Adicted to Piggies

Hello and welcome! You should post pictures! Everyone loves looking at piggy pictures!

[Binky my Clean Cavylol]
[Patsy my Cozy Cavy]

Binky is my 'Diva' pig...it tears me up knowing she may not be around much longer....she has a severe URI in one lung...xrays revealed a lot of fluid in one lung as well as possible tumors. So even if her URI or pneumonia clears up...the tumors will probably cause more viral conditions and other respiratory issues...

Patsy is a sweetie baby...we got her to be a buddy for Binky. I kept her quarranteed to be sure there wasn't any underlying issues with her. Good thing too because in just two weeks of having her we had to deal with a short bout of a mild URI...and now has a fungal infection on her buttocks. I think the stress of the URI and being in a new environment probably caused whatever dormant fungal issues she had to emerge. I have found a Cavy Savy Vet in our area and feel pretty confident they are both being treated as best as they can be.

So sadly it appears these two girls will probably never meet. I am uncomfortable introducing Binky to any other piggies with her health issues. When the time comes for Binky to pass...I will seek out another piggy for Patsy for she needs buddy. Of course, I would plan to keep them separated for at least 21 days, and take the new one to the vet before any introductions are made.

Unfortunately, I have to get my piggies from the pet stores since we do not have any rescues (that I know of) in our area. I have seen several surrendered piggies come to the pet shops and may wait until another one is brought there before I adopt. I always feel so bad when I see them displayed in the middle of store looking so displaced. But at least their previous owners didn't just dump them or put them to sleep...they actually get adopted pretty quickly too.

Hope you enjoy the pix I posted of the girls. Thanks for the suggestion YourSoJelly!

Both are so cute! I hope that everything works out with their health issues.

Thank you piggies11! I will keep their condition updated. I found it helpful myself when I have read other posts of ill piggies to know how they were treated and the outcomes of the treatments...it helps keep us all better informed

Can you have One Pig too Many?

My husband and I are having a disagreement about how many pigs a person should own.

I currently have two 'unbonded' females due to illness occuring during the 'quarantine' period. Binky as I have mentioned before is really not doing well. She has fallen into another slump...she has been on medication now for 4 weeks and rallies for a few days then goes into a slump, complete with lethargy and fever. My vet believes she has something viral due to a secondary infection or something stemming from the tumors we discovered on an xray. My goal is to keep her comfortable until her suffering interferes with her quality of life....I believe her time is coming sooner than later. I don't want Patsy to grow up alone...especially since I have heard so many articles about how they fair better in pairs.

Which is why I have been corresponding with someone about possibly adopting her 2 bonded female piggies. But my husband thinks having 4 piggies is too much. I disagree and feel that eventually the two new ones might be able to bond with Patsy who is recovering from a fungal infection (of course no introductions till all are cleared by vet and have been quaranteened).

So...how many pigs is really too much? If time, finances, etc...are there, then can you really have too many? Now, I might add...I am all for having a wonderful marriage too and wouldn't make choices that would cause stress in our relationship...but I am curious how other folks view this question. With so many piggies going up for adoption in some cases it would appear maybe even just one can be too much for some to care for...or circumstances have changed making it difficult for them to give the love and care they know their pets deserve.

Cavy's are herd animals...how big is a typical herd? Do they really like to live with more than one other piggy? I have read other stories where the pig is best served as being the sole GP in the house. Anyway...I know there are many experienced GP owners and would be interested in their views. Thanks!

NursePiggy said:

Unfortunately, I have to get my piggies from the pet stores since we do not have any rescues (that I know of) in our area. I have seen several surrendered piggies come to the pet shops and may wait until another one is brought there before I adopt. I always feel so bad when I see them displayed in the middle of store looking so displaced. But at least their previous owners didn't just dump them or put them to sleep...they actually get adopted pretty quickly too.

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If you feel comfortable giving us your general location (city and state/province) we can try and help/ This site is full of rescue owners from all over the world and someone might know a place. Have you looked into crapigslist or petfinder? If there is a pet store I can almost guarantee that there are pigs looking for homes near you.

If you do decide to adopt from the store make sure it really is adoption. Ask where the money goes to and really do due dillagence. Often times pet stores will put animals out there and claim it's adoption to try and get rid of sick pigs, pigs that are too old, or in some other way "flawed" to the point where they can't sell them. So make sure the fee goes to a spay and neuter fund, to a rescue of something along those lines.

