# Guinea Pig Help



## W.M. (Aug 14, 2018)

So, it's been quite a while since I've had a guinea pig.  I just brought one home for the family.  I found her on craigslist.  Owner was moving, and couldn't/didn't want to take her (not important info, or my business). I don't know much about her as the owner didn't know.  I was told she's under two, and named Ginger.  I will be getting her a new/er cage soon.  I found out when I changed out the paper that there is a piece of wood screwed to the bottom plastic piece to cover a big hole in the middle (???).  Not my first choice, but put in pine shavings for that was all I had on hand at the moment.  She was being fed Hartz guinea pig food, which quite honestly looked old.  The date was fine, but the food was unappealing.  It looked like wood pellets.  I never liked the quality of hartz food anyway.  Needless to say, after I picked her up I stopped at a local pet store and picked up some more, different food.  It is Oxbow Garden Select, and I gave her some Timothy hay.  I noticed she appears 'dirty'. Could be from the newspaper (?).  Also looks like there's dried poo in her fur, but didn't appear to be any blockage.  Can you bathe guinea pigs?  If so, what is the safest stuff to use, or do they make a special shampoo just for them?  She looks like an Abyssinian, but I don't know for certain. Also, what are the best veggies to feed them?  I'll try to attach a picture.  I brought her home yesterday, and I'm a little concerned that I'm not seeing any poop in her cage.  Thoughts??  Final thought, should I be able to feel her hip bones easily?


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## Athena2344 (Aug 14, 2018)

You should not be able to feel any animals hip bones easily. Go with darker green veggies, but I'd limit her on that, she was probably never offered any, and you don't want her to get the runs in her condition. I'd say yes you can bathe her, and I'd use dawn, it is my go to on all of my animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and my chickens when I find peck marks on them. What is the condition of her teeth? Are her gums pink as well?


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## W.M. (Aug 14, 2018)

Athena2344 said:


> You should not be able to feel any animals hip bones easily. Go with darker green veggies, but I'd limit her on that, she was probably never offered any, and you don't want her to get the runs in her condition. I'd say yes you can bathe her, and I'd use dawn, it is my go to on all of my animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and my chickens when I find peck marks on them. What is the condition of her teeth? Are her gums pink as well?


I haven't checked her gums or teeth yet. I didn't think it was normal to feel the hip bones so easily, but again, it's been quite a long time since I had one.  She had a carrot (untouched), and pieces of other veggies in her cage when I picked her up, but they look like they were at least a day old.  I don't think she ever had hay in her previous home, but again just speculating.


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## Athena2344 (Aug 15, 2018)

She might not have had any experiences with hay before... Did you check her gums and teeth yet?


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## W.M. (Aug 16, 2018)

Her teeth look aligned fine.  What am I looking for?


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## W.M. (Aug 16, 2018)

Athena2344 said:


> She might not have had any experiences with hay before... Did you check her gums and teeth yet?


She acts like she's not sure what she's supposed to do with the hay.  I noticed she hasn't been touching her pellets lately. Last night she did eat two little leaves from celery (didn't give her the stalk).  When I open the door she approaches as though she's expecting food, but I haven't figured out what it is she's wanting.


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## Athena2344 (Aug 16, 2018)

What brand of feed do you have? You might want to try a berry of sorts or a yogurt drop to get her appetite going... In her mouth, just check to make sure her teeth are aligned and not overlapped, and make sure her gums are a nice pink, not white or pale, if they are pale, it's an indication of internal/external parasites. Or even put a couple drops of karo syrup on her pellets and hay... I'm not sure about what else to do, the only rodent I ever owned was rabbits, and I only had them for a few months before I decided to sell them...


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## W.M. (Aug 17, 2018)

She was being fed Hartz brand when I got her, but I don't like that brand for food so I got her Oxbow.  Luckily, I got her in to see the vet today. Hoping its not a serious problem. Thanks for all the advice.


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## Athena2344 (Aug 17, 2018)

Not a problem, I hope everything goes well


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## W.M. (Aug 17, 2018)

I was hopeful, but her condition was pretty bad.  She was ready to go.


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## frustratedearthmother (Aug 17, 2018)

Sorry...


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## Athena2344 (Aug 17, 2018)

Oh no, I'm so sorry


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## W.M. (Aug 17, 2018)

I'm going to be a mean person for a moment. I've been mad about this all day.  We had her for four days.  The vet felt a mass in her intestine, and says it probably has been there for quite a while. They couldn't get a temperature reading.  There is no excuse for her previous owner to give her such bad care. Feeding her a bad diet, keeping her in a cage with newspaper for bedding (not sure how bad that is really, but in my book I find it inadequate to use on a guinea pig), I later discovered her cage has a big piece of wood screwed to the bottom to cover a big hole, letting her nails become overgrown, and just lose weight over time.  Not even basic needs were hardly met, if at all. I'm sorry, it's mean, I'm venting. I'm sure it's because the previous owner had no income (which I can't figure out why they got a dependent to begin with).  I told my children that she needed to stay in the hospital for care.  They don't know that she had to be "helped".  What is wrong with people!?!


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## Athena2344 (Aug 18, 2018)

There are just some people in the world like that, and it's people like us that these types of animals rely on, I rescued three bantams here a while back, they were all kept in a severely cramped cage with several other birds. All three were under weight, my rooster had been so badly pecked, his entire chest and belly was bald and severely sunburned, both him and my older hen had no tails, they had been plucked, and the younger hen had been severely pecked around her back and tail. The rooster now has a full chest of feathers, both him and the older hen have several inches of tail now, and the younger hen has completely recovered.


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