Adventures in the U.S.

Homestead Mom

Homestead Mom

Adult Guinea Pig
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I am currently only a summer sitter for two piggies. They have been here almost a week. I was told that if I brought them outside, they would be too afraid to move. Someone forgot to tell the pigs! 😲 One went left, one went right. I was surprised by how fast they are! I caught Princess Buttercup twice before actually getting her inside. Fart Blossom was not as “simple.” She discovered my lilac bush. I had to tell my friend about the situation. She was screaming on the phone that her gp was going to curl up and die out of fear because she was alone. She has mentioned before that Blossom cannot be without her friend. Again, Blossom didn’t know that. She was having the time of her life! She was purring (not growling), jumping around and making happy noises for almost an hour before I got her.
After the incident, Blossom was in love with me. She even did a backflip for me yesterday! She plays with me out of the cage while Princess Buttercup sleeps, and while she liked my attention before the incident, she hadn’t purred for me before it.
Yesterday they spent time in the grass again while I did a good cleaning of the cage. This time I had them safely in a pen! 🤣
 
Thursday it rained. I set up a room for playtime, and popped up a gate. I went to collect the girls, and Princess Buttercup chattered her teeth at me! 😲 Fart Blossom ran away when that happened. We were still okay for treats and pets, but I did not attempt to do playtime yesterday.
Today I’m under the impression that Princess Buttercup misses her humans. Even when I offered a piece of banana, she wouldn’t take it. I had to uncover her to be sure she looked okay. I put the treat in front of her, and covered her back up. Nothing really seems wrong, so I’m not going to worry about it this morning.
 
I am currently unable to lift my left leg due to back issues (it’s called sciatica, and it’s actually in both sides). I just stepped in poo. I think I saw Fart Blossom throw it at me. 😒 I had to get creative to get into the kitchen without putting that part of my foot down, and then get my foot clean. Mean piggy! No more peppers for you!
 
Homestead Mom said:
It’s official. The girls say that snack time is around three. That is when they go nuts at the sight of me. They then put their feet up on the side of the cage, and talk to me as I prepare vegetables and fruit in the kitchen.
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Yep I get a full on chirping wheeking piggie chorus, 5.15 am and 5.15pm I love it 🥰
 
Sorry - only just caught this thread. Glad you are having a lovely time looking after the piggies. They are wonderful little creatures, with so much personality!

If you suspect the guinea pig has swallowed something, please do have her seen by a vet immediately. They have a complex, hind gut system and things may not simply pass. I would also keep an eye on the 'back flipping' as this does not sound like normal behaviour.

Hope your sciatica is improving and you feel better soon
 
Bradshaw Piggies said:
Sorry - only just caught this thread. Glad you are having a lovely time looking after the piggies. They are wonderful little creatures, with so much personality!

If you suspect the guinea pig has swallowed something, please do have her seen by a vet immediately. They have a complex, hind gut system and things may not simply pass. I would also keep an eye on the 'back flipping' as this does not sound like normal behaviour.

Hope your sciatica is improving and you feel better soon
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I agree :agr:

If you think your piggy has swallowed something that is totally indigestible (it will depend a bit on size), but I would be tempted to pop along to the vet for a check up. If it was big or attached to something sharp like an earring, I would be tempted to ask for an x-ray to confirm it is in a position that will not cause damage to your piggy and will pass naturally.

I also think he backflips don't sound completely normal.
Is there any possibility of mites? These aren't visible to the naked eye, but does the piggy in question seem itchy or uncomfortable between the shoulder blades, or are there any signs of hair loss?

Overall since they came form a less than ideal background it sounds like a general vet check could be a good idea anyway.
 
She bit my engagement ring, and the diamond is still attached. It was a surprise to be sure.
We don’t have nearby vets here in the country. The closest is about an hour. I don’t know that a gp will be getting the care you guys are hoping for.
 
Homestead Mom said:
She bit my engagement ring, and the diamond is still attached. It was a surprise to be sure.
We don’t have nearby vets here in the country. The closest is about an hour. I don’t know that a gp will be getting the care you guys are hoping for.
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So she has not swallowed anything if the stone is still attached? Even a local, non-exotic vet should be able to carry out general health checks. Are there any of those local to you?

Unfortunately not all piggies in the world receive the level of care that we strive for (you are not incorrect) and this is sadly the case in many a species; though fortunately we know of lots of piggies that do receive the care and health care they require. As a forum we all aim to advise and support the best we can and many more piggies are continuing to receive the best care and treatment as a result of being pointed in the right direction (often to veterinary care) by the supportive and knowledgeable people of this forum
 
It is also good to be aware that many members on here travel well over an hour to see a vet. Even in smaller countries (like the UK) we have members who make a multiple hour round trip for specialist care.
And our members in places like Australia often travel even further!

I am lucky I have a local vet (5 minutes away) that I use for general stuff, but I also travel in excess of an hour to one of the specialists I have used in the past, and in one case I actually travelled to Germany for one of our rabbits to see a specialist.
Sadly owning small pets often means much longer distances to find a vet who can treat them.

Given that your closest vet is so far away I would start by registering there and setting up a general health check appointment.
It is important to get a feel for your local vet (even if they aren't super close) during a time when you are calm and your piggies are healthy..
This makes life so much easier further down the line if you have an out of hours emergency - knowing exactly where to find a vet, and having your piggies already on file can save a lot of stress.
 
I’ve come to the conclusion that I have one normal guinea pig, Blossom, and a shapeshifter. 😆 The wild haired piggy comes to me, and takes the food from my hand. Suddenly, a piece of fleece starts moving, and if I offer it vegetables, it will snatch it! Moments later, it starts moving again. If I wait, a little nose will pop out. Yup, I’m convinced that Princess Buttercup transforms into a piece of fleece! 😂
 
I had company for a while (original owner), and they finally left two days ago. Immediately all animals relaxed. My dog no longer paces inside, and begs to be let out repeatedly, and the piggies are wheeking and purring again. The shapeshifter is even spending most of the day out of her hiding spot. This is unfortunate because it’s seriously hysterical feeding a piece of fleece.
 
It may not be that they were mistreated as much as they are concerned that it might have meant disruption.
Latte seemed to be a bit nervous during and after her first visitor (person is an absolute sweetie and animal lover; she's done piggy sitting with previous piggies), and we think it was probably because it would have been similar to when she was adopted, especially having had a vet visit not long before.
 
I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I just put a photo of the guinea pigs on my new phone case. 😳 I was being funny because it’s such an odd thing to do. A dog is the only acceptable pet allowed to be displayed. I’m a cat person, but I wouldn’t even show a cat! Soon I’m going to be dating again (I hope!), and I was thinking about that when choosing photos. I was actually thinking I should forgo pictures all together. Again, I was just playing around with the app. The picture just looks so cute though! 😆
 
I decided it. Cats are stigmatized as being only for undatable, often crazy, women, and small pets are for children. I’m going against my beliefs, and it feels liberating! 😆
 
It's natural for them to head for cover in a new environment, and they do look very cute under the shoe rack.
You could always put a couple of newspaper lined boxes out for them too - they might make clean up easier.
 
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