Good point Colorado Cavies...but I know that Petco does make sure the pigs they put out for adoption are from owners who brought them in and that the money you 'donate' are actually put in a rescue fund. On their transaction machines there is a donation button you can select...and that is the one they have you push. Plus they never charge more than $20 for the adoptions so I am confident they are legit when they 'adopt' out.

I am in South Carolina and since being on this forum have gotten some good leads on locations that have piggy rescues, etc...I have been looking at few of them already....but don't want to adopt until I know for sure Binky won't get better. I want to be sure I give her the care she needs right now.

Of course. I didn't mean to imply that at all! I've very sorry if it came off that way.

Hopefully she will get better and this will all be a moot point. <3

Your piggies look very sweet, and they are lucky that the wound up in the hands of such a caring owner. It's nice to hear of someone going above and beyond for the health of their piggies. I have had my share of veterinary experiences with my boys and it can be hard and stressful, try to keep your head up!

As far as how many piggies is too many depends on a lot of factors including do all your piggies get along. Unfortunately that question isn't usually answered until you attempt introductions. When I had 3 piggies it was too much for me, I had three males and two of them didn't get along so I had to have two cages for one of mine to be separate. The extra cage added more of a financial burden than I was prepared for and I struggled with it. Last month one of them passed away and I was able to get rid of the other cage (actually just dropped it off at my local guinea pig rescue today as a donation). My two boys now share a cage though they have grids separating the two of them. Sows can be easier to get along than boars (not always, but usually) so it may work out easier for you. Whatever you decided I wish you the best of luck!

No worries Colorado Cavies! Its true there are always folks who want to take advantage of others, so I do think your point was well intentioned. I had read a pretty horrific news report about Petco stores in a certain area in San Fransico back several years ago on how careless they were with the handling of their small pets. After reading it I decided to take a closer look at the chain in my area to see if I saw similar signs of mishandling...I'm happy to say I thought they were doing a pretty good job overall. Interestingly many of them owned several pets themselves...and I have even witnessed some of them adopting some that were surrendered by other pet owners. Like so many things, the management and personnel of any establishment can really set up either a positive or negative impression about the entire company. Even our Petsmart here seems to have caring folks...even though sometimes I question their 'knowledge' about the pets beyond general store literature...which is why I love forums like these which are full of experienced folks like yourself who can offer valuable insight into effective care for the piggies. So again, no worries...I truly appreciated your comment.

I give you cavy prayers!!! I hope your two get better. When my piggy got sick from paralysis, we took her to a vet and put her to sleep. She couldnt walk, and was barely eating. Sometimes I wish we had taken her home because we didnt like that vet, and tried our best to nurse her back to health. I know how it feels to lose a pig, and its hard so I hope yours get better.

Agrimony said:

Your piggies look very sweet, and they are lucky that the wound up in the hands of such a caring owner. It's nice to hear of someone going above and beyond for the health of their piggies. I have had my share of veterinary experiences with my boys and it can be hard and stressful, try to keep your head up!

As far as how many piggies is too many depends on a lot of factors including do all your piggies get along. Unfortunately that question isn't usually answered until you attempt introductions. When I had 3 piggies it was too much for me, I had three males and two of them didn't get along so I had to have two cages for one of mine to be separate. The extra cage added more of a financial burden than I was prepared for and I struggled with it. Last month one of them passed away and I was able to get rid of the other cage (actually just dropped it off at my local guinea pig rescue today as a donation). My two boys now share a cage though they have grids separating the two of them. Sows can be easier to get along than boars (not always, but usually) so it may work out easier for you. Whatever you decided I wish you the best of luck!

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Thank you Agrimony for the kind words and well wishes. And yes, I agree! The supplies can get you in the end...even if you go for the bare minimum it is hard not to want to give them the best you can. One trick I have found to help cut costs is I like to visit my pet stores to search out their clearance stuff like chew toys and such....I have found some really great deals this way...they seem to want to clear out their inventory every couple of months. I have gotten play pens, food bowls, litter pans, heating lamps...etc at very cheap prices. Plus, most stores will honor competitor prices or even their own stores online sales. Some also have 'point systems' where you can earn coupons. I was able to get $30 off a huge cage one time by combining the on sale price with point coupons I had earned. It seems to make it easier to tell my husband when i come home with bags of pet goodies that I got them all on sale! LOL! lol

Colorado Cavies said:

Of course. I didn't mean to imply that at all! I've very sorry if it came off that way.

Hopefully she will get better and this will all be a moot point. <3

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No worries Colorado Cavies... I do appreciate the help. I'd rather search out a site based on a recommendation of an experienced pet owner on where to find piggys that need homes. So please do offer recommendations...I live in Greenwood, SC which is in the 'Western Carolinas'. I have seen a handful of folks but all are over an hour away which makes it a little bit more challenging to just go and have a look-see before making a commitment. Cheers!

