My poor poorly piggies 🙁

[FauxFox]

My piggies are not well! I went out to them this morning and the two smaller ones were staggering and wobbly on their legs, kept lying down not keen to eat their favourite grass or apple although trying a bit the biggest one seemed ok but I took them all to the vets and they have kept them in to observe/hydrate them...I do so hope they will be ok? No idea why they are ill, it was hot yesterday but the hutch is in shade from lunchtime onwards, they had water available but didn't drink much, they might have eaten something in the garden that was toxic maybe? So worried (and also now poor)...I might phone st 4 and see if there is any news... any experience of this happening to your pigs??

Poor souls it does sound like effects of heat (hopefully you've caught them in time for the vet to rehydrate and stabalise them )

They don't seem to drink as much as we'd like (I've very rarely seen any of mine glug a bottle) . And sadly there's no guarentee that the other piggies will let their cagemates get to water !

Wood does hold heat well though, guinea pigs like to hide away in small dark corners under hay and their tubby little bellies are right on the floor.

Sending to your piggies. Hope you get good news at 4pm.

They are ok! I am picking them up now I was so worried! They think it was heatstroke I have got them an extra water bottle and stocked up on their favourite carrots and broccoli and I'm going to get a thermometer for the hutch I think and see if I need to buy a sunshade or move it somewhere... phew!

Oh bless them. Glad they're ok. We put frozen water bottles in the hutch and a couple of cold tiles for them to lie on. Mr pig takes great exception to the frozen bottles and keeps attacking them but the ladies seem to like lying next to them.

Great news that they're home , possibly a bit wobbly and they'll definately be demanding all your attention

We've given the piggies a floor tile each , a lump of hay to chomp at, Readigrass in the racks.
Tomorrow they'll be in till DD gets home so they'll have flat chill packs from the freezer (in newspaper) and a couple of frozen bottles.

Ours are under a tree (in the NDN garden but it blocks a lot) so they do get a good shade .

I have cucumber, red topped lettuce, a slice of watermelon +skin to be cutted up and celery.
If its really hot I waft the lettuce under the tap so there's a bit of water clinging (because I know they won't admit they need to drink )

Two of them are still pretty wobbly but seem a bit better and have been eating and staggering about...thanks for all the fab tips, I have cool blocks in the freezer and I will wrap them in old flannels to put in the hutch when it gets warm tomorrow - there is broccoli and carrot and cucumber in the fridge so hopefully we should be ok. I've never seen this in any of my piggies before - really hope they continue to improve overnight. Fingers crossed

It is roasting here today again and I have been the most attentive piggie owner in the world! Nothing is too much trouble - we have had regular misty rain from the hose over the hutch, the beach tent up for extra shade and the cool blocks in flannel have been a big hit! I have just put them out on the grass under the shade of the hedge with an upturned box with two cool blocks inside and a bowl of water 'pond'. I think the hutch gets a bit stagnant and it is breezier on the lawn...

Big ginger pig seems fine (he was pretty much OK anyway), mini pig has rallied well this afternoon and black tufty pig is still quite sorry for himself though starting to assert his dominant status again so that's a good sign!

I think they are going to be OK

Great to hear they are on the mend.

DH has been chief piggie slave today, I have come home to find:
The run covered in damp towels, a large fishing umbrella and a strategically placed large parasol.
Inside this haven, two piggies lying either side of a freezer block wrapped a towel - one of mine
Fresh parsley heaped up in the run, a run full of long lush grass and dandelions
A water bottle that contained water chilled in the fridge

DH sitting out, cricket on the radio, him commenting on the match to them and Sadie wheeking back at him.

I think I rank 4th in this house.

Sounds like Guinea Pig heaven East

Think my pigs have been reading all about freezer blocks and got confused. I found Madampig lying on top of a chilled watermelon slice earlier!

But she will smelly lovely

That's hilarious fernie. I remember mr pig going to sleep on a half eaten tomato once and we thought he'd been attacked by something.

I feel totally neglectful now! I chucked my piggies out in their run- in the shade, 3 different shelters, fresh cold water...and ef them to it! It was hot yesterday, and hot but with a breeze so didn't feel half as hot today. To be fair, they're all fine. And we are northern so maybe not as hot as down south.

Glad to hear the poorly piggies are on the mend.

Ahh she'll be all sticky Bless Her

My piggie girl (GP8) has been larding on the ceramic tile and .....and the
girls drank their water

I bought them some small bottles a while back, they slot into the holders easier.
Tomorrow is promising to be 33c so frozen bottles again, tons of veg and an extra water bottle for the girls.

Bert steadfastly ignored his as per .

My three little pigs are almost ack to normal
Another day of hose 'rain' beach tent canopies and hand feeding morsels of juicy fridge cold veg has seen them right

I am wondering about giving them a nice bath tomorrow but I've never done it before...any tips would be most welcome!

DH do this together.
Get everything ready and within reach before you start.
Be prepared to get wet
I fill a plastic bowl with above lukewarm water. And use a jug to pour the water over the pigs.
I plonk them both either in the kitchen sink or the bath - it is easier to contain them in the sink. Found it is easier in the sink but Moll tries to climb out

Gently pour the water over them avoiding their heads. Massage guinea pig shampoo in, rinse with jugs of water. You will be amazed at the dirty water (yes Sadie I am looking at you)
I don't do underneath as their tummies get wet as they have their bath. I do make a point of really washing their bums.

Using a towel I gently dry them - to much squeaking and complaining. They do want to shake themselves hence you get wet.
In this weather, when they are just damp, I brush them and they go outside and then groom themselves.
In cooler weather we use hairdryers on low settings to get them dry but boy do they hate it

Be warned they will hate you and will need a parsley bribe to come round.

I have shampoo from pet shop, but I know 70 and others use products from Gorgeous Guinea Pigs which is on line.
Good luck

I used to have slate placemats a bit like these...

https://www.rinkit.com/products/argon-tableware-square-rectangular-natural-slate-placemat-set-6-coasters-6-placemats?utmmedium=cpc&utmmsource=googlepla&variant=14877175558&gclid=CjwKCAjwsqjKBRBtEiwAkWyN3y7wGdidAooKK4-Krc8eFJHpQFlNs7g5F137ZBKjMb8PjcVAB5GsNBoCwAQQAvDBwE

for my rats, two in the fridge two in the cage, then swap. Might work for piggies too? In the shade though or they'll do the opposite of what you want.

Oooh east it sounds fun I might have to get some shampoo and give it a try - DD is very keen to help!

There are YouTube videos showing how to bath them. But I have a DH who thinks he knows everything.
Some piggies enjoy swimming I believe, none of mine ever have and these two are water averse

Good luck with the bathing! No matter how many towels you have, they won't be enough! If you can safely do it outside in this weather, I would, as my kitchen floor is like a swimming pool afterwards. They will hate you after, unless you have one of the mythical swimming pigs we've all heard about but never seen. They will smell lovely though, sadly this lasts about an hour if you're lucky. It is fun though. Mine put up with it because they now know about the huge quantities of bribes they get as a reward.

BTW no matter how wet you get bathing a pig, it's nothing to having to do a 'bum dip' for a rabbit! I bath the pigs for relaxation after I've been through that trauma.

I tell mine they are lucky they are bog standard pigs and not of the show variety

They're like

They seemed to enjoy bath time they got a bag of coriander to make up for the indignity and only mini pig pooped in the bath so pleased they are all better

Oh what lovely coloured pigs.
You've upped the ante wth a large bag of coriander... what will they expect next time ?😋