Spring Into Summer…
April 21, 2013
Posted in: FaceBook/You Tube, Gallery, Planet Guinea, Seasonal care 
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… Mr. Fantastic
This wheek Mr. Fantastic went to be a star on Planet Guinea. He’s the dark one with a light underside and points, can be seen hanging back in the dark night sky, very obvious if you look for him…
Mr. Fantastic arrived here as head of the herd when the lovely Cloud left us to become a star on Planet Guinea. He spent two wheeks on his own while he got over his little op and was then introduced to the girls. Mr. Fantastic was not a bossy assertive boar which meant he was accepted readily by the girls, a few of whom had somewhat outgoing characters!
Mr. Fantastic didn’t “keep the peace” between the girls, Mr. Fantastic was Peace it self, Radiating vibes of calm and modelling chilled out behaviour as the norm he soon, like Cloud had previously, was leading by example as opposed to action. His favoured sows seem to change from wheek to wheek and the new sows were always immediately embraced by his attentions, and no one ever questioned or disagreed with him. Although when Miss Gorgeous and Bee were introduced to the herd last year it was very obviously Bee that was embraced, Miss Gorgeous never did get her initial welcome! It was, seemingly, all or nothing with him.
Apart from his castration Mr. fantastic only visited the vets once, he had a suspicious lump near his genital region that was getting bigger and seemed to be interfering with his movement slightly. No definite diagnosis could be given and the treatment was to monitor it further. The lump disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived but Mr. Fantastic always walked with a slightly out turned hind leg and it it seemed to be very gradually getting “more out turned”. He went through a phase where one of his front pads was getting sore, suggesting that he was putting more weight on it. For a while he had some Gorgeous Guineas‘ Perfect Paws ointment on it, it healed and didnt seem to trouble him again, maybe an indication of how his gait was changing. Mr. Fantastic was perfectly mobile, however much of a cuddle pig he was he didnt like being picked up and would scamper away!
Mr. Fantastic was my top cuddle pig, melting into my arms or chilling out on my lap, he was always my first port of call if I needed a guinea pig cuddle.
The most outstanding moment with Mr. Fantastic’s herd life was when Breeze was introduced to the herd. As ever the girls were curious and then accepted her although she was still a little shy. Zen, however, was not so accepting and insisted on challenging new girl Breeze and constantly “bothering” her. Things got to a point when Mr. Fantastic chased Breeze into a litte house and then stood outside the entrance and discouraged Zen from coming near. After a few hours of Mr. Fantastic’s interventions breeze was allowed to mix with the girls. It worked, whatever it was he did, Breeze is now a happy herd member…
Mr. Fantastic’s departure was completely unexpected, a complete shock, but if I am honest part of me is happy that he chose to go when he did, he would have been just 5 in August, but he saved me from potentially having to make the decision about having him put to sleep when his leg got too bad and he had no quality of life.
Karen, missing my boy’s cuddles…
Make a lap…
What arms are for…
Summer2012
With his girls…
April 20, 2013
Posted in: FaceBook/You Tube, Planet Guinea, The Pig Issue No Comments
“To Be Allowed To Express Normal Behaviour”
The ability to express normal behaviour. To be able to burrow in hay, run and have shelter to ‘hide’ in if desired. To have a friend(s) in the correct living sized accommodation.
eating hay is a necessary pastime for guinea pigs
Hay and a compatible friend are probably the most important components for allowing guinea pigs to express “normal” behaviour. Both hay and companions are natural parts of a guinea pig’s life (hay takes the place of long grasses that would be freely available to guinea pigs in the wild. Domesticated guinea pigs have the right to have a suitable friend (another guinea pig) and lots of hay for playing in.
Bags of Fun, worth looking into…
Hay can be presented in various ways, none of which are costly, Paper bags (remove handles first), cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes are good to stuff with hay and make houses from. The Hay Experts stock a good range of hidey holes and houses for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs use their houses in a variety of ways, some prefer to perch on top of them where possible, some will hardly use their houses whilst others spend more time in there. Provide more than one house so there is a choice.
