Best guinea pig youtubers? 🎬

fawniemoon

fawniemoon

Junior Guinea Pig
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I am currently diving into video format guides aswell as looking at cool piggie hauls. Does anyone watch a guinea pig youtuber regularly that's information is correct and educational ? Please list names below thanks 😊
 
I love little adventures the care information is nearly always on point and her love for her piggies is so clear. I sometimes watch the rescue videos by saskia/ LA Guinea pig rescue but I wouldn't follow their care information as a lot is incorrect and possibly harmful. I've got to be honest there's not much out there for Guinea Pigs I watch a lot of good rabbit and hamster care videos but the piggie world seems rather small.

My biggest piece of advice would be to avoid youtubers that keep a lot of Guinea Pigs or a wide range of animals it's hard to do this without providing bare minimum care and cutting corners in some way so the advice they give is often trying to justify the mistakes they're making. Opt instead for following pet owners that show a lot of love for their animals and see guidelines as a minimum and not a maximum.
 
fluffysal said:
I pretty much stopped watching them when one of the U.S. ones said they only yawn to show aggression. My lazy boys missed the memo on that!
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I don't think ours' yawns are aggressive either while they peacefully relax and eat...
 
I’d agree there is some awful advice out there. I stick with our own Guinea Pig guides made by experienced owners. All good solid advice

I hate the Cavee adverts on fb, there is never any hay on show or it’s neatly tucked away in a hay rack. The cages are spotless, it gives a wrong impression to would be owners as everyone who owns GP’s knows that is not the reality of keeping GP’s. It’s all about flogging their products and all rather aimed at little/teenage girls to me. No wonder there are so many GP’s in rescues
 
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Bill & Ted said:
I’d agree there is some awful advice out there. I stick with our own Guinea Pig guides made by experienced owners. All good solid advice

I hate the Cavee adverts on fb, there is never any hay on show or it’s neatly tucked away in a hay rack. The cages are spotless, it gives a wrong impression to would be owners as everyone who owns GP’s knows that is not the reality of keeping GP’s. It’s all about flogging their products and all rather aimed at little/teenage girls to me. No wonder there are so many GP’s in rescues
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The adverts on the guinea pig magazine are also perfectly idolised :xd:
 
I stopped watching most guinea pig YouTube channels a long time ago.

Personally I think a lot set unrealistic standards, mainly because they're not being honest. I try to be open about the ups AND downs about having so many animals, but it is so obvious as someone who does have their fair few, when someone is talking crap about a situation or trying to justify something.

It's very easy for one single animal to disappear from content for a while when they're unwell.

Not only that but they'll happily advertise a brand of something they use, but when it starts causing issues they take no accountability for the issues they will have caused in other people's animals. I remember a large youtuber some years ago started to use a brand of pellets and would constantly go on about how great it was in spite of myself and several others warning it would eventually lead to stones. Of course to no one's shock, a couple years later she was losing pigs left and right to bladder stones and reverted back to oxbow. This was never addressed, no heads up to their following that if they faced the same issue to change foods again. Nothing. Same when they weren't offering enough hay and faced repeated digestive issues. People seem to think because they have lots of animals and followers, they have something important to say. Thankfully the myth of "3 years old is senior" this person drilled into their large following to justify their animals dying young is fading into obscurity these days.

If I watch a channel its purely to see other people's guinea pigs, not to take their advice. Occasionally someone will have a decent idea I might like to try, but be vary wary of putting people on pedestals.

To actually answer the question (apologies for the rant!) Sometimes I will watch The pig room, little adventures, squeak dreams and AlyssaNPets for guinea pig content. But I'm quite particular about how I care for my pets so watching others do things I wouldn't tends to grate on me, so it's not often 😅
 
I watch Squeak Dreams, I love the way she does things and she often mentions the forum. La Guinea Pig Rescue (agree with above don't follow her health advise, products and laws are different in America). Cavy Central Guinea Pig Rescue, again products and laws are different in Australia, her handling tips are good and her nail clipping style has been a great help for my more difficult customers. Sometimes Scotties Animals for the guinea pigs not care advise! The Pig Room for the animals but not care advise.
 
Hello everyone! I've been lurking on here for a few months while I contemplate becoming a Piggy Slave.

I've watched a few La Guinea Pig Rescue videos and I'm worried now I've filled my brain with misinformation. What exactly is the advice they give that should be ignored please?
 
VeggiePig said:
Hello everyone! I've been lurking on here for a few months while I contemplate becoming a Piggy Slave.

I've watched a few La Guinea Pig Rescue videos and I'm worried now I've filled my brain with misinformation. What exactly is the advice they give that should be ignored please?
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Welcome to the forum.
Mostly home treating on spec for health issues, we don't have access to a lot of the over the counter medicines that they do in the US and Australia. Some we do but it's not recommended to use them before seeing a vet for a correct diagnosis and treatment. Terramycin for eyes. Regular Ivermectin treatments (we only treat if piggies have an issue) as a preventative measure, regular use can cause resistance treatments. Charcoal for soft poop, this can work but if taking off veg for a day or two does not help you need to see a vet. CBD is not authorised to be used here and there have been stories of guinea pigs being harmed by over doses. Regular bathing is not recommended, guinea pigs shouldn't need to be bathed unless it's for a health reason.
I really enjoy my Saturday evenings with Saskia, it's lovely to see the dedication of Saskia and her staff and volunteers. The piggies are gorgeous and it's good to be able to follow their stories but we have different laws on the care of animals in this country.
If you have been lurking here for a while you will have filled your head with lots of good information!
On the top bar is a section called Guinea Pig Info, when I went back to keeping guinea pigs after a long break I started there (it was a lot less reading then!) and read from the beginning through to the end. Anything you don't understand or want clarified you can start a thread for and ask, everyone is very friendly here.
Well done for doing your research before you get piggies.
 
