Feeding the guinea pigs at TEAS

Flipping council and farmers has cut loads of grass around where we live last week so my piggies are in ration of fresh grass this winter. Our grass in the garden hasn't grown much and it's turning yellow now. We are currently replacing it with salad leaves and lettuce.
 
anyar.dris said:
Flipping council and farmers has cut loads of grass around where we live last week so my piggies are in ration of fresh grass this winter. Our grass in the garden hasn't grown much and it's turning yellow now. We are currently replacing it with salad leaves and lettuce.
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They do the same all through summer here. Cut it every few weeks. 😬 next time il cone off an area 😉
 
So how about all these dental issues then, is this purely from pigs not getting enough grass or hay? or maybe not enough calcium as pups? I am stabbing in the dark here I must admit
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
So how about all these dental issues then, is this purely from pigs not getting enough grass or hay? or maybe not enough calcium as pups? I am stabbing in the dark here I must admit
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A variety of reasons really. We've had one or two who ended up with dental issues, due to being fed a poor diet, but this isn't usually the case. Often it is a brewing abscess, a sore mouth for some reason, so not chewing properly, occasionally they are born with dental issues. The reasons are endless and none of them are the same! Every piggy with dental issues, here at TEAS, has a different problem!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
A variety of reasons really. We've had one or two who ended up with dental issues, due to being fed a poor diet, but this isn't usually the case. Often it is a brewing abscess, a sore mouth for some reason, so not chewing properly, occasionally they are born with dental issues. The reasons are endless and none of them are the same! Every piggy with dental issues, here at TEAS, has a different problem!
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Sounds very challenging. Thanks for the answer though. I did wonder
 
This is all interesting and I was asking Craig (Chine House exotics specialist) about it all when Donald had his issues. Donald was the first of my pigs to develop it and other than having had some other illnesses (abscess the year before) wasn't particularly stressed. Craig said a few times there's no evidence of particular veg causing stones and he felt that genetic predisposition played a large part. I think he was being careful what he said in case I was one of those customers who gets their hopes up etc and I don't see him often enough to push it but I got the impression he had his own opinions on contributing factors that he didn't want to say, whether that matches John and Simon I don't know.

I have to say that since having my piggies outdoors I have noticed that they are more confident, interact with each other more and have had less illnesses (obviously can only really say the original ones that moved outside had increased confidence). I feel like I might be tempting fate but Daisy has been to the vet just twice in 4 years (once as a companion for Donald and once after overindulging in grass and having diarrhoea, even then she didn't need any medication).

I'm like you Debbie. Mine don't have regular cuddle times. Boris doesn't mind a cuddle, Daisy quite likes the opportunity but both Lily and Poppy are stressed when taken out of the hutch especially when they are taken out on their own. Yet all 4 of them will come up to me to eat out my hand when they are in the hutch. They didn't get much grazing time this year due to having the puppy but we are hoping next year we can train him to go just in one area of the grass so the piggies can graze on the rest. Otherwise I will just go back to using the scissors to trim the grass in the front garden for them.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
So how about all these dental issues then, is this purely from pigs not getting enough grass or hay? or maybe not enough calcium as pups? I am stabbing in the dark here I must admit
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My piggy with dental issues had them caused by an abscess but Kim felt that a jaw deformity, likely to be from inbreeding was behind the abscess as well and even if we had managed to get on top of the pneumonia, then the abscess, the overgrown molars and possible elongated roots the feeling was that she would soon go back to square one due to the deformity
 
Lady Kelly said:
My piggy with dental issues had them caused by an abscess but Kim felt that a jaw deformity, likely to be from inbreeding was behind the abscess as well and even if we had managed to get on top of the pneumonia, then the abscess, the overgrown molars and possible elongated roots the feeling was that she would soon go back to square one due to the deformity
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So sad, sorry to hear this, what age did it start causing issues?
 
Lady Kelly said:
My piggy with dental issues had them caused by an abscess but Kim felt that a jaw deformity, likely to be from inbreeding was behind the abscess as well and even if we had managed to get on top of the pneumonia, then the abscess, the overgrown molars and possible elongated roots the feeling was that she would soon go back to square one due to the deformity
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I remember that. Sadly, sometimes there is just too much going wrong! x
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
So sad, sorry to hear this, what age did it start causing issues?
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I just had to search the forum. I got her from RSPCA Walsall and she had an extra toe from the inbreeding too. I had her around 2 years and I can't remember her exact age but I'm assuming it would have been around 6 months when I got her. The tooth problems started with an abscess that blew up in her cheek on Christmas Eve just a few months before she finally passed. To be honest I partially believe that she heard what Kim had to say and thought enoughs enough. She went that night.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I just had to search the forum. I got her from RSPCA Walsall and she had an extra toe from the inbreeding too. I had her around 2 years and I can't remember her exact age but I'm assuming it would have been around 6 months when I got her. The tooth problems started with an abscess that blew up in her cheek on Christmas Eve just a few months before she finally passed. To be honest I partially believe that she heard what Kim had to say and thought enoughs enough. She went that night.
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Aww, bless her! Did Kim not cover her ears, before saying anything? I find it so sweet when Kim puts her hands over their ears, before saying something like 'it wouldn't be wrong to send them to heaven'.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I just had to search the forum. I got her from RSPCA Walsall and she had an extra toe from the inbreeding too. I had her around 2 years and I can't remember her exact age but I'm assuming it would have been around 6 months when I got her. The tooth problems started with an abscess that blew up in her cheek on Christmas Eve just a few months before she finally passed. To be honest I partially believe that she heard what Kim had to say and thought enoughs enough. She went that night.
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I see how you partially beleive that, it's like how I beleive never to say any of you're animals have never had a certain thing wrong, it will and does happen if you say it. There's many ilnnesses my pigs Havnt had that are common, and I just will not dare say about it. You can say my Guinea pig has never had bloat, then suddenly something will happen to another pet. It's weird
 
