New Mom, new bedding questions

[johnaricka]

Hi everyone!
My name is Aricka. My son just became the proud poppa (at 11) of a female guinea pig. He has named her Fuzzy. The entire family is committed to her care. We have had her a little less than a week. I think we may have lucked out on her being pretty hand trained in the local pet store since she has yet to bite us. I have no idea how old she is. I need to go get a small scale to determine how much she weighs. She is not very big, maybe a little bigger than my small hand. Some of my concerns that I am hoping your expertise can help us with;
1. She seems to eat when we are asleep and only pellets. She every once in a while will eat hay hand fed but it is only maybe five pieces. She is not interested in carrots, romaine lettuce, apples, or oranges as a family friends guinea will eat.
2. the bedding that the store sold us in a kit (yes, you are probably cringing at the thought..."soft Sorbent") our Fuzzy apparently does not like. She will push all the bedding out of her piglo and lay on the cage floor. Woudnt be a problem but she is urinating on that same bare floor. Tonight I pulled the bedding and layed a towel flat on the cage for the night. If she likes this better I may have to consider the fleece that is so discussed here. I cant remember what is being used at the store we bought her from. A friend has recommended pine but I cant imagine her liking it at this point.
3. she seems to be making the hungry noise all the time while we are holding her but not while she is in her cage.
4. she is calm while we pet her but makes that gurgling sound when you touch her back side or sides. Not sure yet if it is a happy purr or an anxious purr since we have yet to hear a difference.
Any info and help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time,
Aricka

[dra&pigs]

Guinea pigs eat on whatever schedule they want. If she eats at night, so be it. As for hay, do you have a large handful of hay that she can have whenever during the day? If so, she'll be more apt to eat it. Guinea pigs do not normally bite you, especially if you have their trust. As for the veggies, keep leaving them in her cage during the day and she'll probably get used to them. If she's pushing all the bedding out of her pigloo, then she's probably hot. I know theres a link to a page that explains ways to keep them cool but I can't seem to remember or find it. Oh, one last thing-the pine you were recommended, don't use it unless its kiln-dried pine. If you start using it, remember to ask clearly for kiln-dried.
Hope all of this blabbering makes sense to you! Good luck with your new pig.

[pigsmakemesmile]

Hi,
I am sooo glad to hear that the family is involved in her care. The best thing you did was join this site, it is full of wonderful, excellent advice on caring for your new family member.
Cavies are crepuscular....they are most active in the early mornings and dusk although they can be active during the day and night as well however key times for them are sunrise and sunset.
Being she was from a pet store, she is probably not used to fresh veggies...however by introducing them to her daily and a little at a time...she will become accustomed, don't be surprised when she hears a bag crinkle she lets out loud wheaks. Key to important health is a diet rich in vitamin c. Always keep plenty of quality hay in her pen regardless of how much she eats. It's possible they may not have been giving it to her daily in the pet store and she's just not use to it. Fiber is vital to her health..chewing is needed to maintain the health of her teeth. Believe it or not...cavies have 20 teeth in their tiny little mouths. If over time she is still not eating, or if weight is a concern...have her examined for possible problems with her teeth. Teeth are growing continuously which is why she needs hay to gnaw and chew on.
There's a sticky on this form on the proper diet for pigs and lists the give and do not give...including natural forages....see ly&pigs sticky thread.
As far as bedding, it's possible she's hot and kicking the bedding out. Optional bedding to consider is carefresh, aspen shavings, fleece towels....to name a few. Each has it's advantage and disadvantage with regards of price, odor and maintenance. However the pursuit of the perfect bedding by members is endless. There is a forum on bedding for suggestions and advice by other members. I've tried almost all and I have my own preference.
One bedding NOT TO USE is CEDAR. Cedar shavings contain phenyls- oils inhaled by pigs causing serious respiratory issues. Pine is another to avoid if possible as pine also contains oils detrimental to the pigs health. Again, please review bedding forum as well as the site on cages. Cavy Spirit promotes the use of C/C cages. Please review...it's execellent. My boys are housed in a long 2 x 20 grid pen. It was fun to build and I can't stop enjoying watching them interact with each other. Pen size is important to the health of the cavy. Building your own pen allows your imagination and creativity to design a pen that will be accomodating to your family and your pig.
Guinea Pigs (cavies) are wonderful family members. Once your little pig is familiar with her surroundings and has a routine developed, you'll see how amazing she is. Pigs are very social and overtime, you may want to consider getting her a mate. Visit Cavy Spirits home page...there are very interesting topics on social behavior, housing etc. It's truly an eyeopener (at least it was for me) This site has maximized the well being of my 6 boys.
Another suggestion- you may want to research your area for a small exotics vet...it's best never to wait until there's a problem or an emergency to find a good vet, one who is experienced with or specializes in guinea pigs.There is also another site to visit called Guinea lynx...an execellent site on medical issues, health and concerns dedicated to cavies.
This forum is here to help members and familys with questions, concerns and issues on raising happy healthy pigs. I'm giving a brief overview however, review this site and visit some of the threads, they're very interesting.
As always, this form is here to help.

Good luck

[johnaricka]

thank you so much for your replies. Fuzzy seemed to like the towel in her cage as bedding rather than the bedding the store provided. I say that because she is running around in her cage than any of the other days. Is having a towel for bedding ok as long as I change it daily?

