Questions about people's pigs' health?

[CiaraPatricia]

Hi guys, I'm doing a bit of a project about whether guinea pigs should be kept indoors or outdoors and what bedding to use, which is best for health. So if people could answer a few questions then that'd help me out a lot, just to see what people's experiences are.

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

3. What bedding do you use?

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

Thanks

 

[pelicano]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?

Indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

Cassie is nearly 4, and Holly is nearly 5. The only illness they've ever had has been 3 years of bladder issues.

3. What bedding do you use?

Currently I use newspaper, Megazorb and Finacard, but I've used lots of things over the years (eg. fleece, hay etc)

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?

Spot cleaned daily, and a full clean and disinfect weekly.

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

The only thing I wonder about is a vitamin D deficiency from being indoors, although they do get vitamin D in their pellets.

 

[JackyB]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors? Indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives? around 4 months old, no illness so far

3. What bedding do you use? fleece on towels

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch? every 3 days + daily spot check

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different? no illnesses so far

Thanks [/QUOTE]

 

[idlewildgirl]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?
Indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

Freddie 4, no ilness. Splodge 2, no ilness, Sandy under 1, came to us with ringworm.

3. What bedding do you use?
Layers of towels with fleece on top/vetbed

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?
Spot clean every day if not twice, full change and scrub once a week.

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

Sandy came with ringworm after being bedded on wood shavings at his previous residence, not sure if this contrubuted but I dont feel it helped his condition.

 

[pollypocket]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?

All mine are indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

Not sure how old any of them are as they came with no history.All are being treated for mites and one for fungal.All have had very sore soles and a few lose/dead nails.
3. What bedding do you use?

Vetbed fleece and hay

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?

Every three to four days

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

Yes I think they lived with chickens/rabbits and other animals altogether in one area.Pretty sure on a wire floor too.

 

[The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue]

1 : All indoors - dedicated garage

2: 18 piggies 10 weeks to 5 years
1 piggie had bladder problems now resolved
All others no serouis health issues.No skin / chest problems.

3:Shavings / newspaper / organic meadow hay

4; 2 to 3 times weekly clean and disinfect spray

5;No bedding related illness

Thanks Helenxx>>>

 

[elle100]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?
Indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?
Maisie and Poppy are 10 months, one tummy upset, although I could have just been being neurotic :red
Henry is 2 years old, a rescue pig so I don't know about previous illnesses, but I was told he is allergic to woodshavings so he must have been bedded on them once.

3. What bedding do you use?
Fleece over towels and newspaper

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?
Full clean twice a week, spot clean twice a day.

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?
For the girls no, but obviously Henry's allergy is bedding related.

 

[Niki]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?

Outdoors (in a shed)

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

12 pigs aged 1yr - 3yrs. Some have had mites. Magoo (approx 2yrs) has had pneumonia.

3. What bedding do you use?

Newspaper, short- cropped straw, hay

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?

Weekly

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

No. Magoo's chest is believed to be weakened from a previous bout of pneumonia (previous home). His cage-mate at that time sadly passed away from it. Murray (cage-mate now) remained well when Magoo was ill.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

Thanks guys. It's quite interesting to know All the piggies seem very healthy though!

 

[skrikopanik]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?
Indoors

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?
Mette-Marit (2) and Martha (4) both as fungal issues when they came to the rescue Bo (3) lost some weight when he was neutered (by the rescue) but what I know about the piggies they haven't been ill. I've had them for nearly 7 months.

3. What bedding do you use?
Fleece over inco pads

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?
Hayloft and "cave" every second day, the rest of the cage every 6 days or so. Spotclean whenever I hang out by the cage

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?
I don't know.

 

[mojules]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors?

indoors and very spoilt

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?

they were 4 past in March no real illnesses teeth issue with Mo, clipped nail resulting in loss of nail, exploring-related squishness udner a chair requiring an adrenalin injection an a hay poke - Jules couple eye problems and an upset piggy belly once

3. What bedding do you use?

used to be shavings an hay but changed to fleece a few months back they have an array of fleeces and i always ask them what colour they want hehe

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch?

every 2-3 days depends on how cage looks an also on the weather

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?

illnesses or reasons for goin to the vet not related to housing/bedding weell apart afe the cage attacking Mo when he clipped his foot oops

hope this helps

Karen

 

[Little Piggles]

1. Are your pigs indoors or outdoors? Outdoors (but did live indoors through Winter)

2. What age are they and how many illnesses (and what illnesses) have they had in their lives?
Willow and Pippa are 18 months old, Pixel is 7 months.

Willow had a minor respiratory infection when we'd had them about 2 or 3 months. Both she and Pippa were treated with an antibiotic. Infection cleared within a week. Pippa has developed a small lump on her side but it doesn't worry her and has not yet been investigated

3. What bedding do you use? Hay on newspaper. Carefresh in toilet corners. Were bedded on fleece over Winter

4. How often approximately do you clean the cage/hutch? At least weekly, more often if needed

5. Do you think their illnesses had anything to do with their housing/bedding or could have been avoided if it was different?
Not really, I would have possibly linked Willow's sniffles to her being bedded on shavings in the shop but I think the timing is out