# Any one keep guinea pigs??



## superal (May 27, 2005)

Hi do any of you keep guinea pigs as I would like some advice please if you do??

One of my DD guinea pigs has started to loose his hair on his back.  At first I thouhgt it was because the other guinea pig was climbing on top of him & giving him piggy backs as my DD says! 

Both are males.

I have read it could be a fungal infection which I have bought some spray for but I have also read it could be mites, I shudder at the thought of that one.

DD is upset & I just wondered if anyone had any advice.

Cage is cleaned every 2 days, both seem healthy, eating and drinking etc but one has lost a small patch of fur on his back.

Any advice greatly received.

Andrea
x


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## marie10 (Nov 8, 2007)

Hi superal,  
  Guinea pigs do not produce Vitamin c you have to make sure that you give them it by either drops in there water or buy food that has vitamins in it  also they can have some fruit and veg(not every day) you can buy guinea pig nuggets from pets at home they have already got Vitamin c in them, this may just help the fur and the general health better It could just be something like mites also its worth doing the drops evey few months just to keep the nasty nits away

I hope this helps 

Marie x


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## See Ye (May 24, 2008)

Hello *superal* let's see, I had a whole herd of the things in my youth, guinea pigs that is not mites.
They did get mites once I think - you may be able to see little white flecks on the hair shafts if you rub it back the wrong way.

Two things to be done anyway - bathe guinea pigs using mild shampoo, perhaps best to check with someone about which brand. Put a few cm of luke-warm water into a washing up bowl, support the front legs on one hand and use the other to soak lather and rinse from just behind the ears down. I dried them with a hair dryer on low (before going back into their outside hutch) but you could just towel them off then keep them in a box with somenewspaper and hay until they dry naturally.

At the same time you need to clean out and scrub the inside of the hutch with a weak bleach solution, obvioulsy the hutch needs to be 100%¨dry before they go back in.

I second the need for vit C. How old is DD ? It was my job to cut up a carrot each morning before school and they got the leftover apple peels and cauliflower cut offs from Sunday lunch. As summer comes around they love nothing more than a handfull of fresh (non-pesticided) grass or dandelion leaves. You'll hear a chorus of happy "whee-ip" !


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## superal (May 27, 2005)

Thank you for your replies, I forgot I'd posted it on here! 

DD is 7 & it is her job to feed them & now they are back in their outside hutch I have to say they seem much happier and the fur has grown back.......do you think it could have been to hot for them indoors??

superal


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Hi Guinea Pig Keepers  

DH and I are thinking of getting some....DH adores them.

We have some questions though... are they ok to free roam, Our garden is the most secure one I know!

Which breed would you recommend? I like the short haired ones!

xxxx


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## smileylogo (Feb 1, 2007)

Hi Saila
I think if your garden is totally secure they should be ok as long as you make sure they are locked up in a hutch at night before it gets dark - and they are masters of hiding when it comes to putting-away time!! You also need to make sure they have some kind of little house or igloo to go into in the day - they like dark places to hide in. We have two and when the weather is nice they go out in a run on the lawn (they love it) which we move around  the garden and at night they go back into their hutch. In the winter (from about Nov- March-ish) the hutch comes indoors as it is a bit cold for them outside. 
we have one short haired, one long haired (both girls)
Good luck
Emma
ps- Marie, are they not supposed to have fresh fruit/veg every day?? ours do most days.


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## marie10 (Nov 8, 2007)

Well they can have veg and fruit everyday but not to much.
Its best to just give them maybe every other day it can give them a tummy ache if they have to much.

I look after guinea pigs all day its my job i love it, and its fab.

Marie xxxx


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Ooo Marie that sounds like a good job! Where do u work?

