Help with hiddies

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Rumblestiltskin

Junior Guinea Pig
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My guinea pigs have ringworm. In their indoor cage they had an omlet pig house each which they loved. However I hated them because they have a rim all around the bottom inside that would get pooed and weed all over. They took ages to clean and even then it didnt matter how much I scrubbed the rim looked dirty/stained. I even tried soaking them in the bath. I became anxious that I couldnt eradicate ringworm from them as i couldnt get the rim or corners clean.

I replaced them on Friday with Addis step stools that were recommended by a gp rescue i spoke too. She said not to buy smaller ones. I dont think the pigs like them much especially my shy one as theyre not enclosed or snug.

I dont know what to do. I cant put wooden bridges in there atm because of the ringworm. I dont have a steady supply of cardboard boxes. Theyre on substrate and hay not fleece.

I bought them a beautiful Hop Inn each just a month ago for their outdoor run that I think I'm going to have to throw away as f10 sc manufacturer say even soaking is iffy with ringworm.

I dont want to rush out and buy new wooden stuff as soon as treatment is over either for a while as Ive spent wasted money on houses. I'm following your ringworm advice but I'm still anxious about reinfection it feels almost inevitable.

Does anyone have any ideas for other suitable hidies please? Or is poo/wee staining inevitable but not a sign of not being 'clean'.
 
What about washable ones? You would likely need at least a couple of sets so you can swap them in as and when, but being washable means you don't have the same issues with getting them disinfected as you would for wooden or otherwise non-fabric hideys.
 
Guinea Pig And Small Animals... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G7GTBVT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use these as they are easy to wash and come with 2 pee pads for insertion
I also put a little blanket in one
I have a skinny pig so I put one inside a log tunnel

Sadly I’m not sure what you can do about the Hop Inn
I did disinfect mine with F10 and left it to dry and I didn’t use it for about 1 month
But this was haymites infestation for us
 
I would make the f10 solution quite strong and soak the hop inn hides.

In order to use the step stools and make them secluded for the piggies, you could buy cheap pieces of fleece to put over them: those pieces of fleece can then be hot washed during treatment, hot washed at the end of treatment (even if you feel better by washing them multiple times) and then used going forward to cover the stools
 
Lorcan said:
What about washable ones? You would likely need at least a couple of sets so you can swap them in as and when, but being washable means you don't have the same issues with getting them disinfected as you would for wooden or otherwise non-fabric hideys.
Click to expand...
Can you use this kind of thing on substrate not fleece?
 
Roselina said:
Guinea Pig And Small Animals... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G7GTBVT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use these as they are easy to wash and come with 2 pee pads for insertion
I also put a little blanket in one
I have a skinny pig so I put one inside a log tunnel

Sadly I’m not sure what you can do about the Hop Inn
I did disinfect mine with F10 and left it to dry and I didn’t use it for about 1 month
But this was haymites infestation for us
Click to expand...
These are cute! Is your set up fleece or substrate? (wood shavings). I dont know if i could use these on shavings? Id need 4 I guess which adds up.

The f10 manufactures seemed to thing sun was the best thing to kill ringworm in wood and wouldnt recommend soaking (because I guess they cant guarantee it). Id rather throw the houses than risk going through all this palaver again not least because its the piggies now hate me!
 
Just an idea….
Can you use your local supermarket to help keep your piggies supplied with cardboard boxes houses?

Our local superstore is helping to keep Herman(he who wees on everything!)supplied with empty cardboard wine boxes. I rummage through for the none shiny ones. He’s currently getting through one or 2 a week.
 
Piggies&buns said:
I would make the f10 solution quite strong and soak the hop inn hides.

In order to use the step stools and make them secluded for the piggies, you could buy cheap pieces of fleece to put over them: those pieces of fleece can then be hot washed during treatment, hot washed at the end of treatment (even if you feel better by washing them multiple times) and then used going forward to cover the stools
Click to expand...
I like this idea and did think about it - maybe creating a fleece forest kind of thing on a couple of sides. I guess Id have to weigh the top down with something or they might pull them off on their travels?
 
AidaB said:
Just an idea….
Can you use your local supermarket to help keep your piggies supplied with cardboard boxes houses?

Our local superstore is helping to keep Herman(he who wees on everything!)supplied with empty cardboard wine boxes. I rummage through for the none shiny ones. He’s currently getting through one or 2 a week.
Click to expand...
Boxes no longer seem readily available at supermarkets here unfortunately. I could ask neighbours but storage of them is also tricky if I get inundated 🤣
 
Lorcan said:
If you can find a rubber bristle brush, they're much better than normal brushes at getting the extra stuff off. Normal brushes will work too though, they don't have to be rubber bristles specifically.
Click to expand...
A regular brush or toothbrush doesnt work well. Its a huge job. I'm not up for that everyweek - it was the worst bit of cleaning them out and that was before the ringworm. Daft design and being a newbie owner you dont spot such things!
 
