cavy petting

Question
hi jenny....
i bought two guinea pigs ,one male, (grammy) and the other female(oscar) a month ago...Now a few days back oscar gave birth to a new cavy(cherry)...today my 11 year old cousin dropped cherry from a bout 4 feet and he was badly hurt...he is unable to move properly...he falls down on his left side while moving...probably he has hurt his left limb...he cant satnd(the normal position of guinea pigs) properly...he tends to tilt on his left side...today all nearby vets are also closed...cherry is a small cavy 6 days old...i would like to know how shud we care for his injury...

another thing is that grammy and oscar were very playful and active before the birth....they used to make a whistle sound when we came near the cage and stood up to us...but now after the birth, the are VERY quiet!!....it also looks like they are very scared of us...many times they run away from us and peeing nd pooping a lot....Any reasons for this change of behavior??

I would also like to know about the food they should eat...i tested them with many vegetables...but the ONLY eat cuccumber...Is there any other thing which is required for their diet...they also dont drink water...not a drop!!!

i also dont know what does their sounds signify...when i pat them on their back they tend to do a BURRRR!!! sound...with a kind of shivering...looks like as if they dont like the patting and they are angry...what does this mean???

i think i've asked A LOT of questions now....now i'll wait for your replies....thanx in advance for any help...

Dalip

Answer
Hi Dalip,

First of all - please get Cherry to a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet ASAP. Falling from such a height could have resulted in internal injuries as well as the external ones you can see, and they will need to be identified by a professional. The external injuries need treating ASAP; hopefully he has just bruised or broken his leg, and is not paralysed and has not broken his back. As he is so small, it is very lucky that he didn't die instantly when he hit the floor. The sooner you get him to a vet, the sooner you will know what his chances are, and he can be given medicine for the pain.

In the meantime - Oscar will know what to do to care for him. He is unlikely to be able to reinjest his "special poos" on his own, but Oscar will hopefully feed these to him. Make sure there's extra hay in the cage for Cherry to lay on, and make sure he is still strong enough to drink from Oscar. If not, you will need to feed him with low-lactose milk. Offer him some easy-to-eat solid foods too, such as cucumber.

In the future - please do not allow children under the age of 14 to hold guinea pigs on their own. I wasn't allowed guinea pigs until I was 15, and though I was upset at the time, I have learnt why. My little sister was 8 when we got our guinea pigs and she wasn't allowed to get them out of their cages for the first few years. Even the most mature children will have great difficulty in holding onto a struggling guinea pig. The little creatures are strong and scrabbly, and it takes a firm hand to keep them still. Guinea pigs also seem to feel much more secure around older children and adults, and are more likely to sit still for them. If someone young wants to hold a piggy, ask them to sit down, and bring the piggy over to them. Sit next to them to help them. Always hold onto your piggy with both hands when returning him to his cage; many will try to jump in from a considerable distance. It may also help to put a towel on the laps of young children, and the guinea pig on top - I've had to grab many piggies quickly from squirming children who are frightened by their claws.

Grammy and Oscar are probably just being protective of Cherry. Don't separate Cherry from Oscar until he was weaned; ask someone to hold one next to you whilst you hold the other. Grammy should be living in a separate cage, really. Adult males are unpredictable around babies, and poor Cherry could get trodden on or fall victim to a dominance ritual whilst he is still small. Grammy will also be trying to re-mate Oscar; she is probably already pregnant again. Two pregnancies in close succession is not recommended and you will need to take special care of Oscar to make sure there are no complications in her second pregnancy or birth.

Don't worry about the water. Some guinea pigs drink loads, and some none. If you are feeding them lots of cucumber, then they are probably getting all the water they need from this, and it will also explain their very regular pooping. Guinea pigs are happiest eating a varied diet, and need lots of vitamin c as like humans they cannot hold it in their systems for long. So, make sure you feed them carrots and dark-green veg such as brocolli and dark cabbage (but not spinach). Mine also like peppers (remove the seeds and stalk - they will probably enjoy the red ones the most), apples (without the core or stalk - and only feed them fruit once or twice a week), grapes and cucumber. Also try them on celery (cut up small so they don't choke on the stringy bits, and remove the leaves), radishes (remove the leaves), and fresh parsley (loved by almost all piggies).

In addition to fresh veg twice daily, your guinea pigs also need hay and a dried mix. Make sure the hay is dust-fee and never feed them straw. Hay is essential for them to digest their food regularly. They need a "constant supply" but eat it very quickly, so I usually give it to mine just before I go to bed (a guinea-pig-sized portion each) with some nibbly bits (a small handful each - such as Gerty Guinea Pig Food - never feed rabbit, hamster or chincilla food to piggies). They need this roughage to form their pellets properly, and to wear down their teeth.

When you say "pat on their back" are you sort of tickling them up and down their spines? This rumbling, purring sound is a sign of a very happy guinea pig. They're not angry, they like it! If they chatter their teeth though - stop - or you might get bitten by an angry piggy. Guinea pigs also enjoy being rubbed behind the ears and under their chins. You will probably hear them rumbling at each other when they're in their cage too.

I hope this helps, good luck with Cherry, and if you have any other questions - just ask!

Jenny.