Neglected Piggy

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RyceBryan

New Born Pup
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Greetings everyone,
I would like to get advice from piggy enthusiasts, here is my situation.
My neighbour moved out yesterday. The family had 2 kids and they have a few piggies (like 5).
There is one female which is neglected and separated as they say she cant get along with the others.
They ask me if i want to take her in since the kids dont really pay attention to her and their parents only focus on work, so i said yes.
She is dirty, Long haired type. back side of the fur is clumped and matted. So they moved out today and pass this piggy to me out of the blue.
I had to run to the pet store and get everything i can as fast as i can. I got some mixed food which contains hay, pallets, dried flower, wood bedding, pet shampoo and a breeding box that is somewhat bigger than the other cage. Pet store selection is very limited at my area.
Now all of these are temporary, I have ordered a lot of good quality products such as food and big enclosure online and it will take at least 7 days to arrive. I will list them out and i would like to know if I'm missing anything.

- Dust Free Paper Bedding
- Hay Holder
- Corner Toilet (Bunny Size) for potty training
- Set of toys (hay ball, chew toy, hideout, wooden ball, etc)
- Nature Timothy Hay
- Fruit Mix Snack, Vegetable Snack (These are treats to tame and bond)
- Very Big Enclosure with door, (Not cage, theres no measurement on the website but its for cats and dogs)
- Beaphar Xtravital GuineaPig Pallet
- Set of Double Storey Villa Home with Stairs, Hammock, etc
- Set of Grooming Kit (Scissor, Comb, etc)

I had to bathe her when i get her because shes so dirty. Surprisingly shes very sweet and very cooperative.
I had to change the bathing water 3 times as the water turned brown thats how dirty she is.
Then again with animal shampoo then rinse her off clean. Had to trim some of her matted fur.
I prepared fresh veggies Lettuce, Carrot, Cucumber, and blueberry as treat so far she likes it.
After fully cleaned, blow dried with warm air, her fur fluff like beautiful cotton and after done eating, she spend some time with me as i work and she fell asleep on my lap.
So far she did not show sign of being afraid of me or hostile, I feel she is somewhat comfortable.
I might introduce her to another piggies or put up for adoption but it really depends on the situation. I tried to find information online some
piggies cant live together with the others and they prefer to be alone. I will try to introduce her to other piggy when the time is right.
Once she is potty trained i plan to let her roam free around my house.

Would really appreciate with some advice!

Here are some pictures of her when i get her today and her temporary home. Please ignore the basking light, it came together with the box. And the light bulb is too bright so i wrap aluminium foil to make it dimmer just to make it more lively. I will turn it off at night.
pigy1.jpg
pigy-2.jpg
pigy-3.jpg
pigy-4.jpg
pigy-5.jpg
 
Well done for taking her in.
You’ve obviously been thrown in the deep end but we can help you. I will link in some guides with further information.

An important step is to weigh her each morning so you can monitor that she is eating enough hay.

Make sure you provide her with plenty of hay - she needs huge piles of it in the cage at all time ie fill the cage with it. There doesn’t appear to be any hay available to her right now. Any bits of hay in the dry food is nowhere near enough. Hay is the only food she has constant access to. It makes up 80% of what they need to eat in a day. They need plenty of hay for healthy gut function and dental function. Without hay a piggy will lose weight, potentially overeat in unhealthy things such as those dry mixes and veg. It will also cause digestive problems and overgrown teeth.

She does not need a hay holder - they aren’t recommended as they make it hard for them to enjoy the hay. Hay is also a toy, they like to get right in amongst huge piles of it and play. Hay being in a holder restricts their ability to forage and actually removes large chunks of entertainment and enrichment.

The dry food in the bowl right now doesn’t look suitable. She can have one tablespoon of a plain pellet each day such as oxbow.
The beaphar xtravital that you plan on getting is also not suitable. It is a muesli and must not be fed.
She needs a plain pellet and can have just one tablespoon per day. It shouldn’t be available to her in such large amounts nor should it be in there all the time . Any dry pellet is merely supplementary and actually doesn’t need to be given at all.

