Another Guinea pig thread, URGENT

[Sookeh]

A friend of mine on a whim bought 2 boy guinea pigs who she has now decided she no longer wants. They have not been together long as she has only had them a couple of weeks and has said that she'd be fine seperating them. If they don't get picked up today she will take them to a rescue.

I would quite like to adopt them but am generally clueless. Should I split them up? The cage was bought at pets at home and looks only big enough for 1 but friend said all pets at home guinea cages are suitable for 2 as they usually are bought as a pair?

DP has said he'd prefer to only get 1 to keep costs down, is it really that much more to have a pair?

They are both males, could this cause problems?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as DD and I have sort of fallen in love and need to know what to do ASAP!

Sorry also meant to say you are doing a wonderful job. My GP with a respiratory infection is ok now. She is on an antibiotic called septrin.

Did your vet give you probiotics to give 2 hours after the antibiotic? They need this or they could get an upset stomach which can kill them. They come in little sachets from the vets.

Also, good idea to weigh both your pigs twice a day as losing weight is a very serious issue with GPs.

If your sick piggie is not eating much then you can blend the pellets into a soup and hand feed but do look on youtube on how to do it or they can aspirate.

When my pigs are ill I give them lots of cuddles as I know they can give up very easily.

P@H should (in theory) be responsible for the vet bills for GP 3 as he sounds like he came to you with a respiratory problem.The pig should have been checked and given a clean bill of health before it was sold, but ,I've seen Gps and read alot of reviews of unwell guineas.

Tyrion could have got his mites from Ned, and if he's poorly, he could have got this from Ned too.
In which case your friend should take responsibility for the vets bills.(IMHO, some might see differently).
She must know your financial situation, £50 is alot to find.
You did her a favour taking the pigs. A rescue would not have been in a position to take them straight away, they always have waiting lists. And they would have wanted a donation on surrender.

It's natural to get attatched to these little animals so quickly.

Oh Sookeh, I'm sorry to hear the new pig is poorly and like others, am furious that a pet shop is selling clearly sick animals. Not only are they putting all their other livestock at risk, but anyone taking home a young pig and introducing it to another runs the risk of infecting them. It's absolutely scandalous.

Anyhow, at least this little guy is lucky to have you as pig mum, and I'm sorry to hear about Tyrion's mites as well. I've had one pig get mites from some hay and the treatment works well, but it's a really painful condition to have, poor fella.

I know you've got enough on your plate with all the wee humans and rodents at the moment, but maybe if you get a chance, it would be worth phoning trading standards to report the shop selling sick animals. In my experience RSPCA's hands can be a bit tied if a pet shop or breeder can show that animals have food, water and enough space and if the manager or breeder insists they do take sick animals to the vets. Trading standards, however, would look at it as the "sale of faulty goods," (as bad as that sounds,) and has more teeth to do something about that.

Or, perhaps your "clueless" friend who landed you in this mess could take some action with Trading Standards, at least to do something useful?

There's some guidance on the guinea lynx site about syringe feeding that might be helpful. Lots of good information on the site in general. www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

Good advice from everyone else. Thinking about you!

Mites can live quite happily on a guinea (in small numbers ) until the GP is ill.Then whap they take over and the infestation spreads and causes problems.

I think I will call the RSPCA it's just awful and such a mess. Scruffles is eating, weeing and pooing but now Tyrion seems lethargic! I'm such a wreck, DD will be distraught if we lose another one.

Pets at home after a bollocking from my stepdad have said they'll pay the vet bills which is good but just doesn't seem good enough tbh, something needs to be done to ensure someone, possibly a child doesn't have to go through the mess we've been put through.

My sister is coming over because DS feels unwell and I'm just not coping, I have severe depression too so I'm finding it all a bit much.

I wasn't given anything for after the anti-biotics but she seemed to know what she was doing. I hope she didn't miss anything. Gah!

Would some sort of cream help Tyrions skin? It looks so sore but he clicks and grinds at me whenever I try to have a good look under his fur

Sookeh You should not be paying that vets bill.It is P@H who should pay it. If they refuse I would go down there and kick up a fuss until they agree to settle your bill.

