Hot weather!!!

[Michele]

Thought I would start a thread so everyone can put their tips for keeping our piggies cool. Especially as we are having very nice weather at the moment.

My 2 tips are...................

bottles filled with water and put in the freezer. wrap them with a thin sheet of towel and the piggies like sitting next to these or on them.

Hot water bottle not filled with hot water but with ICE.

[DebbieR]

I do the frozen water bottle thing. I've had bottles frozen and ready to be put into action for about a month now. I also make sure the curtains are closed so the midday sun doesn't heat the room and extra cucumber for them to suck on. ;D

Then, as I leave the house, I say "be cool, be safe, I love you" ;D

[KatsCavies]

My piggies have their own shed which being brick naturally stays cool. I do have a normal fan to circulate the air and an industrial extractor fan in the apex to expell hot air which rises. I have a big window which I will open (with a blind over it to keep unwanted visitors out) and I have two doors on the entrance, one normal door and a netting door to keep unwanted visitors out if I leave the normal door open. The window is opposite the door so there is good circulation through the shed.

Kat

[Michele]

My piggies have their own shed which being brick naturally stays cool. I do have a normal fan to circulate the air and an industrial extractor fan in the apex to expell hot air which rises. I have a big window which I will open (with a blind over it to keep unwanted visitors out) and I have two doors on the entrance, one normal door and a netting door to keep unwanted visitors out if I leave the normal door open. The window is opposite the door so there is good circulation through the shed.

Kat


One thing you could do if the sun beats through the window put a car windscreen shade on it. Mine are in the garage. the side door it to has a glass bit so it has my old windsreen shade on it.

[KatsCavies]

The shed is on a North South plan and the window is in the East wall which never gets the sun.

Kat

[kellyandpiggies]

Same as Kat really. A window open and a fan on which is not directly on them. Sometimes they have a little 'piggy ice cube'. -In a ice cube tray, little pieces of food with water then frozen.

[Lucinda]

A thin cotton drape over one end of the hutch when I am out, an open window too. Lots of cucumber and melon.

A spray bottle of water.

Cooler baths.

[michellemuffin]

same as Kat and Kelly my sheds have fans as well and blinds that are pulled down and double stable doors that can be opened right up, windows open with netting over them of course,

[Deb]

I used to love the hot weather till I became a piggie owner and then the worry started about the heat and the piggies. ((Ask Debbie...shes knows how bad I have been over the past year or so ;D)).

Thankfully my new animal shed is in the shade and so its nice and cool so far for all the animals. But I have had nightmares about the temps, panics etc. Its not fun.

Heatstroke in pigs is so so easy to happen, and I think we should all refresh our memories on treatment just in case one of our pigs becomes affected by it.

I have heard of one case already this year. Thankfully piggie is ok now due to fast action by its owner but it was touch and go for a bit.

Deb x

[DebbieR]

I used to love the hot weather till I became a piggie owner and then the worry started about the heat and the piggies. ((Ask Debbie...shes knows how bad I have been over the past year or so ;D)).


Hee hee oh yes - the yearly panic over the temperatures and keeping the guins cool. You'd think that we'd have got used to it by now wouldn't you? ;D

[Michele]

Its great to have a thread like this to share our tips and ideas to keep our precious piggies cool. Great for new owners to refer to this thread.

[DebbieR]

It really is. Summer is a very scary time for the inexperienced owner (and me and Deb ;D).

[Lucinda]

and me ;D hate summer ;D

[bevs]

Heatstroke in pigs is so so easy to happen, and I think we should all refresh our memories on treatment just in case one of our pigs becomes affected by it.

Deb x


So how do you treat it?

[Michele]

this is the copy of the link from http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/heatstroke.htm

Heat-stroke.


The most likely guinea pigs to suffer from this are those housed in hutches at the bottom of the garden during a hot spell in summer that have no shade. Such hutches quickly turn into ovens with the temperatures soaring.

I have also seen a case and heard of others of people leaving their animals, as some do their dogs, in locked cars to cook in the summer time!.

'But they come from South America, don't they?' I have often heard said, when I tell people that guinea pigs are very prone to heat-stroke. They do indeed and it does probably gets even hotter out there than it does here. However, they are not imprisoned out in the open in a little wooden box!. Like most wild animals their senses are attuned to the weather far more acutely than our own. By the time the sun reaches it's zenith they will have found a cool spot to shelter from it.