AidaB said:
Just an idea….
Can you use your local supermarket to help keep your piggies supplied with cardboard boxes houses?

Our local superstore is helping to keep Herman(he who wees on everything!)supplied with empty cardboard wine boxes. I rummage through for the none shiny ones. He’s currently getting through one or 2 a week.
Click to expand...
I think my boar is a Herman...
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
A regular brush or toothbrush doesnt work well. Its a huge job. I'm not up for that everyweek - it was the worst bit of cleaning them out and that was before the ringworm. Daft design and being a newbie owner you dont spot such things!
Click to expand...

It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise. Think of the brush from a dustpan and brush, just a quick brush on all sides (and inside too, if necessary). It's much easier than trying to brush it off fleece bedding at least, I use a mix depending on what I have available and the fleece liners really give my shoulders something to complain about lol. But the beds themselves are much quicker and easier done.
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
I like this idea and did think about it - maybe creating a fleece forest kind of thing on a couple of sides. I guess Id have to weigh the top down with something or they might pull them off on their travels?
Click to expand...
I'm not good at this stuff but I have a friend who is she may have some ideas or someone else crafty reading this. Ive found a youtube on how to create one in a corner using a grid.

I wondered about double sided velcro tape I'm not sure if its washable though
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
Boxes no longer seem readily available at supermarkets here unfortunately. I could ask neighbours but storage of them is also tricky if I get inundated 🤣
Click to expand...
I just raid the wine aisle….. for boxes, often a collection at the end for people to help themselves.
No-one drinks wine in this household!




Rumblestiltskin said:
I think my boar is a Herman...
Click to expand...
❤️😂🩵


Good luck, I hope you find a solution that suits you.
 
Lorcan said:
It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise. Think of the brush from a dustpan and brush, just a quick brush on all sides (and inside too, if necessary). It's much easier than trying to brush it off fleece bedding at least, I use a mix depending on what I have available and the fleece liners really give my shoulders something to complain about lol. But the beds themselves are much quicker and easier done.
Click to expand...
I can imagine! Its one of the reasons Ive not gone with fleece...although I'm horrified at the non recyclable waste I now generate. I thought Id be able to put it in the brown bin but no...we have 3 weekly collections. I cant fit my 3 changes of hay plus substrate in my non recyclables. Given it is all biodegradeable this is frustrating!
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
I can imagine! Its one of the reasons Ive not gone with fleece...although I'm horrified at the non recyclable waste I now generate. I thought Id be able to put it in the brown bin but no...we have 3 weekly collections. I cant fit my 3 changes of hay plus substrate in my non recyclables. Given it is all biodegradeable this is frustrating!
Click to expand...

We have weekly brown bin collections but animal bedding is a no-no. I still put the hay in though.
 
Lorcan said:
Yup. I try to make sure the really poopy bits are at the bottom of the bin, tbf, but hay is dried grass, not substrate, so as far as I'm concerned it fits the brief. They've never refused to empty the hay from the bin either.
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The county website here says no because urine/poop attracts rats. Other counties accept it. Such a lot of waste in plastic bags though going to landfill. I really dont like it. And with a 3 weekly collection and small bins I cant fit it all in either!
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
The county website here says no because urine/poop attracts rats. Other counties accept it. Such a lot of waste in plastic bags though going to landfill. I really dont like it. And with a 3 weekly collection and small bins I cant fit it all in either!
Click to expand...

They can refuse to empty our bins (not been a problem with mine, but with my neighbour a few times), I'd stop if they wouldn't empty it but they keep letting it go. I do wish the substrate could go in too, because instead it has to go in the main rubbish bin and that one does only get emptied every 3 weeks.
 
Lorcan said:
They can refuse to empty our bins (not been a problem with mine, but with my neighbour a few times), I'd stop if they wouldn't empty it but they keep letting it go. I do wish the substrate could go in too, because instead it has to go in the main rubbish bin and that one does only get emptied every 3 weeks.
Click to expand...
Me too. Id honestly pay for it to be recycled properly like brown bin waste.
 
Rumblestiltskin said:
The county website here says no because urine/poop attracts rats. Other counties accept it. Such a lot of waste in plastic bags though going to landfill. I really dont like it. And with a 3 weekly collection and small bins I cant fit it all in either!
Click to expand...
I know in Germany it varies by region whether you can put all the cage gunk into the bio bins. Where I live you can, but it's not the case everywhere. It seems to depend on what exactly is done with the bio bin contents.
 
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