Bloody P@H!!! I hate them!
Those poor piggies will be left until either some poor unsuspecting person takes pity on them and gives them a home, and deal with the problems, or they will be bought back and put in the 're-homing' centre, or they will just get put there straight away because they won't sell.. God only knows what will happen to them then :(

Bit x posted there. Good that they will settle your fee's, and yes do give the RSPCA or trading standards a ring!

Tyrion could just be missing his mates. He had one then he didn't, then he did, then he didn't....compleatly not your fault but it could be why he is down! They do need company, my two have been separated at the mo because they are bickering but they are still next to each other and still talking. I have seen the difference in Big pig since we got Little pig, human company is no substitute for one of their own, even if they are only next door neighbours. Hopefully your two will be back within chattering distance soon. :)

Still crossing fingers for you!

I think that's it Queen, he feels lonely

If all is well in three days I'll re-introduce them. I think that should be enough time.

Poor Scruffles is in a little plastic box with hardly any room but without another cage (the one we have is too small as it is!) it's the best I can do

How long would it take RSPCA to investigate? I have to go there in 2 days for the refund and I'm worried they'll cause a scene with me as they'll probably know it was me who reported them.
I'm a bit scared of confrontation.

QueenBonkey you need to give your boars a virtual smacked bottom and no supper

My GP2 had a bit of a spat with GP1 this morning. GP1 went into his brothers newly vacated little haynest (I was checking their poohs, sad b'stard that I am) and was doing the purr,stiff body rattlesnake act (Mine, it's warm, I'm taking this spot"

GP2 retaliated by giving him a little bite to his shoulderblade

They don't get better with age

They won't cause a scene, they wouldn't dare risk it!
I doubt it will be mentioned.

Have a browse here for tips on re-introducing. It can be tricky, you will have to do it on neutral ground and make sure you clean everything so nothing smells like one pig.

I still have the joys of trying to get my two back together in a few weeks they are still winding each other up through the bars, I think Little pig may become the dominant one after all. I'm guessing Big pig will not take this lightly

Being boys, they may have their bickers but learn whats normal and whats not and you should be able to avoid too much confrontation.
If you do have trouble they will be more than happy living side by side for a while until you want to try again.

You really have been thrown right in at the deep end here, haven't you?

Bloody animals!!

70 They are little buggers!
Big pig picked a scab of his nose so there was blood all over the floor earlier, cleaned him up only to notice he has a scabby mouth, so worried about that now.....Don't know of it was from the fight or not

I really have been thrown in. I know more about guinea pigs than I thought I ever would now to be honest

I really hope they get on in a few days, if they don't it will be a disaster!

GPs do need probiotics after antibiotics. As P@H are paying the vet bills please call your vet and ask for some. Here is the info on GP Lynx

www.guinealynx.info/probiotics.html

One of my GP has a respiratory infection at the moment and has antibiotics followed by probiotics 2 hours later. The vet gave me little sachets that cost around a £1.

They're closed, I'll have to go over on the bus tomorrow to get the probiotics.

Both still kicking so far!

Both pigs pulled through the night, Scruffles has a very weepy and crusty eye but seems a little better than he was yesterday. The next 24 hours should tell whether they're going to pull through or not.

Sookeh, it sounds like you are doing your very, very best for the boys and I'm so sorry you've had such an awful time with this, especially when you're not feeling that well. Hopefully, the cuddles and wheeks from the boars will help compensate a little bit!

With regard to probiotics, ironically, Pets at Home sell Vet Ark Pro C, but obviously wouldn't recommend getting it there. This place also sells it www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Health+%252526+Hygiene.12/ProC+Probiotic.351.html and there might be a few others on line if you google it. They might do next day delivery if you're struggling to get it from the vets. The vet does a slightly more expensive, perhaps stronger one, but the one in the link is the one I give to mine when they are poorly.

