May's Newsletter

There are some basic things that guinea pigs need that are very important. These basic needs are what keeps all guinea pigs happy, & healthy. These basic needs are:

Your guinea pigs' diet--A well balanced diet is made up of 4 parts.

1) Guinea Pig Pellets.
--To feed adult guinea pigs, you should give them a hay based pellet like: "Oxbow's Cavy Cuisine", for example.
--And for young guinea pigs that are under 1 year old, and also for pregnant pigs, they should be eating a pellet that has both alfalfa, and hay. For example, "Oxbow's Cavy Performance".

Guinea Pigs should not eat nuts, or seeds. They can easily choke on them. So your pellet food should not have any nuts, and seeds with it. Also, avoid pellets with colored bits.

Every pig is different, but most eat about 1/8 cup of pellets, per pig/per day.

Buying pellets in small quantities is a good idea. Because after a limited time the strength of the vitamin C is no longer effective. Your pellets are now no longer useful.

2) Hay
--Grass hay is best for adult guinea pigs. Some examples are, "Timothy, Brone, or Orchard".
--Alfalfa hay is better for young, or pregnant guinea pigs. Do not feed to pig older than 1 year old, as it can cause bladder or kidney stones.
--Hay should always be avaliable to your pig 24 hours a day. Hay is a very important part of your pig's diet, and good health.

3) Vegetables

Part of your guinea pigs' diet should also be fruits, vegetables, and other forages.

Canned, frozen, and cooked vegetables are not the best source of vitamins, and nutrients. They contain too much salt, sugar, and preservatives. The best source for proper nutrition is to always give your piggy fresh, raw vegetables.

Some examples of fresh vegetables are: romaine lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, cucumber, carrot, and kale. There are some vegetables that should be eaten less often, and they are: radishes, sweet potato, and beet greens. Dark, leafy greens like: chard, cilantro, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and red leaf lettuce are best for guinea pigs, and you can give your little one these everyday. Although fine in small quantites every day, too mach kale may cause loose or runny stool, and only feed 1 carrot per day per pig.

Some fruits are high in sugars, and should only be given once or twice a week. Some of these fruits are: apples, apricot, kiwi, mango, and oranges.

Please do not give your guinea pig any treats that were bought from a petstore. They are marketed for guinea pigs, but they are not a good source of healthy foods.

Guinea pigs do not eat milk products such as, milk, or eggs. They also do not eat animal products such as, hamburger, or steak. They eat strictly plants.

To maintain a healthy diet, guinea pigs should eat at least 1 cup of fresh, raw vegetables per day/per pig. It would also be a good idea to divide this amount into 2 or 3 smaller meals, instead of one large meal.

4) Water

Some guinea pigs use a water bottle to drink from, while others use a water bowl, depending on what you and your pigs like best.

All guinea pigs need fresh water day & night. Changing their water every day means that your pig will always have fresh water to drink.

Never put vitamin C supplements, or medicine in your guinea pig's water. Your guinea pig may not get the correct dosage. It may also distaste the water and in turn cause your pig to not drink the water. Always give medicine, & vitamin C supplements through a small syringe.
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Cavy Galore is a website forum that is dedicated to learning about guinea pigs. We are a rescue friendly forum, and we are absolutely against the breeding of guinea pigs. We also prefer to adopt our guinea pigs from a rescue shelter, rather than purchasing from a pet store.

We treat each other with dignity, and respect. We share photos & stories of our guinea pigs. We offer support & advice based on our experiences with guinea pigs, and above all we have fun! We encourage others to learn, and take proper care of these delicate little animals as well.

Our members are: friendly, young adults, older adults, men, and also women. We offer a live chat room, games, contests, and we also share stories, & photos of our other pets as well.

If you do NOT breed guinea pigs, then we invite you to come & have a look around. It is ABSOLUTELY free to join our foum. There is no monthly fee, and you can quit at any time. So if this is oemthing that sounds interesting to you, please feel free to drop in at "CAVY GALORE". Here's our link - http://www.cavygalore.proboards.com/index.cgi
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Answer true or false:

1. Guinea pigs can eat any kind of pellets. True or false?
2. Guinea pigs can sleep with their eyes open. True or false?
3. Harnesses made for guinea pigs are dangerous to their spines. True or False?
4. Guinea pigs love to be alone. True or false?
5. Some people use fleece & towels as bedding in the cages. True or false?
6. Guinea pigs do not drink water. True or false?
7. 2 or more gp's will play & chase each other. True or false?
8. 2 or more gp's will sleep together. True or False?
9. Guinea pigs do not need vitamin C. True or false?
10. Guinea pigs do not make any sounds. True or false?



