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A general query or two

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Hi GP chat subforum, hopefully I've got the right place, as I have a more general question as opposed to something specific.

In the past I've had experience of being responsible for two different types of pets- rats, and currently my Syrian Hamster Gizmo :)

I can recall reading somewhere a few days ago that Guinea pigs are a slightly 'hardy' pet (but I can't recall where, and I know to treat some internet advice with a pince of salt). Obviously with rats, after just a bit of research the problems of respiratory infections and tumours in later life came up pretty quickly. So far after my research into Guinea pigs I've yet to see anything like that come up (only animal specific worries)...and oddly enough it makes me concerned, certain that I'm missing something {:|

Obviously all pets are different and some can be healthy, others injury/sickness prone...but from experience would you say with the correct care and diet Guinea pigs are quite 'sturdy' pets? (as I said in my intro thread I'm quite a worrier :red ) I have quite a while before I can think of getting some piggies, so I want to become an ubernerd on them 8:)

Also are the any general links you'd recommend for a newcomer? I currently have the "British Cavy council" site bookmarked, but some pages are under construction, and tonight I'm going to read the rspca page(s). I've also been reading through the various subforums to get a better idea of all things Guinea pig related.

Thanks for any help ")
 
I would really recommend this forum. You can learn so much from here. Go through the posts and I am sure all your questions will be answered there. :)
 
yes, in my opinion if they get the correct care they are quite hardy pets but sometimes you cannot help if a pet falls ill or something goes wrong, but if your willing to take to a vet IF anything happens you should be okey, you need to make sure though they have a correct diet and roughage to help digest, and they have no health problems with teeth or nails but if you check them over every other day/week you should be fine, here is a great site if you have any enquiries or worries as there many people who rescue ill/abandoned guinea pigs.
 
Guinea Pig's being hardy animals :x - from my own experience I would say no I have had 7 pigs in total - one had diabetes, another has a mysterious illness, one a urethral stone, another had a lump, two have had teeth problems and one cries when urinating for no apparent reason, I wouldn't classify my pigs as hardy but on the bright side I've had no URI's, UTI's are very common in my household :o.

I would have a look though the health and illness board that will give you an idea, I don't want to put you off perhaps I'm 'unlucky'.

If your pigs has the correct diet, you check them regularly for lumps, weigh them weekly and also familiarise yourself with there habits - any change in behaviour will be easily spotted and they can be treated appropriately. Despite all my illnesses I do still have 6 pigs out of the 7 and Bette was an older girl when she passed. Although if I would have had her earlier on in life I believe she would still be here given the correct treatment.

My advice - keep money aside for vet Bills and don't freak out about possible illnesses they may get I know plenty of people with healthy pigs just enjoy them!
 
I can't advise on hardiness yet as only been keeping piggies for about 4 weeks. Can strongly recommend this forum for advice, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here, also try the Guinea Lymx website, think it's guinealynx.com it's a really good place for info :))
 
Before I got guinea pigs I read in a book that guinea pigs don't really get ill, this is total rubbish. There are alot of things that can go wrong, UTI's, bladder stones, respiratory problems, problems associated with neutering. You have to be prepared that any of these things might happen and make sure you can afford to pay for vet treatment if needed. I basically agree with what Flintstones above said.
 
I wouldn't call my piggies 'hardy'. They're not delicate, but they do have their problems! The biggie in my houses UTI; my oldest is a 'sludge' pig (she has crystals in her urine, and gets a low calcium diet) and my boar has just relieved me of a significant vet fee to investigate a urine problem. I have also had a URI, which was pretty scary.

That said, compared to my experience with dogs, the pigs are fairly easy going. As long as you have a decent vet fund 'just in case' you should be fine. The key to happy healthy piggies is a willingness to seek mmedical help promptly; they can deteriorate extremely quickly, but treated early do pretty well (at least, they do in my experience).
 
oh dear no my experience with them hasn't been the easiest at times either :(
Mind you........i would do it all again and will continue to for as long as i possibly can i ADORE THEM x)

TGPF is a wealth of knowledge and experiences..... so yes look thru each section and do a search and you'll find some interesting threads too.

I also refer to GuineaLynx for medical issues, but i'm finding more and more that we're dealing with them here now also. http://www.guinealynx.info/medical.html

Gorgeous Guineas is fab for all things piggie that you need for shampooing and also care of piggies with skin problems etc..
http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/index.html

Hope that helps :)
 
Thanks for the replies. I did feel a bit silly because about 20 minutes after posting this I was on the RSPCA page reading about all the different ailments...

Between posting here and coming back I suddenly had two more questions come to mind, that I guess would be easier to put in here, rather then clog up the forum :))

The first one is that most clichéd of questions- differences between the genders. Oddly so far I haven't really delved too deep into the genders, but are there any major differences to be aware of? And from my rat based days, it was often said males and females had a different smell. Is this the case for guinea pigs too? I've been leaning towards the idea of getting female guinea pigs quite a lot in part because the 'musk' of the male rats I had played havoc with my nose/eyes (and I've seen quite a few stories so far about having to separate males/males getting a bit grumpy). So please feel free to tell me as much (or as little :)) ) about the different genders, and also their smell (as that could play a major role in deciding which gender to go for @) )

And the other question would be: is finacard any good for Guinea pigs? I had it for my rats and currently for my hamster and it works out quite cheap. I'm currently leaning between finacard or the fleece/towel combo that seems quite popular- but I do know one person in the household would be quite a drama queen if they found out I was putting guinea pig fleece in the washing machine :))

Thanks again

(and as an aside, as well as a few other equally important reasons, I'm also hoping that a few months wait will allow me to build up a designated vet fund, maybe even open a different account for it)
 
Hiya -

Boys can give off a bit of a stink - I find my un-neteured boys to be quite smelly especially if they see each other as they live with Spayed girls and hate each other. My neutered boy is less smelly and less territorial.

I do however find my boys are much more friendly than the girls, although one of my girl is just delightful and really enjoy getting patted. I suppose it's down to the individual pigs.

I use finacard in there hay trays and vet bed in there cage.

HTH
 
Boars are definitely 'musky' and can generate an amazing amount of testosterone laden pee being sprayed all over the place when they are excited! If you have a real problem with that, it would be best going for girls. Neutering boars will not change smell or behaviour, just the ability to make babies.

Please be aware that far too many shop sows are pregnant when bought (have a look in our pregnancy section!). If you can, get them from a reputable rescue or make absolutely sure that none of your girls has been in contact with a boar over 3 weeks old; and that includes the transport to the shop (which was how I was caught out with my first guinea pig). Also recheck the gender as soon as you bring your piggies home, just to be on the safe side!

Guinea pigs, like other small pets were for far too long considered to "disposable" pets, but they can be ill indeed and the cost of their treatment can quickly mount up - but that is the case with any pet nowadays, from hamsters to rats etc. If you want to get a feel what piggies can suffer from, just rifle through the illness section.

I can recommend these websites:
http://www.cavyspirit.com/ (including the best sexing page)
http://www.guinealynx.info/index.html
 
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