piggies' behaviour when it's very hot

[cavypaulita]

Hi!

I wanted to ask if anyone could share how the piggies' behaviour changes (a bit) when it's very hot.

I live in Argentina and we're almost in summer now. It's very very hot. I try my best to keep my house cool and refreshed, I have fans and try to have their area fresh and cool too. But their behaviour has changed a bit.

I've put a fan near the cage, but not directly. I've checked to see and in their cage it seems it's quite cool. But of course, we're having very high temperatures so I can't avoid that. They are less active than usual, and lie around. They don't hide now, they don't go to their hidey houses, they go and rest there and spread their little legs. It's cute to see them like that, but it makes me worry a bit. They don't popcorn as usual, and they don't run sooo much as usual. They still run and chase each other and play and eat a lot but they are less active.

I've been reading what I can do to keep them cooler, but I would like to know what I can expect about their behaviour, and how to prevent problems...

They have fresh veggies all the time, and fresh water so I think that helps, and when I go to work I leave a fan on for them.

Thank you in advance,
Pauli

[Hansel]

The summers here can get very hot sometimes, and when they did, I would put some ice cubes in a dish for them to lick. They really seemed to like that. My experiance with ANY animal in hot temperatures is that they may minimize thier activity to stay cooler, maybe this is what yours are doing. I also would let their water bottle sit in the freezer to get nice and cold (not frozen).

[cavypaulita]

thank you, the idea of the ice cubes is good, I'll try it.

I guess you are right, I just worry because I had never had guinea pigs before. But my kitties definitely slow down and spend most of the time resting in front of the fan.

I'll try to keep them as cool as possible.

Thank you!
Anyway they have a vet check-up this week to see how they are doing and growing so that will help.

They do run and play but tend to go and rest and not hide in their hidey houses, they just rest anywhere.

Thank you for your suggestion, I'll try it out.

Pauli

[happimommaof2]

I dont know if piggies are anything like dogs but I do know that you are not suppose to put icecubes in there water, I guess just a bowl would be ok but they get to drinking to fast and it could give them a heart attack that is for dogs I dont know if piggies would work the same way though.

[VoodooJoint]

Tricks to help GPs beat the heat.

-A frozen plastic bottle of water (or a few), wrapped in a towel and placed in the cage for them to lie against.

-Ceramic tiles to lie on.

-Keep some bricks in the fridge, put them in the cage for them to lie on or against. If you have room to keep extras you can swap out the warmer ones for cooler ones during the day.

Make sure they have plenty of water.

[dagwellismypigy]

A nice cool treat for them could be some sort of frozen fruit. Anything would work, I suggest watermelon, my pigs really liked that.

[cavy-cool-crazy]

I followed a 'popsicle' idea I read on here a few months ago when the summer arrived. I broke up some watermelon into small chunks, spread them out in a small plastic dish, added just enough water to cover the chunks and popped it in the freezer. When it was frozen I put it down for the pigs. Charlie loved it, Tuppy only licked it a little, and Lottie had a good lick of it too. I didn't have Jazzie at the time, but I think she would have enjoyed it.

The frozen water bottle idea was also a huge hit with my pigs. During the warmer nights and days I put a frozen bottle of water with a towel wrapped around it (about 3 layers of towel - any more layers and the cold wouldn't have got through) and I would always find Tuppence snuggled up against it.

[Ly&Pigs]

Patio bricks or ceramic bricks are very useful in keeping piggies cool. If you can find some of those large 12"x12" ones and put one per pig in the cage. This past summer (it's getting cold here now in the US), I had noticed my girls laying around on the bricks more than anything. When it gets really hot, the pigs don't seem to have as much energy during the hotter part of the day. I had a fan pointed over the top of their cage but not down in their cage on them. I used some cold packs wrapped in towels and bottles of frozen water wrapped in towels.

Frozen watermelon just slightly thawed out is a great summer treat.

[2pigs4rats]

This is off topic - It's just so weird that you are having a scorching summer and here in the uk it is winter and it's been snowing heaps today - anyways My pigs lurve lying next to frozen icepacks and licking ice cubes, and especially when I freeze grapes into them!