chins also offer boarding. Oxbow and Kleenmama's Hayloft are the two best sites for hay and pellets.
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Jun 2, 2010 19:41
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:My guinea pigs had mites at one point, I took them to the vet and he suggested going to Lowes and getting some Sevin dust and sprinkling it on their fur. It worked pretty well for the pigs, but I'd definitely check with a vet before you do anything like that with your mouse. Sevin is very bad for guinea pigs, I certainly wouldn't recommend using it on anything smaller. According to the MSDS, it's harmful if inhaled, ingested, or contacted with skin or eyes: MSDS posted:Overexposure may cause salivation, watery eyes, pinpoint eye pupils, blurred vision, muscle tremors, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, headache. Advantage or ivermectin are MUCH safer.
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Jun 21, 2010 18:43
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Yeah, that would make me really skeptical about a vet's qualifications to see exotics. First guinea pig vet I ever found claimed the only way to treat my pig's mites was with a sulfur dip bath. He also told me that pigs could not be altered because there was no anesthetic safe for them - yet the pig with mites was adopted as a spayed female along with three neutered brothers.  Fortunately I found a real exotics vet for subsequent care, but it makes me wonder how much other bad advice that first vet was dispensing. I stick to vets with avian/exotics board certification, now.
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Jun 21, 2010 20:47
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drat Bananas posted:Is ivermectin a brand name or is it known as something else? Is it topical or added to food? Is the dosage on the packaging pretty accurate for weight/species? It's non prescription large animal parasite treatment: this stuff. Since it's technically sold for large animals, you can get it from vets, but also OTC from farm & feed stores. It comes as a bottle of injectable but the recommendation for small animals is to use it topically. Either way you'll need to get a 1 mL syringe with a needle on it to draw it out of the bottle. The dosage instructions on the box are correct, but since it's measured in mL per HUNDRED POUNDS, you'll need to do some math, and for a mouse you'll be finding that it's like a tiny little portion of a droplet. More info on use in small animals, and help with the math, can be found on these pages. Since you're looking to dose just one mouse, I'd say buying a bottle and doing all this measurement might be overkill. You might find it just as cheap and easy to go to the vet and request that they draw you up 4-8 premeasured syringes' worth. They can even mix the ivermec with an inert substance so the actual amount you'll apply is more than nearly invisible. End of Life Guy posted:About 2 months ago, Darwin jumped off my shoulder and hit the hardwood floor. OUCH. Dude I think you made a mistake, that does not look like a parrot.  You and he really lucked out - from that height he could have easily broken a whole lot more. My partner broke a pig's leg by dropping him from less than 18 inches. Sirotan posted:Wow, I'm kinda shocked that this type of injury would be treatable for a guinea pig. If you have a good enough vet there is practically no injury or (non-terminal) illness that is untreatable.
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Jun 22, 2010 14:56
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Nereid posted:go to a local food co-op. see if piggies like chard/kale/collards. ???? success. Or bladder stones. Be sure to balance your Ca:P ratio - you should be aiming for an overall ratio of between 1.5:1 and 2:1. Personally I'd recommend starting a window box with herbs and baby romaine. I started one a few weeks ago and I'm hoping it'll be nice and bushy come winter.
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Jul 6, 2010 14:25
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Karatehamster posted:So - guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and chinchillas I am clueless about, and all I was told is to put a seed in the palm of my hand and stick it in the cage and wait. Guinea pigs and chins (and rabbits) should not have seeds. Additionally, none of these are really animals which are going to get more accustomed to handling by being offered a handful of food - it's more likely that they'll start nipping your hand every time. Food bribes may make them relax from your approach, but you'll still need to end up picking them up, often against their will, if you want to handle them. You can read about chinchilla handling here and guinea pig handling here. Yes, guinea pigs like tunnels like rabbits do. However, they will often just get inside them and stay there if there are scary noises or people about. Mostly, they are food motivated. Does your shelter feed hay to these animals? (If they don't, let them know that chins, pigs, and buns should all eat a diet which includes unlimited timothy hay.) Something as simple as a pile of hay loose in a pen, instead of up in a manger, is a good enrichment for pigs. A paper bag or cardboard box filled with hay (like a saltines box, open on one side) is an excellent toy; they like to climb in and eat their way out. If you do want to bribe them with food, use veggies for the pigs and buns. Sweet bell peppers and fragrant herbs like basil or parsley are exceptionally good. Chins' diets are more restricted, but they can have something like one raisin or a tiny piece of carrot a few times a week, or some dried herbs (rose hips, basil) a few times a week. However, all of these animals can be bribed with the exact same type of food they already have in their cages - pellets are fine, hay is best. It's crazy - they'll drop hay that they have in their mouth in order to take a strand I'm offering them.