The symptoms of heat-stroke are that the animals will be flat on it's belly, unable to move, breathing is shallow and the pulse is rapid and very weak.

Treatment must be immediate for the animal is very close to death. Soak a towel in cold water and wrap the guinea pig in it, or get a bucket of cold water and continuously sponge the animal down. If there is one to hand, an electric fan should be played on it at top power.

If you are not too late already, recovery can be amazingly quick. The guinea pig will shakily try to get onto it's feet and it should be assisted and supported under the belly once its up. At this juncture, the water treatment should cease for it could swing the other way and chill the animal.

As soon as it is able to, give it rehydration treatment, water if you have no rehydration fluid to hand. The best method of course is something like Ringers solution subcutaneously by hypodermic needle.

Those that pull through the ordeal usually make a full recovery with no bad after effects.

this is from Peter Gurney................

[Lucinda]

I can't bear to think of the little loves with that.

[bevs]

Good to know even if the boys are in the living room that doesn't get the afternoon sun. You can never be too careful

[gothchick1515]

That guy knows his stuff! lol

My room is a suntrap! my boys are likely to get that heat stroke so we have bottles of ice that are frozen in the night and become Harrys fav toy in the daytime, they go outside in a run shaded at on end when its possible and i leave my windows open Zubin doesnt like the heat as he has black patchs and when you touch hims hes clearly very hot in these bits so i usually cover there cage with a towel to shade him, My buns love the sun they sunbathe and if i think they're hot i soak them with the hose and they love it like a child in the sprikler lol Punkin sometimes runs away but Bobbin jumps into it and then licks herself dry lol i wouldnt do it will the piggies though they may give me the silent treatment if i did lol though im sure Harry would love it lol x

[ccc]

Now that the summer is here and the weather is warmer, we might notice our piggies begin to shed their hair a lot and become a little sluggish, sleeping and just lazing around more often than usual.

Piggies need help in controlling their body temperatures. Generally speaking, they can handle cold more than they can heat, although both can be dangerous.

The Humphreys' Guineas and their mom Laura have compiled this selection of tips on how to keep your guineas cool this summer.

The Humphreys' Guineas Guide:
How To Keep Your Cavies Cool

Tip 1:
Desktop Fans

Buy one or two desktop fans to keep next to the pigs' cage. Set them around 2 feet from the cage; close enough for a breeze to be felt but not close enough for an icy blast!
If the cage is bigger than a 3x5 (or alternative), then set one fan at each end of the cage.

Fans keep the air circulating - making breathing a little easier - and creates a gentle breeze which can help keep pigs cool.

Tip 2:
Frozen Water Bottles

These are one of the most popular methods for keeping piggies cool. Buy a bottle of water - any size, but aim for 50cl (500ml / 0.5l) or bigger - tip some out so it is about half full and pop it in the freezer overnight.

Once frozen, wrap the frozen bottle in a towel. 2 layers is usually sufficient enough to let some cold out, but not for it to be too cold for the pigs to lay up against.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea2-Bottle3.jpg

They usually remain cold for quite a few hours. Once they realise that laying against the bottles keeps them cool, your pigs won't be able to get enough of these!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea2-Bottle.jpg

Tip 3:
Bricks

Pavement slabs, bricks, tiles, and slabs designed especially for keeping small animals cool are all soothing.

Wipe over with a cool damp cloth to cool the bricks, or pop them in the fridge for an hour or two to give the bricks a really thorough chill.

Many garden stores and outdoor/hardware style shops sell bricks and slabs. Pet stores may sell a particular slab of marble (or something very similar) known as Chin-Chillers. This is what I personally use and my lot love them (as Lottie shows below).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea1-Brick.jpg
(Please excuse the poops in the pigture. You know what pigs are like!)


Tip 4:
Linoleum Tiles

You can often buy linoleum tiles in a pack of maybe 4 or 6 from hardware stores. You can stick these to any solid surface in the cage - maybe the coroplast or a square of fleece/Vetbed which you don't need to wash. Wipe over them with a cool, damp cloth to cool down. These are popular but can be a little awkward to clean at times (dry poop stuck to the tiles).

