A few questions

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Idag

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Hi everyone,

I have had Cocoa and Fudge since Friday October 4th, they are 3 year old boars. I adopted them from the RSPCA, they have always lived indoors. I am taking them to the vet this afternoon for a general check up, but had a few general questions in the mean time if you lovely people don't mind....
1) They certainly love their hay! I have been replenishing morning and evening but of course they wee and poo in it. Would you change all their hay or just pick out the wet/soiled clumps? And how much do you give each day? I am on Burgess Meadow Hay which is quite pricey and we have gone through a bag already!
2) They are very quiet! They talk to each other but not me! Will this come with time?
3) They don't seem to be drinking, at least not when I see it! They have 2 drinking bottles and also a bowl of water, both of which look untouched. They are having plenty of cucumber, lettuce etc so should I be worried?
4) They just seem to eat, wander around to the next bit of food, or sleep. Is this normal? They are not fighting (thankfully) or playing or moving very much at all really! They have a 140 x 110cm C&C cage so enough room but is this low level of activity normal?
5) They are scratching behind their ears quite a bit, is this normal?
6) They poo SO MUCH! Again, is this normal?
7) I am using incontinence pads with fleece on top. How often do you change yours? I am poo picking every time I see some pretty much but I am worried about them sitting in wee and smells etc.

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. They are gorgeous and I want to make sure they are happy and healthy
 
1) That’s what I do, I just change the wet hay and replace it. I give mine two handfuls in a morning, two in the afternoons and two in the evenings.
2) Some guinea pigs are just naturally quiet but I’m sure once they are more used to you they will come out of their shell more.
3) Nothing to worry about. Most piggies don’t drink alot as they get their water from veggies.
4) Yes it’s normal, they are still new piggies so it will take them time to adjust to new settings and feel comfortable.
5) It’s also normal, as long as they haven’t got ringworm or mites.
6) Definitely normal 😂 they are little poo machines
7) I don’t use fleece so I can’t help you with that :)
It’s good that you ask questions, it’s the only way you will learn about your piggies. They definitely sound happy and healthy to me :)
 
My boys are outside in my shed and are bedded on hay. I remove any hay that is wet usually twice a day. Their hay for bedding (meadow hay) and their hayracks (Timothy hay) gets checked and topped up a three or four times in a day. You will get through a lot of hay and the cost will add up! I spend about £30 a month, more in winter when extra bedding is needed
They may start wheeking we you at meal times when they get a bit more settled.
You possibly won’t see them drink much. I only ever see my two drink when they have had a big meal of hay. Don’t be tempted to feed too much watery veg though
Yep they eat a lot! You’ve had them for only a few days and they are still settling in and will hopefully become more active when they feel more comfortable.
Scratching - get the vet to check that out. They will scratch but if it happens a lot, then that ought to be checked out.
Loads of poop is good, it means they are eating well!
My two being outside means I don’t use fleece a lot, but they do have it on the shed floor in summer. I change it every three days or so.

It’s great you’re asking questions!
 
You've had good answers there already.
All I want to add is: keep asking questions - this is how we all learn.
Asking questions and being open to the answers and advice is a sign of a good slave.
Your piggies are very lucky.
 
If you can find a local farm/equestrian type shop they often sell good quality meadow hay by the bale, (or large bag) if you have room. I buy a bale for £4 pounds and it lasts me a couple of months stored in a dry place.
 
Idag said:
Hi everyone,

I have had Cocoa and Fudge since Friday October 4th, they are 3 year old boars. I adopted them from the RSPCA, they have always lived indoors. I am taking them to the vet this afternoon for a general check up, but had a few general questions in the mean time if you lovely people don't mind....
1) They certainly love their hay! I have been replenishing morning and evening but of course they wee and poo in it. Would you change all their hay or just pick out the wet/soiled clumps? And how much do you give each day? I am on Burgess Meadow Hay which is quite pricey and we have gone through a bag already!
2) They are very quiet! They talk to each other but not me! Will this come with time?
3) They don't seem to be drinking, at least not when I see it! They have 2 drinking bottles and also a bowl of water, both of which look untouched. They are having plenty of cucumber, lettuce etc so should I be worried?
4) They just seem to eat, wander around to the next bit of food, or sleep. Is this normal? They are not fighting (thankfully) or playing or moving very much at all really! They have a 140 x 110cm C&C cage so enough room but is this low level of activity normal?
5) They are scratching behind their ears quite a bit, is this normal?
6) They poo SO MUCH! Again, is this normal?
7) I am using incontinence pads with fleece on top. How often do you change yours? I am poo picking every time I see some pretty much but I am worried about them sitting in wee and smells etc.

