Guinea Pig Care

Category: Guinea Pig Care Tips

Information, tips and advice for a happy pet guinea pig

Have you weighed your guinea pigs today?

Have you weighed your piggehs today? Fluffballz was happy with his weekly weigh in today! 😉

A WHEEEKLY weigh in is important to pickup any illness. Start a little excel spreadsheet and track each pig. If you find a piggy is losing weight consistently, there is usually an underlying medical problem which gives you more time to deal with it.

You can use kitchen scales and glue a plastic container to the top (Using araldite or a silicone) as long as it measures grams (or ounces) and has a max limit of 2kgs or more.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

April 28, 2015
The Bare Truth: Is It OK to Shave My Guinea Pig?
Q: Is it OK to shave my guinea pig?

A: You’ve got a wonderful little pet-at least two-or a few of them—and now you’re wondering if it’s okay to shave your guinea pig. In general, the answer is no.

Fluffball the Long Haired Guinea Pig with Hair Cut Short

There are very few circumstances under which an expert about the care and upkeep of a guinea pig would recommend shaving him.

Some people have difficulty considering any reason why anybody would want to shave a guinea pig. If you have one of the long-hair breeds, possibly you bought them for the lovely curly, flowing coat.
- The Sheltie, also known as the Silkie, boasts a smooth coat that flows away from his face. If you brush him and look down upon him, the pattern of the fur growth will look like a teardrop.
- The Texel is the same, except his fur grows in long, corkscrew locks.
- The Peruvian and also the Peruvian Satin have long sweeps of fur extending outward around his body. There’s a forelock growing forward rounding out the growth pattern.
- The Alpaca’s fur growth is much like the Peruvian’s, but his coat is curly.
- The Coronet is also like the Sheltie, but this breed bears a crest, shorter than the Peruvian forelock, on its forehead.
- The Merino is cousin to the Coronet but with curly fur. Like the Texel, this breed emanated from England.
The Pros of Shaving

Some people do, however, shave their guinea pigs. Here are the benefits:
- If the area where you live gets hot, you might want to shave your guinea pig to give him some relief from the heat.
- It’s a really good idea to trim their fur for hygienic purposes. You’ll want to trim the hair around his back end to avoid urinary tract infections. It’s also important to trim the fur around his feet so that it doesn’t pick up the debris from the bottom of his cage, which could promote the growth of bacteria.
- If his fur is shorter, your pet can be groomed much more easily—no knots.
- If his fur is shorter, your pet can be groomed much more easily—more glamorous!
The Cons of Shaving

Nevertheless, there are many people who are horrified by the idea of shaving a guinea pig. Here’s why:
- You will frighten your pet when you shave his hair.
- Your pet will lose more body heat. Even if you live in a comfortable or warm climate, he’s accustomed to carrying the weight of his coat.
- Your pet’s fur provides protection against the sun’s rays. If you shave him too closely, you’ll expose him to dangerous ultraviolet rays.
- If you plan on showing your guinea pig, you will be deviating from the standards of the breed.
- It’s a mistake to believe that shaving your pet will reduce any allergic symptoms suffered by members of your family. The allergens come from the skin of the animal itself and not from its fur.
If You Want to Proceed, Nevertheless…

Some people really cannot decide whether or not to keep their pet shaven until they at least try it. Here’s some advice to follow:
- People ask if they should bathe their pet first and then shave it, or vice versa. Definitely shave him first; then you can bathe him afterward to rinse away the tiny loose hairs.
- Since your pet will not want to be anywhere close to the clippers, use a towel to hold him firmly but gently in place.
- Check your pet supply store for clippers with a pivot motor instead of a standard rotary motor. Pivot-motor clippers are much quieter. They are also the preferred choice over magnetic motors; they actually operate with two electromagnets and they have twice as much power.
- Use a clipper that allows you to set the blade for clipping length. You don’t actually want to shave your guinea pig down to the bare skin—horrors! But if you just clip off about an inch of his fur, you’ll be eliminating a large part of your fur problem while allowing him to retain his natural cuteness.
Before you decide to shave him, give him a good brushing first to be certain how you want to proceed. You can use a baby brush on his coat, and a greyhound comb will keep the knots at bay. Long-haired guinea pigs re-grow their hair at a rate of about 2.5 cm (1 inch) per month, although every pet is different.