And she should not eat that much carrot - it’s too sugary and can cause digestive problems. One very tiny piece very occasionally and no more than once a week is fine as a treat.

The mixed fruit snack and veg snack - if they are commercial items then don’t bother with them. They are likely to be very unhealthy. Simply use her normal daily portion of fresh veg and hand feed that to her. Please look at the diet guide for an idea of quantities. The four safe daily veg are lettuce, cucumber, cilantro and bell pepper.

The cage. It’s vital you know the measurements. Just because it says suitable for a dog does not mean it is likely to be suitable for a piggy. She needs a suitable cage measuring at least 120x60cm but 150x60cm is better particularly if she is to have a friend.
A c&c cage is a good option if you don’t have any other pets roaming the house such as cats or dogs. A c&c for her needs to be 4 grids by 2 grids.

She needs a house or even a cardboard box to snuggle up into. Piggies don’t like open spaces and get scared easily.

It’s important to note tough that piggies cannot be potty trained. If she free roams you will need to accept that she is likely to pee and poop everywhere.

It is unlikely that she is not be able to live with another pig - it’s very rare for a piggy to prefer being alone. You do need to find the right compatible friend for her though for them to be able to bond - you can’t just get another pig, put them together and assume it’ll be ok. They need to be character compatible and bonded properly in neutral territory. We can help with information when the time comes.

Wiebke

Thread 'New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection'

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Human Pet Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pig Facts: An Overview
3 Living Environment
- Housing (with sourcing tips)
- Bedding (with...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets'

1 The recommended ratio of food groups
2 Hay and fresh grass
3 Vegetables, fresh herbs and fruit with an illustrated balanced sample diet
4 Special dietary needs
- Urinary tract infections, bladder stones and sterile IC (non-bacterial interstitial cystitis)
- Diabetes and long term digestive problems
- Impaction in boars
- Pregnancy and nursing dietary tweaks (only visible to registered members who have accepted our no intentional breeding policy)...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Weight - Monitoring and Management (Underweight & Overweight)'

1 Health monitoring: BMI, weighing, poo out and body changes
- The importance of the weekly health and grooming body check
- Different feedback from BMI, weight, poos and body changes
2 Regular weight monitoring
- How often should I weigh?
- Weighing tips
3 Guidelines for changes in weight
- Weight loss guidelines
- Sudden weight gain and fluctuations...
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Well done for taking her in - she looks a sweet girl ❤️
@Piggies&buns has given you great advice and if you read the guides there is everything you need to know
Good luck 🥰
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. It’s brilliant that you have taken her in. She’s gorgeous. 😍
 
thanks for all the information! i just woke up and started to search for information again.
the enclosure that i ordered is 3x3 grid but adjustable to 4x2.

for the dry mix that is only whats available in the pet store and the selection is very limited.
theres few mix some for birds that contains seeds, some dried grass pallets. But this one i feel its the best one, contains some hay, pallet, dandelion, flower.
everything is just temporary at least until the stuff i ordered online arrive.

for hideout yes i ordered a small villa double storey with bed room, cave for hideout, hammock, stairs, quite luxurious and big. thats why I'm getting her a big enclosure.
for the carrot part yes its my mistake, alot to learn in a day.
i will get some parsley, capsicum, cabbage and some other suitable vege today.
regarding the food that i ordered i just searched and understood that muesli food is bad for them will lead to obesity and high in sugar. thats another important note i will pay attention to. (typical new owner mistake, if this is branded food for guinea pigs it must be good).
after some understanding i have found another better option, Oxbow Essentials Pallets.
i will continue to do research and more understanding to provide best care for her. shes lying on my lap sideways and very relaxed as I'm typing now. such a sweet fur clump!
 
Welcome to the forum. It sounds that you will be a great Guinea Pig Slave. Coriander (Cilantro) is better than parsley as parsley has a lot of calcium which can lead to health issues such as bladder stones.
 