One of the many things that annoyed me about the vet hospital I took one of my boars to in February with cystitis is that while they seemed fixated on putting vitamin C in the water (which actually isn't a good idea as it can react specifically with plastic bottles, potentially leaching out harmful chemicals into the water, and if pigs have plenty of vitamin C rich foods like yellow pepper and broccoli, they don't need supplements,) but never once mentioned probiotics despite the heavy dose of antibiotics they were giving him. When I asked about probiotics they were like, "oh yeah, whatever."

70 is right about mites - they can have a few without problems, but if they get ill or stressed, mites can thrive and cause them problems. There's info here on mites, but it sounds like your vet is clued up on this www.guinealynx.info/mites.html.

It was 10 or 12 years ago that I had a pig with mites, with an open sore over his shoulders that hurt him like the dickens. I believe it was Peter Gurney (I got him from Peter - RIP Peter!) or perhaps Cambridge Cavy Trust (CCT) that recommended applying Eurax eurax.co.uk/ to give some pain relief. I don't know if that would still be recommended, but it seemed to help mine.

There are alot of over the counter preparations for humans that are okay for piggies, but it's always good to check guinea lynx or the Guinea Pig Forum to make sure they are "okay." They aren't licensed though for sale to treat anything other than humans, so when buying from the chemist, you sometimes have to invent an itch of your own :) or for some things, pretend to have an elderly aunt, or similar.

Best of luck and you are doing your best, you really are.

The GPs need probiotics asap so if you have to get them from Pets at Home do so but tell them the story as I would expect them to give them to you for free.

The Hay Experts are brilliant I get my priobiotics and critical care from them but they don't do next day delivery.

Probiotics will help GPs fight the infection by enhancing the natural gut floral that the antibiotics will have destroyed.

GPs can give up very easily but your GPs have you now so they are very lucky and hopefully they will pull through. If you feel well enough it may be good to give them lots of attention in between times of rest and maybe clean the crusty eyes which may be uncomfortable.

Agree with Kritiq there are lots of human medications that can be given to GPs. Peter Guerney mentions some on his website and his books are brilliant especially Piggie Potions.

Both have been given pro-biotics now and are eating and drinking well. Between them and the kids I've been carrying something all day and I'm already so knackered.

I'm not sure if I'll know when they are well enough to be put back together but I feel like I need to it ASAP as Tyrion is so so much quieter when he's in there on his own.

Keep bathing their eyes if they are crusty (did they give you anything to do this) . Warm salted water (I would boil it and let it cool) is as good as anything. Use with a non fluffy cloth or gauze.

Eating and drinking is good with GPs. It's always a bad sign when they don't.
I'd personally keep them seperate but within sight and earshot of each other. That way they don't feel alone but can be out of each others faces.
It doesn't take much for a cranky ill GP to turn on it's unsuspecting cage-mate and as these 2 are early on in their friendship, it's best to take it slow anyway.

Thing is that Scruffles is in a very small plastic box while he's recovering, I can't really keep him in it much longer but I only have the one cage and really can't afford another one just yet.

He's just had his eye cleaned and isn't very pleased with me at all.

I'm giving him water from a syringe still and he seems to love it when I do it, slurping away happily. I'm worried I shouldn't be doing this though or that I'm giving him too much.

He definitely seems much stronger today.

They don't take kindly to having their eyes cleaned (I had to Half Nelson GP2 to do his ) but if it seals up completely there can be allsorts going on that you're not aware of. And if they aren't well they won't be so inclined to self groom. (Remembering a litter of kittens on Animal Hospital that had gummy little eyes and lovely RSPCA vet David Grant saying if they had an infection and their eyes were 'sealed up' they could lose their eye. Eek)
With water, they'll take as much as they need. Some will drink loads, others appear to drink none (Mine fall into the none catergory) Maybe he likes the fuss and attention when you syringe feed him.

Could you get a big sturdy cardboard box for him to run round during the day, and go into his small box at night?

I think that's it 70, he just sort of lies there drinking with the odd happy squeak

I'll have to get a bigger box or something, it's too small for him to be in all day especially as he seems to be getting stronger.

His eye was totally sealed up this morning when I picked him up but I cleaned it and it opened again.

It's only one of his eyes though, the other seems fine.