Me and My Pig(s): Adopted 2 Piggies this Week

[jtsanti]

I thought I should introduce myself. I have had a great time soaking up all of the information here on the forums.
I adopted 2 guinea pigs from the animal shelter on Tuesday. They were supposedly classroom pets that the teacher surrendered. I was told they were both males (Buddy & Arnold) and are 5 years old. One of them has a head tilt and is underweight.
I took them to the vet the next day to have them checked out. I was told by the vet that I actually have 2 GIRL pigs and she doesn't think they are 5 years old. I am not sure how you can tell a pigs age? We renamed them Beatrice and Penelope.
Anyway, the vet tried to look into Beatrice's ears but she couldn't seem get a good look. She wasn't sure there was an ear infection but gave me Baytril for her. The vet said other than the low weight and tilt they both look good- no mites and feet are good.
They came with 2 cages but they are both too small. I bought coroplast today and plan to get the cubes tomorrow.
About me, I am a married homeschool mom of 3 kids, 14,10 & 2. We live in the SF Bay Area. Besides the piggies, I have 2 cats and 2 geckos.
I am excited about our new piggie adventure.

[PiggieMom]

Welcome to the forum! It's heartwarming to see a new member do so many things correctly right off the bat. Those piggies are lucky to have found a caring new momma! I don't believe there's anyway to tell how old the pigs are once they're full grown. Just in case they are older in years, you may want to look at these pages on aging Guinealynx's page and the article by Vicki it links to. I hope you have many years with your new girlies though.

[Peggysu]

Welcome to GPC! I hope you enjoy the site and continue learning. I've learned so much here and just love it. When you finish the cage we always enjoy seeing pictures!

[akstrohm]

Welcome! Pigs are very often missexed, which is why there are so many accidental pregnancies. I'm glad you did some research before adopting them and took them to a vet. There's no definitive way to tell a pig's age, but things like nails and teeth can sometimes give a general idea.

Definitely check out the stickies here and read up on proper diet and care. You will probably want a top on your cage since you have cats (even if they seem fine with the pigs).

[TwilightStar]

Welcome to the forums!
I'm glad you're up to such a great start by getting them checked out by a vet.
Your piggies are so lucky to have found such a good mom. I wish you good luck!