Hello, my name is Jamie, I am a bit new to having pets, let alone guinea pigs (I have had 2 fish and 1 turtle). Anyway, I guess I have a few questions that I am hoping someone can answer.
I got my first guinea pig on Friday, his name is Hampton, Friday night I was up reading blogs all night and seeing all the things I had done wrong, his cage was too small (I got one from PetSmart), I bought dry shampoo (although I haven't used it, but I read that they can have water baths, the lady at PetSmart said that they can not get wet because it's bad for their skin?), and he didn't have a friend. So Saturday I bought everything I needed to make him a new cage (it's about 11 square feet) and I went and got his friend, Carlos (they were together when I first got Hampton).
I didn't know that I was supposed to introduce them separate first, so I put them in their new cage together the first night. They get along very well, they are always cuddling, but Carlos has been sneezing alot and Hampton has started sneezing alittle, I thought this was cute at first, but I googled it (like I do everything when it comes to them) and I saw that it could be a URI, this scared me alot, so I am taking them to the vet today (a exotic pet vet).
I didn't even think to quarantine them! I feel so bad that they are both sick now, although they have been eating and playing quite a bit.
So the reason I made a post on diet and nutrition is because I am wondering whether I should leave there pellets and fruit in their with them all the time or only a few hours a day? I do have hay in there all the time and water with vitamin C.
Any advice or tips are welcome. I am ready to learn, I want to be able to love and take care of them like they deserve.
Thanks for reading and replying!!
I got my first guinea pig on Friday, his name is Hampton, Friday night I was up reading blogs all night and seeing all the things I had done wrong, his cage was too small (I got one from PetSmart), I bought dry shampoo (although I haven't used it, but I read that they can have water baths, the lady at PetSmart said that they can not get wet because it's bad for their skin?), and he didn't have a friend. So Saturday I bought everything I needed to make him a new cage (it's about 11 square feet) and I went and got his friend, Carlos (they were together when I first got Hampton).
I didn't know that I was supposed to introduce them separate first, so I put them in their new cage together the first night. They get along very well, they are always cuddling, but Carlos has been sneezing alot and Hampton has started sneezing alittle, I thought this was cute at first, but I googled it (like I do everything when it comes to them) and I saw that it could be a URI, this scared me alot, so I am taking them to the vet today (a exotic pet vet).
I didn't even think to quarantine them! I feel so bad that they are both sick now, although they have been eating and playing quite a bit.
So the reason I made a post on diet and nutrition is because I am wondering whether I should leave there pellets and fruit in their with them all the time or only a few hours a day? I do have hay in there all the time and water with vitamin C.
Any advice or tips are welcome. I am ready to learn, I want to be able to love and take care of them like they deserve.
Thanks for reading and replying!!