Tip 5:
Popsicles and Ice Lollies!

These may sound like a pretty surreal idea to start with. However, they are great for pigs finding the heat a bit tough to cope with.

Popsicle -
To make a popsicle, find a little plastic dish. Fill it about half-way with water. Chop up a few fruits - strawberries, melon, apple, grape and plum have all been tested by my lot - and pop them in the water-filled dish. Make sure the water covers at least half of the fruit otherwise it won't work properly.
Put this in the freezer overnight.

In the morning, you just need to pour some cold water into the dish. Tip the excess water out after a few seconds, and hold the popsicle in while you bang the bottom of the dish a little. This may not get the popsicle out but it quickens the process.

After a few minutes, you will be able to get the popsicle out of the bowl. You may want to leave it in the dish and feed to your pigs like that, and this works just fine. Some pigs do like to put their front paws on the popsicle and really get their teeth into the fruit and lick the ice, while some will complacently lick the surface and leave the hard work of getting the fruit free to nature!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea3-Popsicle1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea3-Popsicle3.jpg

Ice Lollies -
Squeeze a fresh orange or apple. You could squeeze the juice from other fruits too and mix them all togbether to create one unique juice. Much like the popsicle, add water to a dish with the juice in to dilute the acid a little. Pop in the freezer overnight, and do as before. Exactly the same method, but with two different tastes and outcomes.


Tip 6:
Damp Towels

Run a cold tap and thoroughly wet a small towel. Wring all the excess water out, drape over a corner of your guinea's cage. This helps keeps the temperature a bit cooler for your pigs.

Another idea is to have a fan blowing 2ft away directed at the damp towel. This cools the air as it blows towards the pigs. By placing the fan closer to the damp towel you cool the temperature even further.

You can also hang the damp towel inside the cage. Clip it to the edge and have it accessible to your guinea pigs, so they can lay up against it to keep cool. They won't get wet since the towel contains not enough water to drip or get anybody wet; just to keep them cool.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/KeepCool12.jpg

You could also just lay a cool damp towel on the floor of the cage; this will get dirty but many pigs find this one of the best methods for cooling down safely.

Important Note - Always ensure that your guinea pigs have fresh water available at all times.

[Lucinda]

I made an ice lolly for them today. It's in the freezer. I hope it will be ready when I get home.

[kellyandpiggies]

Mine's in the freezer too! ;D

[claire]

I have done the towel thing and the boys love it ;D

[michellemuffin]

mine have got the air cons blasting out, and seem fine mind you they need a clean out and I am waiting for it to cool down before i start working hard out there lol,
saturday i caught the biggest buzziest most disgusting fly ever seen in one of my fly zappers, the buzz went on for ages but it was still alive, so I got a tissue and picked it up and threw it over the fence, not in my garden matey you dont!!!"

[kellyandpiggies]

LMAO Michelle ;D

[Michele]

Thank you lady tuppence. I have made your tips as a sticky on these board so that we all can refer to it. As we all forget at least one of these.

I had forgotten the tiles thing and yesterday had dumped to very large kitchen tiles. so i have just been in my wheelie bin fishing it out. ALso forgot the wet towel one. Did that last year and it worked. So thats up.

well done. liked the photos too.

Michele aka Mrs Mod

[Cavylover101]

Fans are a good idea, but not ceiling fans because they may scare your cavy :'((my ceiling fan scared my pigs!)

[Pumpkinpiggie]

This thread is already a sticky why has it been dragged back up :-\

[Cozmo]

What about giving them fruit juice from concentrate thats been in the fridge? Is there any fruit juices they can have?

[missknight]

how can you tell if ** piggy is hot :-s

[Cozmo]

Well mine are all stretched out like they are sun bathing at the moment...plus they are warm to the touch.

[missknight]

mine are quite warm, would taking them outside help?

[Cozmo]

As long as there's lots of shade for them to run around in...like boxes and tubes n stuff.

[missknight]

just took them out side they didnt like it lol

[cashmincal]

Shall this by stickied again soon?

[frankeesh]

Just saw the picture guide- fab idea!! Will save that for the tips for this summer :D

[CharlottiesPiggies]

What I have been doing is making sure my chicken ark has a sheltered end as well as the house end so they can eat and stay cool.

