Behavior I need urgent help

[pinky]

If they're sneezing a lot, I'd have them checked for a URI by a vet. I'd switch to KM Hayloft pellets since they don't have calcium carbonate. (limestone) Refer to the Diet and Nutrition chart for the foods that are best to feed.

 

[piggielover401]

Does this look normal?

 

[Soecara]

How old are your guinea pigs? Do you feed pellets, if so how much a day and what brand? What kind of lettuce are you feeding? I am somewhat concerned by the comment of they sneeze even when there is no hay, how often are they sneezing? Is there any discharge from their nose? Also they should never be without hay, unless you are referring to when you have them out of the cage. Celery is moderately high in calcium so maybe consider cutting back on that.

 

[just8be8free]

Yes that looks pretty normal. Has your guinea pigs pee changed?

 

[Piggly12]

@piggielover401

How old are they? Pigs under 6 months should be fed quality alfalfa pellets, and it doesn’t matter so much if they are producing deposits, as they need the extra calcium for health bone and tooth growth.

What brand of pellets are you using? Most brands use Alfalfa hay, which has lots of calcium in it. You want pellets to be brown (brightly coloured pellets are full of sugar and chemicals) and to have the main ingredient as Timothy Hay (which has much less calcium).

Also, guinea pigs should have Timothy hay (not Alfalfa) in their cage 24/7, as they need food to be moving through their stomachs constantly.

What type of lettuce are they getting? Romaine/Cos lettuce causes some pigs to excrete excessive amounts of calcium, but doesn’t affect others. I use red and green leafy lettuce, a lot like the ones in the following pic. They should be getting about 2 parts leafy greens to 1 part vegetables (or something like that).



This link has a very helpful guide to how often to feed each type of veggie: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List

The tomato, celery and cucumber should be limited to a few times per week, and they can have the equivalent of a baby carrot a day, but the chart gives much more detailed info on this and alternative veggies too.

Do they have runny noses? Have a look at this link anyway, it could come in handy for another time (but hopefully it won’t need to): https://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html

Edit: Wow! I must be a slow typer! There were about 2 replies when I started typing!

 

[piggielover401]

They do not have runny noses or wheezing or coughing. Could it be because of the dry air?

 

[bpatters]

Normal guinea pig urine is whitish, not clear like most other mammals.

If you rub your finger over a dried spot and it's powdery, like flour, that's less of a problem than if it's gritty, like sand.

How old are the pigs?

What kind of pellets do you feed, and how many?

What kind of lettuce do you use?

The color of the pepper isn't particularly important. The colored ones have more sugar, but also more vitamin C. I give mine a mixture.

Celery is fairly high in calcium. You could cut that out and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Nilda]

What kind of lettuce are you giving? Make sure it's red leaf or green leaf. Stay away from romaine and iceberg. I give my pigs red or green leaf lettuce and green pepper every day. The other things you mentioned, I give occasionally. They should also have unlimited hay. As far as the sneezing, I would watch. If they should have any type of discharge coming out of their nose, I would take them to an exotic vet.

 

[piggielover401]

Ok thank you very much. I will stop with calery. My piggies are 6 months and the other two are 2 months. I make sure they have hay daily. I'm not sure what the brand is but they are pellets witch are high in vitamin c, and very low in calcium. They contain elderberry and Timothy hay.

 

[piggielover401]

And I give my piggies green letace. I stay away from iceberg. Could they be sneezing because of the dry air?

 

[bpatters]

I wouldn't worry too much about the calcium spots at their ages. It's much more of a problem in older pigs. Do make sure they're drinking a lot (syringe water to them if you have to).

What is the percentage of calcium in the pellets? And what is the calcium source?

 

[piggielover401]

Ok. Thank you. I just want to know if it's normal for them to sneeze? They sneeze a lot even with no hay. They don't have runny noses and they don't cough. Is it normal?

 

[piggielover401]

Can it be the dry air?

 

[bpatters]

Yes, if they have no other symptoms of a URI. Or it could be hay dust.

 

[piggielover401]

Ok. Thank you. Do your piggies sneeze in winter?

 

[bpatters]

No, they don't.

 

[piggielover401]

Is it fine for my piggies to sneeze? I'm just really worried. They don't seem sick. They are very active an eat a lot. They also pick up lots of weight. Could it be the dry air?

 

[pinky]

If it was me, I'd take them in for a well check. If they've never been seen by a vet, it would be a good opportunity for you to establish a relationship with an exotic vet so you'll be prepared in the event of a medical emergency. The vet will be able to tell if they have a URI or not and will be able to show you how to clip nails and offer advice on caring for them. Without examining them, no one on here will be able to tell you for certain whether they're sick or not. Guinea pigs are prey animals and they try to hide illnesses so they won't be targeted by predators so it's sometimes hard to tell when they're sick until they're gravely ill.

 

[piggielover401]

I did take them to the vet. An exotic one. She said they are very healthy. So could it be the dry air?

 

[bpatters]

See my answer in post (broken link removed) above.