Strawberries
Junior Guinea Pig
I have a new guinea pig!
My two guinea pigs...Honey Bee and Penny, are now 3.5 years old and since they are getting up into their senior year/s I thought it was time to add a piggy, so when the inevitable happens, I don't end up with a single lonely pig.
So I bought a new little girl. She is about 5 months old...maybe 4.5 months old...
It's been a rough start...there are no rescue's around here...so I got her the same place I got my first two girls. They are a better than average pet store, very clean cages...it's a chain and each store only carries either boys or girls...so there is no accidental mixing...always fresh hay...and they have a vet who shares space with them and cares for any sick animals they may have.
So anyway...I tried to pick a girl with an outgoing personality from a group of about 6 adorable little ones. I took her home and put her in isolation...
After 5 days in isolation, she developed upper respiratory infection. She got really lethargic, and had goopy eyes, and a snotty nose and her eyes were closed mostly. She was still eating, but not much...I noticed her declining on a Tuesday night and the next day...Wednesday, she got worse fast so I got her back in time to see the vet Wednesday evening before they closed....She was still "under warrantee" so I took her back to the pet store where you formally return them and get your money back (I guess for legal reasons), and then they see the vet and the pet store pays for it, and the vet gave her a 10 day course of antibiotics and the pet store kept her and took care of her during the time she was sick...she kept her appetite and actually gained weight while she was being treated with the antibiotics...she must be a strong little girl...and on about the 11 or 12th day I got her back. I really didn't expect it...I thought she would not make it, she looked so terrible when I brought her back to the store...I read so many horror stories on here about antibiotics...anyway, I did catch it early...I know exactly what to watch out for thanks to all of you and she came through it like a champ. The kept her a few days after her antibiotic course and then I got to buy her again (and I get another 14 day "warrantee" in case anything else goes wrong, and I'm really impressed with the care they gave her when she was ill...they absolutely would have hand fed her if she would have required it, they brought it up even without me having to ask).
I've had her back over a week now (in isolation again because I don't really trust that she wasn't re-exposed to something while she was there, better safe than sorry) and she is doing really well...she doesn't come out and explore much...she still keeps much to herself, but her eyes are bright, her poops are normal...and she loves her pellets, carrots, and vit c tablets. I can't wait to introduce her to Penny and Honey next weekend. I'm so glad I kept them apart and that Penny and Honey were not exposed. The little pig is letting me pet her head and scratch behind her ears while I feed her carrots...so that is a good start...and I know she explores and eats when no one is looking...I see all her trails and poops all over the cage...even if she is always in the pigloo when I peek in at her. I tried to specifically pick and outgoing piggie this time. She still doesn't have a name...not until she has passed her isolation period and seems to be getting on OK with the girls....then I'll name her. Right now I'm leaning towards the name Nutmeg but Clover is in the running too.
Here are pigtures of the sweet little thing...I'm so glad she didn't pass over the rainbow before I got to get to know her better...
My two guinea pigs...Honey Bee and Penny, are now 3.5 years old and since they are getting up into their senior year/s I thought it was time to add a piggy, so when the inevitable happens, I don't end up with a single lonely pig.
So I bought a new little girl. She is about 5 months old...maybe 4.5 months old...
It's been a rough start...there are no rescue's around here...so I got her the same place I got my first two girls. They are a better than average pet store, very clean cages...it's a chain and each store only carries either boys or girls...so there is no accidental mixing...always fresh hay...and they have a vet who shares space with them and cares for any sick animals they may have.
So anyway...I tried to pick a girl with an outgoing personality from a group of about 6 adorable little ones. I took her home and put her in isolation...
After 5 days in isolation, she developed upper respiratory infection. She got really lethargic, and had goopy eyes, and a snotty nose and her eyes were closed mostly. She was still eating, but not much...I noticed her declining on a Tuesday night and the next day...Wednesday, she got worse fast so I got her back in time to see the vet Wednesday evening before they closed....She was still "under warrantee" so I took her back to the pet store where you formally return them and get your money back (I guess for legal reasons), and then they see the vet and the pet store pays for it, and the vet gave her a 10 day course of antibiotics and the pet store kept her and took care of her during the time she was sick...she kept her appetite and actually gained weight while she was being treated with the antibiotics...she must be a strong little girl...and on about the 11 or 12th day I got her back. I really didn't expect it...I thought she would not make it, she looked so terrible when I brought her back to the store...I read so many horror stories on here about antibiotics...anyway, I did catch it early...I know exactly what to watch out for thanks to all of you and she came through it like a champ. The kept her a few days after her antibiotic course and then I got to buy her again (and I get another 14 day "warrantee" in case anything else goes wrong, and I'm really impressed with the care they gave her when she was ill...they absolutely would have hand fed her if she would have required it, they brought it up even without me having to ask).
I've had her back over a week now (in isolation again because I don't really trust that she wasn't re-exposed to something while she was there, better safe than sorry) and she is doing really well...she doesn't come out and explore much...she still keeps much to herself, but her eyes are bright, her poops are normal...and she loves her pellets, carrots, and vit c tablets. I can't wait to introduce her to Penny and Honey next weekend. I'm so glad I kept them apart and that Penny and Honey were not exposed. The little pig is letting me pet her head and scratch behind her ears while I feed her carrots...so that is a good start...and I know she explores and eats when no one is looking...I see all her trails and poops all over the cage...even if she is always in the pigloo when I peek in at her. I tried to specifically pick and outgoing piggie this time. She still doesn't have a name...not until she has passed her isolation period and seems to be getting on OK with the girls....then I'll name her. Right now I'm leaning towards the name Nutmeg but Clover is in the running too.
Here are pigtures of the sweet little thing...I'm so glad she didn't pass over the rainbow before I got to get to know her better...