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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 27, 2023 0:42:34 GMT
Stilgar got a clean bill of health from the vet Thursday, but when I got him home a few hours later his face had an alarming amount of blood on it! I don't know what happened, and he didn't seem to be in any distress- he wasn't whining or in any obvious pain, so I tried to clean his face and left him to it.
He's been fine, although it looked like one of his teeth broke. He keeps gnawing at the bars, especially on weekends when I'm home. Sometimes I give in and get him extra chewable goodies, because I'm a softy.
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Post by Bean on Aug 27, 2023 7:49:50 GMT
That sounds odd, but good that he seems fine and has been given a clean bill of health.
Is there an area he especially likes to chew the bars in, or is it anywhere and everywhere? I was wondering if you could hang a small branch from a fruit tree there or something? Block off the bars and give him something safer to chew on. I've had a couple who have started to bite on the grids at times (always when anticipating food), but never mind their teeth, the sound drives me potty, so I have to make sure they gain nothing from doing it!
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 27, 2023 15:47:16 GMT
He's trying to catch my attention for more food, and I can't see any way of blocking off all the cage bars easily. It's okay; sometimes I ignore him and he calms down.
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 27, 2023 20:11:56 GMT
Sometimes they're like little children, just not all that graceful on their feet, despite having 4 of them. He may have tripped over some thing and gotten a nose bleed from bumping his face on something hard. I know it's scary, but the best thing you can do is watch him. Check the cage for any place with blood on it. That might show you what him bumped his face on, so you can remove it. If he bumped the side of the cage, not much you can do about it. All digits crossed that he's okay <3
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 30, 2023 0:47:00 GMT
I could look this up, but I thought I'd ask you ladies if you have personal experience- is it okay to give guinea pigs raw broccoli? I have some extra from cooking tonight and was debating giving them some, but wondered if this was a good idea.
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Post by Bean on Aug 31, 2023 7:42:51 GMT
Yes, mine love it. As with most things, in moderation - it's rich in calcium and larger quantities can also make them a bit windy!
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Post by 3piggles on Aug 31, 2023 13:40:39 GMT
Definitely. On the low FODMAP diet, I can have the florets but not the stems, so the girls get the stems regularly, and love them
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Post by bazookagoof on Aug 31, 2023 23:42:38 GMT
Gave the guys their first taste of broccoli! Zeke immediately grabbed his and ran into his pigloo, and Stilgar surprisingly liked his portion. I noticed that Zeke left his after a few chews, and then went back again and ate most of it. I think I'll stick to giving Stilgar some, since his diet of snacks tends to lean towards the monotonous, since he usually only eats carrots & lettuce. Zeke can have some too if he wants.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 4, 2023 15:33:23 GMT
That's one of the things I love about guinea pigs. They live life as if everything is a challenge, an expedition, an undertaking of some kind. Love Zeke running off with the broccoli, only to debate how and when to eat it. Stilgar just decided Hey, this is okay, and ate his It's good for them, so glad they liked it
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Post by bazookagoof on Sept 17, 2023 15:14:12 GMT
Both the guys are acting a bit strange lately, Stilgar was on the blanket getting his meds when he decided to stretch out and fell over. He just lay there, looking quite comfortable! After a few seconds he wriggled and got to his feet, like that previous time. Aside from that, he seems okay.
Zeke started to make lots of noise when eating. One night he sounded like he was wheeking while chewing his food; he's never done that before. He hasn't done it since, but I'm watching him anyway.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 17, 2023 22:38:51 GMT
If they have a nasal-ish sound once in a while, but not all the time, and no other symptoms of a URI, it's probably an allergy. It could be to the hay he got that day, to the allergens in the air at any time, such as goldenrod, or to toxins in the air, should air quality change for some reason. You keep a close eye on them, so in they get any worse, you'll know. You're a good piggy dad Stilgar may simply like the blanket, like the flop without landing too hard, and generally enjoy resting that way after the meds. If he had a head tilt, lost his balance while walking around the cage, fell over while eating or drinking, I would definitely worry. Again, you're keeping a close eye on him, so if anything changes, you'll know <3
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Post by Bean on Sept 18, 2023 7:49:26 GMT
Two odd sounding occurrences, I can understand why you were concerned. But I hope your further observations reveal everything is okay with both the boys.
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Post by bazookagoof on Sept 26, 2023 0:26:06 GMT
Forgot to mention that when I was cleaning Stilgar's cage yesterday, he went out for a stroll and inspected the cage, which was leaning on an angle against a rolled-up carpet. Then he went under it and sprawled on the floor- I thought he'd gotten caught under it, but no- he just decided to see how comfortable it was! Zeke also has wandered out occasionally, but usually he wants to take a bite out of the bag of bedding, or sometimes my sleeve.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 26, 2023 17:15:02 GMT
They can be a hoot to watch
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Post by bazookagoof on Sept 30, 2023 13:36:18 GMT
I gave the guys a brief bath today... neither of them were really in the mood, so I gave them a decent (but quick) scrub and returned them to their cages with some treats for what little patience they were able to spare me.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 30, 2023 18:16:07 GMT
Really! Cavy slaves are supposed to supply treats, clean cages and otherwise wait on piggies. They are NOT supposed to impose bath punishments on piggies, lol
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 18, 2023 22:25:53 GMT
My current bag of hay is giving me no end of grief- the hay is not only tightly packed, but the hay is also seemingly the length of the bag, which means that even if I exert my full strength (which isn't much lately) there's little chance of pulling out a handful.
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Post by Bean on Nov 19, 2023 7:38:46 GMT
Is it still the same weight of hay or have you got extra for it being tightly packed in the same sized bag? I was just thinking that if you got extra hay for free, it might make the extra work worth the effort!
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 19, 2023 20:39:38 GMT
Is it still the same weight of hay or have you got extra for it being tightly packed in the same sized bag? I was just thinking that if you got extra hay for free, it might make the extra work worth the effort! It should be the same weight, but man, is it packed tightly! It's most inconvenient when the guys are at the bars waiting, and I'm struggling to give them their food!
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 25, 2023 0:23:07 GMT
Zeke has a curious habit of coming out of hiding for a drink when I turn the lights off for the night. Generally, I stay downstairs with the guys working on my computer until it's bedtime- then, I turn off the main lights but leave a small lamp on so they're not in total darkness. This is when Zeke makes his appearance to indulge in some rather long draughts of water.
He does come out to drink at other times, but it's a guarantee that he comes out when the lights dim.
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