Avoid shaving the backs of their ears, since this most likely will not return.

Like us on Facebook for more guinea pig care tips.

Have you had experience shaving your guinea pig? Let us know in the comments area.

Guinea Pig Care
January 2, 2014
Making the Best Guinea Pig Beds

Of course you want your guinea pigs to be comfortable! It won’t burn a hole in your pocket and it doesn’t require too much creativity to come up some really comfortable resting places for your pets.

Even if they’re not going for some standard shut-eye, guinea pigs—just like any other creatures—appreciate a good place to get away from it all sometimes.

Someone’s a tired Piggeh!

While your standard guinea pig cage should allow a little over a half square meter (7 square feet) for one pet, and an additional third of a square meter (2-4 square feet) for each additional pet, the beds or hidey havens you create can be much smaller. You’re looking to create a place that sits inside his home so that he can go off by himself whenever he feels the need.

Homemade polar fleece. Many people like to use some kind of fleece for this purpose. It does not have to be the traditional fleece with deep pile.

Polar fleece, which is soft and warm and simply nubby all over, makes a great guinea pig bed. It is also lightweight, which will allow for air to pass adequately.

You can line a plastic or C&C crate with fleece; just be certain it doesn’t bunch up too much. You’ll also want to keep a stiff-bristled brush to sweep away guinea pig droppings every day, and you should wash the fleece weekly. It can save you the cost of constantly supplying shavings for a bed, but remember to keep it clean because otherwise it will breed bacteria.

You’ll want to put some absorbent toweling under the fleece to absorb the urine.

Pigloos.

If you don’t want to drape your own container with fleece, you can buy a soft , warm item known as a pigloo.

It doesn’t have to be large; just 25 cm high, about 25 cm width with the same or similar length. Generally there is a little lip for your guinea pig to clamber over, and then he can snuggle up into his comfortable pigloo.

The fleece pigloos are rather expensive, and you can buy potty pads to go in them, but a plastic pigloo unit for under 10 bucks makes a perfectly acceptable option. Again, put a piece of polar fleece inside, and keep a few extra sections on hand to switch out when the one becomes soiled. Owners report that these lightweight versions are often tugged about by their pets, and your guinea pig can even climb on top of it if he wants to feel like he’s king of the world.

Cardboard Boxes and Tunnels.

Despite the versions cited above that generally take at least a couple bucks out of your pocket, don’t eschew the grand old cardboard box. Any sturdy cardboard box will do—again, 20 or 25 cm high and about 25 cm between its walls. Put it upside down and cut a 12 cm entranceway into the side for your guinea pig’s pleasure.

Many people like to use these because they provide some extra chewing material for the guinea pig. When they’re soiled, you can just toss them out and set up a new one.

Elongated cardboard tubes make life a little more interesting for your pets. They can really hide inside, and you can tilt the tube up like a ramp from the first floor of the cage to a higher shelf so that the guinea pig can run up and down.

What to Avoid.

No matter whether you use polar fleece or pigloos to make a great guinea pig bed, or even overturn a plastic stool tent-like in his cage, there are certain materials that you should avoid using in your guinea pig’s bedding.

Never use cedar or sawdust, because they can impair his respiratory system. Corncob pieces and straw likewise make bad choices.

No matter what bedding you choose for your guinea pig, have some fun decorating it.

It will be a place where he goes when he wants some quiet time, to be sure, but at his more social moments you will enjoy watching him enjoy it.

Find out more about Guinea Pig Bedding here.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

October 23, 2013
Guinea Pig Forums

Guinea pig forums are a great place to learn from other guinea pig owner experiences. This includes medical information (However an exotics vet is essential for correct medical care), cage design and general care tips.

To start with, make sure to Like Us on Facebook for guinea pig pics & discussions! 😀

The following are our favourite discussion forums.