PiggieGuinea said:

I give you cavy prayers!!! I hope your two get better. When my piggy got sick from paralysis, we took her to a vet and put her to sleep. She couldnt walk, and was barely eating. Sometimes I wish we had taken her home because we didnt like that vet, and tried our best to nurse her back to health. I know how it feels to lose a pig, and its hard so I hope yours get better.

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Thank you PiggieGuinea! My youngest even said a little blessing at dinner tonight that Binky will get better afterall...We have only had her for 7 mths and felt like our relationship and bond was just getting to that point of trust and understanding....and we wanted to build upon that and find her a sweet cage mate...then she got sick. My youngest said he wants to be there when we put her to sleep but I was not keen on that idea...I would not want his last image of her to be that...I will make sure they all get to hold her and kiss her before I take her to the vet. They need to say their goodbyes. I craddle her after giving her medication and just speak softly to her. She just lies there, eyes gently closed, and purrs. I just want her to know she was loved...

Fungus Amongus Paranoia

So I am begin to get a bit anxious about the fungus infection my Patsy has so I have been scouring medical articles on GP etc...trying to find out how long does it take for a guinea pig to overcome a fungal infection during treatment...can't seem to get a good answer.

I am starting to become paranoid too that others in the house peopel and pets alike might catch the fungus...as we have all handled her or been in close contact to her prior to outbreak. It is so strange since she did not show any symptoms until about two weeks after bringing her home. She was sneezing so I brought her in after her first week and the vet gave her a low dose of baytril...when she was one dose away from finishing I noticed some of her fur on her back looked like it had been scraped off...I brought her in to vet two days later when they opened back up only to discover the scrape had grown into a larger balding area on her buttocks.

So she is now being treated with an external cream that seems to be helping...but I cannot tell %100 for sure... which is why I was doing research to see how long it takes to see results. The only difference I am seeing is that the spot looks less crusty...it does not appear to have gotten any larger...some of her fur color has returned to infected area as well....but now I think I am seeing a slight dry patch line down the front of her snout between her nostrils...again not sure if I am getting paranoid since I saw something like it in an article that was far more prominent than what my piggy has...but i went ahead and dabbed some vet cream on the spot just in case.

I ordered some gorgeous guinea shampoo that helps treat fungus infections and will give her a bath when it arrives...is it okay to bath them in conjunction with treatments or is that something you are supposed to do prior or when you are finished with the treatments?

I have been cleaning out her cage area every other day to help keep the fungus spores from inflitrating the enviornment but boy oh boy do I feel like I need to start wearing a face mask. And I am trying to discreetly check over my children's skin and see if any of my other animals are showing any signs. Its like this invisible intruder in my home! I feel like I am living one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek when the ship was taken over by tribbles!!!! Yikes!!!!! Is there any ending in sight to this or are we now eternally plagued with the possiblity this fungus will be among us forever!!!!!! hmy:

Good News Prognosis!

I am VERY happy to report that Binky had a good follow up visit today with our vet!!!!! Last week she was given a grave prognosis. After another week of baytril...this time at a larger dosage...she has turned the corner and her lungs are sounding much clearer!!!!! Last week her top and bottom lung were crackling with pneumonia symptoms...but today she only heard some rattling in her lower lung. I had a feeling she was getting better because her appetitie was improving and she was not as eager about me picking her up to give her the medicaitons. I saw some of her old Diva spirit coming back but didn't want to assume anything until we saw the vet....I cannot even begin to tell you how that has lightened a huge weight on my heart..... I thought for sure I was going to be putting her down this week but now I have hope she will pull through. We go back again next week for another follow up and I hope it will be even better than todays!

Patsy's fungal is clearing up but has a ways to go yet. With the rain and humidity we are experiencing here in SC the vet said she has seen an increase in these types of infections even with indoor pets like my piggies. I will be trying to give her a skin calming bath with Earthbath tea tree oil and aloe shampoo to help control further outbreaks. Ordered some Gorgeous Guniea shampoo too but it hasn't arrived yet. Vet read the ingrediants and said it was fine to use on guinea pigs so wish me luck...this will be her first bath ever!!!!

I am now looking forward to possibly being able to introduce them in another month when they should both be out-of-the-woods. Will have to videotape that meeting and post to share. Thanks again for all the Good Piggy Vibes!

This is Patsy looking pretty worn out after her vet visit!

Glad to hear about the good news! My fingers are crossed for you that everything continues improving