Pigloos and heat

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truffie
I gave AGAIN, dammit!

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 10:51 am


When we go on vacation each year in June, I leave the central A/C on, set at 78, just for the pigs. 78 indoors is plenty comfortable, and it rarely kicks on in early June, but it is worth the peace of mind while we are gone. My neighbor who pigsits them thinks I'm crazy. I should say she knows I'm crazy.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 11:09 am


Oh, I'm so sorry for the family that lost their two precious guinea pigs. So heartbreaking.

Thank for the reminder, Bugs Mom.

rpaws

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 11:12 am


Such a sad thing to have happen.

I got worried about my guinea pigs being left at home in the summer and the temperature rising. I would turn on the air conditioner before leaving in the morning 'just in case.' Note to self: Next time spring the extra bucks for the programmable air conditioner.

Currently reading the book " The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood" by Sy Montgomery right now. It's the story of the author adopting a sickly runt pig - the farm animal type of pig.

However, there is a guinea pig reference in the book. The author said when a call was made about a guinea pig being left in a car with no water, people in her small town thought she was the one who made it. She didn't. Glad to see the call was more than warranted.

Suisan

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 12:52 pm


Oh Bug's Mom, what a horrible story!

We're having completely bizarre weather here -- in the nineties with a *hot* strong wind coming through. It's supposed to get into triple digits tomorrow and the weekend. I expect many reports of grass fires from this. Yuck.

Today I'm rearranging the living room so that all of us can sleep down stairs (we have no air conditioning), and I was just thinking that I had to make sure to freeze some water bottles for the pigs before this afternoon.

Thank you for posting this story; it must have been terrible for you to witness.

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Topaz

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:01 pm


Oh my gosh, those poor pigs. And their poor people, and you. :(

Thank you for the head's up, Bugs Mom.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:24 pm


I have found that it's not so much a case of pigloos being hot, but that they lack insulation.

A few years ago when the air conditioner was on in my house it was hitting the side of Gilbert's pigloo, I thought he would be warm in there, but when I took him out his fur was cold. That's when I realized that they are not protective, just a hiding place.

It's possible that the sun was beating down on the pigloo through the car window. I'm very sorry to hear of this tragedy. Thanks for posting it as a warning for others.

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RavenShade
Thanks for the Memories

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:33 pm


And if the water was left in the pen, it could have been too hot to drink/help them. When we lost a couple of pigs to heat stroke, their water was more like tea water b/c of the sun and useless to them.

Situations like this are heartbreaking. Especially since they probably thought they were covered with the AC on.

When we go on vacation, we always turn the AC on, even low. We don't want the pets to suffer, even though they are in/have access to the basement where it's cooler.

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Serena
It started with Louie...

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:36 pm


That is heartbreaking that you had to go through that. But thanks for posting and bringing to all the reminder that pigs can over heat easily. I hope this post will have saved some pigs in the future.

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Unibear

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:40 pm


Wow that really sucks, poor piggies.
I am thinking of taking the cuddle cup out of rosies cage. I never let it get hoter than 80 in here. I have a portable air conditioning unti for this room spacifically. I wonder if I should take her off fleese to?

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 1:46 pm


Unibear, it is also important for Rosie to have a place to protect her from drafts. If your AC is on she should have a choice.

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LAWomans
"Live Long and Prosper"

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 2:47 pm


I'm so sorry this happened!

I don't have A/C in my house but I have found that using the frozen Blue ice bricks and covering them with a layer of fleece or a towel works all day to keep the pigs cool.

I use the larger ones inside the big pigaloos and the small ones in the small houses or pigaloos. The pigs lay on top of them. Frosting likes to sleep under her cozy so I put a small one there, too. The pigs have never chewed them. I use frozen Fuji (because they are square, and don't roll as much) water bottles with the rabbits, plus a lot of fans for the pigs and rabbits.

Drilling more holes in the pigaloos is a great idea, too.

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Trick

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 2:53 pm


What a heartbreaking story :/

I'm going to take the pigloo out of the pen right now, Rosie has a tendency to have her extra deep sleeps in there and I'd hate for it to be putting extra stress on her heart now the weather is so much warmer.

Time to cut up another cardboard box into a house for them I think.

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