Torn between open and closed… So going Dutch…
Houses should be washed weekly (plastic) to keep them clean, not washing/wiping them down defeats the object of a thorough clean and bacteria and spores (if present) remain.
A friend and a pile of good hay, essentials for guinea pigs
Living accommodation will be four foot by two foot minimum for two guinea pigs, even a hutch with a sleeping compartment is more fun if a house is put in it. Vary the houses, paper bags and boxes and where you put them.
Fun comes in all sizes….
Eating hay is a big part of expressing normal behaviour for guinea pigs, it helps to keep their constantly growing teeth worn down correctly. Hay is therefore a great boredom breaker by itself. Always provide a suitable hay for eating that guinea can play in too, a pile of clean, good meadow hay is a great source of enjoyment and will be munched on with much pleasure as it low in nutritional value but high in the long fibre that is so important for guinea pigs.
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Fun doesn’t haven’t to Costa lot…
April 13, 2013
Posted in: Behaviour, Health, Husbandry, Inside The Hutch, One Is Not Enough No Comments
First Aid
A list of what is needed for first aid for guinea pigs:
First Aid to mean” initial emergency care prior to veterinary attention”. Often this first aid treatment is potentially life saving action before guinea can be assessed by a vet. Therefore the products listed will be “must haves” as opposed to what is needed for maintenance or items that have been collected due to prior issues.
Oxbow Critical Care
- Contact number and name of your local guinea pig friendly vet. It is important to have the name of your vet, just because one vet is known to be competent in treating guinea pigs it does not follow that all the vets in the practice share that knowledge and skills to the same degree. It is perfectly reasonable for a vet not to enjoy seeing guinea pigs, whilst it doesn’t excuse bad practice it makes sense to see a vet that enjoys that aspect of their work. For example, one vet may be an excellent surgeon and have much experience of operating on guinea pigs but it doesn’t follow that they share those expertise when doing a consult.
Your vet should be local wherever possible. Seeing a local vet and feeding back to them enhances your vets experiences and expertise with guinea pigs and therefore benefits the local guinea pig community as a whole. This is where the local guinea pig rescue is so important, a guinea pig rescue will, of course, need to see the vet with their guinea pigs more often than someone who only keeps two or three as pets. This increases the vet’s knowledge as the rescue feeds back results of treatment and useful information. A guinea pig rescue has the potential to enrich the guinea pig community greatly.
- Infacol (Sugar, alcohol and colouring free, contains active ingredient simethicone). Infacol is a product manufactured for infants and should be given in the event of bloating .
The symptoms of bloat are usually quite obvious; the stomach is distended/swollen and when tapped it sounds hollow. When Angel had bloat I gave her 3 drops of Infacol before taking her to my vet immediately. Fortunately it was during the day but veterinary advice and treatment should be sought immediately as the condition will, most often, not go of its own accord and left untreated a painful death is quite likely.
Infacol is available to buy in supermarkets and chemists, care should be taken to make sure the product is still in date. Also to replace it 28 days after opening.
Infacol, keep in the First Aid kit in case of bloat
- Syringe food, such as Oxbow Critical Care, and 1ml syringes (more than one because water must be given too). Do not confuse Oxbow Critical Care with the liquid feed, Critical Care, from Vetark which does not have the necessary fibre content. Supreme Recovery is also a good syringe food. Read this detailed and accurate article by Gorgeous Guineas before syringe feeding: Syringe Feeding Basics.
Oxbow Critical care
If your guinea pig stops eating it is vital that they are syringe fed to keep their digestive system moving until (and after) they have seen a vet. Syringe feeding is not a cure but it is certainly a life saving action. Whilst your vet should have syringe feed in stock it is necessary to keep so that it can be given immediately and in case your vet does not have any in stock. The Hay Experts stock Oxbow critical Care and Supreme Recovery. Both these products have a shelf life which is printed on the packet. Rather than throw away out of date stock feed it to your well guinea pigs just before it goes out of date.
Feed to your well guineas in a bowl before it goes out of date.