Also I have a put a lil dollop of suncream on Harleys nose as its a little pink :embarassed:

[mackpossum]

We've got the opposite here guys, we are trying to keep the piggies warm. LOL
I use extra hay and windproof the hutch with extra sheets.

In summer I use the water filled bottles and freeze them, as well as the cool brick. A wet sheet hung around the hutch catches the wind and cools it as well.

[Katiesb]

Can I ask -over what external temperature do you start to give them the cool things? Mine are in a hutch outside, but in the shade.
:D

[roninnorfolk]

my test is waving my hand where they are if its hot or very warm cool them down!
i've just been out putting up more shade and hosing down everything!

[Cozmo]

Mine aren't enjoying the heat today...my little white Self PE pig (Taylor) is finding it particularly difficult.

I have put the frozen bottles of water wrapped in a tea towel in with her and her friend....which Taylor is seeming to enjoy...the other one is just looking at it funny as if to say "what on earth is that!"...I've also given them a spray to dampen their coats to try and cool them down...and they seem to be running around a little bit more now.

I'm definately going to give those pop-sickles a try tonight!

[roninnorfolk]

just been out hosing them down again!
thankfully the shed is cool!

[Abnoba]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea3-Popsicle1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/cavy-cool-crazy/2006%20Pig%20Photos/June%20-%20Dec/CoolIdea3-Popsicle3.jpg



I have a question. This seems like such a lovely idea - but I am wondering if the frozen fruit and veg could not cause upset tummies? I mean it is generally known that feeding veg straight from the fridge can cause problems, so I would imagine it would be even more so the case with frozen food? If somebody has any experience on this, please let me know. It seems such a nice idea!

[wales1000]

I do like these nice days, but the heat is just too much! it's 21 degress inside the house and with the piggies and chin, have got the windows opened, but shame there's no breeze! they are very quiet today all of the piggies, just too warm i think! and looks like it's going to be hot and sunny until Wednesday at least.

[sarsmccabe]

my livingroom is sitting at 26degrees at the moment. The piggies are not impressed at all. x

[wales1000]

26 degrees, that is hot! We are going to get some tall standing fans today, just to try and make it a bit cooler.

[sarsmccabe]

its really cloudy where i am today but its still so hot. got the fans on and they seem a bit happier. xx

[Abnoba]

Some people on a german guinea pig forum I go to suggested using a tile, soaked in water for two hours or so, and putting that into the cage. Probably the same effect as you get with the Chin-Chillers, only that I imagine it would hold the coolness for longer?

On that note, wouldnt it be a clever idea to put a whole flower pot into soak, I have found they really like them as houses (when turned on the side), and then you would have a whole house that is nice and cool :)

[roninnorfolk]

My garden looks like a shanty town!
guinea cages covered withfor sale signs and tarpaulin and sheets all getting regular hosing to keep cool
even Merlin and the Welsh Ladies are on the lawn getting regular dosing!
also every ones getting frozen water and fruit to help
their is a cool breeze today its just getting out of the sun!
its even getting to me been cleaning and moving guineas and then have to sit in the shade to cool down!

[iloveanimals]

All my piggies are n the shed dossing about ;D

Will have to put a few outside in a min cause i dont have enough runs anymore ::) :D

The doors open and so is the one window O0 I always give them frozin water bottles to keep them cool :smitten:

[roninnorfolk]

After a lot of clearing out and putting my hands in some disgusting stuff and putting up with an OH moaning and wingeing like an old man i've moved the huthes to the back of the shed where their is loads of shade all day and its lovely and cool!
i'll try them out tomorrow for the day and then put them back out in their runs for the night
Just have to find a way of burying the OH ;)

[Claire W]

Been hot here today. The girls have had a towel covering half of their run to provide a shaded area and lot's of ice packs in socks. Needless to say, the socks now have holes in thanks to two naughty guinea pigs ^-^

[starla]

It's been funny here, it's very misty!...and not cool, but almost. I have a long sleeved top on. I was worried it was going to rain today before I put the pigs/buns out ;D

[Sue G]

26 degrees, that is hot! We are going to get some tall standing fans today, just to try and make it a bit cooler.