1. Guinea pigs can eat any kind of pellets. FALSE! They need pellets specially made for guinea pigs that have vitamin C in it. They cannot have any seeds, nuts, or any colored pieces in it. They can NOT eat Rabbit pellets..
2. Guinea pigs can sleep with their eyes open. TRUE. Some guinea pigs close their eyes to sleep, and some leave them open. It's perfectly natural either way.
3. Harnesses made for guinea pigs are dangerous to their spines. TRUE. Harnesses are harmful even though pet stores sell them for guinea pigs.
4. Guinea pigs love to be alone. FALSE! They are very social animals, & they need the company of another guinea pig.
5. Some people use fleece & towels as bedding in the cages. TRUE. Fleece is wonderful for wicking away moisture from the surface, & most guinea pigs love the comfortable feel.
6. Guinea pigs do not drink water. FALSE! Gp's need fresh water daily. Some use a waterbottle, while others use a bowl.
7. 2 or more gp's will play & chase each other. TRUE. These are called, "piggie trains".
8. 2 or more gp's will sleep together. TRUE. Some guinea pigs really like to cuddle with each other, but some may not.
9. Guinea pigs do not need vitamin C. FALSE! Guinea pig's bodies do not make their own, so they need vegetalbes, & supplements to get their daily requirements.
10. Guinea pigs do not make any sounds. FALSE! They sing, chirp, wheek, whine, & make many other sounds.
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OUR NEWSLETTERS:
We offer a monthly newsletter. We do this to help spread the word about guinea pigs. We want to spread the word our blog site, & about other sources of where the "right" information on guinea pigs is.

The newsletters will be posted on our blog site just before the first of every month.

OUR BLOG SITE:
We are a blog site that gathers the correct information about guinea pigs. We know that there are alot of people who want to learn about what guinea pigs really need. We can either help get you the information you need, or we know of a place than can help you.

Our blog site offers:
- Articles on guinea pigs.
- A link to a guinea pig forum. With members who are friendly & always willing to help.
- No registration is necessary to view our blog site. Guests can view EVERYTHING.
- Come as often as you like. Please feel free to check in atleast a few times, as the information on our blog site is growing. Every other day there is added information.
- We offer a "Comments" section, so that you can post your thoughts.
- And our monthly newsletters will be posted - just before the first of every month.

Please feel welcome to come, & see the LITTLE WHEEKERS BLOG SITE.
Here's our link -- http://www.littlewheekers.forumotion.com
Our e-mail - littlewheekers@gmail.com
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When my little Sylvester was sick last week, I was not prepared. But from that horrible experience, I am learning to be prepared for an emergency.

I have purchased a bag/that doubles as a pet carrier. This is my "vet bag", and I ONLY use it for emergencies. I have other pet carriers that I use to transport the boys to places. But my vet bag will only be used for emergencies, because I will have it constantly stocked for an emergency. That way when one of the boys is sick. All I have to do is grab the sick one, grab my "vet bag", and my house keys, and we're off to see a vet.

When you have time to plan a wellness check up with your vet, then there's no pressure to remember everything. But it's when there's an emergency that you really need to be organized.

So far I have:

--A LIST OF SAFE MEDICATIONS. I will be keeping a printed copy of this list. See GuineaLynx @ http://www.guinealynx.info/medications.html#index

--A LIST OF DANGEROUS MEDICATIONS. Also I will keep a printed copy with me at all times. See GuineaLynx @ http://www.guinealynx.info/dangerous_medications.html

--$200 CASH. Or the amount that you think will best cover an emergency. Stuff this into an envelope, and hide it inisde your vet bag. The last thing that you need to worry about is money in the event of an emergency.

--FLEECE BLANKETS. Make sure your sick one is comfortable in this vet bag. Because he is being transported from one place to another, while he is not feeling well.

--A DETAILED LIST OF EACH PIG'S MEDICAL HISTORY. On each of my boys I have a list of
1. Who their regular vet is.
2. Diagnosed illness
3. Date of diagnosed illness.
4. A list of medications that were prescribed to help overcome that illness.
5. Include exact dosage, and whether pro-biotics were prescribed.
6. Include any tests that they have had done.
DO THIS FOR EACH GUINEA PIG. The reason why you should do this, is if your guinea pig gets sick, and your vet is either on holidays, or not on call after hours. You will end up with someone who does not know your guinea pigs like your vet does. And in the middle of an emergency, it is hard to remember everything.

--UPDATED PHOTOS OF THEIR CAGE(S). Your vet may need to know what they have for bedding, or their cage arrangement is like at home. If you show your vet with photos - these will give him/her a good idea of what your guinea pig's life is like at home.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

BsM