I found this site a few months ago and I'm amazed with all this infomation and still am. I have no pigs but I have had pigs first I had one pig named Nibbles we got him from a petstore and put him in a petstore cage here are the things we did wrong
-we fed him iceberg lettuce
-salt licks
-petstore cage
-vitamins in the water.
I hope if it's alright if I tell the stories of my previous pigs it's quite long.
We stopped feeding him iceberg lettuce when the vet told us it was bad but he died a few months after we got him I was heartbroken and still am and I still don't know how he died. Then we got two more guinea pigs Fluffy and Jack and we did a little better but we still got them from a petstore. We got them a bigger cage which even though it is a very big petstore cage I would never be comfortable using it.
Jack died first and again I was heartbroken he died from blood clots and we took him to the vet after I told my parents he was acting funny and breathing weird. We rushed him to the vet and they tried a lot but he started having a seizure and struggled over to me and licked my hand and collasped and the vet came in a took him but came back and he was gone.
I went home crying and ran over to Fluffy who seemed confused I know hw was wondering where Jack was. We all think they were brothers we got them from the same store and looked alike. I seemed to get much closer to Fluffy after Jack's death. Fluffy didn't like his name and he would not respond but if we called him Guinea he would respond. One thing that I will always remember is that if I asked him if he loved me I swear he would nod and I would tell him I loved him too. If we took him to the vet he would shake his head angry but hey I would too no one enjoys going to the vet/doctor.
Fluffy always seemed to be there when I needed him after a family tragedy I went to him took him out of his carrier (we were on vacation at the time) and laid down petting him and being with him made me feel a lot better. I loved him more then life it's self just like I do with all my family and friends and my pets aren't just pets they are family.
He died a year after Jack and I think his death hurt the most because he lived the longest and I had more time to bond with him. He was acting weird so we took him to the vet and I didn't go into the room but my mom took him and we waited and we went in when she called. it turned out he had something wrong with his stomach and the had to do something to him and they did and we took him home but told us he still might not make it.So we took him home and kept an I on him. My dad told me to pray he would be alright and I did. But he stared acting weird and he stared to have a sezure and he died in my mom's arms and then I held him for the last time and then we buried him with Nibbles. Jack had a autopsy so we didn't bury him.
For the third time I was heartbroken and I know my family was too they had all bonded with him like all of my pigs too. I loved them all and still do and miss them more then I can express in words and I actually started crying while I wrote all this and I don't cry very much at all. But at least I know they are all over that rainbow bridge together. I feel immensely guilty and I wish I could go back so I could take better care of them.
I didn't get any more guinea pigs since but I started thinking about it a few months ago and went on the computer and searched guinea pigs and I found this site I lurked for a while and finally joined. I love this site it's amazing and so are the people. I just wish I would have found it sooner and then my babies would have lived longer. This site is amazing and I am going to adopt two sows soon. I am preparing first though me and my dad are going to make a cage soon, I'm making an emergency kit, making a fruit and veggie plan and a lot of other stuff.
This site has also changed my view on petstores and even on breeders it has opened my eyes. Now I will never in my life purchase an animal from a breeder or petstore. I am also currently going to start collecting money to donate to one of the local shelters. I might even try to figure out how to
volunteer. Another thing I'm doing is trying to find a time to talk to my principal about letting the humane society come to are school and talk to the students she said to talk to her at lunch but she hasn't been there. Anyway thank you all for opening my eyes and another thank you to the mods and T you all are amazing and without this site and you all I would have two pigs in a petstore cage with salt licks and vitamins in they're water. You all are great and I love being here thanks again!
