Swimming pool for hot weather.

Black piggies

Black piggies

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Wondering if anyone has made a paddling / swimming pool for their piggies, that the pigs can get into themselves?

Thinking of a shallow plastic trug and a wooden rabbit bridge. Maybe the trug raised on one side to make one half swimmable in and maybe a non slip something inside the trug.
:roll:
 
Piggies and water, especially swimming pool don't go very well. You should not let them swim. Those videos circulating of them swimming is actually cruel. We only give bath to piggies if they are medically needed or if they are fully covered in dirt/pee/poo. The only washing you could do as much is a little bum wash if they are soaked with urine & poo.

For the warmer weather, it's best to put ice packs in their cage. We have portable aircon in the house in case the temp would really shoot up.
 
anyar.dris said:
Piggies and water, especially swimming pool don't go very well. You should not let them swim. Those videos circulating of them swimming is actually cruel. We only give bath to piggies if they are medically needed or if they are fully covered in dirt/pee/poo. The only washing you could do as much is a little bum wash if they are soaked with urine & poo.

For the warmer weather, it's best to put ice packs in their cage. We have portable aircon in the house in case the temp would really shoot up.
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Yes I spend all summer giving them ice packs and frozen water bottles wrapped in towels and I wouldn't make them swim. But I'd like to offer them paddling on a hot day.

 
Black piggies said:
Yes I spend all summer giving them ice packs and frozen water bottles wrapped in towels and I wouldn't make them swim. But I'd like to offer them paddling on a hot day.
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You would find that piggies won't get into the paddling pool if it's with water. My piggies always try to jump out of a bowl with tiny amount of water whenever they have to have a bum wash.
 
Piggies poor depth perception means that they may well walk into water and then swim so they don't drown, to us this looks like they're voluntarily enjoying a swim but in reality, they just had absolutely no idea the water was deep. They then panic and struggle to get out, which again may trick us into thinking they're enjoying it because if not they would get straight out etc. The low set position of their mouths and nostrils make swimming a very dangerous activity for them, even small amounts of water that are inhaled can cause aspiration and pneumonia. A nice ice pack in warm weather would be much safer and more appreciated by them :)
 
Eriathwen said:
Piggies poor depth perception means that they may well walk into water and then swim so they don't drown, to us this looks like they're voluntarily enjoying a swim but in reality, they just had absolutely no idea the water was deep. They then panic and struggle to get out, which again may trick us into thinking they're enjoying it because if not they would get straight out etc. The low set position of their mouths and nostrils make swimming a very dangerous activity for them, even small amounts of water that are inhaled can cause aspiration and pneumonia. A nice ice pack in warm weather would be much safer and more appreciated by them :)
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:agr:
 
We have 100F+ heat here quite a bit of the summer and I still put my pigs and buns outside. Here are some tips I have for keeping them cool:

1. Wet the bottom of their enclosure. In the bottom of their pen, we put some soft, sandy dirt that I thought would feel good on their feet, but not too dusty. I will take the animals out for a second so they don't scared when I spray the water all over their cage. I spray everything with the hose just to make sure they will stay cool.

2. Give them some wet mats to lay on. Every year I buy these indoor/outdoor mats from DollarTree to use in the pen. They retain water pretty well, so I hose them off, stick them in the pen, and put some houses on top so they feel secure. You can also do this with towels and they love to lay on them.

3. Only use wooden houses. Plastic houses retain a lot of heat, so use wooden houses instead. If you wet these, they might warp a little, but it stays super cool inside there.

4. Shade. Always keep your piggies in the shade when it's hot out.

5. Water. ALWAYS keep water available to your piggies. Multiple, large water bottles will ensure they won't run out. You can also put an ice cube or two in there to keep it cooler for longer.

6. Lawn time. If it's too hot to put the animals in their outdoor pen (usually like 110F), I will put them on the lawn. Our back lawn is always in the shade so it's a nice place for them to relax. If you wet it a little bit, it stays super cool.

7. Feed cold, watery vegetables. Veggies such as lettuce, cucumber, and watermelon all contain a ton of water and can cool them off and hydrate them.

I hope these help your piggies beat the heat!
Gia xoxo
 
Gia said:
We have 100F+ heat here quite a bit of the summer and I still put my pigs and buns outside. Here are some tips I have for keeping them cool:

1. Wet the bottom of their enclosure. In the bottom of their pen, we put some soft, sandy dirt that I thought would feel good on their feet, but not too dusty. I will take the animals out for a second so they don't scared when I spray the water all over their cage. I spray everything with the hose just to make sure they will stay cool.

2. Give them some wet mats to lay on. Every year I buy these indoor/outdoor mats from DollarTree to use in the pen. They retain water pretty well, so I hose them off, stick them in the pen, and put some houses on top so they feel secure. You can also do this with towels and they love to lay on them.

3. Only use wooden houses. Plastic houses retain a lot of heat, so use wooden houses instead. If you wet these, they might warp a little, but it stays super cool inside there.

4. Shade. Always keep your piggies in the shade when it's hot out.

5. Water. ALWAYS keep water available to your piggies. Multiple, large water bottles will ensure they won't run out. You can also put an ice cube or two in there to keep it cooler for longer.

6. Lawn time. If it's too hot to put the animals in their outdoor pen (usually like 110F), I will put them on the lawn. Our back lawn is always in the shade so it's a nice place for them to relax. If you wet it a little bit, it stays super cool.

7. Feed cold, watery vegetables. Veggies such as lettuce, cucumber, and watermelon all contain a ton of water and can cool them off and hydrate them.

I hope these help your piggies beat the heat!
Gia xoxo
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Personally, I think 110 f is a little too hot to have guineas outside (110 F is 43 Centigrade).

I also advise you consider not putting ice in their water bottles ... They 'd be better off having water available at the ambient (shade) temperature. Have you ever had an ice cream headache 🤔
 
Veggies Galore said:
Personally, I think 110 f is a little too hot to have guineas outside (110 F is 43 Centigrade).

I also advise you consider not putting ice in their water bottles ... They 'd be better off having water available at the ambient (shade) temperature. Have you ever had an ice cream headache 🤔
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Yes, I almost always keep them inside, but sometimes it can be like that for a week. It's always quite a bit cooler in the shade and especially on the lawn.
 
Veggies Galore said:
Personally, I think 110 f is a little too hot to have guineas outside (110 F is 43 Centigrade).

I also advise you consider not putting ice in their water bottles ... They 'd be better off having water available at the ambient (shade) temperature. Have you ever had an ice cream headache 🤔
Click to expand...
I had brain freeze earlier from a ice cold smoothie, i had to pull over in my car and sit and rock back a forth for 5 minutes. It is the worst pain
 
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