Another hot weather spike in the UK - Read our tips and keep your piggies safe and alive!

Wiebke

Wiebke

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Temperatures in the southern half of the UK are set to climb well over 30 C (up to 95 F) tomorrow.

Please bring your piggies indoors and keep them in the coolest place possible. Be aware that the sudden heat spike without any chance for the piggies to slowly acclimatise can be especially hard on any piggies with underlying problems, the old, the young and the pregnant.

Also keep in mind that sun-warmed breezes are much hotter than the ambient temperature in the shade and can carry deadly heat into shady areas and rooms with open windows.

Please take the time to read our green hot weather guide link below with LOTS of tips on how you can protect your piggies' lives in all kinds of little ways beyond the most obvious. It is normally the combination of all the possible measures you can take that does the trick: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
 
Wiebke said:
Temperatures in the southern half of the UK are set to climb well over 30 C (up to 95 F) tomorrow.

Please bring your piggies indoors and keep them in the coolest place possible. Be aware that the sudden heats spike without any chance for the piggies to slowly acclimatise can be especially hard on any piggies with underlying problems, the old the young and the pregnant. Also keep in mind that sun-warmed breezes are much warmer and can carry heat into shady areas and rooms with open windows.

Please take the time to read our hot weather guide link below with LOTS of tips on how you can protect your piggies' lives in all kinds of little ways beyond the most obvious. It is normally the combination of all the ones you can do that does the trick: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
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Thanks for the warning @Wiebke its easy to forget this sort of thing especially in the UK, the weather here was drizzle and a breezy 16 degrees C yesterday and this morning, Tallulah skinny pig was shivering and needed a winter snuggle sack, but the forecast says temperatures climbing to 27 degrees here in the North West tomorrow- got my fan ready and some frozen water bottles in the freezer ready to put in socks, and the main furry herd will be in the playpen on the shady side of the house early to avoid the morning sun they get in the piggy room!
 
Piggies&buns said:
33 predicted here for tomorrow. Getting the indoor playpen prepped tonight so piggies can come straight in first thing in the morning
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Same here - sheets to cover the windows from direct sunlight (even on the street side) and fan in the piggy room at the ready as soon as it starts warming up quickly after 8-9 am. The lower the indoors temperature I am starting out with in the morning, the less hot and oppressive it is going to get in the afternoon and early evening.
The lower I can keep the room temperature in the first place, the less I have to struggle with extra cooling measures for 27 piggies with a fridge and freezer full of human and piggy food!

Last year I managed to keep the room temperature down to 26 C in the piggy room when we had a record spike of over 35 C here.
Even that with all the regularly changed cooling elements in the cage still cost me 8 year old Ffwlbri's life as her frail immune system couldn't cope. Thankfully this year I don't have to get four piggies plus/minus their 8th birthday through a summer from hell. All I have is Pioden who must be round 7 or coming up to it and two 6 year olds. :(
 
Thanks for the tips @Wiebke ! Sorry to hear about your piggy Ffwlbri. It’s been 25/26 here today but managed to keep the pigs room at 22/23. My pigs are in an upstairs room (the coolest room as the sun doesn’t hit it until 3/4pm) and we can’t put sheets in front of the windows so have my air cooler and frozen water bottles at the ready!
 
we're only forecast 26 here! however due to our thatched roof, it usually ends up far hotter inside than out! Will that be an okay temperature if I use plenty of cold water bottles?
 
sunflowerpiggies said:
we're only forecast 26 here! however due to our thatched roof, it usually ends up far hotter inside than out! Will that be an okay temperature if I use plenty of cold water bottles?
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26 C is OK outside in doubles/thick shade if that is the coolest place. It is temperatures going up from weeks below 20 C to well over 30 C in just a couple of days that are the real problem.
 
I keep all the curtains closed until the sun passes to the other side of the house and we do have an air con unit in the front room where they live.... so that will go on if it's hot hot hot...
 
I am a new owner with outdoor guinea pigs. The hutch is in the shade and I have 2 ice pods which I will cover in tea towels to put in their hutch. I also have the Scratch & Newton silver insulator cover with fly screen that I will put on which says it will keep the hutch cooler in the summer. I just hope this will be enough. Very. Stressed.
 