- Heat stroke treatment is a simple first aid treatment (that is treatment prior to your vet seeing guinea) that guinea pig owners should be familiar with. Guinea pigs with heatstroke can deteriorate rapidly. On discovery of a guinea pig with heatstroke bring the guinea pig into a cooler setting (eg a cool room in the house) and ask someone to call your vet. Soak a towel in cool, not cold, water, while the towel is soaking put water on guineas ears and feet (maybe stand guinea in the water so the feet get wet), this has a cooling effect.
- Wring the towel out and wrap guinea in it.
Treat this as an emergency and go to your vet as soon as you are able.
- When guinea’s breathing has returned to normal or improved somewhat unwrap guinea and keep in a cool room until recovered. Monitor closely for the next 24 hours, recovery time (completely) will vary from case to case dependent on severity and conditions.
- Do not attempt to give guinea fluids while breathing is laboured, the fluids may go down the “wrong way” and end up in the lungs causing more problems. Give fluids when breathing has returned to normal; sides are not heaving, for example.
These items should be considered essentials in your First Aid kit as they can be used prior to vet treatment and potentially save a guinea pig suffering or maybe its life. They give the guinea pig its first help on the road to recovery.
This advice is not intended to replace that of a good vet. You are legally obliged to take your guinea pig to a vet if you suspect they are unwell.
April 12, 2013
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Good Guinea Pig Health
Protection from and treatment of, illness and injury. Access to a guinea pig competent vet, find one before you need one!
Your vet’s phone number is an important part of your first aid kit
Some tips on keeping your guinea pig healthy.
- Know where your nearest guinea pig competent vet is, (vet as opposed to just the surgery, one good vet does not a good surgery make). See “Questions To Ask Your Vet”.
- Visit your vet when you suspect guinea is unwell/acting differently/”not right”. Wasting time seeing other sources first could mean a longer course of treatment when you do see a vet and most medicines in the UK can only be dispensed by a vet or will need a prescription from them. Seek help from other sources AFTER the vet visit where necessary but inform your vet of what has been advised and anything else you have done. Vets are the only people that can do x rays ( and most have top of the range equipment), perform operations and have access to adrenalin etc should anything go wrong.
- Always take guineas’ friend with them when visiting the vet, this includes when one guinea goes in for an operation. Take this into consideration when purchasing a travelling box.
- If using a front opening travelling box use Vetbed or fleece as the bedding, not quite such an issue with top opening boxes but be aware that hay makes a mess (from a vet’s point of view), provide a small towel for guineas to hide under if needed.
- Do not bath guinea immediately before a vet appointment, particularly if you think there is a skin problem, bathing can wash away symptoms.
- Bath guinea pigs 4-6 weekly in a www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk shampoo to keep the skin and coat in good condition, (along with correct housing and bedding, not shavings). Use this as an opportune time for ear cleaning, boar’s bits cleaning and nail trimming.
- Use a guinea pig friendly bedding. Guinea pigs are in constant close contact with their bedding, quality is key. Shavings and other wood based beddings are not acceptable in a time where there is a wide range of beddings. See The Hay Experts for guinea pig friendly bedding.
- Clean hutches/pens/cages thoroughly twice weekly and disinfect them. Cleaning out is not so much of a chore when done frequently. Use a disinfectant such as Conficlean2 available from The Hay Experts.
- Know your guinea pigs and what is “normal” for them. What are their routines at feeding times? Do they “hang back” or are they at the front of the pen with their front paws on the grids/door? Weigh them fortnightly to monitor their weight and spot possible early signs of illness. Take into consideration whether weight loss is due to age. Know what your guineas poops look like. Poops are a very good indicator of what might be happening inside the body.
- Consider your guinea pig’s emotional well being. Are they happy? Do they have all they need, for example, a compatible companion? Are you providing enough hay, on the floor for foraging as well as for eating? Emotional issues will often present as a physical problem too. See Gorgeous Guineas article on Bach’s Rescue Remedy for times of stress such as a death or new companion being introduced.
