Hot weather advice please!

Chloe.123

Chloe.123

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi,

I desperately need any advice/tips for keeping my pigs cool. They live in hutches outside, they're in the shade but it's still sooo hot!

I've given them a frozen bottle of water but could really do with any other tips you all might have? 🥵

Thanks
Chloe
 
Update.. I've put them out like this, hoping the concrete will help to cool them. Is this OK?
 

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Its hot air which is going to cause them to be hot, so being on shaded concrete itself probably isn’t going to do much on its own If the air around them is still too hot.
Are you able to bring them into the house at all?

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

My rabbits and piggies live outside but it’s so hot here today I’ve got all five of them inside (piggies in one room, rabbits in another) - tad chaotic here today!
 
All mine are inside today, they are normally in the shed with an air cooler but its just not able to cope in this heat. All are in indoor cages with a fan blowing over them and the windows closed. They have all also reminded themselves where the fridge is....:yahoo:
 
We have outdoor rabbits and on extremely hot days I always bring them inside.
I have some grids that I can use to bunny proof our laundry room which has a tile floor and is always very cool. I leave some of the floor exposed and cover the rest with a sheet and large piles of hay for them as well as cardboard box hides.
They don't like their access being restricted (they have a much larger area available outside) but sometimes in very hot weather it really is the safest option.
 
Thank you for your replies. Unfortunately I can't bring them in as my partner is really allergic. There is a nice breeze outside at the moment and I'm giving them fresh veg and water often.
 
An amber alert for extreme heat has been issued where I live and it's made me panic a bit.

Mine normally live in the shed (hutch in there) but it's way too warm. When I last checked it was 32°C in there and that was just after midday...in the shade.

Frozen water bottles to lie against is good. Also if you have any snuggle safes you can pop them in the fridge for a bit (not the freezer) and then allow them to lie on them. Mine have a very large tile each with a damp (not soaking) towel over them. I mist it regularly to help keep tiles cool. I have mist the pigs (very fine mist from a distance. In fact they didn't even notice it so idk if they can feel it.)
They also have a shallow tray of water to paddle in. Just enough to cover their feet.

Like others have said bring them inside if you can will help and close any curtains where the sun's facing.
 
I left mine too long in the shed yesterday and it got to 29 degrees. i checked them every half hour and they were fine one minute then starting to over heat in a very short time. I felt awful. They are fine and I got them in time. I shaved the long haired and they are now indoors with the cooling fan and absolutely living the life of riley but it was very scary and after over 20 years of guinea ownership, i nearly got caught out. A warning to us all!
 
Mine have ice packs and wet towels to lay on, I also have the fan on
 

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Got a phone call earlier , my niece has just lost her hamster and I think it was the heat that did it . He sleeps in a plastic house built into the cage , awful cage and no one ever listened to me when I said replace it with a bigger better one . Hope all your animals stay safe in this rubbish sticky weather , it's making everything 10 times more difficult.

I use slates put in the fridge and then onto the cage floor and a frozen bottle in a sock . But my living room where the animals are is covered by shade , so I'm not really feeling how hot it could be in there. Just been out in the car though and it's like an oven , air con has ran out of gas 🤦
 
Vegetable_Monster said:
Got a phone call earlier , my niece has just lost her hamster and I think it was the heat that did it . He sleeps in a plastic house built into the cage , awful cage and no one ever listened to me when I said replace it with a bigger better one . Hope all your animals stay safe in this rubbish sticky weather , it's making everything 10 times more difficult.

I use slates put in the fridge and then onto the cage floor and a frozen bottle in a sock . But my living room where the animals are is covered by shade , so I'm not really feeling how hot it could be in there. Just been out in the car though and it's like an oven , air con has ran out of gas 🤦
Click to expand...
Aw that's terrible. I have a few animals including a hamster and I can't believe people sometimes. It hurts to see them in inadequate housing and when advised with links to info and better and affordable products I have received comments like, 'but (s)he is fine', 'oh so you know my hamster then', or probably the worst one yet regarding a wheel, 'my Syrian is fine on a 7cm wheel! Back doesn't bend at all'...I'm pretty sure a 6" hamster isn't going to fit on a 7cm wheel.
So I know how you feel.

