just 'adopted' a five year old guinea pig

[Mom 2em All]

There was a note up at my clinic that someone was looking to rehome their five year old guinea pig. Pregnant and no longer could/would care for the piggie. Well, two of the other technicians have BIG snakes and said it would make perfect snake food.
Worried that someone like them would take the piggie, I volunteered. He came with alot of supplies.
I brought him home and intend to let him befriend my daughters' bunny.
However, he is really thin. Otherwise seems very healthy. he eats well, drinks well- has hay and pellets.
I don't know if he is skinny because he is old, or if his owner was too busy to take care of him for awhile before she found him a home, or if he has something wrong.

Piggies dont live much over five- do they?

 

[enola]

some guinea pigs can live to be 9 years old or older !

For lots of info about guinea pigs, just go to Google and type in Guinea Pigs Unlimited. The people on that site as just as friendly as the people on this site !

That is my Joe on the front page.

 

[vicki2x2]

Some might make it to 9, but most don't even make it to 5! Make sure he gets enough Vit C, fresh veggies and fruit will provide that easiest. That is what most people forget and it will kill your piggie young. I hope you can fatten that boy up quick! I call our pig "fat rat" because he is quite the chunk, though not actually overweight, just beefy!

 

[cutiepieacres]

5 is pretty old for a piggie though older piggies do exist. If he is skinny just make sure he is being free fed a quality guinea pig pellet, alfalfa hay and lots of veggies(work him up slowly to a good amount if he isnt used to them). You may ned to look into the possibility of mites, teeth issues, etc though it could just be his age as the reason for his thin-ness. I would rule out medical issues first.

Its nice that you took him in, its sad that a 5 year old beloved pet had the possiblity of becoming snake food.

Please do not put him in with your rabbit, rabbits can easily hurt a guinea pig with their strong feet, not on purpose but they hop and jump while guinea pigs stay to the ground. One kick can break a guinea pig's back. Bunnies also can be kept on wire bottom cages while piggies cant and while a bunny can live on guinea pig food a guinea pig cannot survive on bunny food due to the lack of vit. C. Guinea pigs should be fed up to a cup of veggies a day while rabbits shouldnt have that much. They just are not great companions even to be let out for playtime together can be a dangerous event.

www.guinealynx.com has some great info for piggie regarding quality brands of food, veggie shopping lists, etc.

 

[CountryMom]

That is so great that you took him! I bet he just needs some TLC and a regular meal to bring him back into shape. As he is an older pig just watch for signs of teeth issues like drooling or not eating. And as already said, make sure he has enough Vitamin C available. Cilantro and Green Bell Peppers are a great source without feeding oranges high in Citrus Acid. Oh, and plenty of loving as it sounds like he just didn't get much.

I have two teachers coming to our Pig Barn tomorrow to pick up new classroom pigs. Their pair just passed within a couple of weeks of each other. They came from us and were 6 1/2 yrs old.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

cutiepieacres provided the link that I was going to ...it's what I refer to whenever one of my 7 has an issue (and then I call my Vet, if needed).

My gang loves Oxbow's Cavy Cuisine ..but any good quality pellet that meets their Vitamin C requirement is acceptable. Feeding fresh timothy hay, veggies and some fruit will enhance the staple pellet ..and your piggy will siiinnnnnng and "wheek" for you every time they hear a bag or the fridge open

You may want to have a fecal done on him, if you can ..and then you can rule out parasites or not. If he's eating so good ..and was eating that good at his previous home.. he shouldn't be skinny.

Anyhoo... good luck with the little fella! Post a pic when you can!

 

[Three_Blessings]

congrats on the new piggy! We used to have one and she loved to cuddle up on our chest and sleep.