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School not taking care of Guinea Pigs Properly!

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Rancor

Rancor

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I'm going to have a bit of a rant here, so feel free to ignore me! :))

My little sister's school is a primary school, and they have pet guinea pigs. They are two sows called Treacle and Fudge (I think). Nobody ever cuddles or plays with them, and all the little kids pick them up and one piggy was dropped once. 8...

They are indoor pigs, but spend all day everyday in their run, which never gets moved so there is no fresh grass to nibble on. There is no hay in their cage, and it is up to the Year Six class to take care of them. Nobody cares about these piggies, and I don't think the school has ever heard of a vet. {:|

My little sister was observing them the other day, and told me that one of the pigs has a very large painful looking lump on her foot. I thought immediately that it was Bumblefoot, and told her to tell the teacher that it should get checked out. The teacher told her not to be stupid and that the sows were fine. grrrr

I am bringing these piggies home for the weekend soon, where they will receive lots of cuddles and care. I'm hoping that the school will soon see that the poor little pig is not fine, and will take her to the vet. I'm also going to leave a note attatched to the cage when I take them back, clearly stating that they need a constant supply of fresh hay, clean water, clean bedding and vet care. I am very, very, very angry at the school, and do not even think that the school should have pets. pow-pow

I feel so sorry for the poor piggies, and they are such sweet piggies too. If anybody has any advice on what to do with the sick piggie, please help me out. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to pay for a vet trip, as I am saving up for Tobii's ringworm test. I just do not see why the school cannot pay for a vet to check her foot! It's so sad to see her limping around her cage.. :0

Rancor x
 
How awful, poor piggies - if schools are going to insist on keeping pets, they should set a good example to the children and look after them properly! I'd be tempted to say they sadly died whilst you had them for the weekend, and rehome them! (naughty but that's what I'd feel like doing!). The school should definitely pay for a vet visit - perhaps once you've seen the piggies for yourself, you could tell the school they're in need of a vet and offer to take them if the school pays?

I don't think piggies should be passed around like that, do they go to a different 'home' every weekend?

Sophie
x
 
I had this problem with Emily's school they had a rabbit and she spent Christmas with us, thankfully she has now been rehomed. Maybe when you do get them print off some care details and what they like etc? Maybe you could do a little diary of what they have been up to and that will show the school how they should be treated. :)
 
that is absolutely disgusting of the school, I would write a strongly worded letter to the Headteacher. Its a tricky situation to be in though being unable to keep an eye on them on a day to day basis - who looks after them at te weekend?!

for the bumblefoot you can get ointments online, which wont require a trip to the vet (as long as you are sure of the ailment).

http://www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/p/category/0709166791-Foot+Ointments/

check this out, it has various ointments and there is one for bumblefoot which you can use.

I hope this helps!
 
They get passed around like some kind of parcel. Yes, they do go to a different 'home' every weekend, and unfortunately, I couldn't say they died becuase the school would just replace them with more :...

Hopefully, a little note and some TLC will help these poor piggies!

Rancor x
 
The problem is, they've had guinea pigs before, dozens of them, and each time they send the guineas home with a little kid from reception, we would always come in on Monday and the headteacher would say 'Sorry but our guinea pigs are dead, let's get some new ones!' and it would carry on like that for ages.

I'm hoping that the cage won't be in a very bad state, as it has been a home to countless piggies in the past. The minute I get them home, they are getting a good bath and a cage clean out, some hay, fresh water and a nice big tuft of grass to tuck into!

I'm actually looking at caresheets now, so I will write a very strongly worded letter to the headteacher and attatch these caresheets too. I'm so shocked and disgusted at what the school is doing to these poor creatures...

Rancor x
 
Mention the problem to members of the school governing body. They will not appreciate the adverse publicity that it would bring to the school if the matter just "happened" to find its way into the local newspapers.
 
Good idea Alcesterpigs. That could really work. You should be able to find out who the governing body is and I would suggest a round robin letter to all, including the head teacher.
 
Another tactic might be to get a local rescue to come in and give a talk to the school - that would soon shame them into either bucking up their ideas or getting them re-homed.
 
Clever, very clever :))

Oh no! My sister has just got off the phone with the person who normally takes the piggies, and she said this -

'I've spotted this weird lump on one of the piggies feet, so I pulled at it really hard. She squeaked alot so I put her down, then she was limping around the cage. I'm going to try to take it off again next time...'

:0 OMG, this is the worst news ever! She actually tried to remove it! This has made everything worse! Arggh! I just wanna break into the school and steal the piggies!

Rancor x
 
This makes me mad, why would they have pets to begin with if they wont be giving them the proper care? *crosses arms in mad pose* This is rude and careless towards them. I hope they come around and understand that they need certain things that apparently they are not suppling for them. :(
 
Hi, I am Shazbo's daughter, Shannon. I agree with everyone that thinks that is a disgrace. I would not like that to happen to my cuties. In my school, we have an Animal Man who comes every so often and talks to us about taking care of animals. He is very gentle and kind to all his furry friends. We get to stroke them too!


Shannon, 10 yrs old... :(|)
 
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