Better Homes and Gardens - Guinea Pig segment

[pigsforlife]

Better Homes and Gardens is a very popular tv show here in Australia. It basically is about everything to do with homes, backyards, plants, pets etc. Anyway there was a segment on today about guinea pigs (it was a re-run, was first aired in May 4th 07 but I didnt see that show). It was awful and example of how pigs are commonly kept here in down under.

This is the link to the site Episode 12 - May 4th - Better Homes and Gardens . Scroll down and select "Why Guinea Pigs could be your perfect pet."

My girls have gone from that to their 2.5x4.5 C&C cage which I must get a new and updated picture for you all to see - will do it tomorrow, promise!

[TX_2_Pigs]

Oh my, that was horrible! The only thing he said that was anywhere near correct was that guinea pigs can get scurvy by not having vitamin c. I was looking for someplace to send them an email or post a comment but (probably wisely on their part) there wasn't one. I bet they'd get tons of "what the "H" are you thinking?" letters.

[wickedrodent]

The sad part is- It would have been a GREAT segment and movement in the right direction if they would have only used the proper information.

[wiggley_narco]

That is positively horrible! No wonder people don't know how to properly care for guinea pigs. You should write the producer of that show and educate him/her on how to properly educate pet owners.

[steve_and_pigs]

Those kids sounded "really" committed to cleaning those hutches. Ha!

What kind of hay was that?

Did he say "No Lettuce" ?

I think I have some new threads for the kitchen.

[fuzzworth]

I did some digging here yall go write away!

We love to hear what you, our viewers think, please send us some feedback on the show. While we may not be able to respond to each email, rest assured - we do read each and every one!
bhgtvfeedback@pacificmags.com.au

Dr. Harry cooper is their resident animal guy-
DrHarry@pacificmags.com.au


Head office:
Better Homes and Gardens TV show
35-51 Mitchell Street
McMahons Point NSW 2060
Australia


Postal address:
Better Homes and Gardens TV show
Private Bag 9450
North Sydney NSW 2059
Australia

[pigsforlife]

Yes Dr Harry is the pet guy. He is a bit outdated in my opinion and often his advice isnt that crash hot - in this case it was horrible.

TX_2_Pigs - You see, I dont think they would get very many letters at all. I for one wrote in to them but this is the common way to keep pigs in Australia.

The more people that write in the better though - so write away!

[steve_and_pigs]

Just curious, what are the high/low annual outdoor temperatures tolerated by guinea pigs in your part of Australia?

[pigsforlife]

It depends what you mean by tolerated. I can not give you a good answer as my girls are now inside (and have been for some time). In the Summer the tempratures range from the mid thirtys (95F) to the early 40s (104 F) and in the winters they can get down to about 10 (50F) degrees during the day and 4 (39.2 F) at night.

This is just in my little part of Australia, if you go further up W.A the tempratures get hotter during the day and colder at night and you have the wet season to deal with as well.

[Astrantia]

I wasn't too concerned up until the point where he said 'DON'T give guinea pigs lettuce! It gives them the runs' which is obviously wrong and right, iceburg lettuce in high amounts does, but romaine lettuce does not. Lettuce is important and a cavy favourite as we all know! Then when he mentioned the giving supplements (water ones), another no-no.

Unfortunately these are all common misconceptions of caring for a guinea pig all grown from 'breeders', pet stores and books written by pet stores and 'breeders'!

I used to believe many things I was told on how to care for a guinea pig, until I stumbled upon this site and many others.

[fourboys4now]

I just sent this email to the email link you provided. Maybe it will do some good?
[FONT=Arial]I live in the [/FONT][FONT=Arial]United States[/FONT][FONT=Arial] but I belong to a guinea pig forum that has members from [/FONT][FONT=Arial]Australia[/FONT][FONT=Arial]. One of the members posted a segment about guinea pig care that was a rerun from May of 2007 that you were on. Most of the information you gave was incorrect on the way to properly take care of pigs. The forum is called guineapigcages.com. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial] [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]On this website it suggests that guinea pigs be housed indoors because outside they will not bond with their family. Most children are not going to sit outside to play with their guinea pig these days. So the pig will be fed 1 or maybe 2 times a day, and then if they don’t get a pair like recommended since they are herd animals, they will be so bored sitting there for basically 23 and a half hours a day by their self.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial] [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial] They are not good as a “starter” pet. Most young children will grow weary of constantly changing the cage litter and handling them daily. Therefore the parents end up doing the work and then either give them away or take them to animal shelter where they are euthanized. Also on the segment it says they are cheap and not much work. They have to have a wide variety of veggies daily. I have 6 piggies and I spend between $30-$40 US dollars a week just on veggies and fruits. As for the vitamin c drops for their water, after exposed to light it diminishes in roughly 15 minutes and makes the water taste awful. So not only are they not getting adequate vitamin c from it and not drinking the water because it tastes gross.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial] [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]Also the indoor cage you recommended is so small that the piggy would only have room for a hidey house and food bowl, no room to run or “popcorn” in. It is not often that I send emails to people in another country that I don’t even know, but a lot of people think what they see on television is true. I was very concerned after watching your segment because if hundreds or more people watch your segment and think this is the right way to take care of them, and this is obviously not the case, I wonder how many pigs are not getting the proper care and or love out there that they deserve. [/FONT]

A concerned guinea pig lover.

[pigsforlife]

This is what I wrote:

To whom it may concern

I viewed the re-run of this segment (Why Guinea Pigs could be your perfect pet May 4th 2007) last night was was very much appauled and concerned. Millions of people nation wide watch Better Homes and Gardens and the information given on guinea pigs was far from the truth.

