Keeping piggies cool?? Advice please!!

[thwinka]

Hello Has anybody got any fab ideas as to how to keep piggies cool? Mine are currently in the house in the coolest room in their c&c cage but it is still sweltering They don't like this heat at all, they are just lying on their sides bless them with no energy, just getting up every now and then to fill their tummies up, have a bit of a grumble at each other and then collapsing again!!
I can't put ice in their water as one of them is recovering from a bout of Bloat from only a week ago and he can't have anything below normal temperature so struggling for ideas. Have also tried electric fans in the room, but again, haven't done much!!
What is every one else doing to keep their piggies cool???

[Meglet]

Chilled watermelon slices.

Cool flannels for them to sit on.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

hi thwinka, it is a flipping nightmare her in Darkest Essex too.
My GP1 has been sleeping in my DD room since his cagemate died (only in at night, in the day he was in his Pighouse)
It's shady, we can open the window (there's a reinforced screen with flyscreen/metal screen/wooden planks) to protect them.

We have a fan in their Pighouse (keeping the temperature about 22C - IIRC 25C is the danger level. They have a fence and tree next to it so the direct sun doesn't get in)

Indoors I find much trickier .
We have a fan near the indoor run, but GP1 is coping with larding about and finally drinking from the bottle .Hoorah.

But our brand new today little 6 week old boar is being a right little whirling dervish.
GP1 wants his new baby but he'd love him to " turn it in"

I'd try a bowl of ice in front of the fan to chill the temperature as it wafts but make sure it doesn't do the reverse and chill them.

Or do you have a SnugglePad that you could chill?
Or put some ice in a hot water bottle then wrap in a towel so they don't sit directly on it?

Cucumber, watermelon, wash some leaves in cold water before you give them?
I find pigs will eat rather than drink. (Weird mammels)

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I try to keep at 22C Max temperature that should be. Don't want to cook 'em

[breatheslowly]

Ice pack wrapped in a towel - they can go near it if they want to but won't if they are getting chilly. A bowl of water to paddle in.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Do you give hay in a rack or in their bed?
They seem to still like to sit in hay even when it's insulating them.

I bought hay cookies to give them their hay fix but fleece to sleep on.
I've just given them a soft folded up cotton towel to sleep on.
GP1 gratefully clambered on it.

I tell him just to thank his lucky stars he's not a nursing mum pig

[noitsachicken]

You can get a 'Chinchiller' sold for Chinchillas but would work for any small furry. Its basically a small slab of marble that you cool in the fridge/freezer and it stays cool for ages. They can rest on top of it.

[thwinka]

Thanks for the reply's!! Some good ideas thanks. Unfortunately I can't do much in terms of their food as one of them can only have a tiny bit of veg each day for the next 2 weeks due to him getting over Bloat and I can't give it to him chilled. So cold water etc over it is out and the small amount that he is allowed probably wouldn't have much of a cooling effect sadly:(
We do have a snuggle pad!! Just popped that in the freezer. They have literally just gone outside actually as it has cooled down quite a bit in the last 30 mins and they are charging around like crazy now.
70isatimelimit They are on hay yes, although just a thin layer atm. We tried to switch them over on to fleece a while ago and they hated it. They refused to walk on it for 3 weeks!! Stayed in their houses except for running out for food and water, and then would run straight back in again!!!
I didn't realize piggies would paddle in water!! Mine are horrified if they even have a splash of water on their coats!!

[noitsachicken]

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link to Chinchiller

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I've never known a guinea-pig that would want to paddle.
One of ours would swim (in warm water in the bath) but not in water to cool them.
I wouldn't want wet tummies on my hogs either.

[breatheslowly]

My piggies never seemed to paddle either, but offering a bowl of water seems like a reasonable idea when it is hot so that they can take a drink from there too.

[FernieB]

I'm managing to keep mine cool but how do you deal with the judgey looks? They're in the utility room and can see it's a lovely day. Every time I go in they are lying down looking depressed and raise their heads enough to give me hard stares. I know what they are thinking - "it's lovely out, why won't the evil woman let us out to play?"

I do let them out in the evening but they still judge me harshly

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Fernie they are the Kings and Queens of Judgey Looks aren't they?

Ours are larding in the Pighouse with the window open (it has a fox/fly re-inforced bit) and the fan on.
GP1 has reclaimed the bit under the ramp (which is where GP2 liked to sit).

They have some evening grass scoffing but at the moment they have to limit because I have to build up GP3 gradually.

I sometimes bribe them with a handful of washed grass in the Pighouse (so they don't feel hard done by)

[guineapiglet]

I CANNOT imagine what it must be like to have to wear a fur coat in this horrible heat, poor little and big souls must be having a hard time. If you can get them outside in an area of permanent shade and breeze, it is not too bad, particularly in a large run with shady bits put over it, lots to drink, and lots of cooling fruits. An evening play outside is a good idea once the heat of the day has gone, also putting their cages on a cold ceramic floor can help too. They are not good at coping with this type of heat ( who is? !) so do move cages away from sunny areas so metal bits cannot get hot. Under a tree is a good idea. Shade all day, but beware of any predators lurking about.

[guineapiglet]

Fernie I know that look! Can you let them out to free range a little bit in the house? You are doing your best for them, why can't they see that. They get a nice reward by being allowed out later on, shame we can't speak their lingo to explain... so judgey looks it is... I am not actually too sure how far they can see! What we think is Judgey may actually be the fact that they are so short sighted they can only see a couple of feet in front of them!

[FernieB]

I think his shortsightedness is why Smooth looks permanently worried

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Piglet GP3 is like Steve Cramm in a fur coat (showing my age here) always running about when we go to the Pighouse.

Poor GP1 is knackered just looking at him

Though I'm sure GP3 unzips his Fuzzy Chicken Suit and runs about nekkid like a Skinny Guinea. Then runs back behind the trug to slip it back on.
(I'm looking for reasons why he ended up in Rescue.
With GP2 it was the wind