Swimming!

[ziva]

So I just saw a video on Facebook of guinea pigs swimming. It had never even occurred to me that guinea pigs could swim! Do they enjoy it?

 

[Lady Kelly]

No. They are simply swimming to avoid death by drowning

 

[Sue G]

I wish that video could be deleted.

 

[Wiebke]

Have a look at this thread here that deals with the same video: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pigs-swimming.129084/

Guinea pigs are not natural swimmers. Putting them into a deep body of water where they cannot stand, i.e. are in acute danger of drowning, and cannot get out under their own volition is cruelty and animal abuse, as the poor piggies are paddling desperately to stay alive. Nothing cute about that!

Please be aware that any water that gets into the lungs can cause respiratory infection and that overheated guinea pigs can suffer cardiac arrest if they are being put into water that is too cold for them. They can (and do!) also die from sheer fright.

Please feel free to further share the message from Guinea Pig Wonderland that I have shared on my own facebook page. It may save a guinea pig life or at least spare some guinea pigs a horrible ordeal.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wiebkes-Tribe/250671101630422

 

[ziva]

Thanks for the info. It's so sad that people do this without thinking first! I remember seeing if my dog could swim - I went into a river with her and let her go. She immediately swam to the bank and glared at me and that was the end of her swimming career. Even knowing that a lot of dogs enjoy swimming, I'd never have put her in water without a way out. :-(

 

[gizzy]

I'm sick of these irresponsible people who post how to do things with gps on u tube.
2 in particular spring to mind , one was a Youngster demonstrating how to bathe a guinea pig.
I posted on her sight and said that her parents should be more responsible
And if the child wants two bathe something then perhaps they should buy her a Barbie doll to play with.
But the worst one was again a youngster , showing us how to clip a pigs front teeth with nail clippers .
My polite response was never clip Teath with anything for gods sake .

I makes me so sad that some people still consider pigs as things to be used for a youngster' entertainment!

Though in all fairness, there a few good ones. One kid is showing a video documentary of the life of her herd.

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Yes it's disgusting. Have you seen the yellow banner at the top of the forum and the 'water' thread?

 

[Flutterby]

There are so many things on youtube that make you cringe. Sadly it's something you are always going to find. All we can do a pig owners is to educate people to the best of our ability in the hope they take the correct advice.

 

[LindseyA]

This is so sad! How can some people be so cruel? I don't understand it. My piggies are like children to me and I love them so much. It makes me so angry that some people could hurt them! Thank goodness there are good piggy loving people like us!