- Know whether your guinea pig is a good drinker or not. A change in drinking habits may indicate a problem somewhere and it is worth mentioning this to your vet. Provide fresh water at room temperature, daily.
- Keep a first aid kit. Must haves are: contact details of a good, guinea pig competent vet, a product containing Simethicone (such as Infacol, UK) and a Syringe feeding kit containg: syringe food, and 1ml syringes, such as Oxbow Critical Care (a favourite here) or Supreme Recovery. See Gorgeous Guineas’ article. Do not get Vetark Critical Care formula which does not have the fibre content of the others and is confusing as it has the same name as the Oxbow product. There are various other items that you may wish to purchase such as Kwench from Gorgeous Guineas and/or their Aloe Vera gel but these can be dispatched quickly by Gorgeous and your guinea should be able to wait a couple days.
- Feed a Calcium:Phosphorus balanced diet. The key word is “balance”. See Ratewatchers’ Diet for more specific feeding advice. Feed food at room temperature not straight from the fridge, this can cause stomach upsets.
- Hay is the main part of a guinea pig’s diet and should make up 75-80% of it so feeding good hay is essential to ensure they eat enough. For a variety of hays (and other guinea pig friendly products) see The Hay Experts website.
April 10, 2013
Posted in: Bedding, Behaviour, FaceBook/You Tube, Health, Husbandry, Inside The Hutch, ratewatchers No Comments
Guinea Pig Diet Facts
Guinea pigs need a proper diet, including fresh water (taken from the Animal Welfare Act, 5 Freedoms): Fresh food twice daily, unlimited good hay, with hay making up the main part of the overall diet.
Feed fresh food x2 daily 25g per guinea per meal, approximately made up of mostly leafy greens with slices of root veg
- Hay makes up the main part of the diet, around 75-80%, feed approximately guinea’s body size in hay, how much they eat depends on the variety of hay you feed and the guinea pig itself. The nutritional quality of the hay may also be a factor in how much hay guineas eat. Hay is meant to be an “empty fodder” save for the valuable long indigestible fibre it provides. The American green hays (in particular but not always) are often higher in nutritional value than a good meadow hay and less hay eaten may be the result of feeding these exclusively.
- Fresh food is fed in two meals, morning and evening, 50g per guinea pig per day. Feed a pair of guinea pigs 50g of fresh food twice daily. Meals should be made up of mostly leafy greens and a couple of slices of root vegetable dependent on the greens that have been fed. See Ratewatchers for more detailed information.
- Dry food is fed sparingly, usually once a day. Never keep topping the bowl up throughout the day. Dry food comes in pellet format or a mix. Whichever you choose it must not contain any artificial ingredients, these are known to irritate the digestive system and they give a false positive when guinea is tested for diabetes. If medication is wrongly prescribed for this guinea may, quite likely, die. Pellets should be of a small size and shape that guinea can pick them up easily. Goat mixes and pony mixes are sometimes fed but these often contain ingredients that are not suitable for guinea pigs and can catch on their teeth (locust bean for example), others may not be the ideal Calcium:Phosphorus ratio for guineas, often ingredients not in guinea pig foods are included and while these are safe for ponies/horses and goats etc in a small animal like a guinea pig it can easily upset the Calcium:Phosphorus ratio which is now being recognised as an important factor in the guinea pig diet by some companies. Ideally dry food will be low in Protein and high in fibre (nutritional needs may differ for guinea pigs being used for breeding or showing).
- Fruit should be only be given on rare occasions, if at all. It is high in sugars and also Phosphorus. Ten grams, twice weekly, as part of a Calcium:Phosphorus balanced diet is enough. Acidic fruits such as apples and tomatoes may cause mouth sores and will definitely irritate any lesions there may be on guineas’ mouth. Gorgeous Guineas have an ointment that is effective in these situations.
- Edible treats will be your guineas favourite vegetable/herb etc or fruit, better still a variety of hay that they particularly love (although hay must NEVER be viewed solely as a treat, it is an essential.) There are commercial treats available but yogurt drops, treats containing artificial colours, egg, sugars, honey, seeds and milk must be avoided at all costs despite being marketed as “for guinea pigs”, quite simply they are not suitable and in some cases harmful.