For Medical Discussions

We started in 2007, however the Guinea Lynx forums have been accessible from the year 2000. There is truly a wealth of solid and correct information related to everything guinea pig medical here…

Guinea Lynx

Guinea Lynx has helped out a few of my pigs over the years. Well worth a read and keep up the great work Lynx 🙂

General Guinea Pig Forums

Guinea Pig Cages

Wheekers

The Pigloo Forums

If you run or contribute to an active forum, let us know in the comments area below.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

October 17, 2013
Tips for Introducing a New Guinea Pig

Guinea Pig, Meet Guinea Pig – Are you thinking of adding a new guinea pig to keep your original pet company?

You may be wondering how to go about introducing a new guinea pig to other guinea pigs that are already established in their environment. If you’re worried about how the older pets will react to the addition of a new one, then you’re worries are groundless, as long as you follow these guidelines!

Two Hearts, Two Cages

Before you even think about introducing your new guinea pig to your old one, you have to keep the new one in his own cage for a while in quarantine.

The purpose of the quarantine is to ensure that your new pet is not affected by any mites, lice, fungus, or other illness that could be passed to the pet you already have. It’s best to set up a cage for the new guinea pig in a separate room, so that germs and lice cannot travel from one pet to the other.

Unfortunately, it’s an unavoidable expense to set up this second cage, but it’s vitally important to the health of both pets. If your original cage is Coroplast, you may be able to create a small cage for the new pet. Later, you can use its pieces to enlarge the cage where your pet duo—or trio—will happily cohabit.

It’s always a good idea, however, to have an available spare cage, so that if one of your pets becomes ill or if the two of them fight you can move them to separate spaces.

One guinea pig requires cage space of at least 0.65 square metres (7 square feet). For each additional pet, allow an extra 0.27 square metres (2-4 square feet).

Picking a Pair

You have to put some care into choosing a cage-mate for your guinea pig. There’s no guarantee that two pets will get along just because you put them into the same living space. You also want to be careful that you avoid partnering two guinea pigs with the potential to breed. Keep in mind that as far as breeding goes, age doesn’t matter: An adult guinea pig will mate with a younger guinea pig as soon as it is sexually mature.

That being said, consider your source: If you’re buying them from a pet store or a breeder, be certain the seller knows how to sex them correctly. (And promote good guinea pig care)

Adoption should be your first port of call.

You really don’t want to get home with a pair that will mate or with a female that is already pregnant. It’s best then, to choose a guinea pig of the same sex as the one you already have.

Perfect Matchups

In order to avoid fighting, try to achieve a contrast between them. This is where your knowledge of guinea pigs comes into play as you analyse their personalities.

You want to partner Felix with Oscar, or Lucy with Ethel. You want an extrovert with an introvert guinea pig. Try pairing an older one with a younger one, although if you choose one that’s too young, it may challenge the older pet when it goes through its adolescence.

Let the Introductions Begin

Once you’ve chosen your new pet and you’re certain that it’s disease-free, it’s time for introductions. Do not, however, put one of the pets into the other one’s cage. Instead, let them meet one another in neutral territory. Put a child’s wading pool on the floor and lay a towel in the pool, and set each of your pets inside.

You, of course, should remain present, observing. Allow them to come across one another on their own. It can take from 15 to 30 minutes before they are really getting to know one another.

What behaviours can you expect?

Don’t be frightened if you see butt sniffing or nudging. They may mount one another—butt on butt or head on head or any which way. Butt dragging is also common as they leave their scent. You might see their hackles raise or even hear them chattering their teeth at one another.

Light nipping is okay, but if you see any sign of blood you should separate them. If the two pigs rear up on their haunches, separate them immediately. Have a towel or garden glove at the ready so that you can protect your hand when you lift them away from each other, because you don’t want to get bitten. If they are attacking one another, use a solid piece of cardboard to separate them so that you don’t get hurt.

Fresh Digs For All Parties

Once you know your new pet duo or trio will be a success, wash all cage surfaces.

Put new towelling or fleece in the cleaned cage. Scrub the feeding dishes so that the scent from the pet that used it is gone. That way, when you put the old and new pets together, it will seem as if the cage and dishes are fair territory for both or all of them.

