RSPCA pet guide 'care for your guinea pig'

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Guinea-wiggles

Guinea-wiggles

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Yesterday I went to my local library to get some guinea pigs books out to see if I could get some help about a poorly piggy.
I've read the book today and can't believe what's in it.
It states that the best age to breed a guinea pig sow is from 12 weeks old and also that baby boy guinea pigs do not need to be removed from their mother until 8 to 10 weeks old but the girls shouldn't be near their father after the age of 5/6 weeks old
To give pregnant sows milk in a bottle aswell as water.
Also to feed guinea pigs brown bread or bran with warm milk every day (I thought they were only supposed to have this if they were poorly or just had babies).
It says you should house guinea pigs together but if 2 aren't available a tortoise or chicken will do (umm).
 
when the book published? if its like 1982 I'm not surprised. there are a lot of rubbish on internet as well just need to be careful what you read.
 
shiseido said:
when the book published? if its like 1982 I'm not surprised. there are a lot of rubbish on internet as well just need to be careful what you read.
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That was going to be my suggestion too. I would hope it's an old book and the RSPCA are offering more, erm, informative information now ;)
 
One of the first things we generally point out is that female guineas should not be used for breeding from at all however its irrespective what it says in which ever book you read,people will breed these animals if they see a fast few quid can be made.

The advise regarding male guinea pig babies is certainly wrong and out of date,we say to take the males away from 15-20 days of age.

As for feeding suppliments to female mums,we dont generally advise that as such unless the mum is struggling with a large litter.

As for keeping a single piggy with a chicken,clearly thats way wrong,differnet species etc etc....i would suggest you email the rspca direct with the details of the book in question however being from a library they will keep it on the shelves for as long as people keep reading it.

allan
rspca west suffolk branch.
 
I think my lot would try and eat the tortoise shell. Can't imagine what they would make of a chicken! Obviously not/never should have been applicable. Good advice from Alan, I would go for that x
 
Even though I am new to the world of guinea pigs, having just fostered 2 from a friend, the RSPCA appear to have the oddest of guidelines. Personally I dont think ive had one good experience of the RSPCA. In fact, id go as far as to say that they have been very bad experiences and therefore have lead me to believe that they are pretty useless!
I know this doesnt go for all of the staff - its very much a personal thing I guess and staff have to follow codes of conducts. Its the codes of conducts that I think are outdated and inconsistent.
 
I'm sure though that there is a huge amount of staff that are incredibly caring and its just that they are bound by the red tape so that they can only take a certain amount of actions or give a specific amount of advice perhaps?
 
Basically it's gota be almost dead before they can do anything, as long as the basic needs are being met officers are only allowed to advise.

IMHO the whole issue needs a massive review in this country, if cases like the Jamie Gray case can happily go unnoticed for that long til the poor horses were climbing over their dead herd mates, RSPCA officers etc NEED to be given more power to seize animals!
 
nutmeg said:
I think my lot would try and eat the tortoise shell. Can't imagine what they would make of a chicken! Obviously not/never should have been applicable. Good advice from Alan, I would go for that x
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not a guinea pig but...my rabbit dug into th chicken area in my garden, couldn't find the rabbit one evening, so carried on what I normally do thinking he was hiding and being naughty, went to check the chickens in the coop and in the middle of the 3 chickens was the rabbit all snuggled and snoring! haaa, but the rabbits was near enough the same size as the chickens, wouldn't ever put a guinea wih chickens tho :/ x
 
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