New Pig(s): New and new to pigs...

[diannfaith]

Hello,
I am new to these cuties and my name is DiAnn. Ty my 4 year old son has wanted something small and sweet for a while. I have reptiles and since he got bit by two bearded dragons and a box turtle in one week I figured it was time he got a furry baby (I will make sure the pigs cared for).
I searched for a while on craigslist and looked around for a breeder but no luck. We ended up purchasing from a pet store today and he is 5 months old.
I hope I did okay but I am sure I need to change a lot. This is why I love forums. I have him in a temporary home till I figure out the best for him. I know I should have everything perfect before I bring him home but my son finally found one he liked and it seems like these guys sell pretty fast locally.
I am not sure what kind he is but he is definitely cute.
I bought him carefresh bedding, a edible log, Ecotrition pellet food, Kaytee Timothy hay, some kind of pumice rock thing for teeth, and water bottle.
I already have the greens & vegies he needs. My son has held him most of the day and he ate from his hands some Radiccio, carrots and Endive.
Here is my 4 year old son and our new addition to our family. My son named him "Guinea Pig".


My son and him sharing some fresh fruit and radicchio



THanks and I look forward to learning more!!

[Mad&Zoe]

Welcome to the forum!
I'm glad you've come here to find out the right thing to do.
Hopefully that tub will be a [i]very[i] temporary home.
You should probably drill some holes into the sides because they do not allow for proper ventilation.
Really the best cage is a C&C cage found on the home of this site.
It provides the most room since store bought cages are never big enough.

Fruits should be kept as more of a treat, and one baby carrot a day.
There is a thread at the top of the diet section that gives a chart of foods and how often they should be fed.

I'm sure other people will have some more suggestions for you, like adopting your piggy a friend.

Welcome once again and I hope you continue to learn a lot and better the life for your cute little guinea pig.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Breeders as just as bad as pet stores. Please adopt next time Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder

I'd keep an eye on him and make sure he is a he and healthy. Pet store pigs are usually missexed and sick. Your piggie looks like a peruvian by the way. You'll have to groom him.

Please look over this site Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home and the housing recommended on here. Plastic bins have poor ventilation (makes them more susceptible to URI and other things), and too small.

Guinea pigs also do best in pairs Guinea Pigs Social Life

There is diet info in the diet forum, under the stickies. The pumice rock is bad. I'd toss it and the ecotrition pellets. They need a plain high quality pellet like Oxbow or Kleenmama. No seeds, nuts or colored bits. Too fattening and they can choke.

Kaytee hay isn't the best brand but the veggies and carefresh are good.

[moma_freak]

I would suggest removing the edible log, it's not good for your piggy

[ferndalezoo]

Hi! And welcome! Are you sure of the age? He seems on the small side for 5 months (my six month old is nearly full grown). Maybe you meant 5 weeks? They are taken from mom around 3 weeks (21 days) so 5 weeks would be about the time you'd start seeing them in pet stores. I'd strongly suggest getting Guinea Pig into a vet, as pet store pigs frequently have issues (namely mites) that a vet will need to treat. They will also be able to confirm Guinea Pig's gender, so that once you build your permanent cage, you can acquire a buddy (they are social and do best in groups) of the correct gender (thereby avoiding babies!!). The Kaytee hay is alright for now, but you can usually find Oxbow in those same types of stores, and it's better.

Also, it looks like your piggie might be a peruvian. Click on my handle to see my profile, and then click on my gallery. My piggie Wyatt is what a peruvian looks like fully grown. They are very high maintainence in the grooming department. Just so you are aware.

Congrats on the new arrival! Both (your son and the piggie!) are adorable!

Keep reading! You'll learn a lot here!

[hilary]

Go to all of the links people above me have provided for you, and keep searching on this site when you have more questions, or ask another question in this thread. I don't see a water bottle in the picture, or bowl, maybe I'm just missing it, but be sure to make water available at all times. Some piggies barely drink, but they still need accessible to them.

If he is 5 months like you say, I believe he will need an alfalfa based pellet, or supplement of alfalfa hay until he is six months old. It'd be a good idea to take him to the vet and get a thorough check-up done, and then he can also be sexed just to be sure.

Welcome to the forum, this is a great place to get info on being the best piggy parent you can be!

[wheekypigs]

Awwww what a cute piggie! I wish I had him! :P

[diannfaith]

Thanks for all the advice. I was up till 2am reading and boy did I do everything wrong.
I will have everything the way it should be by next weekend and see if my vet can check him over this week.
He is the sweetest little thing and as soon as I find out his sex then I will get him an appropriate friend. He is in my lap as I type and boy did he have a lot of pellet like poo last night. I woke up and could not believe how much he pooped. I can only imagine 2 piggies.
He does have a water bottle attached to his temporary home. You can see the spout on the bottom right of the cage.
I will work on getting everything correct and getting this guy as healthy as possible.
When can I give him a bath? He smells like the pet store and wood shavings. I do not want to stress him out but he stinks.
Thanks for all the advice and this wonderful forum!!

[akstrohm]

It's okay--lots of people make mistakes with their first pig. It sounds like you're on the right track now. You can go ahead and bathe him. You need to use guinea pig, rabbit, or non-medicated kitten shampoo (human baby shampoo is not good for pigs). In general don't bathe him too often as it can dry out his skin. And don't forget to quarantine your new pig behind closed doors for three weeks.