Sally Newbie said:
I am a new owner with outdoor guinea pigs. The hutch is in the shade and I have 2 ice pods which I will cover in tea towels to put in their hutch. I also have the Scratch & Newton silver insulator cover with fly screen that I will put on which says it will keep the hutch cooler in the summer. I just hope this will be enough. Very. Stressed.
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Please make sure that you can put some crushed ice in the water bottles and refill as soon as you come home in order to give them access to drinkable water all day.

A large piece of cucumber also stays cooler for longer to provide any necessary fluid.
 
@Wiebke , a large piece of cucumber will be devoured by these two by the time I have closed the hutch door......I have put the ice cubes in the freezer and then will put a load in the bottles tomorrow. Thanks for your invaluable help.
 
Sally Newbie said:
I am a new owner with outdoor guinea pigs. The hutch is in the shade and I have 2 ice pods which I will cover in tea towels to put in their hutch. I also have the Scratch & Newton silver insulator cover with fly screen that I will put on which says it will keep the hutch cooler in the summer. I just hope this will be enough. Very. Stressed.
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Mine are outdoor pigs too and on hot days I usually give them time in the run in the morning (if it's not too hot) and then bring them inside until it's cooled down. I've found putting a damp sheet over their hutch, like an old bed sheet, helps keep it a bit cooler, but will often need wetting throughout the day. Also a thermometer inside the hutch is very helpful :)
 
CrestedPiggies said:
Mine are outdoor pigs too and on hot days I usually give them time in the run in the morning (if it's not too hot) and then bring them inside until it's cooled down. I've found putting a damp sheet over their hutch, like an old bed sheet, helps keep it a bit cooler, but will often need wetting throughout the day. Also a thermometer inside the hutch is very helpful :)
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You can find these tips and many more in the hot weather guide - it is the most comprehensive collection of tips on how you can keep the environment as cool as possible, the piggies as cool as possible and ensure that they have access to cool water at all times. Piggies don't need to drink lots more in hot weather but they need access to cool fluid at all times.

The guide link in the first post also tells you exactly what to look out for in terms of potential heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and what to do to save your piggies' lives.
 
37°C forecast for today here. :eek:
The house isn't too warm yet, so today should be okay if we close the windows and the blinds, though.
I'm more worried about tomorrow (it should still be about 27°C and sunny. And we have a (small) family reunion so we won't be around to check the girls are doing well. If it's too warm in the house tomorrow morning, I guess I'll piggy-proof the bathroom, put a plaid on the ground and move them there with their hideys and loads of hay. It'll be like a day-long floor time for them.)

I hate heat.
Why can't we have a sunny 25°C all summer, with rain during the night for the gardens?
 
Ours are also outside, so a damp towel went over the shaded hutch an hour ago and one ice pod is already in there with more iced things to go in later ... What a fun day it is going to be. Last time I was checking the temperature in there every quarter of an hour (thermometer unit inside, the station with its reading outside). There is more insulation than plywood (thick celotex, insulating foil) so I hope that keeps it cool for as much as the day as possible. Even so, last time I eventually had to bring them in.
 
We purchased a portable air con unit for the pig room last night that’s being delivered this afternoon. Set us back £299 but we live in a new build that get warm so easily so seemed like a worthwhile investment for the pigs and to keep them cool. Hoping it works! Will only put it on during the very warm days like today so it doesn’t cause them any respiratory problems. Hope everyone manages to stay as cool as possible today 😰
 
DougalandDiego said:
We purchased a portable air con unit for the pig room last night that’s being delivered this afternoon. Set us back £299 but we live in a new build that get warm so easily so seemed like a worthwhile investment for the pigs and to keep them cool. Hoping it works! Will only put it on during the very warm days like today so it doesn’t cause them any respiratory problems. Hope everyone manages to stay as cool as possible today 😰
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Placing a damp towel between the unit and the cage can additionally help cooling the air around the cage. Every little helps! ;)

We are now bunkered in with bed sheets over the French windows and the whole kitchen front on the sunny side. This is the most effective measure we can take to keep the house as cool as possible, especially as neither of us can cope well with heat and high humidity, either!