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Jul 9, 2010 15:40
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Karatehamster posted:They do feed unlimited timothy hay, and in every cage there's some stuffed in a toilet paper tube for enrichment. I'm not necessarily focused on bribing them with food, it's just one of the few things I was actually told by the shelter as being a good idea if they're shy. Do you happen to know if pigs and bunnies can have thyme? Sounds like an excellent place, then. I'd avoid the thyme except in occasional small quantities. It's very high in calcium and has a bad Ca:P ratio.
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Jul 9, 2010 17:57
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cat with hands posted:Can a guinea pig who is really freaked out by water get used to bathing I've never met a pig who was happy with bathing. Being freaked out is perfectly normal, don't worry about it. Just hold them tight so they don't wriggle out and fall. I recently met someone who came up with a neat solution to wet bedding. She got some egg crate louvers - these are plastic grid panels meant to cover fluorescent light fixtures - and cut them to the size of her cage. She lays a layer of carefresh, then a louver, then another layer of carefresh. The wet stuff goes down to the bottom layer and the top stays dry, and the pigs aren't actually walking on the gird. A similar solution could involve a layer of bedding, the grid, then a layer of fleece on top, if you preferred using fleece. drat Bananas, can you post the exact types of foods you're using, or the ingredient list/nutrition breakdown?
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Jul 13, 2010 15:20
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drat Bananas posted:New food: There's nothing wrong with keeping her on the lower protein diet, although as you've seen, the fat is way too high. Typically, breeder diets recommend something in the range of 18% protein because that's a range found to be suitable for maximizing reproduction in colonies; even TheFunMouse says that's too high for pet mice. Lower protein has been found to be associated with increased longevity, a lower fat content is associated with a decrease in tumors, and therefore lowering both is better for maintenance in a non-stressed, non-breeding animal. My source is full of jargon and scientific studies which may not interest you, but basically it recommends less than 18% protein and no more than 5% fat. It's probably easier to find a rat diet with the ideal balance than it is to find a proper mouse diet, but a rat diet should be fine.
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Jul 13, 2010 18:47
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End of Life Guy posted:Anyone within driving distance of OKC and can handle another pig? Poor thing, that's a shame. You might also want to post on Guinea Lynx in the placement forum. There aren't many pig folks in that area but there might be a few who'll step up.
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Jul 19, 2010 15:04
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DreadCthulhu posted:Do you guys know what this thread needs more of? More chinchilla questions! http://www.chincare.com/ will answer all these questions and more. Chins need lots of attention, but they don't often like to be cuddled, so it often means supervising and interacting with an animal that will bark for attention and then run away with no interest in being petted. They do far better as bonded pairs rather than solos but bonding can be a bitch; plus you can't risk an opposite sex pair because they'll produce more unwanted babies. They're hugely active and need a wheel as well as daily time outside the cage. They can't be potty trained so you're gonna be constantly picking up little turds. They will destroy everything in your house in an instant and they can leap huge distances, so containment in a chin-proofed play area may require 4' fences. I'd strongly recommend against getting a chin.
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Jul 27, 2010 14:55
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Put out a shallow dish of water, a pile of hay and pellets, and some raisins. Dust the floors around these things with a liberal dusting of flour. You'll see little feet prints if he's still there and comes out for them, even if you don't see the chin himself.
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Sep 6, 2010 01:00
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beneatsfood posted:
No, it's not normal, and yes, he needs vitamin C rich veggies in addition to hay and pellets. Pigs who haven't been exposed to veggies can be neophobic about them at times, but you need to keep giving them till he learns to eat them. See http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html. Three good items to try are romaine lettuce, sweet bell peppers (any color), and parsley, although parsley should be limited later in life as it contains a lot of calcium which is bad for bladder stones. The starter cage from Petsmart is way too small for one pig. See http://www.guinealynx.info/housing.html. A larger cage will stay cleaner longer, and will allow him to move around more, thus preventing bumblefoot, obesity, and anal impaction, if he's male. Switch from pine to aspen or Carefresh. The latter will especially help with any cage odor. See http://www.guinealynx.info/bedding.html. You can use fleece blankets instead of wood shavings with no problem, but you need to pick up turds daily, and probably change out the fleece every other day or two. I personally hate fleece because I hate doing laundry. With a large cage, I can spot clean (like 1 scoop of bedding) every day or two, and the cage is still nearly pristine after a week.
