Pigloos and heat

User avatar
Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:11 am


There was sadness in my house last night that could have been avoided. We have been unseasonably warm the last few days. At 5:15 this morning it was already 85 degrees, hot for us this time of year.

I was to Pig sit two beautiful little girls for the next two weeks. When they arrived yesterday evening by car they were suffering from heat stroke. The car they were in was air conditioned and the humans thought it was cool enough. Their pigloos were in the cage with them and, being GP's they were hiding in them.

If you are traveling anywhere, for any distance, get the pigloos or any other kind of hidey OUT OF THE CAR! The holes in the top are completely inadequate for venting heat. Both of those sweet little ones are dead. Instead of being wheeked at this morning, the place they were to be is quiet. I am just heartbroken.

Lady Bug is home in her house, in her cage and I took her pigloo away from her two days ago. As much as she loves her Weaver cups she is spending her time on her carefresh. Just too hot for her.

Take the couple of seconds to put your hand on your piggy to check for how warm they are.

Just mean this as a reminder that the weather is warming up. Protect your little ones. Don't let them die needlessly.

User avatar
Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:20 am


Oh no - what an absolute tragedy.

It's extraordinary that this happened in an air-conditioned car.

User avatar
Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:23 am


Extraordinary? Maybe. It certainly happened. They were beyond help by the time they arrived at my house. Big pigs, small pigloos I guess. The distance they travelled was only about 40 miles.

User avatar
Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:27 am


Sorry, I only meant 'extraordinary' in that I'm surprised this happened in a car with a/c - not that I didn't believe it :-)

I don't think people realize how heat-sensitive pigs are.

PigPig3

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:31 am


I think I will drill some more holes in our pigloo today. I wondered if it got warm in those, and how good the air circulation was for breathing, being that there are only a few small holes in the top and they are such solid plastic. My girl loves hers too, but I am sure she won't notice some extra holes.

So sorry about what happened, that must have been horrible to watch :(

User avatar
Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:34 am


No offense taken Mum. I was just trying to make the point that even though you as a human might think things are ok, sometimes they're not. Just take precautions.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 9:47 am


Oh how terrible! That person (or persons?) must be absolutely heartbroken. I imagine it was awfully hard for you, too. :(

Take care.

slavetofuzzy
4 the Good of all Pigs

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:07 am


Oh how awful for you and the babies owners. It is so true that we do not realize how heat sensitive these guys are.

I only have one cage with a pigloo right now and it's had another entrance/exit cut into it so it's not AS bad but I think Mr. Piggy will have to do without from now on. I will give him an alternative (although it is not near as hot here as it is where you are).

Perhaps the Lady Bug would like a nice cool tile to lay upon?

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:14 am


If the cage was sitting in the sun in the back, it certainly could have been too hot. It is indeed a tragedy.

[and guinea pigs can never be left in a car when you get out]

User avatar
Lucky34100

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:16 am


Sorry to hijack the thread, but when you talk about tiles would something like this be ok for guinea pigs?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=16940

My boyfriend doesn't want to use regular tiles because he is scared they could be coated in something bad for the pigs. The package for that Chin-chiller also talked about storing it in the fridge before giving it to your pet.

Once it gets really hot we turn on the AC, it's just that transition time I'm worried about.

I'm really sorry to hear about those two pigs.

User avatar
Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:24 am


Lady Bug is just fine : ) I keep a very close watch on her and in prior years have actually wrapped her in a damp cloth to cool her down. She has never been neglected to the point where she is approaching heat stroke.

She is the one who moved out of her pigloo and cotton Weaver cup. I have an old cotton towel for her to lay on and she doesn't even want that. She prefers the Carefresh. If she's happy, so am I but I'm still feeling her body temp. just to be on the safe side. I also have an indoor thermomator.

TwoWhitePiggies

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:44 am


There were several times I had to make the two-hour drive through open countryside to K-State when it was over 100 degrees outside. I brought a cooler full of ice packs with me, because my greatest fear was that I would have car trouble and we'd be stranded out in the middle of nowhere without air conditioning.

Post Reply