I've had 3 dental piggies and all was caused by abscess! We hate abscess here in our house coz it does a lot of damage. 🙄
 
This is a fascinating thread @furryfriends (TEAS) with some great insights! Sadly we dont have a lawn but for a few meals a week my piggies just get scatterfed leaves and hay to eat (tonight we are having peashoot and babyleaf salad) and in summer we grow grass in window boxes for them.
Definitely agree about mostly leaving them alone to just enjoy observing their natural behaviours, we usually only handle our lot twice a week for cage cleans and health checks and moving them to the playpen in a basket, and if we want additional cuddles occasionally I know who doesnt mind too much (Jezzy, Theo and Piggle and quite inquisitive about hoomans and all very confident saying by teeth and pee spray and basically just walking off when they've had enough!) and who I know gets stressed by handling so shouldn't really be cuddled for fun (Clover, Blodwen, Puggle, Ollie and Tallulah). If we get cuddles or photos of them out of the cage its normally a 10 minute add-on to a day they are being handled anyway for health checks (thats why I post all my photos on saturday afternoons!). Definitely Blod who came to us so terrified she used to play dead every time a hooman touched her is a completely different piggy just chilling in the middle of a herd, she's quite the little madam interacting with her own species!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Aww, bless her! Did Kim not cover her ears, before saying anything? I find it so sweet when Kim puts her hands over their ears, before saying something like 'it wouldn't be wrong to send them to heaven'.
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I wish I could remember. It was back in early 2017 and it was a lot of overwhelming information too. Maybe she did
 
This is all very interesting.i find my outdoor piggies have far less illness than my indoor piggies.ive also started limiting pellets,giving green leafy veg.due to having a few guinea pigs I'm unable to handle them all,but i always check them and hand feed some veg.i also give kale,spinach,broccoli,parsley ,lettuce throughout the week.none have had bladder stones in the 5 years i have had guinea pigs.rare for any uti problems.the vet i use states that 90 % of it is hereditory and stress.i will continue as i have as it seems to work for me.grass in the warmer months and i go foraging...walking to get some exercise.
 
This is very interesting, my old herd were always out on the lawn weather permitting and never had any bladder issues, I'm sure mine are stressed, having to live with me and my anxiety it would be hard for them not to be..even the cat picks up on it. I have actually been planning on changing how I give pellets, at first I was planning on going pelletless, but then I found some 100% grass pellets that can be soaked and bought in bulk, which is what I plan to do in future. They're marketed for horses but perfectly fine for piggies, even swapping to grainfree didnt do anything, and in fact seemed to make Ebonys IC worse! I still dont understand why.
Leonards been on antibiotics ever since his cystotomy mid October and as soon as he comes off them, the pain comes back...but i've found increasing his water consumption massively helps reduce the pain. I am not sure the antibiotics are even doing anything at this point, I have a feeling his issues are a stress cycle, stress>less drinking>pain when urinating>more stress etc etc.
 
Here’s Bill and Ted having a munch of grass tonight, they love it! They do like a nightly cuddle and treat time, but it’s always on their terms, they give my dressing gown a little nibble when they’ve had enough!
They don’t get stressed with us probably because they have had this routine since they were 4 weeks old. I do think there’s probably stress Related health issues though especially for piggies that don’t like being handled, it’s very
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Ok i will be making a more conscious effort to get some grass to be munched on! I thought leafy greens like kale and broccoli had to be limited due to too much calcium or have i got that wrong?
 
artcasper said:
Ok i will be making a more conscious effort to get some grass to be munched on! I thought leafy greens like kale and broccoli had to be limited due to too much calcium or have i got that wrong?
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I feed a mixture of all sorts. I feed mainly mixed salad leaves, plus herbs, kale and peppers and I feed a lot more veg than most people on here feed. My vet feels sure this is why none of our piggies have ever had bladder issues, as they get such a wet diet. He says whilst they need a lot of hay, it’s also a very dry diet and therefore more veg should be fed.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I feed a mixture of all sorts. I feed mainly mixed salad leaves, plus herbs, kale and peppers and I feed a lot more veg than most people on here feed. My vet feels sure this is why none of our piggies have ever had bladder issues, as they get such a wet diet. He says whilst they need a lot of hay, it’s also a very dry diet and therefore more veg should be fed.
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Do they seem to put on. Lot of weight with the ‘extra’ amount of veg you feed them?
 
I have watched a video before on L. A guinea pig rescue ( saskias guinea pigs) and she also feeds alot of veg, she also said she hasn't had a guinea pig with bladder stones, and with the weight gain, she said she prefers a chubby pig, because they have more weight to spare when sick. But this is her words, not mine
 
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