Dr Harry showed 2 different ways to house guinea pigs - a hutch or a cage. Both were incredibly small. 1 guinea pig needs a 7.5 sq ft cage and 2 guinea pigs need a 10.5 sq ft cage. Guinea pigs should NOT be kept outside as they can not stand the harsh climate and very much at risk to be eaten by a snake or a bird. C&C cages are fastly becoming popular here in Australia and are the best way to house guinea pigs. They can be designed to fit in with furniture and the house. For more information see http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Guinea pigs need a good quality pellet. Just coming more available in Australia is Oxbows range of products. Chaff should NOT be given as it is not only fattening (which can result in obesity and heart problems) but the seeds can get caught in their teeth and they could choke. Dr Harry then went on to say not to feed lettuce. ONLY ice-berg lettuce can not be fed. Cos lettuce and red and green leafy lettuces are absolutley FINE to feed guinea pigs. The vitamins are useless. The vitamin drops in the water diminishes quickly resulting in the water tasting foul. Guinea pigs should not need added vitamin c if they are fed a wide variety of vegetables.

Guinea pigs are NOT good starter pets. Infact, once the novelty wears off the pigs are often mistreated or surrendered to a rescue (yes there are guinea pig rescues). They are most definitley not low cost and low matienence. I spend over $2000 on food bills a year, and this doesnt include vet bills and other essentials. I clean out my guinea pigs cage twice a day (they are on towels so this involves washing the towels twice a day), they get fed twice a day, cuddle twice a day, floor time once a day etc - do you call that low matienence?

Dr Harry went on to say that the best age to get a guinea pig is 6-8 weeks. This is FALSE. Guinea pigs can bond with their owner at any age. ACS (Australian Cavy Sanctuary) adopt cavies out that are anywhere from babies to seniors.

I am very much upset at this segment. I can only imagine the millions of people that watched it and have in turn learnt dreadful information off it. As a result alot of pigs snatched from their parents barely weaned will be sold from petstores because they are cute, only to land in a small hutch and die from being neglected.

Perhaps next time you should do your reasearch.

Regards

Ashleigh

[kathrynj]

Dr Harry is a breeder extrodinaire, he breeds dalmations and also cats, in tiny lab style rack type things.

[pigsforlife]

Does he? WOW. I never knew. He lost my respect ages ago, but breeding as well? Gosh.

[pigsforlife]

I just found this link Dr Harry Cooper - Visit the animals at Dr. Harrys Hobby Farm . Apparently he breeds horses, cats and god knows what else cause I stopped reading after that.

[fuzzworth]

Has anyone gotten a response to their letters?

[mochaviolino]

He certainly sounded enthusiastic about those pigs. But of course that doesn't excuse him handing out poor advice, especially for new pig care takers. I will definitely write a letter to the show and Dr Harry (its all I've been doing this weekend!).

[pigsforlife]

I only got a reply that they send out to everyone that sends a letter into Dr Harry basically saying that they had recieved my letter and that they would read them and reply to them as soon as possible. But that they may not reply to all emails but instead keep them for future house calls. Not very helpful at all. I will keep you all updated, in the meantime the more letters sent in the better.

[TX_2_Pigs]

I started a letter on Friday that I need to get finished and get sent in. I will post it when I am done.

[Fazie]

I just sent an email.


To whom it may concern,

I recently saw your segment on Guinea pigs and I regret to inform you that the information you provided was wrong.

Guinea pigs can and do eat and LOVE lettuce, red and green leaf and romaine lettuce are absolutely wonderful to feed Guinea pigs and they will love it. The only lettuce that should not be fed is iceberg lettuce, it contains a high water content and can cause diarrhea in Guinea pigs.

Also, vitamin C drops should NEVER be put in Guinea pig water. Vitamin C loses potency in water in roughly thirty minutes and it will make the water taste so bad the Guinea pigs will stop drinking, leading to dehydration and death. To insure Guinea pigs are receiving ample amounts of vitamin C they should be fed vitamin C rich vegetables and small amounts of fruits (red and green bell peppers, kiwi fruits etc..etc...)

Guinea pigs are NOT good pets for children, most children do not have the patience to care for them in a manner that it is beneficial to the animal. Guinea pigs should not be left outdoors in temperatures higher than 75˚ F or lower than 60˚ F, ideal range is 65˚-75˚F and they should never be left out unattended unless you want your pig killed by a snake, cat, dog or bird of prey.

Guinea pigs are not cheap! I have two and I spend roughly $30-$40 USD a week on food alone. Guinea pigs require unlimited amounts of fresh hay daily (Timothy hay, orchard grass etc...) Pregnant and young (under six months) can be fed alfalfa hay. A good quality timothy based guinea pig pellet should be fed every day also. My pigs get unlimited hay, a half cup of pellet, several large romaine lettuce leaves, half of a green bell pepper and 3 baby carrots a day...every day. They also receive as a treat a slice of apple once or twice a week, a few seedless grapes cup in half, a half of a kiwi fruit and a few small slices of banana each week. Guinea pigs also can be adopted at any age, it's not just the young who make good companions/pets.

Too many Guinea pigs die each year due to misinformed people who don't take proper care of their pets. With proper care a Guinea pig can live up to eight years (or longer ) but, sadly most don't make it to two due to lack of care and misinformation.

As a nationally televised program there is a certain responsibility on your part to provide correct information to your viewers, information that can be found in a simple five minute search on the Internet. A good place to start is www.guineapigcages.com .

It would be nice to see your program do another segment on Guinea pigs and this time provide proper information to your viewers.

Sincerely,
Deborah B.
Guinea pig owner