Concerned About Food

KarenFC

KarenFC

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 15, 2018
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Location
Westford MA, USA
Our new guniea pig is a 10 week old girl named Smudge, my boss bought her as my Pre-K2 classroom’s class pet. She has only been in the class room 2 Days - as she was our classroom valentine’s gift ( my boss knew I was leaning towards a guniea pig, as we had a bearded dragon for many years that I took over caring for when I started working there, he was 12 years old when he passed in December, and I was thinking of a pet that would be more “interactive” with the kids). She is very sweet, but I feel that she is not eating enough. I have pellet for her and brought in hay from the hay bale we have at home for our rabbit. She has eaten some of the hay, but it does not look like she is eating the pellet. I tried giving her a small piece of strawberry, and some cucumber - which she did not eat, and today I brought in some of the organic mixed greens we buy for our rabbit - she barely touched them. I did manage to get her to nibble a few bites when I put a piece of lettuce wrapped around a piece of hay, and held it right to her mouth (tried this at rest time when the classroom was very quiet). I had hoped that while she is adjusting to the room, she would eat during the times the kids are outside, ( an hour each morning and afternoon) or when the room closes (around 5 pm). But when I get into work at 6:45 a.m. the food bowl still looks full. (Hay tube has been eaten, but still has some left). I have not seen her drink from the water bottle and the level has not gone down. I was told she was eating at the pet store while my boss was watching her. I plan to really keep an eye on this when she is home with me this weekend - but would love any advice on how much she should be eating and ways I can get her to try new foods (veggies and fruit). I will find a way to get her the vitamin C seeing we have the drops you put in the water- which maybe why she isn’t drinking. I am probably over-worrying but she has already won my heart and I would rather be too concerned than just “wait it out” without getting some opinions. Thanks, Karen (and Smudge)
 
She may be too stressed out by the kids and noise. Or maybe she is depressed, if she doesn’t have a companion. Guinea pigs are social animals, and should always be kept in pairs or groups.

How much space are you giving her? One or two Guinea pigs should have at least 7.5 square feet.
 
I’m pretty sure the cage is 38 inches long and 24 inches wide - not sure what that would be in square feet. Unfortunately my boss didn’t know to buy 2 and I doubt anyone at the pet store told her they should be in pairs. As for space - my plan is to let her have “run time” I have pens at home that we built for our rabbits- our 7 year old bunny passed in January, so once I re-floor that pen, she will be in there on weekends. Until then we have several un-used rabbit cages at home and she will be in one of those. I plan to bring a folding pen to school for her that will be used at different times during the day so she can be out safely - the kids are already planning to build mazes and castles for her to play in, in our block area. Iwod need to get approval to try and find space for a permanent cube cage/pen. I can talk to my boss on Monday to see about getting another guinea pig - maybe from the same group as there were several in the cage at the pet store. Would we need to do full introductions if they had been separated for a week?
 
I think that they proably are feeling stressed. If they are not feeling stresssed, they might just be trying to adjust to a new area and need to process all of the smells and sights before they focus on eating.


Keep updating us! :P
 
Will do - I am thinking about using my own $$ to go to the pet store and bring her with me to see if I can find her a friend that was her cage mate there.
 
Sadly schools are a very stressful, loud environment for guinea pigs who are prey animals who like quiet. Will they be around kids 24/7? They're not really "a kids pet" and most of the injuries I've ever heard of is because of children, piggies are so delicate :( It's gunna be super important they don't feed her, so many school pigs end up with diabetes (being fed carrots all the time) or being fed something they shouldn't have and becoming ill :(

Piggy will definitely need a friend and a minimum of 2 ft by 4ft cage which is the smallest recommended size for 2 girls. A strong run would be great but they'd need to be supervised by an adult at all times :)

Is there somewhere you can put the cage that's a bit out of a way and safer?
 
The children are at the center 7am-6:30 pm but because my classroom is only licensed for 10 kids it is basically open 8:30-4.
I am the one who will be caring for her and supervising all the interactions, when she gets fed I am there helping the child measure out the food. Her cage is in a wide shelf where the children can view her, but not reach the the access door. She is in our Redding area so away from the louder centers like blocks and dramatic play.
 
She finally ate some pelletfrom the food bowl and emptied her hay tube. One of the other teachers got her to nibble some lettuce - while she was holding her( which was up igot her toeatyesterday too). She came out and drank from the water bottle during rest time - I cleaned it and did not add the vitamin C drops. She went right to the food bowl when she and I got home, and I set her up in her cage here. She also had some hay and drank from the water bottle again. She does seem
More comfortable at my house - sat beside her little hideyhouse and watched everything going on, rather than watching from inside it. So she is making progress slowly
 
I am strongly against having pets in your classroom. Could you not tell the head or whatever that he has to come out of that environment. You never should never keep guinea pigs singly they always go in pairs.
How about a small snake the children would love it. We took snakes into an infant school & the kids love them. You need to have the same set up as the bearded dragon. Or a giant snail. Don't worry that your piggie doesn't eat pellets, but if she starts get, get grainless. So long as your piggie get plenty of Timothy hay & vegtables. Look up the food chart on here.
 
I had planned on another beardie but we were talking about a pet hat they could interact with more and that’s when gunnies pigs came up - her first thought was a hamster (not a good first pet -nocturnal, grumpy and not easy to interact with -
 
Oh and no worries I know it can be a subject people feel strongly about - I used to work
Tiamolly123 said:
Yep I can identify with the hamster. Lol
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i’ve had lots of hamsters over the years, mice and rats and rabbits as well. But it’s been about 20 years since I have had a guinea pig.
 
Well, hope everytthing goes well! Have you tought about covering a portion of the cage with a towel ( still with the majority open). I think that will give her much more comfort.
 
Kiya-Piggy said:
Well, hope everytthing goes well! Have you tought about covering a portion of the cage with a towel ( still with the majority open). I think that will give her much more comfort.
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Yes when I build the cube cage I will make sure she has an area to “escape” to if needed. Where she is able to feel completely hidden.
 
Hiya. I hope Smudge is feeling a bit more confident and has had a good weekend.
I’m afraid I rescued and brought home my late guinea pig Pedro because he was so unhappy in an environment full of children (a nursery) and lonely & bored at evenings & weekends. Is Smudge on her own from 5pm till 6.45am? I’m not at all being critical, and each guinea pig is different but I know it was too noisy and stressful for Pedro during the day and too lonely and cold for him each night. Xx
 
Weekends shecomes home with me and I do plan on getting her a friend. I have been back and forth about bringing her home each night and may end up doing so-kind of figuring that stuff out as we go
 
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