Emma ~ Thanks for replying

Our garden is secure. How often will I need to pop them back in the hutch every half hour or so? I mean will they remember where their hutch is? What if they need a drink or something!

xx


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## smileylogo (Feb 1, 2007)

Saila - not really sure, maybe Marie will know?? If it was me I'd keep them in the hutch for the first week or so but facing the garden so they can see it and get used to it but I'm really not sure. They will probably find their own 'hiding' places and not use the hutch during the day. I would also suggest putting the hutch somewhere they can get to it without having to cross an exposed area.
We're starting to think about bringing ours indoors now - they come in during the winter as our garden is quite exposed. We don't put them in the garage as they would be bored - indoors they get lots of stimulation from seeing us all the time etc.
Emma


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Emma,

We were going to rescue a couple and let them have the run of our garden. We were going to have a hutch there also but it seemed cruel to keep them locked away when we have such a lovely secure garden they can roam around in like one large run.

xxxx


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

oooooooooooooooooooooh! I am so pleased I found this thread, I love guinea pigs!
I had 13 at one time, all in their own hutches and runs in pairs or trios and we were a happy little family. Then I had to go to university so as they died I didn not replace them   but I had one called Molly who I had from a tiny baby until the age of 9 years and 11 months!!!! he was brilliant. she even outlived her DD, Milly.

anyway, I digress. I now have 2 piggies. One is a sow called Maisy and the other is a Boar called Gordon. Gordon used to live with Dudley (a blind piggy) but Dudley died a yr ago   and Gordon is highly strung so won;t accept another friend   and Maisy lives with Harry the rabbit and they get on fine  

I give them lots of fresh fruit and veg regularly and they have Gerty Guinea dried food (contains vit C). They have the following (in small amounts and not all at once!);

raw beetroot
parsley
banana
lettuce (tiny weeny amount as a treat as it is a diuretic)
cucumber (as above)spring greens
Curly kale
apple
pear
strawberries
cherry tomatoes
parsnip
swede
spinach
chard
corn on the cob

they love ther food - they eat better than I do!  

In the summer they are on the lawn in huge runs but now (winter) they live in huge hutches in the garage and they get covered with carpet at night to keep any drafts out   DH thinks I am mad but they don't like drafts   

regarding bald patches, my piggies have had things like thata over the years. It has been in the past;

mites
mange
stress (gordon the highly strung piggy when dudley died)
hay allergy  

all can be / were easily treated


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Where did you get your runs from hon? 

I heard of someone that secured there entire garden and her piggies free roam the back lawn bringing them in during the winter. I really want to let mine free roam I would need to secure my garden first and we are getting some jobs done in the backgarden next year so I would need to wait till that was done but was hoping by the end of the summer to have some piggies!!

I did want to rescue but don't know of any in my area!


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi Saila

I got my runs from ebay   they sell new ones there and some even have free P&P   If you have no luck there you could try local farm supplies (we are in cornwall so have an abundance of them) or pet shops - but they tend to only sell smaller runs. The runs we have are big ones, chicken runs - you know, the triangular ones with an enclosed end for shelter. The rabbit shares a huge hutch and run with 2 levels with a piggy (maisy) and Gordon has his own hutch and run as he doesn't like othe rpigges - antisocial little thing! loves me though so that is all that matters   lol.
They are snug n warm in the garage at the moment, with isulation round their hutches to keep them warm.
I would love to let them free roam too. Our garden is secure so I could, but I get nervous about the dogs chasing them - the dogs juts play but the pigs might think they ra eabout to be eaten   so I daren't. However, I let them free roam if I am in the garden in the spring / summer and the dogs are indoors. They like this freedom and really 'chatter' and 'talk'


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

When they free roam in the spring are they easy enough to catch and put back hon?? The only thing that worries me is if they are to free roam day and night how do they know when to go back into their hutch to bed? What if they just stay out all night and get cold?

I did think to keep them in the hutch for the first month and when they free roam constantly put veggies in the hutch every night so perhaps they will be encouraged to go back in routinely for their veggies?

xxx


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

when they free roam irt is only the daytime they do so. I catch them at night and pop them to bed in their hutches. If you leave veg out 4 them at night you may find the slugs and snails descend upon your garden and munch their way thorugh your pig's tea! I did that a few times and there was slime everywhere and a very cross piggy!