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Sep 9, 2010 01:11
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Wootcannon posted:You'll notice I never said it was a surprise, that I'd read up on them, that nearly everyone in my family has kept a rodent of some description of another, and that I was merely asking for clarification on a few issues. What's with the hate? You'll also note I'm planning this out four months in advance, it's not exactly a last minute surprise because 'hey it's only a rodent' christ. Your original question asked: Wootcannon posted:Other than JESUS CHRIST DON'T GET THEM WET, regular playtime and feeding them hay, is there any other things I should know about or that I'm wrong about? That's like saying "other than the fact that they need to be walked and fed, is there anything I need to know about owning a dog?" There's potentially hundreds of things you need to know about chinchilla care, so it came across to me, and maybe to others, that you didn't yet know anything at all about them. I think that's why we started with the assumption that you hadn't thought this through. If you haven't already, I'd recommend you check out http://www.chincare.com/ - this is the BEST resource on chin care and you can trust that everything on that site is pretty much 100% correct - and review their information on veterinary needs, signs of illness, social needs, housing size needs, dietary issues, and temperature needs, at a minimum. Maybe start with the myths and misinformation page. If anything you read there doesn't jive with what you learned elsewhere, you'll be able to come back and ask more specific questions, and you should get more useful advice. With regard to the specific question you did ask - car travel is no problem for chins as long as you keep them cool. I personally wouldn't choose to travel with a chin during the summer, if I could help it.
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Sep 9, 2010 15:06
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MasterSplinter posted:Ok so I am new to this thread and have 2 Skinny pigs. One of them always gets cuts and scabs on the top of his head. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas as to what is happening or to stop it from happening? Post a picture of their cage, if it's environmental we can't tell without seeing how they are housed. Are they males or females, intact or altered? And when were they last treated for mites, and using what medication?
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Sep 15, 2010 14:38
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I'm so sorry for your loss. No, heart attacks aren't common. If you haven't already buried her, I would recommend a necropsy. I find it really helps me to know what it was, even if there was nothing I could have done.
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Oct 2, 2010 22:01
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Diogines posted:I wanted to get a furry buddy for a while. My living arrangements do not work for a dog or cat. After reading a lot of the rat faq I considered getting a pair of rats but decided against it because their life spans are fairly short. 1. Just how much do you think you spend taking care of your guinea pig in a month? A half an hour a day, twice a day. That includes daily salad prep, cage cleaning, and a weekly weighing. It doesn't include special trips for organic groceries or the yearly 3 hour drive to the state's only decent vet. Note that they cannot be left alone over a long weekend; the longest my guys can go without running out of water or food is about 24 hours. So even for short weekend trips I have to get a pet sitter. 2. How long do most to guinea pigs live for? 7-9 years, if you do it right. 3-5 years if you don't, and their deaths tend to be terrible. 3. Just how social to people are they? I've read a lot of conflicting information in the thread and general googling. Will they really require company or can they be happy alone? No, they will NOT be happy alone. They are highly gregarious and you should definitely get 2 or more. Their same-species social needs are a whole different issue from how social they are with people. Most pigs are interested in people only as sources of food. They can learn to tolerate and even enjoy cuddles and scritches, but for the most part they could care less about you as long as the food shows up on time. The most cuddlesome pigs I've ever had mostly loved cuddles because I provided a big warm place to snooze. 4. How loud can they be? Not very. They mostly vocalize when they think you have food. The annoying sounds come from them chewing on the bars or their hidy-houses, which is reduced by giving them enough space and a friend to entertain them. 5. Will they be disturbed by a television in the next room at moderate volume? No. 6. I work from home a lot. Would being in the same room as them for an extended period of time freak them out? Not at all. 7. Discourage me. Tell me anything you think that is very important and undesirable about getting a guinea pig as a pet. They need a huge cage; the things the pet store sells are completely unsuitable and lead to obesity, bumblefoot, and anal impaction. Their vet care is very expensive - you have to find an exotics specialist, which can be difficult, and they tend to charge in the ballpark of $250 for a basic yet thorough physical exam, which is needed once a year. They are prone to tooth and bladder problems unless you feed them a perfect diet. If they need tooth trims or bladder stone removal you could be looking at a thousand bucks easy. The hay that they eat is horribly dusty and tracks everywhere in your house. If you can't find the good hay locally, you may have to pay out the rear end to have it shipped to you. While they are entertaining pets to look at, they don't really give a poo poo about you unless you have food. Some pigs are always terrified of being handled and never grow out of it, so you never really get to enjoy them except for as a looking-at pet. So worst case, assuming you do it right even just out of guilt, you're looking at nearly a decade with a pet that doesn't like being petted, causes nothing but mess, inconvenience, and occasional financial trouble, in exchange for basically being a machine to turn your money into poop. I'd really recommend rats instead. The short lifespan is a blessing until you're CERTAIN this is the route you want to go. Alternatively, you can contact a guinea pig rescue and see about fostering for a while until you decide that you really want this.