- Fresh water must be always be available, in hard water areas use filtered water (a Brita filter jug is good), do not give bottled water (meant for humans)! These can contain minerals not needed by guinea pigs, not to mention other additives (be they natural or otherwise). Ensure that guinea pigs that have had bladder stone operations or those passing sludge/grit are having at least 40 ml of fluids a day. This can be achieved by giving 15 ml 3 x daily, orally via syringe; this amount will overload the guinea pig bladder, (thought to hold approximately 10 ml). A guinea pig’s drinking habits may be an indication of what is going on in the body, get to know your guinea pigs’ drinking habits (or lack of!).
April 4, 2013
Posted in: Health, Husbandry, Inside The Hutch, ratewatchers No Comments
April, Husbandry
“animal husbandry: care and raising of domesticated animals” defintion of husbandry from ask.com
During April our theme is Husbandry- the care and management aspects of.
We will be looking at basic care, based on the 5 Freedoms as recommended to DEFRA by the RSPCA. Points we will cover are:
A proper diet, including fresh water. Fresh food at least twice daily, unlimited good hay, with hay making up the main part of the overall diet.
Somewhere suitable to live. 4 foot by 2 foot/120cm by 60cm accommodation for two guinea pigs.
For any need to be housed with or apart from, other animals. Guinea pigs are sociable and must be housed with other compatible guinea pigs (not rabbits).
The ability to express normal behaviour. To be able to burrow in hay, run and have shelter to ‘hide’ in if desired. To have a friend(s) in the correct living sized accommodation.
Protection from and treatment of, illness and injury. Access to a guinea pig competent vet, find one before you need one!
Some of these will only be covered briefly because they are being covered in depth in a future month.
Fox Guinea Pigs, Mr Fantastic, Mrs Fox
April 1, 2013
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What is a guinea pig rescue?
Rescues may hold open days promoting guinea pig friendly products such as those made by Gorgeous Guineas
- What should the role of a rescue be?
Guinea Pig Welfare believes rescues have an extremely important role in the guinea pig community. As they are often looked upon as a good and beneficial source, the responsibility of accuracy of information and education is paramount.
Rescues are often trusted because they have simply done well in rescuing a guinea from a bad or unacceptable situation, what happens next defines the real quality of the rescue.
Rescues can be really useful in providing basic services such as nail clipping, bathing and maybe holiday boarding time and space permitting. They will be able to provide details of a local vet (name, not just the surgery) and local suppliers. A good rescue will be the source of local reputable sources. When I ran Reading Guinea Pig Rescue (now closed) I only knew of pet shops and the local vets had, like most vets, very little experience with guinea pigs. I sourced a local farm shop and eventually worked with 2 local pet shops. The local vets became more familiar with guinea pigs and the knock on effect of me recommending them meant even more familiarity with guinea pigs but even better it encouraged other guinea pig owners in the area to build a relationship with their local vet and further guinea pig care so they had a source even closer to them.
Good boarding facilities for guinea pigs are very hard to find, those that are good are often booked up, a rescue, with all their local resources can and do help out in this area.
- What are the basic guidelines a rescue must adhere to in order to be a reputable source?
The basic guidelines are quite simply The Animal Welfare Act, (UK), that is ALL the 5 Freedoms, and including the “specific guidance” that the RSPCA and DEFRA also recommend owners to follow. Only adhering to some of the 5 freedoms is denying guinea pigs their basic rights to a suitable home.
- What is/can the rescue movement do to improve the life of guinea pigs in general?
The rescue “movement” have a lot of power at their fingertips. They will see vets more than the average guinea pig owner and therefore can build a useful relationship with a willing vet and increase the knowledge of guinea pigs in the veterinary world. Vets are the only network legally allowed to treat guinea pigs in the UK and owners are legally obliged to take their animals to a vet if they suspect they are ill. Why waste time taking an ill guinea elsewhere as the window of opportunity for recovering is often small and the sooner treatment begins the better it is for the guinea pig. This is especially true of , for example, what might appear to be a urinary tract infection that turns out to be a stone, only a vet can x ray, operate and provide drugs (UK) for guinea. Time is of the essence and shouldn’t be wasted. Therefore all rescues can improve the wellbeing of guinea pigs in their community by working with their vet.