[PixieStix]

The veggies- As has been said, keep offering them and give her time. Carrots, apples, and oranges are more treat veggies, I wouldn't start her off eating those. It's good to give her some lettuce (any type BUT iceberg/head) and bell pepper first, as those both make up a good chunk of piggies' diets. After she's eating those, you can add in another veggie or two. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...arts-info.html This is the veggie chart people are talking about.

Many pigs love fleece, but it is a higher maintenance bedding. I love it for my pigs, but it does need to be swept/vacuumed once or twice daily, and fully cleaned out at least once a week. This is a great thread for those unfamiliar with fleece. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ect-study.html

As for not eating hay, how many pellets are you giving her? Cutting back a bit on pellets (the least part of a pigs' diet) and always offering good smelling grass hay may encourage her to eat it.

It's much better to have fleece on top of the towel than just a towel. The fleece will wick away moisture and keep her dry, whereas the towels that you put underneath the fleece will absorb. Cheap fleece throws are readily available.

How big is her cage? I'm assuming it's a store bought cage. NO store bought cages are large enough to provide cavies with enough space to live and exercise. Instructions for making cheap, larger cages are on the main page of the site.

Pigs are social, herd animals. She's most likely be happier, livlier, and healthier with a friend (though make sure you have a large enough cage first, that helps keep the peace). In the future, is there a chance of ADOPTING (please don't go to a store again) her a buddy? Double check she is indeed a girl first Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig and try to find another girl or neutered male. Again, double check all genders. Make sure any new pig you bring into your home is quarantined in a seperate room for three weeks, with hand washing and clothes changing between handling the pigs.

[johnaricka]

wow, I am so happy here! you all give so much great info! Just came from the local store we got her from. I bought some new bedding. (here is where you all can pipe in on "I told you so's") I also inquired on how old she is. Get this; six weeks old. That explains so much. She really is just a baby. They were not giving them veggies at all. (and yes, I will not purchase another pig but rather rescue) I got some new hay since she really didn't like the sample that came in the new owner kit I purchased. I am thinking it all might be old. So I have tossed the old stuff and have purchased new pellets too. I bought a really pretty bowl kit too that hubby is going to complain was costly. LOL sweet pig! anyhow, once the new food was in the cage, she is a new pig. She is eating like we have never seen. She immediately investigated everything and started chomping away. As for the cage size, I got the largest one they had. It consumes the top of my sons dresser chest. (maybe 3x2?) and we will need to upgrade size later.

[johnaricka]

oh, one more thing..we introduced her to our boxer dog, whom wants to baby her like a puppy. She wants to groom her. They are never left unattended. Anyone else have any comments on their pigs becoming friends with their other pets?

[pigsmakemesmile]

Be very cautious when it comes to other pets and pigs....several members on this site have lost their pigs due to unintentional injuries from other pets mainly dogs. I have a bassett. When I'm holding my pig is THE only time I allow my dog Fred to take a sniff and give a lick..hehe. He is very good around my pigs and they aren't afraid of him...at least it seems, but I would never and I mean never leave him alone with my pigs...to me it's just not worth the risk, the worry and so not fair to the pig if something should go wrong. This includes keeping the door to the pig room closed at all times. Luckily, my pigs are in the garage. Never, ever use a gate to block a doorway as the only means of keeping a pet from getting to the pig. A member had used one and the dog managed to get through it and the pig died as a result of the dog getting to it. I treat my pigs like infants and never leave them unattended unless in a safe place such as in their pen with safety as numeral one priority. They're outside on the grass only when I'm out there with them. Basicially anytime they are out of their cage is only because I'm with them.
As far as using a towel...it's fine but I would use 2 old towels one on top of the other for padding and better absorbancey unless you have an old fleece blanket to lay on top of the towels. You'll need to shake them out a couple times unless you have a small wisk broom and dust pan on hand or a little black and decker vaccum. You'll probably find yourself experimenting with bedding like most of us have. My pigs really seem to like the fleece the most..probably because its soft. I tend to use it more in the winter months to keep them warm. If you choose this method, you may find it easier to keep several on hand for cage changes.

[johnaricka]

good warning on my dog. I am weary and protective. And this isn't because I think she could eat her. To give you some history on my boxer, she has basically no teeth...no joke. beside her lacking teeth, we bite trained her as a puppy so she would be every so gently with the kids as I was watching twin infants as a favor for three years in addition to having my own four kids. She is such a baby that my Army Sniper son brought home my first grandchild (bulldog puppy) and the puppy literally beat up on my gently boxer. She would not defend herself. So my first grandchild has to be visited instead of visiting gramma. My fear isn't that Emma will eat my new piggy baby but that she will take her big paw to her to bring her closer to groom her. So she is always supervised and we not only lock her cage when we leave but we close my sons room even though the cage is a foot over her head standing on her hind legs. I do however want to encourage the two to not be afraid of each other and since she is a baby it is the best time to work on that. I just want to reiterate that it would be me working on it and not any of my kids...ever. I never want her to be a toy to my boxer. here are a couple pics from my phone;

Emma has the most maternal sense. She layed on the ground to be at her level almost as if to not scare her. Fuzz really was crawling to Emma. I kept telling Emma to be nice to the baby.