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New pig, need help!

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WhinnyPig

WhinnyPig

Junior Guinea Pig
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I got a new pig today so Whinny could have a sister. I was planning to take them both to the vet before putting them together to make sure they both check out although I'm sure Whinny is fine. The new pig who I have named Wiley is very cute and sweet but she came from a person who I believe to be an animal hoarder and she was living in yucky conditions. basically in a bucket in a dusty shed with a bunch of other animals in cages and loose running about. Her hair is kind of gross and i wonder can i give her a bath today? I dont want to scare her but she is gross, poor thing! also any quarenteen (sp?) tips or guidelines?
thanks! I'm so excited for our new piggy!
 
Quarantine her for at least 2-3 weeks, any underlying illness she has is likely to present itself in this time frame so you can avoid passing it on to your other piggy :)
and wash your hands/change clothes between handling either girl.


if she was mine, i'd let her settle down over night so she can get over some of the stress of being moved, then bath her tomorrow, just to get it over and done with, before returning her to a completely clean cage when she was dry to leave her to settle back in again.

grooming is a really good time to check her over too as it will let you get a really good look at her, so you'll notice any hair loss or lumps/bumps/cuts/grazes you may have missed before so you can make the vet you see aware of them when you have her checked over.
 
WELCOME WILEY TO YOUR LOVELY FOREVER HOME XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

OMG what a terrible start to life!
I'm so glad you've rescued her XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hope everything goes well, give lots of little kisses from the girls and I XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
thank you for your kind words! I'm hoping she settles in eventually and realizes that this change is for the better! :)
 
Give her time...... oh and patience lots of it :)
Each time you go near her speak softly and just chat away, and then also give her a tiny treat, she'll soon learn that your voice means something wonderful :)
 
Awwwwwwwwwwwww congratulations on your new arrival hope the quarantine goes well and she settles into her new forever home quickly x
 
thank you everyone! she has hardly come out of her pigloo with me around. went to check on both my girls this morning and Wiley was still hiding but the hay was mostly eaten, water way drank down and all the pellets gone! so she must have come out sometime during the night when everyone was sleeping!
i have no idea what she was eating before so i have just been giving her timothy hay and a tiny bit of Whinny's timothy complete pellets. Not sure if she needs alfalfa ones or not since shes younger but she has a big belly so i figured she would do okay on Whinny's.
Thanks again for all the advice and kind words!
 
She has had a terrible time, thank goodness you were able to rescue her from the awful situation.
As has already been said, let her settle in and then give her a bath, maybe some mite treatment after her bath would be a good idea once she has completely dried and repeat at week intervals until she has had three doses.
 
Hi! I am very sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but any young piggy with a big belly (even more so one from a suspicious background) needs to be treated as potentially pregnant.

It would be good if you opened you own running thread in our pregnancy section for our information pack (which includes a link to a very detailed pregnancy, birth and baby care guide) and practical support until you know for sure. We have some very experienced rescue ladies monitoring that section. In a good rescue, all incoming sows have to undergo a 10 week pregnancy watch for that reason, starting from the last possible date a sow could have been in contact with a boar. Sows can become pregnant from 4 weeks onwards, and boars can start as early as 3 weeks. :{

You are doing a great job with the little girl. Please be very careful not put any pressure on her belly.
 
oh no! i really hope she isnt....that would be awful. i took her out for a second and her belly at least feels like Whinny's (i touched it lightly i didnt dig in real hard with my fingers or anything) i hope she is not! i am going to try and take Wiley or both piggies to the vet this week if I can!
thanks for all your help and info
 
It might not be a bad idea to feed her as if she is expecting for a few week until you are sure one way or another, it wouldn't do any harm as I'm sure from what you describe of where she came from she wasn't getting the best diet or nutrition! but that doesn't mean she gets to eat like a pig :)) as eating too much could cause harm, but check out the pregnancy and labor section for the proper diet. Just a thought as even a vet won't be sure at the very early stages.
 
thanks so much for your advice! i have been reading into it. I havent changed her diet too much. i tried offering her some lettuce and she didnt act like she even knew it was food! she did eat it eventually though! poor little pig!
 
Bad news for Wiley! I washed her today and noticed little yellow bugs all over her face! Guessing its piggy lice and taking her to the vet tomorrow after work. any insights or suggestions welcome! i washed both cages with diluted bleach and changed bedding! poor little thing! i hope shes not scarred for life after her relocation, bath, and now a vet visit! also hoping my sweet Whinny pig didnt get it :/
 
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