guinea pig abandoned....help

theprincessofpink · Apr 15, 2005

hi there

please help me i don't know what to do.i have a rabbit and have kept pets before but have never had a guniea pig until this morning that is!!!

i went to put my wheelie bin out this morning and found a cage and a bag with the bins.there was a guinea pig inside the cage and a note inside the bag along with food,shampoo,sawdust and hay.the note said "please look after me,my owner's don't want me anymore and are fed up of cleaning out my cage"

i naturally looked around to see if i could see anyone but there was noone around so i took said guinea pig and paraphinelia into my house where it was at least warm.i have asked all my neighbours and they know nothing about it so it seems i am to be its new guardian.

i don't mind taking it in (obviously i am not going to leave it outside to freeze) and looking after it but i know NOTHING about guinea pigs and their care.i assume that it can't be a million miles away from that of rabbits but then i could be wrong!!

i have managed to put my hand into the cage and gently stroke it but haven't tried to pick it up or anything yet.i have given fresh water and some of the food that was in the bag but have a few concerns.

1)what colour is their wee supposed to be??????it seems to have a red tinge to it and this worries me
2)it seems to have a dandruff like flaking on its coat,is this a sign of mites/fleas?i have been watching it all day though and it doesn't seem to be itching or scratching.
3)its bottom seems to have poop stuck round it...how should i clean this without terrifying it?

i will be taking it to my vet first thing tomorrow as i couldn't get an appointment today and have obviously kept it away from my bunny and have throughly washed my hands between dealing with each animal.

i am just seeking some advice really....any you can give would be greatly appreciated and apologies for the long post!!!

sgprescue · Apr 15, 2005

The red tinge could be from colourings in the food or it could be blood. Does he squeak when he goes to the loo? For general care advice go to my website www.sprowstonguineapigrescue.co.uk and for advice on his skin go to www.gorgeousguineas.com
You can clean his bum with some warm water and a clean flannel.

Cheryl

kimbun's mum · Apr 15, 2005

Gosh Sarah, what a shock that must have been for you (and the poor gp).

I think it sounds like it may have mites - your vet will be able to sort this out for you tomorrow.

As far as the bum goes then I would clean it with a wet wipe (if you have one) if not then a soft cloth dipped in warm water with a small dot of mild shampoo/soap. Just give his/her bottom a wee wipe and remove any excess poo (sometimes it is actually easier to do this while the bott is still dry) and just kind of pluck it off -make sure you dry the bottom as well as you can.

Although I have not had a gp for years I looked after my friends four last year and it was very similar to keeping bunnies. The cleaning of the hutch is the same and obviously they drink water etc. The ones I looked after loved carrot, celery, apple etc and always had a supply of fresh hay and gp food mix.

They are lovely wee creatures and are quite noisy - the lot I looked after got to recognise me and after a few days would all squeak when they saw me as they knew that I meant food.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Is it a boy or girl - what will you call it.

theprincessofpink · Apr 15, 2005

sgprescue said:
The red tinge could be from colourings in the food or it could be blood. Does he squeak when he goes to the loo? For general care advice go to my website www.sprowstonguineapigrescue.co.uk and for advice on his skin go to www.gorgeousguineas.com
You can clean his bum with some warm water and a clean flannel.

Cheryl

thanks for the quick reply.

he didn't seem to squeak when he goes to the loo...in fact has hardly made a sound all day.the food is on it wagg guinea pig crunch,is that known to have any colouring problems with it?

theprincessofpink · Apr 15, 2005

kimbun's mum said:
Gosh Sarah, what a shock that must have been for you (and the poor gp).

I think it sounds like it may have mites - your vet will be able to sort this out for you tomorrow.

As far as the bum goes then I would clean it with a wet wipe (if you have one) if not then a soft cloth dipped in warm water with a small dot of mild shampoo/soap. Just give his/her bottom a wee wipe and remove any excess poo (sometimes it is actually easier to do this while the bott is still dry) and just kind of pluck it off -make sure you dry the bottom as well as you can.

Although I have not had a gp for years I looked after my friends four last year and it was very similar to keeping bunnies. The cleaning of the hutch is the same and obviously they drink water etc. The ones I looked after loved carrot, celery, apple etc and always had a supply of fresh hay and gp food mix.

They are lovely wee creatures and are quite noisy - the lot I looked after got to recognise me and after a few days would all squeak when they saw me as they knew that I meant food.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Is it a boy or girl - what will you call it.

shock doesn't quite cover it to be honest...i am dismayed that this kind of thing happens o be honest!!!!

i haven't yet tried to pick him up,didn't want to cause any further stress, so am unsure as to the gender and so haven't really thought of any good names yet!!

if he does have mites will this be easy to treat and can they be transferred to me/flower?i'm getting itchy now writing this!!!! :lol:

Sue · Apr 15, 2005

Hi Sarah,

Please don't worry - humans don't catch lice etc from guinea pigs - I have 5 who live in the house with me. You will find that piggies are wonderful companions and very sociable - he/she will appreciate a mate to live with (obviously either the same sex or neutered. Guinea pigs are very easy to care for and give a very great deal in return - I wouldn't be without mine. Louise, who runs the Squeaky Pigs rescue in Castleford, has a wonderful website (Squeaky Pigs Rescue) with a guinea pig forum on which you can posts for any sort of advice.

Sue · Apr 15, 2005

Hi Sarah,

Sorry, just thought - it is not recommended to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together because the rabbit can inadvertently injure the guinea pig terribly. This is because rabbits are so much bigger and more boisterous and guinea pigs are quite fragile in comparison.

I think you'll really appreciate your new friend as you come to know one another - beware guinea pigs are addictive (I didn't quite mean to have as many as I do, and I hope to have some rescue piggies too).

Kerri C · Apr 16, 2005

AWWW well done on you for taking on this poor little abandoned piggie. You have done the right thing coming on here and asking advice as the previous owners were just plain evil to abandon a poor little pig on a cold night, and they obviously hadnt been caring for him/her properly in the first place. Good luck, let us know how you get on at the vets. :wink:

Joob-joobs · Apr 16, 2005

Poor wee thing, he/she's so lucky that you have taken it in.

Where in Glasgow are you? I'm in Shawlands.

I can't believe some people!

Caz · Apr 16, 2005

GP mites are also unable to live on rabbits too - so don't worry. Like rabbits they need a couple of injections of ivermectin to clear it up and the Gorgeous Guineas products are pretty good.

GPs need vitamin C, so their food should have it added, the food you have currently should be ok although Excel do a GP food which is supposed to prevent selective feeding like the rabbit version. A lot of sites recommend avoiding citrus fruits and apple with GPs because of mouth sores but apart from that they eat the same veggies as rabbits - mine loves pepper the best.

Gizmo's wee is reddish at the moment too and he is fine!

Caz

guinea pig abandoned....help

theprincessofpink

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sgprescue

Mama Doe

kimbun's mum

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theprincessofpink

Young Bun

theprincessofpink

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Sue

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Sue

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Kerri C

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Joob-joobs

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Caz

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