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Adoptables Discussion- for discussing pigs you'd like to adopt"
I've had my single female guinea pig for just over 2 weeks now. I was lucky enough to know about this forum before I got her due to my involvement with a rabbit society. Therefore, I started out on the right foot with Maple, and I am learning more about how to continue to provide the best life for her. One of those things is to not have a single solitary guinea.
I've been keeping an eye out for a neutered boar or another female to rescue in my area. I've recently found one and I liked her. (But it really is more up to Maple than me.)
I just have a couple concerns that I was hoping for some input on.
Maple is in her puberty stage, and the other female guinea pig is 3 years old. (This isn't a question, it is just something I've been mulling over, I plan on doing introductions properly.)
The other guinea pig was not taken care of by very knowledgeable people, and when they took her to a vet, it looks like the vet wasn't cavy savvy.
I reviewed this guinea pig profile at the humane society. (Her name is currently "rainbow" so I guess I'll just say that for now.)
On her profile it says that she must have parsley to keep up her vitamin C. (This gave me red flags as I know that parsley is not the best choice due to high calcium and a choice like green pepper would be better.)
It said on her sheet that she had bleeding from the anal area in the past and that it was due to lack of vitamin C. However, that isn't a sign listed on guinea lynx for vitamin C deficiency.
http://www.guinealynx.info/scurvy.html
Diarrhea and hemorrhage are listed at guinea lynx, so is that what happened to her in the past? The humane society doesn't know.
Would "rainbow" be affected in the long term from this?
Or could there be some other underlying thing I should be aware of?
I looked rainbow over. I double checked that she was a she. I looked for any signs of mites, (hair loss) and looked at her feet pads and nails, and looked at her skin and looked for lumps. I did not identify anything unhealthy although I am new to this. I did not however look at her teeth and I wish I did, but I was kinda scared to do it in front of the volunteer because my guinea hates it and I figured rainbow was stressed enough at the moment from being down the hall from loud barking dogs.
Like I said, Maple has only been with me just over 2 weeks and has not had her full quarantine.
A concern I have is that where I live does not have any separated rooms. If I were to take rainbow home, she would be quarantined to the best of my ability, but it would be not in separate rooms. I already have separate lab coats that I'd be wearing and separate items to care for the guineas separately, but they would be across the basement from each other. I'm a bad estimator of distance, but they would be separated by 30 feet.
(If you know of anyone in my area who would be willing to do a 3 week quarantine for me, please let me know!)
I need to know if this setup would be a satisfactory quarantine. Otherwise Maple will be friendless for the next 2 years as it will be unlikely that I will get a place with separated rooms until then. And of the two guinea pig rescues in my state, one is retired and the other is "re-organizing" and will not be able to help me for now. (I already was in contact with them so that they knew I was looking for a guinea pig pal for Maple...and I asked them for vet references.)
Here is the link to rainbow:
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/dis...petid=11760406
And since they didn't have a picture of her...I took one!
Sorry, the picture just doesn't do rainbow justice. I literally took it upside down while she was sitting in my shirt. It is attached.
Any friendly input would be appreciated. I am looking for advice and ideas.