New Guinea Pig

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lovinpigs

I just got a new guineau pig after the death of my sweet Izzy.

Its been awhile since I have had a baby (she is 4 weeks old).

She is sneezing and that is bothering me. Her eyes are clear, her nose is not snotty, she is eating pellets and hay is drinking water and boy oh boy can she run!

I was told by the pet store that she was checked over by a vet and that they do have a quarantine on any new animals that they get in to ensure that they are not sick.

She was bedded on paper pellets in the pet store, she had pellets to eat, but no hay or fruits & veggies even though the lady told me HOW IMPORTANT it was to provide them with this food.

She does not seem to interested in the parsley, romaine lettuce or carrots. I think this is due to her being so young. If I remember correctly my other baby pig had to learn to eat veggies by watching the other pig.

I have her bedded on fleece so it is not the bedding that could be causing the sneezing. Do some piggies just sneeze more than others?

Here are pics of her. Her name is Esmerelda Josephine but we call her them for short. She was named after my Isabella Jospehine (Izzy) who we lost last week.





 
she's lovely....

Don't worry about the veg, she'll get used to it. Remember her somach is smaller than Jasmine's so she'll eat less too.
With the sneezing, I wouldn't worry too much, she might just be getting herself worked-up about her new surroundings. But if things don't improve, I'd pop her to the vets, for peace of mind. She could have a piece of fabric from the fleece or a piece of hay stuck in/on her nose...

How's the bonding going? Is jasmine OK with her?

them looks like a great tribute to Izzy. x>>
 
When I introduced them I was going to separate them for a couple of days because I was not sure how Jasmine was going to be.

However, Jasmine was so happy and was popcorning (which I have not seen for awhile). They sniffed each other a bit and that was about it.
Jasmine is not doing her rumbling and swaying or mounting like she constantly did with Izzy so I think her and them are a very good fit.

I did hear a little squeak from them lastnight, Jasmine may have just nipped her a bit to put her in her place but otherwise things ARE VERY PEACEFUL!

I am hoping that with time they will cuddle with each other and be the best of friends.

them of course is very hard to catch but once you sit down with her and pet her, she relaxes and her eyes get all sleepy. Its so cute!

There were 3 other sows to choose from but once my husband held her and she closed her eyes he was hooked. He would not even hold any of the others. :))

The lady at the pet store was trying to sell me some orange & papaya vitamins for the Vitamin C but I decided against them because my pigs get parsley and romaine lettuce on a regular basis. I may start incorporating small pieces of oranges or apples but just as a treat.
 
oooooh, that sounds really cute.^)

When we got Finlay, we'd seen a couple of others who were OK, one was a curly haired black and tan, really nice but looked petrified. Then the lady got Fin out from underneath his mum... We had a look at his face and that was it. The lady kept saying that maybe his markings were too close to Bertie's but it was now too late... We popped Fin with Bertie in the carrier. There was a bit of sniffing, turning around, Finlay checked under Bertie for milk, didn't find any and they started eating hay. The rest is history...rolleyes

They have recently started napping in the same house all snuggled up together but sleep separately at night. Weird but that's the way they've worked their relationship. :laluot_31:
 
oh how very cute, hope her and jasmine are very happy together x
 
what a cute baby x)

I hope her and Jasmine settle ok :)

All the best

Louise xx
 
Happy for you

I am very very happy that you have a beautiful little guinea pig to love. Like many others I was very upset over Izzy, so you have made me happy too with your news. I think Jasmine will be much better off with a new baby to look after straight away as well.
4 weeks is very young - perhaps she needs to build up her gut fauna before she can really get into eating the veg.
Thank you for the pictures, them is lovely.
 
very sweet didn't think you could have guinea til they were 6 weeks though! I'm sure she'll be fine george sneezes too a bit. he was on shavings but now on fleece / vetbed and sneezes less but still does now and again
 
This will be the 2nd piggie that I have gotten at the age of 4 weeks. Maybe there are different guidelines here in the US than where you are.
I dont know.
She does not seem to be sneezing as much so maybe it was just all of the excitement and first and maybe the bedding that they were using in the pet store.
Jasmine has been sitting by them and following her around almost as if she is protecting her. Its so cute, especially coming from Jasmine because she has always been a loner.
 
Esmerelda Josephine is beautiful, and a wonderful tribute to your dear Izzy.

Have you tried peppers and cilantro with Jasmine and them? They are great everyday foods, with very good Vitamin C content.
 
Congratulations on your new addition! :) She is an absolutely GORGEOUS little piggie! x) x)
 
Thank you everyone for the compliments!

I have tried giving Izzy and Jasmine peppers and neither one liked them. I can try giving them a pepper and see is she likes them.

We get cilantro once in a while and Jasmine has always eaten that.

The staple veggies at my house are romaine lettuce, parsley, carrots, occasional piece of apple or banana or a grape.
 
Is there any way you could switch the parsley and carrots for cilantro? Parsley and carrots are high in calcium; cilantro is a more balanced herb with good Vit. C content. Parsley is good for a couple of times a week - though how most pigs would love to be given it daily!

Peppers are definitely an acquired taste, I have found that the younger pigs take to it a lot easier than older pigs. It took me a year to get my lot eating peppers, and now they all eat them every day without hassle; it's worth persevering - offering some each day for a few days, then a break, then offering for a few days etc.
 
Here is a list of vitamin c rich foods that I found:


Foods high in Vitamin C

Feeding a guinea pig a diet with Vitamin C rich fresh fruits and vegetables is also important. The following fruits and vegetables contain high levels of Vitamin C:
  • Leafy greens such as kale, parsley, spinach and chicory
  • Cabbage
  • Red and green peppers
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Tomatoes
  • Dandelion Greens (no pesticides, fertilizer, or herbicides)
  • Kiwi
  • Oranges
I know that cabbage is a BIG no no - what about the other stuff that is listed? If they wont eat peppers I really only have the choice of kale, parsley, spinach and broccoli, peas or tomatoes. Asparagus is GOD AWFUL EXPENSIVE!

I give them fresh snap beans when they are available at the store. They always seemed to love them.

I have tried oranges in the past and no one has ever been really wild about fruit except Izzy who loved red grapes.

I have never heard of chickory - it may not be readily available in the US
 
Tomatoes and peppers are the only safe everday foods on that list. The others are too acidic/high in calcium to feed daily.
Have you seen the shopping list in the food section? http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42

You may also find this thread of use:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28953

Cabbage is fine to feed in small amounts. Some pigs are prone to gas, and cabbage, kale and broccoli are all gassy veg that can irritate those sensitive pigs. If the pig has no problems eating cabbage, then a little bit daily is usually okay.
 
awwwwwwwwwww i'm thrilled for you all xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>
Oh she's one little cute girl, i'm sure Jasmine and EJ aka them will be the best of friends (btw i think her name is lovely and such a lovely tribute to Izzy RIP) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
I wanted to share more pictures of them because she is so darn cute !
She is getting better about eating veggies.







xoxo
 
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