RyceBryan said:
thanks for all the information! i just woke up and started to search for information again.
the enclosure that i ordered is 3x3 grid but adjustable to 4x2.

for the dry mix that is only whats available in the pet store and the selection is very limited.
theres few mix some for birds that contains seeds, some dried grass pallets. But this one i feel its the best one, contains some hay, pallet, dandelion, flower.
everything is just temporary at least until the stuff i ordered online arrive.

for hideout yes i ordered a small villa double storey with bed room, cave for hideout, hammock, stairs, quite luxurious and big. thats why I'm getting her a big enclosure.
for the carrot part yes its my mistake, alot to learn in a day.
i will get some parsley, capsicum, cabbage and some other suitable vege today.
regarding the food that i ordered i just searched and understood that muesli food is bad for them will lead to obesity and high in sugar. thats another important note i will pay attention to. (typical new owner mistake, if this is branded food for guinea pigs it must be good).
after some understanding i have found another better option, Oxbow Essentials Pallets.
i will continue to do research and more understanding to provide best care for her. shes lying on my lap sideways and very relaxed as I'm typing now. such a sweet fur clump!
Click to expand...

You’re doing well - it’s hard being thrown in the deep end like this!

Check the measurements of the enclosure. If it is a dog crate for example then it possibly won’t be suitable.

If you can’t find a suitable dry food, then it’s best to just not give any. Piggies only need hay and some veg so the dry mix can be totally avoided.

There are many of us who don’t feed any pellets or at least hardly any - I give my boys 5-8 pellets and even then only give them twice a week. They really aren’t needed in the diet.

Parsley is high in calcium so cannot be fed much - 1-2 sprigs and only given once a week. Whereas cilantro can be given every day.
Cabbage can cause bloat so also isn’t suitable to be fed every day.

Do note that piggies aren’t natural climbers so it’s possible anything double storey might not be used
 
Well done for taking in this unwanted piggy. She’s beautiful and a very lucky girl to be taken in by you.
You sound as if you are a wonderful, caring piggy owner.

As has been said, it’s very rare for a piggy to want to be alone.
I adopted a boar who had been labelled as unable to live with others. I had him neutered and he lived very happily with my sows.
It’s about finding the right companion.
This may be a neutered boar or maybe baby sows.

There is an information thread about bonding piggies.
I lack the tech skills to link it for you.

Welcome to the forum.
As well as finding lots of information, advice and support I hope you have fun here.
 
It is great that you want to learn the best way to make her life good. I hope you don't feel like anyone is being critical, all information (and it's a LOT) is given with kindness. It's very clear that she will thrive in your care as you are willing to learn, many aren't.
 
So kind of you offer her a home. You will get all the correct info from this site. Most of us have made a mistakes and learned along the way - You are in the right place. There’s a lot to learn but I think you will be a great Guinea pig mum xx
 
hi! sorry wasnt able to reply was busy for few days with work. but i work at home mostly. heres an update, my pigy is doing very well. she is used to sleeping on my lap now. almost half of the things i order arrived. this is current set up. few more items still on the way.
got her nice big cushion pouch, fleece bed, i put her bottle and hay right beside her potty area and it works like a charm.
paper bedding still on the way, but this wood bedding isint bad too its dust free. shes healthy and kicking! i got her premium mountain timothy hay and it smells so nice.
i might get another piggy to be her companion in the future once everything settled.
 

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That's a lovely big space for her, well done. Is that cat litter? I'm afraid it's dangerous to use for several reasons. Maybe use the litter box as a hay tray, she will enjoy that much more than the hay bag.
 
That’s a lovely size space for her!

There isn’t enough hay in the picture though - she needs a huge pile if it in her cage at all times. That hay bag is not enough and not recommended as she can’t forage through it. Foraging through hay and being able to hide under a huge pile of it is so important for her.

What is that product in the litter tray?
If it is a cat litter then it may be unsafe.
You should just add the shavings already in the cage into her litter tray and then top it with hay. Also have hay elsewhere, as I mentioned a big hay pile, in her cage as well.