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. They are gorgeous and I want to make sure they are happy and healthy
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

1) Unlimited hay is the mainstay of the piggy diet; over 80% of the daily food intake should be hay with veg ca. 10% and 1 tablespoon of pellets (ca. 5%) more in the way of a daily treat. Please exchange any hay daily.
Here is our detailed diet guide that looks at all food groups: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Below is our hay guide; buying in bulk online instead of from a pet shop is cheaper, see guide below for recommended providers.
You can get timothy hay from an equine provider but please see whether they have also got first cut hay (better for small pets) rather than second cut hay (better for horses). There is a greater risk of catching skin parasites that can come in the hay if you get hay from an equine place or direct from a farmer.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

2) Give your piggies time to settle in; they are prey animals and not animated cuddly toys. It is actually a very good sign that they are actually already talking and are not sitting quiet trying to attract any attention.
Work on luring them with food at veg time; that is generally the easiest way to make friends. also use out piggy whispering tips to invite them in their own language and in ways that make total sense to them to become cherished members of your group and avoid triggering their prey animal instincts.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

3) Don't worry about the drinking. They won't dehydrate. Please DO NOT overfeed watery veg; it means that they will eat less and drink less water - and in the long term overfeeding veg and pellets can mean more health issues and a life span that is 1-2 years shorter than if you encouraged them to eat as much hay as possible and stinted on the extras. Be aware that too much cucumber carrots and lettuce is not the best nutrition for guinea pigs. Have a look at our diet guide above; it has got a picture of a balanced sample diet with a mix of watery veg and veg and herbs high in vitamin C and other tace elements. ;)
All About Drinking And Bottles

4) Guinea pigs either eat or they digest (all food has to pass the gut twice to get the most out of grass fibre). They are most active in the mornings and evenings.
yours are adults, so they generally don't dash around like mad anymore. On the other hand, they are no longer wiggly little fur balls inclined to dreak jump out of your arms... :yikes:
Guinea Pig Facts - An Overview
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

5) If your piggies come from an outdoors setting into a heated indoors room with drier air, then this is normal. The RSPCA has strict quarantining rules, so any skin parasites or ringworm should not be a problem, unlike with shop or breeder piggies. But if you worry, here is a link that shows you what the signs of the various problems are: New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

6) Any grass based diet means that you need to eat and digest a lot - and what goes in at one end, comes out at the other! All the waste from both runs through the gut ends up on the floor. Only the poos that contain the fibre for the second run through the guts (caecotrophs) get picked up straight from the source to not loose them.

7) You poo patrol daily and ideally cage clean twice weekly.

You may find our new owners guide collection very helpful as it answers all the questions and concerns we get asked most often in detail, explains behaviours and helps you to make friends. It also teaches you what is normal and what not and how to spot illness early on and makes a great resource. all the guides above I have linked in are part of this collection that aims to make your start into piggy ownership as smooth as possible: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
1) I use the same stuff and my two boys go through three bags just over every month, so count yourself lucky! Hay is also 80% of their diet, so replace it as often as you can

2) With time they will come and speak to you, just be patient, and sit by their cage and speak softly to them every day.
When they feel braver they will come out and smell your hand, have veggies ready for when they do this, as a reward

3) I wouldn’t be worried, they should be getting enough water from their veggies, and it’s there if they need it

4) At three I would expect this to be normal, as long as they aren’t struggling to move around they’ll be fine. Especially as it seems they are still getting used to you, and their new surroundings
Once they’re a little more comfortable you should try and give them floor time, in a secure (and at least at the start), quiet area

5) Does the skin behind their ears lol flaky? All piggies have a bald patch behind their ears (this helps them regulate heat) but they should be symmetrical

6) Yip, definitely normal!
I’d worry idea it was the opposite

7) I don’t use fleece so I can’t help you with that I’m afraid
 
Thanks so much for all your advice and reassurance! The vet gave them a clean bill of health.
They are not eating as much as they did for the first couple of days and seem to be lying still with their eyes open most of the time, interspersed with wandering around. The kids had some cuddles with them just outside their cage and we put them down on the kitchen floor afterwards, having removed one of the C&C panels. They both just went straight back in to their cage!
How do others prompt them to come out for floor time? Their cage is in the corner of the kitchen and there is a big space for them to explore. Shall I just leave one panel off their cage in the day and let them do it at their own pace?
 
Idag said:
Thanks so much for all your advice and reassurance! The vet gave them a clean bill of health.
They are not eating as much as they did for the first couple of days and seem to be lying still with their eyes open most of the time, interspersed with wandering around. The kids had some cuddles with them just outside their cage and we put them down on the kitchen floor afterwards, having removed one of the C&C panels. They both just went straight back in to their cage!
How do others prompt them to come out for floor time? Their cage is in the corner of the kitchen and there is a big space for them to explore. Shall I just leave one panel off their cage in the day and let them do it at their own pace?
Click to expand...
Food would be a good way to prompt them out, along with making sure they have lots of hides

If they’re lying still (even with their eyes open) they’re probably having a little snooze!
 
It’s going to take them a while before they are brave enough to come out on their own. For now, they are still working out that their cage is a place of safety, it is where they will prefer to be (as you saw), so moving away from it won’t be a priority for them at this stage. Give it all some time.
 
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