As long as you’ve watched them carefully up to this point, you should be able to expect them to do well together.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

October 16, 2013
5 Things You Should NEVER Do For Your Pet Guinea Pig

Your natural instinct is to make a wonderful home for your pet guinea pig so that he will have a long and happy life.

Now that you’ve read everything you can find about how to take care of your pet, it’s time to read about 5 things you should never do for your pet guinea pig.

1.    Do not wash him too often.

Your pet guinea pig cannot stand to be washed too often, nor does he require it. Your main focus should be providing him with a clean environment, and he will do a good job of grooming himself. If you bathe him too often, you will wash away the natural oils in his skin.

It is important, however, to keep his fur brushed. Initially he may seem fearful of the brush you use—he’s naturally suspicious of anything he doesn’t recognise. It’s best to choose a nice baby brush instead of a brush with stiff bristles. To go with that you’ll want a greyhound comb, with its teeth close together and gradually spaced out along the length of the comb. Use a greyhound comb because of its antistatic coating.

For more tips on giving your pig a bath and how often, check out the How to Bath Your Guinea Pig article.

2.    Do not feed him commercial treats.

Your guinea pig is an herbivore, and he will enjoy nothing more than fresh grasses and hay plus a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some stores market treats in cute packages that are more attractive to you than to your guinea pig. Not only are those kinds of treats unnecessary, they are actually inadvisable. The treats that contain yoghurt drops carry too many calories from sugars for your pet.

Snacks that resemble trail mix—with lots of nuts and raisins, for example, are also to be avoided, again, for their high sugar content. In fact, any dehydrated fruit should be avoided because the natural sugars found in fruit gather in concentrated areas during the dehydration process.

Stick to green peppers, grapes, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, apple slices, the occasional strawberry, and others of your pet’s favourite fruits and vegetables.

Check out the big list of what to feed your guinea pig.

3.    Do not feed him foods that cause gas.

Remember that your tiny little guinea pig has a tiny little digestive system, and he cannot handle the kinds of foods that generate gas. The biggest culprits include cauliflower, cabbage, and legumes such as kidney beans or anything in that family.

Green beans are fine; they are not the same kind of beans. Broccoli is okay in moderation. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value for him, it might cause diarrhoea and it’s very high in Calcium.

4.    Do not fail to provide sufficient vitamin C.

Guinea pigs are unable to produce any amount of vitamin C, and so your pet needs you to provide adequate amounts in his daily diet. Your guinea pig needs it for development of his bones, teeth, and nails. It also helps blood vessels to develop properly and it can aid in the growth of his ribs and promote intestinal health.

The average guinea pig requires approximately 10 to 30 milligrams per kilogram every day to maintain good health. Inform yourself of which foods offer the highest amounts of vitamin C, and do not just put drops in his water.

If he doesn’t drink all his water, or if he spills his water dish, he will not get his daily amount. Plus he might even avoid the water.

If your guinea pig seems lethargic, loses his appetite and gets a rough-looking coat, he may be short on vitamin C. He will get runny eyes and nose and possibly even diarrhoea. Guinea pigs without sufficient vitamin C develop scurvy.

5.    Don’t leave your guinea pigs alone for more than a day.

It’s tiresome to try to find someone to take your guinea pigs if you’re going on a trip for a couple days. It’s even worse to add to the cost of your trip by setting aside money to pay someone to do that.

But you simply cannot leave them alone for longer than a day. Your guinea pigs will consume a large portion of the food you leave for them on Day One, and who knows how long the water will last?

They’re pigs, remember?

If your vet won’t board guinea pigs, ask if he knows someone who will take them for you.

Better yet, pay a neighbour to come in and check on things whilst you’re gone. Put some fruits and veggies in sandwich bags in your refrigerator so that whoever comes in can give them fresh produce each day that you’re away.

You don’t have to worry about cleaning the cage until you’re gone for more than three days; in that case, at the very least, ask your pet-sitters to exchange the dirty fleece for some clean stuff.

There are guinea pig lovers and owners on guinea pig forums who will sit for you; do a search on your locally based guinea pig website.