[fieryone]

Originally Posted by diannfaith

Thanks for all the advice. I was up till 2am reading and boy did I do everything wrong.

Most of us do in the beginning. The important thing is that when you got your piggy home, you decided to do some research. A lot of people bring a piggy home, do everything wrong and continue to do so and then get sick of the pig. You will find that once you get him into a bigger cage, you will see a change in his personality for the better and it will be much easier to clean! Yes, they do poop a LOT!

Just keep reading and asking questions and you'll be doing everything right in no time. Welcome

[ferndalezoo]

Originally Posted by diannfaith

Thanks for all the advice. I was up till 2am reading and boy did I do everything wrong.
I will have everything the way it should be by next weekend and see if my vet can check him over this week!!

Not too many of us came here knowing everything already about pig care-- that's how it's supposed to go (you do the research first, and THEN get the pet) but in reality, most of us ended up here because we already had a guinea pig (or two or three), and wandered on in. I personally found it by googling "Guinea Pig Cages" because I wanted to buy a new (pet store) cage for my pig (back then, we had only Phil). I was FLOORED with how much I was doing wrong--- crappy pellets. No hay. No veggies. Too small a cage. Bad bedding. No buddy. We've come a long way since then, and Phil is no longer with us (rest in peace, little dude), and it's all largely due to this site.

You've had your pig for less than 24 hours, and were already starting to research. Late, sure, but you have a good year or two on me!

Keep reading. Keep learning. Let us know if you have questions, and we'll all do what we can to help out.

You're already off to a great start, just having found this forum.

[snistopher]

Originally Posted by ferndalezoo

Not too many of us came here knowing everything already about pig care-- that's how it's supposed to go (you do the research first, and THEN get the pet) but in reality, most of us ended up here because we already had a guinea pig (or two or three), and wandered on in. I personally found it by googling "Guinea Pig Cages" because I wanted to buy a new (pet store) cage for my pig (back then, we had only Phil). I was FLOORED with how much I was doing wrong--- crappy pellets. No hay. No veggies. Too small a cage. Bad bedding. No buddy. We've come a long way since then, and Phil is no longer with us (rest in peace, little dude), and it's all largely due to this site.

You've had your pig for less than 24 hours, and were already starting to research. Late, sure, but you have a good year or two on me!

Keep reading. Keep learning. Let us know if you have questions, and we'll all do what we can to help out.

You're already off to a great start, just having found this forum.

I fully agree with this, as well as everyone elses posts. My wife and kids bought home Doodles six months ago, and it's been nothing but reading and education since then. But to see the change in your cavy's personality when you change things for the better is so worth it. Welcome to the board, and like everyone said, feel free to ask plenty of questions

Just as an aside: I went to Petco the other day to buy bedding, and I told the clerk that I have a new guinea pig. She told me to spray vanilla on both of them so that they learn to like each other. It's amazing what the public, even pet store clerks, believe is proper care for a cavy

[ferndalezoo]

I've actually used the vanilla thing for introducing rats--- after a buddy bath, we used vanilla so (a) they all smelled the same and (b) they were so busy grooming the good stuff off each other, they bonded.

But that's rats.

I wouldn't even THINK of trying something like that with cavies.

[Christa]

Hi Diane and son,congratulations to your start.You will be a very good cavyslave.I wish you all rhe best and don't be afraid about grooming, if you handle him or her always it is easy....

[ferndalezoo]

I don't know that I'd call it "easy!" , but it doesn't have to be a big deal. If he is a peruvian (and it really looks like it is), you'll need to get him used to being combed NOW, which his hair is still pretty short, so that when it IS long, he's used to the process. Most people I know with long-haired piggies keep at least the butt-end trimmed short, but you can cut the whole thing short if you want to for easier care. I keep my peruvian in as close to a "full coat" as I can. My silkie is growing out from a bad haircut (long story), but we usually keep his butt end cut short also. Both are combed daily, butt ends washed about every other week or so, and full bath every few months.

[diannfaith]

I just bathed my piggie and while I was combing and drying him I saw a little yellow mite like bug. What do I do and can my son and I get them?
We have been cuddling and kissing and letting this piggie crawl all over us.
Thanks

[ferndalezoo]

Mites are often treated with ivermectin, which is available through your vet. They can be a big problem in pet-store pigs, but are treatable, so no need to panic.

[diannfaith]

Can we get them? I feel itchy all over. I will call the vet in the morning.

[akstrohm]

Most mites are too small to see, and very few can live on humans. Read this page: http://www.guinealynx.info/parasites.html

[lmarieaa]

Kaytee is not a very good hay, but it will suffice until you can get something better. I recommend that you find a place that sells hay by the bale. Its way cheaper than overpriced bagged hay sold in stores. See if you have a horse stables or feed store near you that you could by hay from. Or you could try KM Hay: Kleenmama's Hayloft :: Home. They have good quality pellets too.
Also, you should try to find a store that sells Oxbow, Ecotrition is not a very good food. Oxbow Animal Health | Home and Oxbow Animal Health | Find Oxbow Products