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Oct 26, 2010 18:21
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Sirotan posted:Can you tell me what % of your pigs live that long? Just curious because I wonder if I just have terrible luck or all the pigs I end up with are just so overbred that their life spans are so much shorter than what I've read. I've always wondered this but don't have much of a way to test this theory. I can't give you an exact percent off the top of my head - in 10 years I've probably had 50+ pigs who died in my care - but it's pretty high. I've had a couple-three 9 year olds, several 8 year olds, and a couple dozen 7 year olds. A death at 5-6 is considered premature, in my house. I'll try to check my database sometime this week and come up with a better answer. But the folks on Guinea Lynx regularly report 7+ years as well, so it's not just me. However, I'll admit that I'm still an outlier. You have to consider that after all these years I can spot and diagnose an illness almost before it develops. About half the time I end up at the vet, it starts with a feeling that a pig is "off", with no further symptoms. Once we do have a treatable disease diagnosed, I provide better recuperative treatment at home than many vet clinics provide in-house, so my recovery rates are astronomical. Plus they all try to live forever just because they know it pisses me off. I do have a strong suspicion that males live longer than females, and also that altering increases lifespan - I've only got one girl who has made it past 7, and she's spayed. My intact girls have mostly died at 6 or so, my intact males tend to die at 7, the older ones have without exception been neutered males. If you've mostly had intact girls, that alone could account for the difference you're seeing. It also depends on what your pigs die of. Mine never die of stones or tooth problems because I catch those before it becomes a problem. But MOST of mine die of cancer, particularly lymphosarcoma, which is the one thing I can't prevent or treat, and that strikes at all ages. That does appear to run in populations so that could certainly be a factor for you as well.
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Oct 26, 2010 18:56
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Sirotan posted:One is already my oldest ever and the other had a rough upbringing and had been through 2 or 3 owners before I got her. She hates being handled and is completely silent. Quite probably. Back in summer 2005 I took in 30 pigs from a breeder who was threatening to dump them on the interstate. They'd been kept in horrible conditions - outdoors, in tiny boxes with around 10 pigs per 3 square feet of space, fed utter garbage. Surprisingly, several of them are still alive, although I'm down to just one of them myself. Tug was thought to be between 2 and 3 when he came in, which means he's at least 7 now. Total lardass and still in perfect health. Sirotan posted:Oh hey and while we're chatting pigs, alucinor what do you usually do for enrichment/toys? Most of the enrichment I provide is food based: I provide hay in multiple mangers, some easier to access than others; I sprinkle pellets in the bedding for foraging; and I don't chop up veggies. So they pretty much have to work to eat. Sometimes I'll stuff hay in a saltines box or paper bag and let them eat their way in. Additionally, I offer multiple cuddle cups and hidy houses in each cage, which I move around daily in relation to the food, so every day they have to spend some time re-establishing who gets the best place to snooze and eat. The biggest stimulation they have is their social environment. I use divided C&C cages - basically a 3'x7' enclosure divided in half for two pairs of pigs. That means there's always someone on the other side of the bars for a bored pig to rumble at. This seems to make a huge difference. I'm actually down to just four pigs now (lowest number since 2001!) and last month there was a brief period when I had two separate C&C cages, so neither pair could get right up to the other. I definitely noticed a reduction in activity during that time, followed by a marked increase once I got them moved into a single cage.