I am going to start to wet the sheets soon so that the evaporating water creates a cool layer of air between the sheet and the window glass, insulating it even further.
 
Wiebke said:
Placing a damp towel between the unit and the cage can additionally help cooling the air around the cage. Every little helps! ;)

We are now bunkered in with bed sheets over the French windows and the whole kitchen front on the sunny side. This is the most effective measure we can take to keep the house as cool as possible, especially as neither of us can cope well with heat and high humidity, either!

I am going to start to wet the sheets soon so that the evaporating water creates a cool layer of air between the sheet and the window glass, insulating it even further.
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Brilliant thanks I’ll remember that one! Wish we could do the sheet trick but because they’re in an upstairs room we can’t get up there to hang anything - tried to hang out their window yesterday and wrap it around the frame and then shut their window but it didn’t work 🤦🏻‍♀️ Can’t believe how hot it is already. We’re hiding inside with the windows and curtains drawn. Glad I’m not having to work and leave them at home all day! 😰
 
DougalandDiego said:
Brilliant thanks I’ll remember that one! Wish we could do the sheet trick but because they’re in an upstairs room we can’t get up there to hang anything - tried to hang out their window yesterday and wrap it around the frame and then shut their window but it didn’t work 🤦🏻‍♀️ Can’t believe how hot it is already. We’re hiding inside with the windows and curtains drawn. Glad I’m not having to work and leave them at home all day! 😰
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If it is getting too hot upstairs, please bring the pigs down.
Here are tips for improvising: Temporary Housing Solutions?
 
Wiebke said:
If it is getting too hot upstairs, please bring the pigs down.
Temporary Housing Solutions?
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Yeah sorry I didn’t mean the pigs room was getting hot - I meant outside... didn’t explain that very well. Managed to keep their room at 23 so far which is the same temp as everywhere in their house. I would move them if necessary! ☺️ Luckily their air con should be coming in the next hour when its getting the warmest outside!
 
DougalandDiego said:
Yeah sorry I didn’t mean the pigs room was getting hot - I meant outside... didn’t explain that very well. Managed to keep their room at 23 so far which is the same temp as everywhere in their house. I would move them if necessary! ☺ Luckily their air con should be coming in the next hour when its getting the warmest outside!
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We are still at 23 C in the downstairs piggy room as well piggy room so we will hopefully not go past 25 C by the evening, which should keep things on a bearable level.
 
Yes very hot here in the Midlands so I put my 2 out this morning but have got them in already. Got frozen water bottle in their cage and big bowl of water with ice cubes in too. Lots of cucumber and and some watermelon i think today. Its unbearable 😫 thanks for all the advice all. Really helpful forum. X
 
Jennbop said:
Yes very hot here in the Midlands so I put my 2 out this morning but have got them in already. Got frozen water bottle in their cage and big bowl of water with ice cubes in too. Lots of cucumber and and some watermelon i think today. Its unbearable 😫 thanks for all the advice all. Really helpful forum. X
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Please read the guide link in the first post. It also has got lots of tips on how to keep your flat and the piggy room as cool as possible; not just the cage!

It also contains important information on how to spot signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
 
My boys are indoor piggies. I left them in their run for five hours so they kept cooler on ground level. All the curtains are closed and only shaded windows are open. I’ve barely moved today. I hate the heat. Thank goodness snookers on TV . Enjoying being marooned in with my piggies albeit it’s been like that for more than four months 🥴
 
Wanted to post to let you know about the portable air con I ordered for the pigs room - very impressed so far! Installed it about 20 mins ago (Put the vent tube that comes with it out their window and plugged it in) and the pigs room has already cooled from 23.6 to 22.2. It’s noisier than a fan (like a hum of a generator and the only downside) but I figure a bit of noise is ok if it means they’re kept cooler? Hope everyone’s coping as best as they can in this horrid heat! :eek:
 
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