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Exercising Ball?

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Einahpets16

Einahpets16

Junior Guinea Pig
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Costa Rica
Hi everyone. I'm pleased to say my babygirl is not a baby anymore because she's now 11 months old.:love: Woow time really passes by quick.
Well leaving that aside the topic I would like to know of is about exercising balls. :help:
You see I notice Agatha is now bigger than before and I would say a little more chubby than she was when I first got her I know that's normal but I don't want her to get too fatty because I know that's really bad for them.
I want her to do more exercise and my father bought her a huge exercising ball (and I mean HUGE) is 11.5" diameter. I've been trying to teach her how to used it but she doesn't moves around.
She actually just lay in the ball ignoring me completely when I try her to move. The other day she was sleeping on the ball and everything. :lol!:
I've been trying to find some information about it and I what I found was that the exercising balls are basically deadly to guinea pigs and that made me sick to my stomach. I would hate myself if something happen to my baby because of me.
But later I read other articles that said that it actually depends on your pig's personally and if they like it or not they also said that it depends on the ball size.
My baby doesn't seem to bother been on the ball she actually looks relax and she goes in and out by herself also the ball is really big and she has a lot of space in there. It doesn't seem to be uncomfortable for her I just think she doesn't know what the ball is for.
So know I'm completely confuse about it should I used it or not? :soz:
I have some pics of the ball for you to see it.
20160815_001809.jpg 20160815_001743.jpg 20160815_001713.jpg
 
Exercise balls are extremely bad for guinea pigs because their spines do not bend in the same way that hamsters and mice's spines do, and so putting them in an exercise ball forces their backs into unnatural positions and can cause terrible damage to their delicate spines.
Personality wise She might be relaxed in it and that is why she sleeps in it etc, but physically it is really bad for them and is certainly not something I would encourage and should rather be removed.
 
These balls are extremely dangerous for guinea pigs. They're backs are not designed for something like this and could cause serious injury.

A large run is the best thing for them to get exercise, or you could block off a hallway or some other piggy proofed room to let them run around, the more space the better :nod:
 
It is a definite No, Guinea pigs have such delicate spines and these balls can cause fatal injuries. Dont feel be as we all find out things, the main thing is you stop using the ball from now on in, luckily no harm has been done to your little one.

Piggies come in all shapes and sizes, so please don't worry about her weight. You can always put her in a run to get her some exercise.

We have a piggy who is 1.5kg, she is very big compared to the others but is just well built, she eats the same as them and is our second most active of our current girls. As Morrisey sang 'Some girls are bigger than others'
 
Agreeing with all of the above. Giving her some safe supervised floor-time with her piggy pal/pals is much better. Setting up hides and tunnels in a big area is a great way to get them popcorning!
 
Einahpets16 said:
Hi everyone. I'm pleased to say my babygirl is not a baby anymore because she's now 11 months old.:love: Woow time really passes by quick.
Well leaving that aside the topic I would like to know of is about exercising balls. :help:
You see I notice Agatha is now bigger than before and I would say a little more chubby than she was when I first got her I know that's normal but I don't want her to get too fatty because I know that's really bad for them.
I want her to do more exercise and my father bought her a huge exercising ball (and I mean HUGE) is 11.5" diameter. I've been trying to teach her how to used it but she doesn't moves around.
She actually just lay in the ball ignoring me completely when I try her to move. The other day she was sleeping on the ball and everything. :lol!:
I've been trying to find some information about it and I what I found was that the exercising balls are basically deadly to guinea pigs and that made me sick to my stomach. I would hate myself if something happen to my baby because of me.
But later I read other articles that said that it actually depends on your pig's personally and if they like it or not they also said that it depends on the ball size.
My baby doesn't seem to bother been on the ball she actually looks relax and she goes in and out by herself also the ball is really big and she has a lot of space in there. It doesn't seem to be uncomfortable for her I just think she doesn't know what the ball is for.
So know I'm completely confuse about it should I used it or not? :soz:
I have some pics of the ball for you to see it.
View attachment 50963 View attachment 50964 View attachment 50965
Click to expand...

BIG NO!

Guinea pigs are not climbers like hamsters and don't have a flexible spine; exercise balls and leads are very dangerous and can cause severe and even lethal injuries to them. Curse G-Force! :(

Guinea pigs are ground roamers and enjoy running around through tunnels or under stools etc., which is healthy, fun and suitable exercise for them.
 
Thank you all for your reply.
I really appreciate your concern and your advices.
My baby girl seems as healthy as always so I'm pleased to say she's not injure at all. Maybe is because she always slept on the ball instead of using it.
But is a big NO for me from now on.
I'll try to sell the ball maybe a rat would be more suitable and happy with a huge ball like this.
Or maybe I'll try to modify it to make a tunnel my girl can actually use.
Again thank you all. I really appreciate it.
In my country is hard to find people who even know what a guinea pig is and less what's best for them. So this forum is super useful for me.
 
She would almost certainly get more exercise if you could get her a companion Guinea pig (neutered male, or a sow). Guineas in groups will follow each other around and explore together. Pairs and groups are usually much more active than single guineas. But I appreciate that it may be difficult for you to find another.
 
Flowergarden said:
She would almost certainly get more exercise if you could get her a companion Guinea pig (neutered male, or a sow). Guineas in groups will follow each other around and explore together. Pairs and groups are usually much more active than single guineas. But I appreciate that it may be difficult for you to find another.
Click to expand...
Thankyou very much for your advice. I'm trying my best to find her a friend as quick as posible but is getting kind of hard because I don't really have a lot of space for a bigger cage than the one I have know. And I also need to convince my parents because the house is theirs. But I'll do my best. Because I want her to be has happier as she can be.
 
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