I have concerns about the litter tray itself: it looks like it has a grid front. The holes in the grid pose a risk of causing her injuries and breaking her legs. She should never walk on something like that.
I would remove that grey front slatted grid for her safety. If that grid doesn’t come off, then I would remove the entire litter tray and not use one at all (a litter tray isn’t technically needed. I use shavings as bedding everywhere in my cages, out the hay directly in the floor in two large piles at either end of the cage and then just remove the hay and wet bedding each day).

I would also say that we don’t recommend that you use feeding bowls. It’s much better to scatter veg and pellets directly into a hay pile. Eating from a bowl removes all her mental stimulation and ability to forage and makes feeding time rather boring for them. This is even more important given she is alone - she needs plenty to do to keep occupied and piggies naturally spend large parts of their time foraging freely.
Just one tablespoon of pellets per day is enough, and shouldn’t have access to pellets all day.

I would also add in a lot more hides and tunnels so her cage is not such a large open space. Hides should have two doors, so the corner house you currently have will not be able to be used once she has a friend (it would pose a risk of causing a fight inside if when if they trap each other in there).

I don’t want you to take my comments as negative at all - you are doing a really great job for her
 
Wow thats a fabulous size space for her. She is so lucky. 😍
 
RyceBryan said:
thanks for all the information! i just woke up and started to search for information again.
the enclosure that i ordered is 3x3 grid but adjustable to 4x2.

for the dry mix that is only whats available in the pet store and the selection is very limited.
theres few mix some for birds that contains seeds, some dried grass pallets. But this one i feel its the best one, contains some hay, pallet, dandelion, flower.
everything is just temporary at least until the stuff i ordered online arrive.

for hideout yes i ordered a small villa double storey with bed room, cave for hideout, hammock, stairs, quite luxurious and big. thats why I'm getting her a big enclosure.
for the carrot part yes its my mistake, alot to learn in a day.
i will get some parsley, capsicum, cabbage and some other suitable vege today.
regarding the food that i ordered i just searched and understood that muesli food is bad for them will lead to obesity and high in sugar. thats another important note i will pay attention to. (typical new owner mistake, if this is branded food for guinea pigs it must be good).
after some understanding i have found another better option, Oxbow Essentials Pallets.
i will continue to do research and more understanding to provide best care for her. shes lying on my lap sideways and very relaxed as I'm typing now. such a sweet fur clump!
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

So great of you to take the little one on. It is quite a steep learning curve for you right now but you will get there.

See whether you can find a horse/equine supplies centre within your reach or with online order/delivery for sourcing hay. We have found that this is usually the best place in Middle Eastern countries to get hold of grass based hay.

Hay/grass fibre needs to make over three quarters of the daily food intake because the growth rate of the crucial grinding teeth at the back of the mouth has evolved against the highly abrasive silica in their main staple and the digestive system with poo eating for a second run is also laid out for a fresh grass/hay based diet. The front teeth self-sharpen against each other in a healthy, balanced dental system. If the front teeth have an even, horizontal edge, all is well at the back.

All the other foods together (veg, pellets, treats, fresh and dry forage etc.) only replace the ca. 20% of supplementary forage from the diet guinea pigs have evolved on; they should be treated as a single food group with pellets the smallest part of it - they are full of empty calories that take away from the all important hay intake. However, until you can source some hay please continue.

sport_billy

Thread 'A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)'

1 List of available types of hay (with description and pros/cons)
2 Hay comparison chart (with nutritional values explained)
3 Assessing the quality of hay
4 Storage
5 Suppliers (UK - USA - Aus)
6 Further information, hay racks and hay treats


This guide has been written by @G&C in 2019 and updated for UK sources by @Lorcan in 2023.
The forum would like to thank them for all their hard work in researching and producing this very helpful and thorough guide!


Hay is...
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Welcome to the forum, you have done an amazing job to give her he very best life. If you can find a good source of hay then that would be fab as they need a constant supply to keep their gut and teeth working properly 😊 She’s gorgeous!
 
Thank you so much for taking her in! She is a really pretty little pig and I can see you are going to be a great piggy parent. She has loads of space to run and I'm sure you will get the rest figured out in time. The hay is the most important thing as others have said, hopefully you can find a good source.
 
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