Ok...now need GP help

[mishellyshel]

posted in another thread that i may be helping out with my stepsons guinea pig that is currently being neglected due to their mother being in the hospital.
with the hopes that she is still alive, Lilly will be coming to stay with me for at least the weekend.
i have never had a guinea pig and i know some of the basic care. Just want to double check here........is there anything I need to do differently than caring for a chin?? and can i put the GP in the bathroom where my chins have their playtime? i would clean up after but are there any illnesses that can travel.
also if she is not currently getting some of the fresh vegetables that they are supposed to have, would me giving them to her upset her digestive tract?
should i start slow OR not even bother?
OR if anyone could direct me to a good site so i can quickly read up. she will be at my house within a couple hours.
I am not sure of her condition, i am assuming her cage has not been cleaned for weeks. and no one has taken care of her for at least 5 or 6 days. do they bathe? thanks so much!!!

 

[lauralynne]

Yikes! I know nothing of guinea pigs...send a message to carol. (eroomlorac on here)
Good luck!!!

 

[minrex]

http://www.guinealynx.info/

This site has good info about caring for cavies. I house my pigs in the same room as my chins, but in your case, I would not let the pig out to run and play in an area that your chins frequent, because you don't know what the pig might be "carrying". Treat it as a quarantine situation.

In my opinion, if the guinea pig hasn't had access to fresh veggies for awhile, I would start slowly with reintroducing fresh foods to its diet. Don't overdo it right away if the cavy's system isn't used to that kind of food.

Good luck! Piggies are a lot of fun.

 

[smhufflepuff]

I hope the piggie is still alive when you get there. They go through their food and water quickly... fast piggie metabolism...

 

[menagerie]

She will need vitamin C, either from a supplement or from fresh produce. Without vitamin C she could have scurvy. We've had GPs come in with extreme cases of scurvy, barely able to walk and loose teeth. Putting them on a vitamin C regime has fixed them up within a few weeks.

The best site for guinea pig information is GuineaLynx. Start by reading all the informational stuff and educate yourself. Chances are you'll find the answers to most of your questions. After you've read all there is to read THEN go into the forums. They can be a tough group and have been known to eat stupid people alive. But the are very knowledgeable, a wealth of information and passionate about guineas. Do your homework on the care pages and go in with a thick skin and don't act like the typical n00b. It wouldn't hurt to read a lot of the forum before jumping in and asking questions, as most of your questions can be answered by using the search feature.

 

[mishellyshel]

thanks for the site, will check it out. the cage was caked with urine & feces. the white carefresh bedding was as dark as coffee grounds. she gets some kinds of food with treats in it so i gave her oxbow cavy and fresh timmy hay. she does not currently get any fresh vegetables.i put her in a temporary larger cage while she is here. will post pix in a bit.
can i just give her a chewable vitamin c ??
i dont think she will be staying with us so i dont think i would venture into the forums. but i will def check out the site.

 

[Megan]

Did they by chance give you the food she is used to? It may not be the good stuff, BUT i also wouldn't just up and switch her , only to have her get switched back to the crappy stuff anyway. Might as well just keep her on what she's used to..

You can give her Vit. C tablets. I'd give her a small amount of veggies; not iceburg lettuce.

I'd keep her away from the chins---just like a normal quarantine. You don't know what she may be carrying coming from a neglected home (Mites etc). In the future if by chance she stays with you, housing them in the same room and sharing playtimes won't hurt them. When I had the cavies I had an open top cage so the chins would hop in the cage with the cavies. Often times I just let them share playtime as they got along and did well together.

 

[eroomlorac]

I feel so bad for this guinea pig. Spoil her good while you have her. I have two guinea pigs and they are an absolute joy. So cute and 'squeaky'. She might like sitting on your lap and being pet. I also feed mine veggies while on my lap. They are very fun pets. I also put mine in a playpen every day and they love to run, run, run!

 

[mishellyshel]

Here is a pic of before & after. She. Is super happy bout the upgrade. I am leaving her be right now but maybe tomorrow I will take her out.

 

[mishellyshel]

Ok can't post Pix from my phone. Will load later

 

[mishellyshel]

i posted pix in another thread!