Bedding In need of some bedding advice; pig affected by wood pellets

[Geranium]

Tulip, my 2.5 year old guinea pig, has just recently become inactive and spends most of her time resting in her cuddle cup. I'm monitoring her behavior and ensuring she's eating and drinking, though she's obviously spending less time running around and being active. I'm worried it's due to the switch to wood pellets. A couple weeks ago I made the switch and it's FANTASTIC in terms of odor-control. I'm also enjoying the clean-up process, as it doesn't involve tons of laundry. I just put a thin layer of newspaper on the bottom to help damper the noise a bit, then do a layer of the pellets, with fleece on top. Tulip has always had wonky nails, and even when they're maintained and trimmed as short as possible, they'll overlap or curve into each other. I think they probably were not properly maintained when she was a baby. Anyway, I'm thinking this might be affecting her when she tries to move around the cage, and that the pellets are hurting her feet and discouraging her from being active. I've moved the food and water closer to her and she'll exhibit normal behavior once brought to her. My other pig who's 1 year and has normal nails is having no issue.

----> So: does anyone have any advice on which bedding I should use? I love the pellets + fleece combo, but if it's limiting Tulip's activity it obviously cannot stay. Beforehand I was using towels + fleece, which was too smelly and had to be changed and washed frequently, so I don't really want to go back to that. Carefresh is also waaaaay too expensive. Are there any other options I'm missing out on? Is there anyway I can keep using the wood pellets but make it easier for Tulip's feet? Thank you all in advance!

Side note: I am monitoring Tulip's weight and will take her to the vet if necessary, so do not worry on that front.

 

[Rnd210]

You could use a cotton mattress protector pad or a u-haul moving pad and sew the fleece to the mattress pad or sew u-haul pad between two layers of fleece. The uhaul pad and mattress pad doesn't smell as bad as the towels do.

 

[bpatters]

I doubt seriously that the pellets are the problem. I've housed pigs on fleece over pellets for years, and never had a single issue with it. They're just not that hard under the fleece, and they quickly degrade into sawdust which is flat anyway.

 

[Geranium]

She's occasionally doing some weird hopping, which she exhibited before when she injured her foot. I believe you when you say it's improbable the pellets are the problem since my other is doing okay, plus I know some people use the pellets without any fleece. I just don't know what the issue would be then, unless it's internal.

 

[bpatters]

Hopping can be a sign of arthritis. Or she might have a slight case of scurvy, Exactly what do you feed her?

 

[Geranium]

Usually they get timothy hay from SPS or KMS, though I decided to get them KMS Bluegrass for once, they're not as stoked. Usually also get KMS pellets, but are managing with Oxbow adult until I place another KMS order, also not as stoked on this. Daily veg involves green leaf and green bell, every other day a baby carrot. Not much variance in veg besides the occasional tomato or colored pepper. Going off guinealynx, her symptoms do suggest scurvy. I have some oxbow critical care, would this help? Any other actions I can take at home?

 

[lunarminx]

I would give more peppers and buy some chewable vitamin c tablets fruit flavor, quarter them, crush between two spoons and sprinkle over the veggies. Do a quarter tablet every day. Normally the tablet will be 500mg, so a quarter will be 125 mg which some will be lossed as it is sprinkled over the veggies in the cage and falls off. The dose will be fine at about 50mg per pig if you just have the two pigs.

 

[bpatters]

Well, you need to know the strength of the vitamin C. I wouldn't give as much as 125 mg for suspected scurvy. I'd start with about 50 mg. for about a week and see if things improve.

Alternatively, you can get Vita Drops liquid vitamin C and dilute it in a little water and fruit juice and syringe it to her.

She needs a pretty good sized chunk of bell pepper to make sure she gets enough vitamin C. How much pepper do they get per day? And are you sure this pig eats it?

 

[Geranium]

I will be honest, I have gotten in the habit of dropping off their veg and continuing making dinner, as this all usually happens around the same time. I watched her today and made sure she got some pepper. Her and her cagemate usually go through 1 pepper every 3 days. I will definitely look into the vitamin C tablets. Can the solid pills be crushed or diluted? I just ask because I have a ton of those on hand already. Also, no or yes on the critical care? Going off my record keeping she has lost ~50g over 3 days.

 

[bpatters]

I wouldn't do Critical Care. It's a food replacement, not a vitamin, and it's high in calcium. That's fine for a sick pig, but unless the pig is losing weight or recovering from an illness or can't chew, it's not necessary.

If you're feeding small peppers, I'd give them half every day.

 

[Geranium]

They're usually pretty large. Thank you for the advice! Also, if anyone wants to comment on the solid vitamin C pills that would be great.

 

[jaycriae]

Solid vitamin C pills would work, but it'd probably be easier and more pleasant to buy plain liquid supplement and syringe that.


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