Hello Everyone!

When I first brought the boys home on Friday night, I noticed a faint white color on the forehead of one of the pigs (the one pictured on the above right). Immediately I thought it was ringworm, since ringworm can be characterized as powdery white. Of course, they were already going to be quarantined because I have other pets in my home. I purchased extra virgin coconut oil because of it's natural anti-fungal properties, and also because I've read that there are many uses of this product for hairless guinea pigs.

I have raised all sorts of rodents as pets, but never rabbits or guinea pigs so this experience is very new to me. I've had the pigs for four days now and noticed little white spots appearing on their fleece. I was afraid they were some kind of fungus or mold buildup as they were appearing within a matter of hours. After doing a bit of research I've learned that these spots are likely calcium deposits. I have given them romaine lettuce since bringing them home so that is likely the culprit. I'm not going to feed anymore fresh foods with exception of peppers until the boys have been examined by their veterinarian, and also until I see a positive change regarding the calcium deposits.

We are meeting with Dr. Brinker. I've heard many great things about him and his knowledge and ability to work with small animals so I'm really looking forward to meeting him and seeing how he examines the guinea pigs. I am very particular about the healthcare of my animals!

Right now the boys are being housed in a ZooZone 2, but today I get to pick up the 8ft by 4ft sheet of coroplast I ordered from a local sign shop and will be able to complete their 2x5 C&C cage! After Christmas I plan on ordering some Piggy BedSpreads and will definitely have tons of pictures to share!

I consider myself fairly knowledgeable of rodent care (I've raised Syrian hamsters, Campbell's dwarf hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, and even a hedgehog), but there is quite a lot to learn about guinea pigs. I hope to be able to share my experiences with this community, and also learn from the experiences of others. I love to post pictures and have even started a guinea pig blog on Tumblr to document this exciting new adventure with skinny pigs! I look forward to meeting everyone here on the forums!