October 10, 2013
5 Foods Your Guinea Pig Loves

You’ve brought your new pet home, and you want to provide him with the best possible mealtimes. What foods are not only good for him but guaranteed guinea pig favourites?

Take a look at this list of 5 foods your guinea pig loves.

1.    Grass and Hay.

For starters, you must be aware that grass and hay are cousins, but you can’t assume that a yard full of grass will yield a bale full of hay. Grass is a plant that grows from a seedling with just one leave sprouting from it. Hay is any of the plants, whether they grow from seeds or legumes, dried and stored to be used as animal feed. Look for a hay made from grass that has more leaf than stem to it.

Biscuit the Guinea Pig Eating Some Grass

Timothy grass is one of the most popular grasses or hays used for guinea pigs. The leaf of this plant grows into a roll rather than a fold. Your guinea pig should have timothy grass on a daily basis. It helps him with digestion by providing fibre to his diet, and it also keeps his teeth from over-growing.

Alfalfa is much loved by all guinea pigs but it’s not really good for older pets. It comes from a legume and its tiny sprouting leaves and flowers give it a more feathery appearance than a typical type of grass-based hay. You’ve got to be careful about giving your piggy too much of it, however, as it has a higher calcium content than other hays. You don’t want your pet to develop stones! As a hay, give it to your younger pets only once per week.

Try Oaten Hay if Timothy Hay is not available in your country.

2.    Sweet Peppers (Capsicum).

We recommend both green and red peppers for your guinea pig.

Seeds are not recommended as they can be a choking hazard

Photo by Dominik on Flickr

Your pet loves the taste of them, and they are both high in Vitamin C. Since guinea pigs cannot manufacture Vitamin C within the body, it’s vital for them to get it in their daily diet.

Red peppers actually have twice as much Vitamin C as green peppers. Surprisingly, there’s less of this antioxidant vitamin in yellow and orange peppers, so stick with the green and red.

3.    Pellets.

Your pig should eat about two ounces of pellets per day—plain, please.

Biscuit having a snooze next to grain bowl

The kind with nuts and raisins provide too much of a good thing, and you really can’t track how much calcium, iron, protein, and fibre he’s getting.

The raisins, in addition, bring added sugar to the diet. Just get plain pellets and he’ll be perfectly happy. Take note whether the pellets are made from alfalfa; if so, you should probably hold back on any other feeding of alfalfa during the week.

It’s worth repeating that alfalfa should be minimized in the diet of older pets. Once they have their first birthday, switch them to timothy pellets.

4.    Carrots.

The great thing about carrots is that your pet can eat both the orange root and the green leaves. You can give him one about every other day. Carrots are full of beta-carotene, also known as Vitamin A, and they are very good for your guinea pig. Just remember, moderation is the key!

5.    Apples.

Your guinea pig might whisper to you that apples are his favourite fruit. He can enjoy a small piece daily, sliced off the core, although he cannot eat the seeds.

Guinea Pig Eating Apple

He will also enjoy a strawberry or a bit of orange occasionally, although too much citrus fruit is hard on him.

Never give him dried fruit, as the natural sugars can become concentrated during the dehydrating process, which is not good for your guinea pig.

It’s impossible to come up with just one list of the five foods your guinea pig will love the most. Besides these five favourite foods, they also love dark leafy vegetables and cherry tomatoes.

But guinea pigs, like people, have their own tastes and preferences!

Parsley – NomNomNom (High in Calcium, so feed a small amount)

While your pet should have plain pellets and hay on a daily basis, and we never met a piggy that disliked peppers, be certain to try a variety of fruits and vegetables to discover his personal preferences.

You’ll find a big list of Guinea Pig Foods Here. Feel free to lettuce know (mind the pun) your experience with certain foods.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

September 21, 2013
Where to Get Guinea Pig Medical Help

Most of us have had a pet at some time during our lives. Part of being responsible for another living creature means that you are also responsible for their health and well-being to a large extent. Sadly, many people will rush a cat or dog off to the vet, but pay little mind to health concerns of smaller, exotic animals such as the guinea pig.