Thank you @piggieminder for your answer - that is really helpful! I think you're right about having gained a lot of great information from this forum. I've noticed I'm already coming here and double-checking any information I come across on the web (with regards to diet etc) I prefer the idea of only treating animals when needed, rather than filling their little bodies full of chemicals as a 'preventative' measure. Prevention by caring for them correctly from day one and feeding them the right foods feels a better way to me!

I've been reading about boars (and the rough deal they seem to get) and I think it was a Saskia video I watched recently where she was cleaning out a boar's pocket and cleaning his willy. I can see why that might put some people off but I think I could cope with that challenge! (I've washed many a hen's bum!) Would that be a safe video to follow?

We've had numerous animals over the years - cats, dogs, pet hens - and have enjoyed watching their behaviour and getting to know their funny little ways, likes and dislikes. Our kids are adults now and not yet any grandchildren so any guinea pigs coming to live with us will be free to settle in and shape us to their will!
 
I have had a lot of boars over the years and not many have needed to be cleaned like that but yes if it needs doing you will need to do it. I don't like the way they handle what is a delicate organ so roughly. I like the way Lyn does it at Cavy Central, once you are used to how a boar feels you can tell if there is a smegma coating on the penis by touch without dragging it out and then clean if necessary. I also wouldn't use olive oil as seen on some channels. I find warm water on a cotton bud or cotton pad enough but my boars are done regularly so maybe unwanted substances haven't dried so hard! The boars they get for health checks in the rescues have probably not been checked for a long time, maybe never so they have a large dried out lump.
The ear cleaning should be done gently in the outside folds only again if necessary, I've had piggies who need it done and some that haven't. Never go into the ear canal only the folds round the flap. I check my boys once a week at weigh in just to make sure all is well. By nipping any problem in the bud quickly it stops it becoming a difficult cleaning job.
Boars get a bad reputation sometimes but I love their funny little ways and they mellow into such gorgeous characters with age. The rescues tend to find boars harder to rehome but I'd go for a pair of well bonded boars every time despite the risk of smelly back ends!
If you've cleaned up after other animals and children a boar or 6 won't be a problem.
The cages at the rescues tend to be too small as well but lack of space and piggies hopefully only being there a short time makes that forgivable as long as people don't think it's an acceptable size at home.

Cage Size Guide

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues.196734/

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Good luck with your piggie journey.
 
I am leaning towards a pair of boars now, despite reading about sperm rods :eek: in your Boar Care link :D

My husband has just finished making a home, similar to the one Squeak Dreams has in her videos. We're just waiting for the perspex to arrive for the front. It will sit on a solid table we already have, out of the way of our elderly dogs. The home is 150cm x 80cm and I think that works out at 12.9 square feet. Will that be okay for two boars or maybe two sows and a neutered boar?

I have got a list as long as my arm of things I still need to find out! Such as where I'm going to buy hay from etc, so this forum is going to be invaluable. Thank you again, really appreciate your help!
 
fawniemoon said:
I am currently diving into video format guides aswell as looking at cool piggie hauls. Does anyone watch a guinea pig youtuber regularly that's information is correct and educational ? Please list names below thanks 😊
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The pig room is my fave!
 
That cage sounds lovely @VeggiePig perfect for 2 boars or 2 sows and a neutered boar. What a talented husband you have. I have a living room full of C&C cages (6 boars 4 side by side as they fell out) and one bonded pair. Be aware piggies are addictive, I started with a pair of boars!
 
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I can see how they could easily become addictive @piggieminder! Ideally, I would like to get mine from a rescue but while the rescues have been shut over Christmas and New Year I thought I would look at the free ads out of curiosity. It is heartbreaking, especially all the lonely single older piggies being given away for free because they are 'aggressive'. I wonder if my hubby would be up for making a heated piggy room in the garden 🤔
 
VeggiePig said:
I can see how they could easily become addictive @piggieminder! Ideally, I would like to get mine from a rescue but while the rescues have been shut over Christmas and New Year I thought I would look at the free ads out of curiosity. It is heartbreaking, especially all the lonely single older piggies being given away for free because they are 'aggressive'. I wonder if my hubby would be up for making a heated piggy room in the garden 🤔
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I agree, it is heartbreaking seeing piggies advertised for free or very cheap because they are no longer wanted but you are right, being new to piggies, to stick with your original plan to adopt from a rescue. Free piggies sometimes come with health issues their owners don't tell you about or haven't noticed which may mean they need nursing back to health with associated vet bills. The photos are not always recent. Piggies from a reputable rescue will have had any health issues resolved before being rehomed, which is a better way to start your piggy journey and you will still be helping piggies on need.
 
Yes, I know you're both right. I don't yet know a thing about sexing a guinea pig nor spotting health issues immediately so starting out the right way is crucial! My thoughts have been going round in circles, considering whether to 'rescue' from sad free ads, but it always came back to deciding it wasn't a good idea for the reasons you both have given. If I win the lottery, that would be a different matter!
 
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