What's worse is it's quite easy to keep them cool (IMO). If a desert animal has been able to overheat then there's something wrong. (By any chance was the cage the Pico XL or whatever it's called?)
 
I’ve been so worried these last few days. Have you got a cool garage you could move them to for a couple of days? My two boys live in the garage which is usually lovely and cool. Ive covered all of the windows with blankets, changing the cooled snugglesafe every three hours. Giving an extra piece of cucumber at lunchtime as they are not big drinkers. Putting them out for grass time at 8pm when it’s lovely and cool. Do you have a spare room (that your partner could stay out of) with the door closed for a few days so their allergies would be ok?
 
Desert animals hide during the day underground and come out when fold at night . I think
Engel said:
Aw that's terrible. I have a few animals including a hamster and I can't believe people sometimes. It hurts to see them in inadequate housing and when advised with links to info and better and affordable products I have received comments like, 'but (s)he is fine', 'oh so you know my hamster then', or probably the worst one yet regarding a wheel, 'my Syrian is fine on a 7cm wheel! Back doesn't bend at all'...I'm pretty sure a 6" hamster isn't going to fit on a 7cm wheel.
So I know how you feel.

What's worse is it's quite easy to keep them cool (IMO). If a desert animal has been able to overheat then there's something wrong. (By any chance was the cage the Pico XL or whatever it's called?)
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Yes a pico xl by rosewood , and I'm sorry to name and ShaMe but these cages are horrible . I don't get rosewood for doing it because they make mostly good stuff and one of the best guinea pig pellets.

I don't know if it was definitely heAt stroke from that little plastic house built into it , but I can imagine it got stuffy and hot inside . It only takes the hamster to fall asleep in the morning and then die in it's sleep when noon hit and the hot weather peaks . My brother found the hamster cold and stiff yesterday. They did close curtains and shut windows , but that isn't enough
 
Vegetable_Monster said:
Desert animals hide during the day underground and come out when fold at night . I think

Yes a pico xl by rosewood , and I'm sorry to name and ShaMe but these cages are horrible . I don't get rosewood for doing it because they make mostly good stuff and one of the best guinea pig pellets.

I don't know if it was definitely heAt stroke from that little plastic house built into it , but I can imagine it got stuffy and hot inside . It only takes the hamster to fall asleep in the morning and then die in it's sleep when noon hit and the hot weather peaks . My brother found the hamster cold and stiff yesterday. They did close curtains and shut windows , but that isn't enough
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Yes they do, 27°c and above is too hot for hamsters hence why they're normally 3-6ft underground in their burrows during the day. Come out in the evening.

They are horrible. It wouldn't be the first one to die because of the heat in that house (hence how I guessed which one you were on about).

Sorry, but is that all? I've done that, given mine several ceramic hides, shallow water dish to walk through with some frozen veg and so much more
 
Engel said:
Yes they do, 27°c and above is too hot for hamsters hence why they're normally 3-6ft underground in their burrows during the day. Come out in the evening.

They are horrible. It wouldn't be the first one to die because of the heat in that house (hence how I guessed which one you were on about).

Sorry, but is that all? I've done that, given mine several ceramic hides, shallow water dish to walk through with some frozen veg and so much more
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Please don’t give frozen veggies. It can upset their delicate tummies
 
Engel said:
Yes they do, 27°c and above is too hot for hamsters hence why they're normally 3-6ft underground in their burrows during the day. Come out in the evening.

They are horrible. It wouldn't be the first one to die because of the heat in that house (hence how I guessed which one you were on about).

Sorry, but is that all? I've done that, given mine several ceramic hides, shallow water dish to walk through with some frozen veg and so much more
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There wouldn't even be enough room to do all those safety measure in that cage . It's tiny and so hard to get in and out of
 
VickiA said:
Please don’t give frozen veggies. It can upset their delicate tummies
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Sorry I should have explained further. Frozen veg that's thawed in the water (which doesn't take long in this heat). Everything stays cooler for longer Vs when it's kept in the fridge. Hamster and rats love 'fishing' :D
 
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