Fluffball the Guinea Pig – In the Cool Zone

Guinea pigs are gregarious, which means that they live in groups – Or Herds. To ensure that your pet is happy and content, you should ideally keep him or her with one, two, or even more guinea pigs. Of course, this gives rise to the question of breeding. If you are not interested in breeding your guinea pigs (Which is not recommended), it would make sense to have them ‘fixed’. Many people do not realize that this is an option; however, it most definitely is, although many vets are not equipped to handle this issue. This is why you have to source a reputable “exotics vet”

Housing for guinea pigs is very important. There is a wide range of ready-made cages available in pet stores these days; however, they are very seldom suitable for guinea pig habitation. This is because these little animals actually require quite a lot of space, and the commercially sold cages are not usually big enough, no matter what the pet store and manufacturers tell you. In order for your guinea pigs to be happy and content, they will need accommodation with around 7 square feet per animal.

Choosing the right bedding for the cage is also important, as some commercial brands can cause breathing problems for the animals. Timothy hay is the best bedding you could choose, and ideally, you should line the enclosure with newspaper covered with a layer of hay. Not only will the animals use the hay for bedding and other purposes, they can also eat it, thereby ensuring that it has a double function. It is best to avoid wood chips because it is believed that these can cause foot problems.

When it comes to diet, guinea pigs are not fussy eaters, and can basically consume the same types of foods that humans do, at least when it comes to veggies. Meat is never to be provided, because guinea pigs are strictly herbivorous. They love lettuce, carrots, celery, apples, bananas, etc. A word to the wise however, is to make sure that, when providing celery that you cut across the grain. The reason for this is that the strings can actually cause the little animal to choke otherwise.

Sometimes you see guinea pigs that are losing their fur. This can be traced back to a vitamin deficiency and so ensuring that they have adequate amounts of vitamin C is important. Timothy hay is very important for their dietary needs, however providing a good quality pellet food is also recommended, which should be offered freely on a daily basis.

Health care is obviously of vital importance. Most vets are not equipped to ‘fix’ these animals, which is obviously unfortunate. When it comes to health concerns that might require medical help there are two issues that are most commonly seen:

1. Bumblefoot

This is when the guinea pig develops sores or cysts on their feet. As mentioned earlier, wood chips are believed to be a major contributing factor, but it must be stated that the real cause has not be categorically identified as yet.

2. Anal Impaction

Usually, the males are more prone to this problem. Anal Impaction also tends to affect older males. Essentially, the term describes when the anal muscles are weak and the animal is unable to defecate properly. This can lead to a backup of toxins in the system; however, it can be squeezed out gently if you know what you are doing. Ideally, you should take the animal to a vet for professional care.

As a reference only, the Guinea Lynx website has some great discussions relating to guinea pig medical help.

Feel free to Join Our Facebook page for more tips & ideas.

Sourcing an experienced vet is essential and should be the first thing you do before your piggy has a problem.

GuineaPigCare.com.au

September 1, 2013
Dealing With the Loss of Your Guinea Pig

As youngsters, we all learn about the cycle of life. Movies like The Lion King and Old Yeller teach us about the sad expectation that one day the beloved animals in our lives will die. Nevertheless, it’s difficult dealing with the loss of your guinea pig. If you have children, you also have to help them find a way to adjust to this passage.

Barry the Guinea Pig

Born 1st Jan 2008, Passed Away 7th May 2013 – RIP Mr Barry

Children and the Truth

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can tell your children the guinea pig ran away or otherwise got lost. When you do that you are leaving your children with the expectation that their beloved pet will turn up again. They may wonder what they did to cause him to run away. By being honest with them and telling them that their pet has died, you are helping them to deal with this life cycle event and teaching them to find a way to channel their grief. The death of a pet also prepares youngsters for the fact that someday their beloved parents and grandparents will also pass away.

Prepare

If your pet is ill in the days leading up to his death, you can ask the vet—make certain this is an exotic vet that treats guinea pigs—if he will euthanise your pet if it becomes necessary. It’s very emotionally painful to watch a pet slowly deteriorate and know that you’re incapable of making him feel any better. You will want to know ahead of time what hours you can contact the vet for this purpose and what it costs. The normal life expectancy for guinea pigs, by the way, is from 4 to 8 years.