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Oct 26, 2010 19:54
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She'll probably live forever.
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kazmeyer posted:If you could map out your pig's brain, 95% of it would be labeled "Food" and the other 5% would be labeled "poo poo, run, it's a condor!". Understand that, and you will understand your pigs. This needs to be turned into a pig image macro like that rabbit one. It's the answer to pretty much all questions about pig behavior. Amorphous Blob: Yes, it's normal for the whites to sometimes be briefly visible, and also for them to get more visible as the pig ages.
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Oct 27, 2010 15:09
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Cryptobotanist posted:I want to get a Capybara... They're cute ...massive guinea pigs Not in most states. In some states you can own them with an exotics permit. Also, they can't be kept as house pets - they're more like wild livestock. You need an outdoor enclosure of a certain size, with walls buried under the ground a certain distance, and a certain sized swimming area. Trust me, I've checked.  I even found an exotics rescuer who is willing to transfer a pair to me as a foster home, but I can't get the permits where I'm at, because I have a private residence and not a licensed non-residential facility to house them at.
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Oct 29, 2010 14:50
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Diogines posted:I am worried if she does not drink, should I put a tiny saucer of water in there temporarily? Not quite yet. Pigs drink less when they eat lots of moisture-rich veggies, so for now, it may not be a problem. I'd recommend you offer some damp romaine leaves - they're a perfect veggie, and the liquid on and in them should be enough for her, for now. Also, if you haven't already, you should go get a scale and start weighing her. I can't emphasize enough how important this is in terms of monitoring and keeping up her health. You can actually weigh her daily, and that will help show you that she's eating and drinking enough.
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Oct 30, 2010 00:56
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Diogines posted:I've been using http://www.guinealynx.info/ as my main source of information. My home now has more plants than ever heh, but any any particular tips on a "favorite treat" for my pigs when I handle them? Excellent. I recommend parsley. It's too high in oxalates for extensive long-term use, but it's fragrant, which will really attract them, now. Try any fragrant herb, really. Pigs don't have any sense of novelty so you can take the exact same food they have in the cage, and offer it as a treat, and they'll still be all excited every time. Also, keep in mind that these fuckers are squirmy as hell and will jump with no regard to personal safety. Don't carry them around without a very firm grip on them; if you don't feel comfortable with that, carry them around in a little bucket or something. Do your interactions sitting down on the floor so they can't hurt themselves if they squirm away. My partner had one break a leg from a 14" drop. Also, how confident do you feel that the shelter correctly identified both as girls? If not, post rear end pics and we can sex them for you. alucinor fucked around with this message at 03:14 on Oct 30, 2010 |
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Oct 30, 2010 03:11
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Excellent again. You're doing great! The only thing you are remiss in, is in posting pictures. 
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Oct 30, 2010 22:22
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Diogines posted:Any idea how long to expect till they do not run for cover at the mere sight of me? I tell my adopters, 4-6 weeks minimum.
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Nov 1, 2010 15:20
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VolatileSky posted:1 cup oat flour (I'd just blend this from regular oats) I dunno, this is very high calorie, high fat, and high starch. I'm always hesitant to feed anything that may upset their GI flora as much as this could. Piggies never fail to be impressed with a treat of fresh greens, even if they get them all the time. Splurge on herbs that they don't normally get - dill, basil, etc - and make them a nice birthday salad. I did that for one of my bunnies on his 8th birthday:  Maybe also get some exceptional grass hay of a type that they don't usually get - orchardgrass or bluegrass. Have you ever tried Kleenmama's stuff? If not, this is a perfect excuse!
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Nov 12, 2010 15:49
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Diogines posted:What are thoughts on carefresh(other shavings etc) v towels v fleece? I had been using care fresh in the cafe for my piggies but its getting to be expensive, I read on other forums of people using fleece and towels and them lasting a 5 days without issue between washings. Towels/fleece are cheaper, better for the environment (less waste/packaging), safer for the pigs (impaction, ingestion), and easier to deal with (less dust, no shopping trips) - if you don't mind doing more laundry, (increased water/power use) and doing daily spot-cleans. Personally I hate laundry, so I still use shavings/carefresh. But I'm down to two cages so I really should suck it up and switch to fleece.
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Nov 19, 2010 19:11
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