We bought a Guinea pig for the kids in January 2000. The kids loved her and named her after Angelica Pickles. They played with her, and to my shock, not too roughly, either. I woke up one morning early this spring and found the pig stiff. I paniacked, called my husband at work, and had him shop around for a look-alike. The closest we could find was a nine-week-old with the same markings. In the meantime, I concocted an elaborate lie. I wrote a letter from the pig explaining that her parents were old and ill, and that she had gone home to assist them in their declining years. Ever the thoughtful pig, Jelly Pig (the girls’ nickname for her) sent her baby sister to take her place at our house.
A few weeks later, my friend decides to buy the girls a companion pig for one of my kids’ birthday. We were able to go to the same pet store and get another female from the same litter. Everything’s good so far. Then three days ago, I wake up and hear only one high-pitched squeal for attention. I knew immediately we were one pig short of a cageful. It was the second pig, the replacement pig, gone to heaven this time.
What is killing my pigs? The man at the pet store said they usually live “six, eight years, maybe more”. Are all of them this disposable? I’ve done everything by the book as far as I know. Neither of them had obvious signs of trauma, and had looked perfectly healthy just the night before their respective demises. Anyone have a clue? Or is the pet store guy trying to retire off my pig purchases?
I don’t have an answer, sorry. But that’s the sweetest thing in the world, a guinea pig sending its baby sister. Wish my parents had done that for me…<grumble, grumble>
What have you been feeding these critters? Guinea pigs have slightly different dietary requirements than rabbits, so make sure you buy GP pellets and not rabbit ones, if that’s what you feed them exclusively. Rabbit pellets are okay if you can give the animal a fair amount of fresh leafy greens and other fruits/veggies as well.
Are you cleaning the cage/pen daily? What are you using for bedding? Fresh, organic hay is best, but plain newspaper and woodchips is also acceptable. Is there anything that might be toxic in the cage if the pigs decide to chew on it, as they always will? Anything soft platic, and some types of paperboard, can also become lodged in the throat to cause choking and death.
You’re giving plenty of fresh water, of course. Are you cleaning the water bottles with any type of detergent that might not be rinsing completely away?
I really need to know more before I can say anything for sure, but the above should get you started.
I used to have Guinea Pigs when I was a kid and I remember they would drop like flies all the time. Mostly this was because (when my parents were not around) my brother and I would feed the pigs whatever their little hearts desired! We meant them no harm, we thought it was fun and cute to watch them nibble on snicker bars, Oreos, etc. I recall feeding one of the pigs lime yogurt and the little guy loved the stuff! He went into seizures and dropped dead a few hours later. You might want to warn your kids not to feed them anything but certain types of foods (see the link below). Especially don’t feed them human junk food.
Apparently some Guinea Pigs are really sensitive to dietary changes and should be kept on a strict diet of fresh hay and leafy greens rich in Vitamin C. I found a link that may be useful to you.
Thanks for the info, guys. I guess what I was hoping for was someone to alert me to some terrible pig illness with no symptoms. We feed them regular Guinea pig diet, along with broccoli (which makes them toot, but I hope won’t kill them), carrots, squash, etc. and fresh water. I clean their water bottle with hot water (no soap). The kids are only 3 and 4, so they’re not alllowed to feed them unless we have them out handling them while we watch (they like to feed them baby carrots by hand). I use wood chips for their bedding, which I understand is probably not best, but shouldn’t be harmful either.
Thanks again for the input. I guess we’ll just wait for the last one to expire and maybe try goldfish next time.
Oh, jane_says, don’t try goldfish. You think you have problems with your guinea pigs - goldfish die every hour on the hour. They’re cheap, sure, but you’ll spend the next year answering questions like “why is that goldfish floating on his back?”
As for the pigs, have you considered consulting a good small animal vet? He can probably take you through a more extensive list of questions than we can do here, and he can actually see your remaining pig, which might help.
Umm, Jane, I’d be feeding them brocolli in very small amounts, or better yet switch to cabbage leaves. As you’ve discovered cabbage makes them very flatulent, but also causes diarhoea. Gas buildup can lead to serious problems in rabbits and guinea pigs, though this is rare. (In case you didn’t know broccoli is just the flower stalk of a cabbage). Added to this brocolli is subjected to some pretty serious pesticide treatment for moths, and because it’s so convoluted it’s hard to wash. I’d be very wary of this. Stick to straight cabbage in very small amounts if you must.
Stop feeding them broccoli, right now! We tend to think of gas and bloating as relatively minor problems, but there are times when they can, indeed, be fatal. A gaseous guinea is not a happy one!
Come to think of it, none of my pigs ever really cared for cabbage, either. Try other leafy greens, like spinach and non-iceberg lettuce. Better yet, if you have a yard (and it isn’t sprayed with fertilizer or pesticides) try taking your pig out to graze for a bit. My pigs used to love the bi-weekly or more summertime treat of the backyard. You need to keep an eye on them, of course, or build a little portable hutch so that dogs and cats can’t get at them.
One last thing. The woodchips that you’re using are coming from a pet supply store, right? It seems like a stupid point to make, but I have known of people that used sawdust and woodchips from treated lumber as bedding for small animals. The rodents are going to chew it, they have to. If it would hurt a small child to gnaw on it, don’t put it in the cage.
Yipes! On the broccoli…they haven’t eaten THAT much of it, and I really hope that isn’t the problem. They do eat cabbage, kale, spinach, etc. I’ve never fed any of our small pets iceburg lettuce since I know it’s devoid of nutrients. Surely to God I haven’t murdered two pigs with a bag of Brokly-Wokly?!
We buy our wood ships at the pet store, but bear in mind it’s the same one where the guy told me these rodents had a shelf life of 6-8 years. Maybe they’re using recycled diseased trees or something.
DeepBlueSea - - I figured with the goldfish, I could always have a spare around somewhere and do a quick switch if I caught one swimming the final backstroke. Maybe I’m avoiding parental responsibilty by refusing to go over the death thing, but the girls lost three grandmothers last summer, and every time we drive past a cemetery they ask if that’s where the grandmas live. I couldn’t bear to heat them ask if we can call heaven and talk to the pig on the phone.
I’m sorry that your guinea pigs have died although unfortunately I don’t know what the problem might be. Hope someone can help you solve the mystery.
I am a big fan of fish, so I just wanted to offer some informative links on that. This page offers some good suggestions on hardy, easy to keep beginner fish (as well as fish that are best avoided).
If you do decide to get goldfish, I highly recommend doing some research ahead of time. Goldfish are capable of living for 10-20 years with proper care, but most don’t make it more than a few months because people aren’t informed about their needs. It’s very common for people to buy goldfish thinking they can live in a tiny fish bowl when in reality that’s one of the quickest ways to kill the fish. I recommend visiting http://www.rk2000.com/rkaquaria/goldfish/index.html (especially the section on housing goldfish) for some in-depth advice that pet stores rarely give.
Actually, jane_says, the pet store guy was only pushing the truth a little. I’d say five years or so would be the low end of the average guinea pig’s life, given proper care and feeding. Aside from infant deaths, I never had a pig that lived less than three years, and I had a couple that almost made nine! I’ve even heard of pigs reaching 10-11 years, but I’ve never seen this myself.
Wish my parents had done that for me…<grumble, grumble>
although unfortunately I don’t know what the problem might be. Hope someone can help you solve the mystery.