If your pet dies suddenly, tell the children in your family right away. Whether or not the death has come unexpectedly, let them see the pet and address his passing against the context of your own afterlife beliefs.

There’s nothing wrong with telling them that their pet has gone to heaven and that they will see it again one day.

Finding Your Piggy’s Forever Place

To bury your pet, you can ask your vet about cremation, either with or without an urn. If you choose to accept the cremains of your pet without an urn, consider placing them in the earth and then planting a garden over them.

If you want to bury your pet yourself, it’s best to include any member of the family who wants to assist. Wrap your pet in a biodegradable plastic bag or in a biodegradable box. If you like you can wrap the biodegradable bag in his favourite piece of fleece. You will then need to dig a hole in your yard about .6 meters (two feet) deep. That will prevent any scavenging animal from digging up the grave or from the grave becoming exposed due to soil erosion. Be certain the gravesite is away from any well or public water line. Cover the grave with plenty of soil, creating a mound. The earth will sink into the ground, so if you overfill the grave initially it will sink to a level that’s more even with the surface.

If your children want to cry over the pet, let them. Everybody grieves in his own way. It’s good to share stories about the pet. You might even want to write a poem about your guinea pig or encourage the children to do so.

The Rainbow Bridge

One way to gain some comfort from the death of your pet—and a good way to discuss this passing with your children—is to take a look at the Rainbow Bridge poem about a pet’s death.

With this poem, We can take comfort from the knowledge that one day we will reunite with our pets.

The poem begins with a description of Rainbow Bridge, a place where pets go that’s warm and cosy with plenty of sunshine. It’s wonderful to imagine them cavorting playfully with aches and pains gone from their little bodies and the traces of illness washed away from their tiny faces. They are happy and content, but despite the time they spend playing together and basking in the sun, they miss us as much as we miss them.

Then comes the day when they stop amidst their playtime because they sense someone they love is nearby. This will be the day when the two of you are reunited on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Source – http://people-to-pets.com

This poem may contradict your own beliefs, but it’s a wonderful thought anyway 🙂

Interesting Research

James Van Praagh, a psychic medium who has published many books and whose life was featured in a TV movie called Living With the Dead, tells the story of his reading for a young deaf woman. He had visions of various aspects of her apartment but from a very low angle, and then he kept seeing the refrigerator door covered with many photos of a dog. Then he blurted out the name Charlie, which turned out to be the name of her service pet.

Charlie was communicating through the medium that he was waiting for Susan on the other side. Another interesting study and what could happen in the afterlife.

As one pet lover has said, we must treasure our pets each and every day, because their lives are so short. Nobody wants to deal with the loss of a beloved guinea pig, but when the time comes it’s best to be prepared.

You can also post a photo on our Facebook Page Timeline in memory of your piggy…

http://www.facebook.com/GuineaPigCare

Or check out this Group on Facebook which is a Guinea Pig Memorial Group run by Gill Thompson

http://www.facebook.com/groups/498758943516801/

There’s also a good video here to help

We’d love to hear about your experiences dealing with the loss of your pet guinea pig. What made / makes it easier? Leave you comments below…

GuineaPigCare.com.au

June 25, 2013
Guinea Pig Costumes | Chain Armour

Good News, the controversial Guinea Pig suit of Armour has reached a total of $24,300 bidding donation for the Virginia Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue.

Congratulations!

Does Guinea Pig Care support wearable “Costumes for Guinea Pigs” ?

NO, Not at all – Guinea pigs shouldn’t wear anything. They’re meant to be naked 24/7 (With a bit o fur of course ) 😉

However, if it’s for a photo only and it doesn’t endanger the guinea pig during the photo shoot. It’s OK with me.

As long as the children and under developed adults are educated that a guinea pig wearing a costume in a photo – was for that reason only.

Also if someone has the time to make a costume for their guinea pig, that piggy is probably getting a whole heap of care love 😀

Here’s the Rescue’s Facebook Page…

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Metropolitan-Guinea-Pig-Rescue/102778936439969

GuineaPigCare.com.au

June 19, 2013