If they wish to do more they can access their vet’s clients by liaising with their vet about holding open days to educate the general public regarding basic care. This has also been done by guinea pig enthusiasts who are not rescues.
The extent of the information a rescue provides is irrelevant, that it is up to date and accurate, quality information is relevant. Whilst basic care will remain, for the most part, the same, progress is being made all the time. New and different beddings are available for instance, whilst shavings and any wood based bedding has always been harmful there hasn’t always been a lot of alternatives. These days there is no excuse, there are many alternatives and a lot of rescues will not rehome to a home that uses a wood based bedding because they are aware of the potential issues. It is like housing a guinea pig with a rabbit (you shouldn’t!!!), many rabbits and guinea pigs have lived together without issues, but they would have been happier with friends of their own and why take an unnecessary risk?
- Should guinea pig rescues just focus their attention on guinea pig enthusiasts or should they be accessible to all?
Guinea pig enthusiasts probably already have access to sources of information, guinea pig pet owners in the general community are often the most in need of information. Rescues should, however, where possible, be sharing accurate information with all but making a special effort to reach those that may not know where to look for information. This is where a good relationship with a vet is useful, to be able to refer their clients to a good source of information is beneficial to them. Vets may see lone guinea pigs and recommend the Human takes their guinea to the local rescue to find a friend for example.
- Are rescues regulated? If not should they be and what should the regulations be?
Currently in the UK there are no regulations regarding the actual rescue of guinea pigs, there are regulations surrounding the use of premises etc that should be considered before starting a rescue among the many other considerations.
Ideally guinea pig rescues would be inspected regularly to ensure they are not overcrowded, keeping to the Animal Welfare Act 5 Freedoms and specific guidance and are rehoming to Animal Welfare Act compliant homes. It is unlikely this will happen though and it is up to rescues to set the standards themselves, to limit the amount they take in and rehome to quality homes and not just for the sake of finding a guinea pig a home.
- Do enough businesses support guinea pig rescues and do rescues support businesses enough?
Whilst it needs to be remembered that businesses are outfits that need to make money it has been shown by Gorgeous Guineas and The Hay Experts that running a successful business and supporting rescue work can go hand in hand. Both are ethical businesses, they practise what they believe. The Hay Experts only stock rabbit and guinea pig friendly products and Gorgeous Guineas are constantly improving their already effective skincare products and developing new ones. When Reading Guinea Pig Rescue (now closed) took in 18 fungal guinea pigs Gorgeous Guineas stepped in and offered to help when both veterinary products and recommended products by another source proved to be too harsh and were ineffective. All the affected guinea pigs recovered and, along with Thistle Cavies, Reading Guinea Pig rescue played their part in the development of the Gorgeous Guineas’ products. As time went on more rescues chose to support this guinea pig friendly business that also kept guinea pigs and could give advice based on experience. An outstanding feature of this skincare business is the advice they give freely and promptly.
Guinea Pig Welfare has been “accused” of being an advert for Gorgeous Guineas, indeed it is! Any business that promotes accurate care and supports the rescue cause gets our support.
We have been asked by a British pet store company if we would advertise them on our site and receive payment, unfortunately they could not or would not make the changes needed in order to feature.
Rescues are advising lots of people, it is important that businesses are supported for the right reasons and the right businesses are encouraged to continue.
- Should we support all rescues because they are quite simply a rescue with good intentions? Is that always enough?
All rescues should be supported and helped but those that refuse to listen to good advice unfortunately do not always warrant continued support. Good intentions are a fantastic start but along with that good listening is a must…
Rainbow at a Piggy PM with products sold by The Hay Experts
March 31, 2013
Posted in: Inside The Hutch, March 4 Rescue Guineas, Planet Guinea, Rescue No Comments