any guinea pig money saving tips?

ethansmum

I found the 4 cubes at Costco for £11.50 now i need the corroplast plastic- does anyone know where i can buy it please?

Thanks!

pug_in_a_bed

Hello

Just looking for some input here. I've introduced a new guinea pig (12 weeks old) to my ten month old. There's been no biting and just the usual smelling, hopping and occasional humping (!). The big pig is still rumbling away at the little one andgetting his hackles up a bit every time the little one decides on an explore, although he doesn't seem the least bit bothered by big pigs behaviour.

Does anyone have an idea of how long the rumbling is likely to go on? I'm only worried that big pig is preventing the little one from eating enough or settling in. How long has it taken other owner's pigs to settle down with a new friend?

happyholly_3

Hi a few years ago i introduced two guinea pigs and the advice i was given was to put them in neutral territory with a tiny bit of Vick's vapour rub on their noses. It worked really well for me so hope it helps you.

pug_in_a_bed

Started them in neutral territory and they are now in together as things seemed to be going fine, just the rumbling from big pig now!

pug_in_a_bed

i used the one stop plastic shop (google for them), massive pieces for a reasonable price, I overestimated how much I needed and ended up with loads so make sure you do your measurements!

berniesmaster

it can depend on the breed of pig, long straight coated pigs are usually much more chilled than aby (spikey haired pigs) or long curley coated pigs. and depends on the sex aswell, if two girls, they should settle in a few days, but two boars can be trickey. if the oldest is a boy and has been bred from, then can be virtually impossable.
a good idea is to pop both of them in to a good size cardboard box together, and keep them in the front room with all the usual day to day noise for 10mins, (no different than if you were handeling them, just keep them together in the box) and being naturally nervous creatures, hopefully this may encourage them to bond as they should huddle together.

louisdog

Has anyone tried introducing a young pig to an existing *group*? I have two sows and a neutered boar and thinking of adding a baby sow in the summer, will this work do you think?

FabuLass

I noticed last Monday my wee piggies eye was bulging, thought it was an infection and we took him to the vet.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when vet said it was a tumour behind his eye pushing the eye out. It was such a shock it was all I could do to stand nodding and not cry!

He explained that he had lost a 1/4 of his body weight (which we had noticed but had put down to all the extra exercise he was getting in the new run we built for him) and that his teeth were worn on one side indicating that it had been uncomfortable for some time on that side.

He said he wouldn't do well under anaesthetic so no point in operating, ( he is just over 5 yrs old), he gave us antibiotics and painkillers and told us to bring him back on Friday to be put down.

Wee Sparky went all sleepy on the painkillers and we could see as Friday was approaching that he wouldn't last too much longer anyway, as he had even stopped coming out for food, but then he started to refuse the meds and gradually became more playful again.

We thought that we'd give him a few more days, and now he is out foraging in his bowl, eating all fresh fruit and veggies ( in fact he's eating more than before) and coming out to play.

Obviously we wouldn't want to keep him going if we thought he was in any kind of pain, but it is so difficult to think of getting him put down when he's rushing out to see us the minute we walk in the room, happily weep, weeping and purring like a crazy boy when we go near him. The idea we had was we'd know when we saw him failing, and take him then.

His poor wee eye is completely dead now, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him at all. However, the new thing is, that he's not drinking at all and is having a problem emptying his bowels as all the poos seem to be sticking together and coming out as quite a largish ball of poo. If I see him struggling with this I'm helping him to empty his bowel.....I thought well this is it now if he's losing functions like this, but he's even purring as I help him and playing around his run, hopping and skipping like a good'un.

What do you guys think? Is this cruel? Should I let him go now, or do you think as he seems still happy and playful and affectionate I should leave him until he is clearly failing....or is this what you would call failing already?

Thanks for reading, I know how kind and helpful people here are, I'm hoping you can guide me.

from Fiona

UKTigerlily

I'm sorry to hear about your Guinea Pig, it must be so upsetting for you. I don't know what to say but I go on instinct, you have spent the years with him & will know if he is happy or not. I'd take him to a different Vet for a second opinion maybe? Or explain to the first Vet the change in him, when they see the change they might advise holding on anyway. Whatever you do I hope you're ok x

Chesnut1

I think for the moment you are doing the right thing with this difficult situation. I too have been here before with beloved piggies. Our last one fell after trying to jump on the sofa (like he did when he was young) he paralised his back legs. He appeared to be in no pain but we tootled off to the vet immediatly but they said there was no hope. We took him home to monitior him with the view of taking him back that week to be pts. We nursed him on a daily basis and cleaned his bottom up. He lay on a furry cat basket but happily twittered away, by the time he finished his pain killers he was dragging himself about and within 6 weeks he was walking again:j . At this point he was 6 years old and all his life he had been an accident prone pig including breaking a leg as a 1 year old while trying to jump which ended up in a large opp for a wee pig. He lived another 9 months after his mobility returned and was back to his old self but in the last 3 days of his life went down hill quickly and suddenly passed away in our arms. So there is hope, just monitor your pig and keep up contact with your vet. One last thing please find out how your vet puts them to sleep? I ask as our vet gives them an overdose of anesthetic as pigs never fair well with injections as their skin is very thick and it is painfull to them. I will keep my fingers crossed for you but I think you are doing all that you can. x