Very worried about my Guinea Pigs before leaving for a vacation.

[AaronDulger]

Hi all, I am having lot's of trouble at the moment. A vacation is coming up, but I am scared of going. I am so afraid something will happen to my guinea pigs. A wonderful acquaintance will come to feed them and play with them daily, but I can't help but feel worried sick. I have not been on a vacation for 2 years, so I really need a break, but I am not sure how to deal with this anxiety.

Also, I feel like the guineas are behaving differently. Could it be that they sense my anxiety and feel stressed because of that? Or am I imagining things? I do feed them as usual, clean their cage and give attention. We did cut their nails yesterday, which stresses them out, but we did not hurt them. I am not sure if this can affect their behavior today either. Sorry for all the questions. Wishing you a very nice day.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s not easy leaving your beloved pets but if you cover all your bases before you go then hopefully you can have a great holiday without worrying too much.

I am going on holiday this year, first time in 24 years and I am going to put each animal’s veg portion into separate containers and label with their name and the day that portion is to be fed. Mine don’t get pellets every day but you can also add their one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day to another container so you know they don’t inadvertently get overfed.
I am also going to do a weight check on them all before I go so I can immediately spot anything when I do the weight check when I come back.
Most importantly, make sure to leave the vets phone number in case of any emergencies.

In terms of how of they are acting now, it may be a bit of both - both them feeling a bit on edge if you are on edge, and it may also be that you are imagining it due to your worries.
The best way to spot any issues early is to weigh your guinea pigs regularly (weekly as routine care but daily if you have any health concerns) as this will show that they are eating enough hay.

 

[Bill & Ted]

That’s a great idea to bag all their portions of food up and label like @Piggies&buns says. We looked after our daughters house rabbit last year in a heat wave. We followed all the instructions left us, with veggies left for us in the fridge and told where the hay cupboard was etc They had weighed and bagged the pellets for each day with the date and left details of their vet just in case. It set their mind at rest and ours too!

Enjoy your break, they will be fine

 

[Bill & Ted]

It’s not easy leaving your beloved pets but if you cover all your bases before you go then hopefully you can have a great holiday without worrying too much.

I am going on holiday this year, first time in 24 years and I am going to out each animal’s veg portion into separate containers and label with their name and the day that portion is to be fed. Mine don’t get pellets every day but you can also add their one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day to another container so you know they don’t inadvertently get overfed.
I am also going to do a weight check on them all before I go so I can immediately spot anything when I do the weight check when I come back.
Most importantly, make sure to leave the vets phone number in case of any emergencies.

In terms of how of they are acting now, it may be a bit of both - both them feeling a bit on edge if you are on edge, and it may also be that you are imagining it due to your worries.
The best way to spot any issues early is to weigh your guinea pigs regularly (weekly as routine care but daily if you have any health concerns) as this will show that they are eating enough hay.

Hope you have a lovely holiday!

 

[AaronDulger]

It’s not easy leaving your beloved pets but if you cover all your bases before you go then hopefully you can have a great holiday without worrying too much.

I am going on holiday this year, first time in 24 years and I am going to out each animal’s veg portion into separate containers and label with their name and the day that portion is to be fed. Mine don’t get pellets every day but you can also add their one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day to another container so you know they don’t inadvertently get overfed.
I am also going to do a weight check on them all before I go so I can immediately spot anything when I do the weight check when I come back.
Most importantly, make sure to leave the vets phone number in case of any emergencies.

In terms of how of they are acting now, it may be a bit of both - both them feeling a bit on edge if you are on edge, and it may also be that you are imagining it due to your worries.
The best way to spot any issues early is to weigh your guinea pigs regularly (weekly as routine care but daily if you have any health concerns) as this will show that they are eating enough hay.

Thank you very much for your reply. Using containers is a very good idea, so I will arrange this before leaving. I will weigh them again tonight and do so every few days to monitor their health. For now, it seems like they are eating hay a lot and drink every now and then.

Thank you again for your tips. I wish you a beautiful holiday!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all, I am having lot's of trouble at the moment. A vacation is coming up, but I am scared of going. I am so afraid something will happen to my guinea pigs. A wonderful acquaintance will come to feed them and play with them daily, but I can't help but feel worried sick. I have not been on a vacation for 2 years, so I really need a break, but I am not sure how to deal with this anxiety.

Also, I feel like the guineas are behaving differently. Could it be that they sense my anxiety and feel stressed because of that? Or am I imagining things? I do feed them as usual, clean their cage and give attention. We did cut their nails yesterday, which stresses them out, but we did not hurt them. I am not sure if this can affect their behavior today either. Sorry for all the questions. Wishing you a very nice day.

Hi and welcome

You can find some very practical advice on arranging your holiday absence in this guide link here: Tips For Organising Your Holiday Absence

Please also make sure that your guinea pigs are protected from any heat spikes/waves while you are away. There are some very simple measures that don't take a lot of time on how to keep the room cooler and the the piggies provided with cool water for a day: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

All the best.