Hi, I love this Forum, although I don't post very often. It's so informative. My piggies live indoors (in my living room) and I have them out on the grass in the shade for a while each day. I've got one of those tall standing fans which we used to use in the living room before the piggies came, but I've been hesitant to use it, in case I'm making the piggies be in a cold draught? The fan turns around, but I could make it not turn and aim it away from them - I'm just scared of them getting a chill from it. Any advice please?

[Abnoba]

I have a question. This seems like such a lovely idea - but I am wondering if the frozen fruit and veg could not cause upset tummies? I mean it is generally known that feeding veg straight from the fridge can cause problems, so I would imagine it would be even more so the case with frozen food? If somebody has any experience on this, please let me know. It seems such a nice idea!


Anyone?

[Abnoba]

*bump*

I realise the weather has turned a bit cooler now after that short hot spell, but I am hopeful it will get warmer again soon. So if anybody could tell me about the pros and cons of frozen fruit and veg to keep our guinea pigs cool, please do so :)

[sally]

Just wanted to say THANKS for the great tip about freezing bottles to keeping my piggies cool on hot days O0

The first day I put the bottle in the cage covered in an old sock, one thought it must be food and the other one was so scared of it she wouldn't go anywhere near it.

Today I put it into the cage again, and i just found them both curled up against it, one on eather side. they look so cute :smitten:

great idea, thanks O0

[starla]

Abnoba, I wasn't aware at all that feeding veg straight from the fridge was harmful/caused upset tummies, I think they key is probably moderation, if other members have used this method before with no ill effects I'm sure it's fine. Maybe one bowl of frozen fruit between two will suffice for a day?

[spudnik]

mine always eat fruit/veg straight from the fridge it goes off in summer months its not kept in there.. mine have never had upset tummies and two of mine are 6 1/2 years old so it must be ok lol i dont know about feeding from the freezer though ive never given mine frozen food i wouldnt think it would do them any good.. ???

[joosie miss loosie]

some excellent advice guys, new owners and old will benefit from this timely reminder
keep cool 88) ( sorry about cheesy smiley but I couldn't resist) :P

[wales1000]

My piggies always have veg straight from the fridge - our kitchen get warms, so it would go off quicker if it was kept outside of the fridge and I haven't had a problem doing this. If the veg is really cold though I will leave it out for a few minutes before I give it to the piggies.

[sophiew]

Dragging up this old but useful post now the warmer weather is here :)

[MrsM]

thanks, I'm probably going to start with the iced bottles especially when we are at work.
We leave all the doors open to the living room to get a bit of air. If it gets too hot, we may move the cage into the front room which is north facing so only gets sun rays in the very end of the afternoon.

[pompypigs]

Thanks for bumping this thread Sophie - I've been worrying about the heat today - my piggy room gets very warm so I'll be making use of all the great tips on here :)

[sophiew]

I've actually sorted out electricity and a fan in the shed this year but I still worry it's not reaching all of them! Spend all winter waiting for summer, then summer comes and I worry they're too hot! rolleyes

[pompypigs]

I've actually sorted out electricity and a fan in the shed this year but I still worry it's not reaching all of them! Spend all winter waiting for summer, then summer comes and I worry they're too hot! rolleyes

Ha ha me too - I used to love summer until I got piggies :))

[katcaf1985]

these are all really great tips. I think I am going to try the water bottle with frozen water in. I also have lots of big parasols which I will be stabbing into the ground to provide more shade!

[Teresa J]

Great ideas and info on this thread :)

Can anyone tell me what is the hottest temp that is safe for piggies living in a shed ? I dont worry about mine as the shed is built against the garage and the sun is behind the garage all day so never shines on the shed or in the windows and it stays lovely and cool.

However, my friend came to visit yesterday, her shed is made of wood and is in the full sun all day, and she said that it was 29.5 degrees in there. She said all her piggies had scraped their food out of their bowls and were laying in them to try to keep cool and also that some of them seemed quite floppy.

I'm very worried, but she isn't, imagine what it's going to be like if we get a really hot smmer :( Her cages are only 2 feet square and house 2 pigs in each which I think is adding to the problem. I've told her that the heat is going to kill her piggies if the summer is a hot one and to cap it all she's just had her lawn treated so now they can't even get outside for at least a fortnight.

I've told her before that she sholdn't keep piggies as she dosen't really have time for them but now I'm really worried :...:... Sorry for rabbiting on :)

Teresa x