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Poor Jenny

Tigermoth

Tigermoth

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
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Location
Suffolk, United Kingdom
It seems my old lady is struggling with the cold 😭. I came in yesterday to find her appearing half dead. Facing the corner, not moving and really cold to the touch. I popped her into my top and had her skin to skin before wrapping her up like a burrito and keeping her tucked up for a couple of hours. She warmed up and was her usual self later, although quiet. I think it took a lot out of her.

I've upped the thermostat a bit and put a fleece pad in for her. She has fleece beds but she hasn't used them since Timmy died ( he died in one, that can't be why she doesn't use them though surely?) but I'm hoping she will burrow. I have lots of hay for her but the latest box is really short strands so doesn't make a good nest.

Poor girl.

This is her yesterday evening. Again thought she might have crossed the bridge. I stroked her foot and she wiggled her toes. A peep showed sh was quite happy, she basically grinned at me when I lifted the pad 😂IMG_20221106_201119.webp
 
i hope she can keep warm,a sugglesafe may help,she can use when she wants.She does look cosy under fleece.I bet she gave you a fright.!
 
poor little Jenny, I hope she’s feeling a bit warmer now, her little foot in the photo is just so cute 😍
 
Poor Jenny, I'm glad you managed to warm her up. Maybe she has some arthritis so getting into a fleece bed is difficult?
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
Poor Jenny, I'm glad you managed to warm her up. Maybe she has some arthritis so getting into a fleece bed is difficult?
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Possibly to the arthritis at her age I guess although no sign in her behaviour. I put the beds upside down for her to burrow under as she never did sit in one the conventional way. She was a fan of the turtle impression and flipped them herself 😂 I save her the effort and put them in that way.
 
Tigermoth said:
It seems my old lady is struggling with the cold 😭. I came in yesterday to find her appearing half dead. Facing the corner, not moving and really cold to the touch. I popped her into my top and had her skin to skin before wrapping her up like a burrito and keeping her tucked up for a couple of hours. She warmed up and was her usual self later, although quiet. I think it took a lot out of her.

I've upped the thermostat a bit and put a fleece pad in for her. She has fleece beds but she hasn't used them since Timmy died ( he died in one, that can't be why she doesn't use them though surely?) but I'm hoping she will burrow. I have lots of hay for her but the latest box is really short strands so doesn't make a good nest.

Poor girl.

This is her yesterday evening. Again thought she might have crossed the bridge. I stroked her foot and she wiggled her toes. A peep showed sh was quite happy, she basically grinned at me when I lifted the pad 😂View attachment 214098
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I would increase her vitamin c intake. Provide her easy to chew fresh produce like mini tomato’s, bell peppers, and maybe even half of a grape (remove the seeds from the grape). And keeping her warm was a great idea! This happened to me once to my Guinea pig Oreo- he’s about a year and a half old. He had a cold and he was lying in the middle of the cage. Since Guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open I saw that he was stiff and thought he passed away but I rubbed his belly and he sat up. After 3 days of vitamin c drops and mini heated blankets, he was back to his old self. Keep in mind though that it might take up to a week for the piggie to fully recover. You can get same day delivery from Petsmart if you need immediate service. That’s where I get my Guinea pig vitamin c drops, food, hay, dried treats, and toys :)
 
Yes I understand that but sometimes a little extra helps. Vitamin c strengthens the immune system. Although it does not necessarily treat a viral infection, it does help fight it. For example, on average my Guinea pigs get unlimited hay, a cup of leafy greens each day, and half a cup of pellets. If they are used to that vitamin c, when an illness comes around, you might want to increase vitamin rich foods.
 
She gets plenty of vitamin c in the bell pepper she gets which is an excellent source of natural Vit C.

I’ve avidly followed the advice on here and have had one pig live to 7.5 and Jenny (his widow) is approaching 8.5. Some pigs have genetic predisposition to problems but I credit this forum for the excellent age in good health that my pigs have reached 🥰

You might want to watch your pellet intake btw. They should make up the smallest part of the diet and about a tablespoon a day is plenty. They can be high in calcium (as can some leafy greens) and increase your risks of bladder issues.
 
Guinea Pig Fan 2022 said:
Yes I understand that but sometimes a little extra helps. Vitamin c strengthens the immune system. Although it does not necessarily treat a viral infection, it does help fight it. For example, on average my Guinea pigs get unlimited hay, a cup of leafy greens each day, and half a cup of pellets. If they are used to that vitamin c, when an illness comes around, you might want to increase vitamin rich foods.
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Large amounts of leafy greens can cause issues with excess calcium if you aren’t careful and guinea pigs should only have a tablespoon of pellets per day.
Apologies to @Tigermoth for derailing her thread, but I couldn’t leave your post unchallenged.
 
Tigermoth said:
She gets plenty of vitamin c in the bell pepper she gets which is an excellent source of natural Vit C.

I’ve avidly followed the advice on here and have had one pig live to 7.5 and Jenny (his widow) is approaching 8.5. Some pigs have genetic predisposition to problems but I credit this forum for the excellent age in good health that my pigs have reached 🥰

You might want to watch your pellet intake btw. They should make up the smallest part of the diet and about a tablespoon a day is plenty. They can be high in calcium (as can some leafy greens) and increase your risks of bladder issues.
Click to expand...
Don’t worry :) My piggies are pretty big and hefty lol (not fat xD) I should have been more specific tbh. I have a small plastic cup the size of a jello cup that I fill with greens- not a regular measuring cup. Thanks for the tip on the pellets though, that’s helpful. Explains why my piggie dumps half of the pellets I give her on the floor 😂 I had a Guinea pig a few years back that lived to be about 7 years old. One of my favorite animals :)
 
I’ve barely seen her tonight. She came and wheeked her little socks off for dinner (she normally has a hoarse whisper) and then has been sat under her fleece square in her hay tray all evening. She seems happy enough though.
 
Had another little episode last night. Bearing in mind we are 4 months down the line now she is well over 8.5. I could hear her crying under her little hidey. I lifted it and she was just laying there making little noises 😭 and cold to touch (her little feet were ice blocks). Again I popped her in my top and she perked up and right as rain today.

I guess at some point I’ll either find her gone or putting her in my top won’t work and she’ll go. She was totally settled there last night just wriggled and curled around my left boob 😂 Not a bad way to go I suppose.

It’s horrid, just waiting for the inevitable but generally since the metacam she is really perky. She’s screaming for veg right now.
 
Aw poor little old lady, so glad she has warmed up again. It’s spring with summer on the way Jenny and I’m sure you will appreciate the warmth, I certainly will. What an amazing age she is, she’s such a trooper x
 
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