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Guinea Pigs/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| 5 dead babies after birth | 2/9/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: My guinea pig Cilia just gave birth this morning to five babies, the problem is, they are all dead. ... A: sometimes they just die, it is horrible but you can't really do anything about it and sadly we don't ... | ||
| guinea pigs | 2/9/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: my guinea pig has 4 teats sould i be worried ANSWER: There's nothing to worry about unless you are ... A: There are number of reasons for no hair on the belly. If she's an older pig and obese it could be ... | ||
| mom/dad/baby | 2/9/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I thought I had mom and daughter but turns out I have mom and son. They had a baby, I don't want ... A: Cavy boars are wonderful parents and you are right, they love their babies. That being said, you've ... | ||
| guinea pigs | 2/8/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: my guinea pig has 4 teats sould i be worried A: There's nothing to worry about unless you are showing your pig. Then he would have to meet the ... | ||
| How long after neutering will boar be infertile | 2/8/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: for awhile now we've been deciding on whether or not to neuter 3 of our boars. We made our decision ... A: no no its fine, in fact I was going to post an email I got on this question from one of the other ... | ||
| swallowed metal object | 2/7/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: My nieces pig pulled a metal ring about the size of a pencil eraser off of something and swallowed ... A: Well i suppose soemthing that gives him the runs might help, in which case citrus fruit. but... ... | ||
| How long after neutering will boar be infertile | 2/7/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: for awhile now we've been deciding on whether or not to neuter 3 of our boars. We made our decision ... A: If I am honest I would say yes you are stopping things a little too soon, in fact a rescuer chap I ... | ||
| piggy pellet food | 2/7/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I saw a question you had answered for another person and was wondering if you could send me the same ... A: I would be happy to send you the Vit C chart. It shows which foods have the greatest amounts of Vit ... | ||
| Why does female sleep so much | 2/7/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: one of our females has lived with a male for almost 3 months now so I assume either he's infertile ... A: I don't mind the rant at all. But I am not a rescue. I raise and show cavies and we travel the ... | ||
| How long after neutering will boar be infertile | 2/7/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: for awhile now we've been deciding on whether or not to neuter 3 of our boars. We made our decision ... A: Well there are conflicting opinions on when a neutered boar can be placed with a female, some say ... | ||
| Guinea pigs | 2/6/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: Can you feed guinea pigs rabbit food? Also will it hard them to eat it? Thanks Kita A: my first answer would be no, rabbit feed has different nutritional values, as I understand it though ... | ||
| Why does female sleep so much | 2/6/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: one of our females has lived with a male for almost 3 months now so I assume either he's infertile ... A: And I'm glad that you can see how it was a little ambiguous in the description of the situation. ... | ||
| Urine Crystals | 2/6/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I have a female guinea pig who is about 5 years old and had been fine up until a month and 1/2 ago ... A: okay it looks as if this has already been asnwered from what it says at the bottom, I suppose my ... | ||
| Fluffed Up and Not Eating | 2/6/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I own two guinea pigs and have noticed my one year old, Tink, isn't eating. Yesterday I noticed she ... A: that's great, but only seperate them if the vet specified for you to, I only meant for you to ... | ||
| why all 7 of my g pigs died | 2/6/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: Hi i had 2 guinin pig puck and pip i have a male guinin pig in a different cage cosy the to ... A: okay so why they died. there are several reasons why, some could be because of you, some are just ... | ||
| Why does female sleep so much | 2/6/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: one of our females has lived with a male for almost 3 months now so I assume either he's infertile ... A: Always nice to hear from you. With all due respect why is this female living with the male in the ... | ||
| Crystals in urine | 2/5/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I have a female guinea pig who is about 5 years old and had been fine up until a month and 1/2 ago ... A: Typically those crystals are the building blocks of bladder or kidney stones. And yes, they can be ... | ||
| Fluffed Up and Not Eating | 2/5/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I own two guinea pigs and have noticed my one year old, Tink, isn't eating. Yesterday I noticed she ... A: It could be stress related but I doubt it is because they know a move is occurring, with the fur ... | ||
| guinea pigs | 2/5/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: how do I stop my guinea pig urinating in his bed,he has a litter box which he uses but also wets in ... A: You cannot make him stop this behavior. Although rabbits can sometimes be trained to a litter box ... | ||