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Well DH has gone and got a bunny now!    But I am still determined I am getting my piggies  

I have seen a hooge run on Zooplus I am going to get at the end of the month for our bunny so I will get one similar for the piggies. We are planning to get some work done on our house during the Spring, well its the side of the house we are hoping to sort it out so we can get our new cattery then everyone can enjoy the sunshine this summer yay! So during that time our bunnies and piggies wouldn't be able to free roam but these runs are hooge so I can't wait to get bunny one and then hopefully for Easter DH might take me to get my piggies! Woop!
xxx


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

the runs sound great!


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Its all so exciting isn't it! Yay!! I have called the bunny Rhubarb! Can't wait until the end of the month for his new run  

xxxxx


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

We've got two piggies! They are Lunkarya piggies and called Indy and Lavender


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

I used to have guinea pigs and one thing you should always keep in your piggie 1st aid kit is a tub of Sudocrem, works wonders if they get skin irritation. One of mine had a case of sore skin and she started losing it so read in one of my books that Sudocrem helps to heal their skin as it is very gentle on them. 

Good veggie that they will love are carrots, celery, brocolli, cucumber. Always make sure the have a salt/mineral stone in their cage, good for gnawing on and makes them drink more water.

Don't get worried if you see their front teeth have snapped, it will happen, and they do grow back quickly, just cut their veggies into smaller pieces so they can eat them


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

bump!


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## ♥Jovial♥ (Feb 25, 2007)

Ooooh I want some Guinea pigs - not sure what I'd do with them in the winter months though   so will have to keep thinking

I love listening to the chitter chatter


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

have you got a shed or garage? I put mine in their hutch in the garage (used to use the shed before we moved to a house with garage   ) and I put offcuts of carpet over the hutch too, fold the carpet over the front of the cage at night to prevent draughts


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## ♥Jovial♥ (Feb 25, 2007)

I have a brick built shed that opens onto the back garden    Will have to have a think, I'd worry they'd be lonely in winter months, at least in summer I can get into the garden in the evenings after work so that would work.

I think I should just look for an ark instead of a house, I have such a pet wish list!!


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

the brick built place sounds fine hun and they'll be fine in the winter time, pop in and say hello to them am and pm and you could also leave a little radio on for them, they like that


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## marie10 (Nov 8, 2007)

Hello ladies xx    xx

If you are going to have them, I would recommend that you put them in somewhere warmer in the winter months, Cold weather is one of the biggest killers in Guinea pigs they really don't do well when its so cold, So yes a shed or conservatory would be ideal.
You can buy indoor cages that are fine for indoors they are easy to keep clean and you can see them through the bars. They must have a shelter inside the cage so they can go and hide as they do get very scared and stressed if they don't have one.And if you are going to have one then get two because they are very socialble pets and live better in groups.
You will find they will be very happy in a pair or more. 

I work with animals and Guinea pigs are one of my favorites.
And also just be aware that not all guinea pigs sholud have apples as sometimes the acid from the apple can burn there little lips and can cause pain, its just best to aviod it all together, also potatoes are very bad for them.

I hope you find this helpful, anytime you need advise I will be happy to help you. 

Love Marie xx


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## ♥Jovial♥ (Feb 25, 2007)

Thanks Marie - I will continue to think it through, thanks for the offer of help will certainly take you up on that when I am in a position to have some - I will one day


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## hbrodie (Aug 17, 2007)

I am very OTT with my guinea pigs re apples etc, I find myself nibbling each one I give them to check they r not too acid. I look so mad! lol!
mine love the following;
raw beetroot (incl leaves)
chard
spinach
lettuce (very occasional treat)
cucumber (very occasional treat)
purple sprouting
cabbage / pring greens
carrotts
apples (sweet ones)
banana
grapes
parsley
cherry toms (sweet ones)
melon

they get a better diet than me


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## wifey29 (Feb 20, 2011)

hbrodie said:


> I am very OTT with my guinea pigs re apples etc, I find myself nibbling each one I give them to check they r not too acid. I look so mad! lol!


Haha, I'm the same! Their food is always a priority over ours! I have two boys, Patch and Dewey (aka Mini Pig). I've kept piggers since I was 15 and just love them.


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