Pat Shields
Adult Guinea Pig
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2011
- Messages
- 1,151
- Reaction score
- 50
- Points
- 425
- Location
- USA MO, Ft. Leonard Wood area
I did not want to rush things since I don't really know the state of this baby's health yet, but I had to agree with someone else on here (I'll have to go look up who said it since I am not familiar with the ppl here yet) that he would probably feel a lot better once he got cleaned up. He was moping around and not eating. I allowed him to run around the bathroom while I cleaned the large dog carrier that is his home right now. I learned another thing while doing that; I learned of the tenacity of guinea pig poopies. They stick on everything and they don't go away! I've thought about selling the formula to a glue company.
He didn't run around but preferred to hide behind my shoe in the corner and pile the corner full of "raisins". I got the carrier cleaned (I removed the contents and hosed it off in the bathtub with the handheld shower) and dried. Then I trimmed the nastiest hair off of the baby. I had to be very, very careful as it was difficult to tell where hair ended and flesh began; the skin is the same color as the hair on it.
I have been told with cottony, long hair such as his I should brush it frequently. I am hesitant to do this as even the least tension or tug on the hair produced a squeak in pain. We will see how it goes. I got as much hair off as I could stand to do before I became too afraid I might hurt him.
He chattered at the time, making a noise I can describe right now only as the sound of running water, burbling and gurgling.
Then I put warm water in the bathtub and rinsed him. I didn't fill the tub; I put only about a half inch in and it collected around the drain. I had no shampoo but mine, and seeing as this was an odor emergency, I put only a tiny bit on my palm and rubbed my hands together until I had a lather and then rubbed it into his wet hair. I rinsed him as well as I could, drained that water, then refilled it and finished rinsing him.
I dried him quite well with two different terry towels and then rubbed him for a while with paper towels. He didn't say a thing, but he DID grind his teeth. I think I spent about 20 minutes drying him. He was shivering so much that I wanted to make absolutely certain I got him as dry as I could before I caged him again. My hair dryer is not an option as even on the low setting it has a ferocious noise.
He was extremely eager to get back into the dog carrier. I think I heard a sigh of relief.
I put the carrier back on the shelf in the garage and returned to clean up the bathroom. When done, I went to check on him, and he was tearing apart his newly-formed hay pile and actually eating some of it. I gave him some carrot pieces I bought today, and he scurried to hide in the box in the back. (I bought a pigloo but it is too large for the pet carrier.) He peered out at me, and he definitely looks more like a guinea pig now. The urine and dirt just had his hair looking otherworldly.
When I inherited my father's mini-van last year, I found inside it a natural-bristle hairbrush. I brush my own hair with it occasionally as it is so gentle. I think I will try that on the guinea pig's coat to see if maybe that will not hurt him.
I didn't make it to my vet today nor was I able to search for exotic pet vets. Tomorrow, then. If he survives here a week, I will then name him. I might name him "Redemption" because one of the definitions of the word is "Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue. For five dollars I ransomed him and he was delivered from those awful conditions. We shall see.
He didn't run around but preferred to hide behind my shoe in the corner and pile the corner full of "raisins". I got the carrier cleaned (I removed the contents and hosed it off in the bathtub with the handheld shower) and dried. Then I trimmed the nastiest hair off of the baby. I had to be very, very careful as it was difficult to tell where hair ended and flesh began; the skin is the same color as the hair on it.
I have been told with cottony, long hair such as his I should brush it frequently. I am hesitant to do this as even the least tension or tug on the hair produced a squeak in pain. We will see how it goes. I got as much hair off as I could stand to do before I became too afraid I might hurt him.
He chattered at the time, making a noise I can describe right now only as the sound of running water, burbling and gurgling.
Then I put warm water in the bathtub and rinsed him. I didn't fill the tub; I put only about a half inch in and it collected around the drain. I had no shampoo but mine, and seeing as this was an odor emergency, I put only a tiny bit on my palm and rubbed my hands together until I had a lather and then rubbed it into his wet hair. I rinsed him as well as I could, drained that water, then refilled it and finished rinsing him.
I dried him quite well with two different terry towels and then rubbed him for a while with paper towels. He didn't say a thing, but he DID grind his teeth. I think I spent about 20 minutes drying him. He was shivering so much that I wanted to make absolutely certain I got him as dry as I could before I caged him again. My hair dryer is not an option as even on the low setting it has a ferocious noise.
He was extremely eager to get back into the dog carrier. I think I heard a sigh of relief.
I put the carrier back on the shelf in the garage and returned to clean up the bathroom. When done, I went to check on him, and he was tearing apart his newly-formed hay pile and actually eating some of it. I gave him some carrot pieces I bought today, and he scurried to hide in the box in the back. (I bought a pigloo but it is too large for the pet carrier.) He peered out at me, and he definitely looks more like a guinea pig now. The urine and dirt just had his hair looking otherworldly.
When I inherited my father's mini-van last year, I found inside it a natural-bristle hairbrush. I brush my own hair with it occasionally as it is so gentle. I think I will try that on the guinea pig's coat to see if maybe that will not hurt him.
I didn't make it to my vet today nor was I able to search for exotic pet vets. Tomorrow, then. If he survives here a week, I will then name him. I might name him "Redemption" because one of the definitions of the word is "Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue. For five dollars I ransomed him and he was delivered from those awful conditions. We shall see.
