Senior Pig-Inside or Outside with Buddies?

Status
Not open for further replies.
PingandChipy

PingandChipy

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 11, 2009
Messages
694
Reaction score
32
Points
345
Location
Canada
Hi everyone,

I have an elderly guinea pig, Chipychanga, he is the brown one in my Avatar, and he is getting on in years. I think he's around 5 1/2 to 6 years old. He is getting thin again and so he has an appt todat at 6pm to see the exotic Vet to check his teeth. In May he had teeth surgery. His molar has become overgrown and his front teeth were growing on an angle. So he had his molar trimmed down and front teeth trimmed (too far back) but that is a whole other story.

Anyways, I'm trying to determine the best way to house him. Right now he is living alongside but with a partition in a pen with my other 3 younger pigs. He isn't neutered which is why he lives beside them only. Suddenly it has become cold and temps are falling to 8 degrees at night.

I've installed his heat pad but I'm still worried about him being older and getting cold, etc. Especially since his weight loss. I'm trying to figure out if he should live inside this winter.

So I am going back and forth with what to do. Should I bring him in as he will benefit from our central heating? Or will he be sad to not see or hear his friends? I do have a baby monitor inside the house so I could put that beside his cage and he could still hear his friends. I listen to them and I have a smoke detector in the shed so if it ever went off I could hear it on the baby monitor.

It's pretty funny to hear the pigs chatting away while sitting inside! lol.

Or should Chipy stay outside beside his friends and just have his heatpad? I do give him fleece and hay to also keep warm but he is getting so frail!

Help :)
 
Personally I would bring him him, & see how he goes. If he eats okay etc then he would be fine until next year when the weather is better. If he can hear them even better :)

I know most people think they should never be kept on their own, but our oldie was after her partner died & she was fine. He sounds too frail to leave out.
 
I personally would bring him in too, I would be thinking to do so next month unless temperature suddely drop.
I know I'd worry too much and as he'll have interaction with people indoors I don't think he'll mind too much :)
 
Yeah I'm leaning towards bringing him inside now. I'm scared at what the Vet is going to say about his teeth. Poor old man. I'll let you guys know when I come back this evening from the vets. I spoke to my husband and he's fine with chipychanga coming inside. I just hope my allergies don't go crazy but I can take antihistamines and I can keep his cage super clean. He is housed on fleece so I can clean it everyday if need be. I also have an hepa air purifer I can install in the spare room.

Its so hard when they get old! I love the little guy so much.!
 
When my piggies got older they all lost body fat and found it harder to keep warm. I would bring him inside as if he starts to cool down he will find it very difficult to warm up again easily.

I think older piggys are lovely as there is such a strong relationshiip with them, even when they need their bottoms flannel washed every now and then! I used to put Columbia who had cancer and lost a lot of body mass onto a warm hot water bottle when I was cuddling her - she would relax completely and enjoy the warm cuddle so much.
 
thanks again for the replies. I'm leaving for a vets soon and will post what happened when I get back.
 
This is where Chipy and friends are living currently.

015.jpg


013.jpg


006.jpg


okay I'm off to the Vets now!
 
CHipychanga's teeth are fine thank goodness! I was so afraid she would say he needed surgery again. His weight is actually fine. I think it's just that my other pigs are obsese and he isn't. but he had an exam and he is healthy so I am happy! He did need a teeny bit snipped off his front bottom tooth because he chipped the other one on the wire divider trying to get to the girls! Brought him home and he's happily eating hay and then had a nap complete with heavy breathing from deep sleep. Such a cutie! I love him soooo much :)x)
 
In that case, if he is fit, healthy and with a good weight on him I would be tempted to keep him with his friends. If it starts to get too cold and you notice that his weight is dropping (if you don't already, start weighing him weekly to track his weight) then bring him in. Right now I think the company will be doing him a lot of good in keeping him happy and sprightly - especially as his company are females! :)

If you can, give him plenty of places to get warm - a fleecy blankie pile would be perfect! They can get so snuggly in there even if it's cold around them!
 
aah hes lovely, judging by the pics he isnt outside in the elements is he? i am guessing an outhouse or similar? i think in the winter it is the chill factor of the wind that is so dangerous, plus the damp , neither of which will affect him if i am right, but then i have never lived in Canada!
 
No he isn't in the wind or damp. It is a shed/workshop, quite well built, has a couple windows and made of wood and insulated. When it gets colder I will move him into his hutch as it will be cozier. but for now he loves being next to his ladies. Heehee.
 
ahhhhhhh Chipy x)
You know him best of all love, keep an eye on him (which i know you will anyways) and if needs be move him inside :)

Give Chipy some snuggles from me and the girls send him some kisses xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
 
If it gets really cold I have decided I will bring him in. But it won't be for awhile yet. I don't want to move him yet because he loves being in the big pen with the girls next door. When its too cold for them to be in there I'm moving them back to their hutches. And then Chipy would be by himself but he could still hear them so I might as well just bring him in at that point and put him next to the baby monitor. teehee.

It helps me to write out what I'm going to do. every winter I worry so much!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top