Australia Avoiding the pet store? Please help?

[janinehunt]

It is wonderful you were able to offer Sparkles a loving home, and I'm sure he will help to take your mind off the loss of Charlie. He's a cutie!

Did you look into @RodentCuddles' rescue for a buddy? See (broken link removed) and https://www.facebook.com/CavyCareRescue

Don't know how far you are from Auckland of course!

I hope Sparkles settles in well!

 

[animalmadlover]

Unfortunately the rescue is way up in the North Island. I am low down in the South Island so I can't adopt from her. It is a pity because I have been following her work through her website and facebook and she does fantastic work.

I have big news! I found a friend for Sparkles!!!!!!!
I heard of someone who has a tricoloured male guinea pig who just lost his friend and needs a companion. They want to give him to me for free!!!
Isn't that awesome, I never thought that I'd find him a friend so quickly.

 

[LoveMyHerd]

Yay! I'm so happy for Sparkles and his new friend!

 

[PeanutnCookie]

Wow! that's really great! I would quarantine both of them before introducing because you want to make sure they won't give each other anything. Even if they took good care of them, you never know. I like Sparkles! (the name and the pig himself) I was thinking Olaf because he is white, but you might not be a Frozen fan. Remember to tell us how the other pig goes and post pigtures!

 

[BaconAndEggs]

Sparkles is so cute! It is a great name.
It's wonderful that he was able to find a friend so fast! I'm so happy for you, Sparkles, and his new piggy friend!

 

[animalmadlover]

Everything is happening so fast that I can't blink! We're picking up his new friend this afternoon and they will be quarintined untill introduction time. It is amazing that they are both more or less a year old -the perfect age for introduction- and both of them have lost their friends. The one I'm getting lost his friend due to old age.
I don't know what he looks like excpet tricoloured.

 

[LoveMyHerd]

Keep us updated with pigtures!

 

[animalmadlover]

Keep us updated with pigtures!

I will!

 

[janinehunt]

Great news and fast work!

 

[animalmadlover]

Thank you! Looking back I can't believe that I lasted a whole week, (or two, I can't remember) without a furry companion. It was probably the longest week of my life!

Sparkles has settled in well, I put him outside today and he was running around and jumping happily.

 

[Guineas Galore]

If you're still unsure of where to get supplies, try large scale feed stores (for livestock) as they often have guinea pig food. I buy my pellets in bulk.
Also, you can get all sorts of things to use as toys at op shops, 2 dollar stores and building supplies (pipes, tunnels etc)
Or, you could also try local family owned pet stores, they usually don't stock pets and they're ALLOT better than the chain pet shops!

 

[animalmadlover]

I forgot to say PeanutnCookie that Olaf is a great name! I love the movie frozen lol However I think I'd still go with Sparkles, but I'll remember it if I ever have another white guinea pig again!
Well I brought "Moomoo" home and he turns out to be a two year old girl! But when I saw her living in a filthy hutch with a rabbit, I decided to take her home anyway.

I've decided to get Sparkles neutured. Meanwhile they will be seperate for quarintine anyway. I think that she is sick, she has a runny nose and she sneezed once. I'm not sure if this relates but her ears are very crusty and black on the tips


Do you think that she could have URI? I have some antibiotics, for that sort of thing, that I could give her. I'm keeping a close eye on her right now. Other then that she looks good, eating, moving around, terrified of people but also a little bit curious of my hand too. She just wanted to bury her head deep into my arm. She squeeks whenever I pet her.
I'm going to change her name, not Moomoo, haha! lol

You are welcome to help me with naming ideas.

 

[joys_cavies]

Awwwww. I thought Mocha but that name is used a lot. She might have a URI. As for names @LoveMyHerd is the naming queen lol

 

[animalmadlover]

What about Eleanor? I'm not sure, I like the name, my mum doesn't! lol (Like from Alvin and the Chipmunks Eleanor?)

 

[PeanutnCookie]

Aww she's cute! Good idea on getting Sparkles neutered. Don't really know anything about the URI. WAtch her closely, and I would take her to the vet sometime soon just to be sure. The vet might offer some other helpful suggestions, too. She's your guinea pig, name her anything you want!
name ideas: (Sticking with the Frozen theme) Anna (or Ana??) or Elsa. If I picked one of those two, Anna.
Muffin
Cocoa
S'mores
Cuddles
Cupcake
Daisy
Jelly Bean
Lol I really like food names. All my piggies are named after food.

 

[Rywen]

Poor Moomoo, she's very cute. I'm glad you took her from bad conditions! She may be sick, her ears look like ear mites or some other parasite. I suggest a vet. You can't just give her antibiotics without knowing how to calculate the right dosage. Also if she squeaks when you pet her she may have skin mites so it hurts her. Please keep her away from Sparkles until she's 100% well and he's neutered!

 

[animalmadlover]

Don't worry, she isn't anywhere near Sparkles. And she won't be untill he is neutured and she is all better.

For mites I have Ivermec with a recomended dosage that I can give her myself. I've had to do it a few times so I know what to look for and how much to give. But I've never delt with ear mites, is it the same treatment? Or different

BTW the antibiotics have a written dosage specifically for URI. But of corse I am considering calling my vet for advise.
I will keep watching her to see how she goes.

 

[animalmadlover]

Update: Her nose isn't running anymore and I haven't heard her sneeze. I have never, ever seen a guinea pig that was as terrified of people as she is. Sparkles lets me stroke him and takes food from my hand, but the poor wee girl has stayed huddled up in a corner for a long time. I wonder whether loosing her best buddy and moving to a new home were too stressful for her. Not to mention being housed with a rabbit for a little while. Her previous owners told me that she looked lonely so that they moved her in with the rabbit!

 

[joys_cavies]

My girl Emmy is like that. She used to freak out when people walked by. Now she tolerates me to hold her with a towel. She is so shy and spends playtime darting from hideout to hideout if I'm there. She only started taking veggies from me last week after a month of having her. They might get over they might not. She is still really shy and scared

 

[LoveMyHerd]

Oh, she's beautiful! Do you mind if I suggest some names for her? If you don't want me to, I apologize, but here are some names I thought of:

FOOD NAMES

• Muffin
• Cupcake
• Popcorn
• S'mores
• Candy
• Cookie

MISCELLANEOUS NAMES

• Polka Dot
• Pinky
• Beauty
• Zelda

FLOWER NAMES

• Bluebell
• Lily
• Lilac
• Daisy
• Azalea
• Poppy
• Buttercup
• Tulip
• Pansy

HUMAN NAMES

• Susie
• Lila
• Annie
• Hannah
• Billie Jean
• Stella
• Lucy
• Lola

I personally never name my piggies by a theme, I just look at what their personalities or markings show. Then I make a decision. Hope she finds the perfect name soon!