Hello! New Guinea Pig owner!

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 6:13 pm


Fyi you bought him from a pet store .. you did not adopt as adopt is from a rescue, shelter, or private rehoming ad.

A vet check up would be a good idea for the reasons bppatters suggested.

Yes, you should get fresh grass hay asap for him. Oxbow is a good retail brand. If you have a feed store near you, you can probably find fresh hay too.

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rosiea

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 6:31 pm


We have a really good vet already, and I'm taking him in next week to see her. I wanted to let him get "settled" first. I had wanted to get a rescue, but couldn't find any locally. That's how we got Louie, from a rescue shelter. I read the ingredients in the pellets he's getting, and the only thing in them that's not recommended is corn. However, the first ingredient is timothy hay, and as I'm reading, I'm thinking he needs alfalfa because he's young. I'm pretty sure I can get fresh hay from a feed store that's near us, so I'll try that, first. Thanks, everybody, for all of your input!

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Amy0204
We miss our sweet Oreo

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 6:33 pm


Welcome to GL. You'll quickly learn a lot about how to care for your pig, if you read the Care Guide and follow the threads. The people, here, are wonderfully supportive but very anti-breeding. Pet stores buy their pigs from breeders and the pigs you get from a pet store are often sick when you get them. Keep an eye on yours since pigs can keep their symptoms hidden until things get bad. Then it can all go downhill very quickly. I am curious - I also adopted a pig from a pet store but the pig was never part of their inventory. What were the circumstances of your adoption? (In my case, somebody had abandoned a pig in the parking lot and the pet store had her off to the side. There was no charge to take her home with me).

I'd strongly recommend ordering hay from KleenMama's Hayloft. Linda (KM) is a GL-er and has wonderful, green timothy and bluegrass. A significant number of us order from her. The shipping expense will seem high, but if you compare the cost to use her product vs. what you might buy in a store, it really is a better value. More importantly, the pigs all love it. I'm sorry the pet store didn't clue you in. Guinea pigs need the fiber to wear down their teeth or they become overgrown, resulting in dental issues. Those can create motility/gut problems or result in inability to eat and can lead to all sorts of medical problems. Always allow your pig to have an unlimited amount of hay. Pellets, on the other hand, should be limited. Watch the veggies - too many of them can lead to loose stools. If you're concerned about water intake, you can rinse the veggies before serving them so that they're still wet.

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rosiea

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 7:07 pm


Well, I got him some fresh alfalfa and timothy hay from the local feed store, and now he's happily munching away! I'm definitely going to limit his pellets, maybe stop using them altogether, after what I've read here. I'm hoping having the hay will make him more comfortable! Thanks, again!

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 7:17 pm


Alfalfa is good until he's six months old. It is too high in calcium for older guinea pigs. Timothy hay is great for any age. Glad to hear he's chowing down on his hay!

Fast Feet is very cute! You will learn how to give him a good life and keep him healthy with the info on this site. Many pet stores give poor care info. I wouldn't take out the pellets altogether though. They have nutrients that guinea pigs need. Some people who have pigs with health issues such as bladder stones take them out for that reason, but they need to supplement with vitamins to compensate. As long as your pig is healthy it is better to give the pellets, but be sure that they are a quality brand.

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rosiea

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 7:38 pm


Now he is exploring his cage! Yay!

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rosiea

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 9:12 pm


Oh my gosh! So, he's been exploring his new home for the past few hours, and I decided to go talk to him (as I've been doing regularly since we got him) to see how he would react since he wasn't holed up in his cubby...He started dancing! It was SO flippin' adorable!

rpaws

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 9:19 pm


That is flippin' adorable. How did you get a piggie who will dance when you just talk to him?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 10:42 pm


Do you know what a popcorn looks like?

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rosiea

Post   » Tue May 17, 2011 10:46 pm


I just watched some videos of guinea pigs on youtube, and that's what he was doing. =D He seems very happy and comfortable now!

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Hunybee

Post   » Wed May 18, 2011 7:39 am


OHHH, you are so hooked now! :) He's pretty darn cute that's for sure, but then again, after all the thousands of gps on here, I haven't seen an ugly one yet.

A good portion of us on here started out with pet store pigs, which led us to here.

Be sure to check out the diet and nutrition pages. There are a couple of acceptable vegetable and fruit lists that you can print and take with you to the store. Its really fun to buy something new for them to try. Some things they will eat, and some they will not even touch. My female doesn't turn anything down, but my male loves herbs like mint and cilantro and dill.

As a daily treat, you can also give him clippings of clean fresh grass and dandelions.

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rosiea

Post   » Wed May 18, 2011 8:17 am


Fast Feet seems to like the parsley I got out of my garden, though he only ate the stalk, not the leaves. =) I'm going to try some more veggies today, because yesterday he wouldn't even touch the parsley, and now he's eating it. I'm also getting him a bigger habitat, the one he has was the "starter kit", and it's clearly not big enough, since all the toys I bought won't even fit in it!
I'm thinking about moving his vet appt. up to today, and get him neutered. I want to get him a companion, and there's a guy on craigslist that has a female that needs a home. I don't really want to deal with the male vs. male stuff that animals do, so I think it would work out well!

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