| Hi | 2/4/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: Can I feed my guinea pig rice hay? A: Yes, you can feed rice hay to your guinea pig. However, it has little or no nutritional value so do ... | ||
| dehydrated not eating | 2/4/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: my pig was very lethargic and not eating. while hand feeding him, I think I got water in his lungs. ... A: I'm so sorry I was not able to get to this question earlier. I have a feeling I am too late to help, ... | ||
| breast crusts | 2/2/2012 | Cindy Hunt |
| Q: My 3 yr. old piggy has yellow crusty stuff AROUND her nipples-it does NOT seem to come FROM her ... A: This is a new one for me too. It could be dry skin. I raise skinnies and they always seem to be ... | ||
| Pregnant Piggy Help! | 2/2/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I run a small guinea pig rescue out of my home (The Cavy Corner Guinea Pig Rescue, in Ontario ... A: Senior males will almost always fight when introduced to another male. They will usually do allright ... | ||
| Shedding | 2/2/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: We had a long hair male guinea pig that sheds really bad. He just turned 1 year old and seems very ... A: Long haired pigs are time consuming when it comes to grooming. If you're going to keep his hair long ... | ||
| Guinea pig sick? | 2/1/2012 | Cindy Hunt |
| Q: I took my guinea pig in a couple weeks ago because he was limping on his front paw. The vet gave me ... A: What does his foot look like? Is it red and swollen. It could be BUMBLEFOOT! That is an infection ... | ||
| Guinea Pig Changes | 2/1/2012 | Cindy Hunt |
| Q: Cindy, thanks for your time. I noticed that my guinea pig's feces the last two days has been very ... A: Have you made any changes in bedding or food? What veggies are you giving him? Just like a human's ... | ||
| guinea pig/dry skin | 1/30/2012 | Cindy Hunt |
| Q: my guinea pig has dry patchy skin that looks like a reptile sorta shpould i be worried ive trief ... A: I am wondering if you have checked for mites, tiny bugs? Another question, have you changed ... | ||
| Daizee is preggers again,any encouraging words? | 1/29/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I don't suppose that anything is wrong with her she is so active and plump I'm very sure that she ... A: Your picture didn't post. Even with a picture it's not easy to tell when she will litter. You ... | ||
| Guinea Pig bleeding from Vagina | 1/29/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: My female Guinea Pig has started bleeding from her Vagina, around 1 day ago. She is fully grown, I ... A: I would just stick with what you are doing and take her to the vet, it might just be some discharge ... | ||
| guinea pig illness | 1/29/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: My guinea pig seems to be either coughing or sneezing. It doesn't happen too often, maybe 2 or 3 ... A: well there is a chance that he is just reacting to dust in the cage or hutch, removing dusty hay and ... | ||
| Hair loss | 1/28/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: Pat, We have just celebrated our guinea pigs first birthday and for about the last ... A: My first impulse with a pig that young that is losing weight is to check her teeth. If she has a ... | ||
| Smells | 1/27/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I read a question earlier talking about the smell guinea pigs put out for mating. I need help.. I ... A: it should all resolve itself eventually and the smell stop IF they are all male. if a female then ... | ||
| Purring and rumbling | 1/27/2012 | Cindy Hunt |
| Q: I have a young male guinea pig, about 5 months old. He is constantly purring or rumbling, im not ... A: This is an easy question. He is communicating to you. He probably wants to be help and played ... | ||
| pregnant guinea pig advice | 1/27/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: My guinea pig has been pregnant for quite a few weeks now, we are guessing around 8 weeks. Within ... A: well congrads firstly gestation tends to be between 60-75 days, also the sow only comes into season ... | ||
| What is a pedigree pig? | 1/27/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I don't understand the difference between a pedigree pig and a purebred. Are they the same thing? If ... A: The term is incorrectly used interchangeably but there is a big difference in the two. I've heard ... | ||
| What is a lethal white? | 1/26/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: I've been reading some of the questions and answers here and see the term lethal white. One expert ... A: Lethal White is a syndrome in certain Paint horses caused by a genetic mutation carried by the ... | ||
| Guinea Pig Sick! | 1/26/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I think my guinea pig is sick! He is pretty slow, I think he might be weak, and it doesn't seem like ... A: a guinea pig not eating is quite serious. if carrots, bannana and parsley cannot tempt him then you ... | ||
| OVARIAN CYSTS? | 1/25/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: A few months ago I adopted a female guinea pig from the Humane Society. I noticed at the time that ... A: This topic has come up several times in the last month. Although it sounds horrible the good news is ... | ||
| My Guinea pig can't walk | 1/24/2012 | Pat VanAllen |
| Q: Please help.Our Guinea pig is struggling to walk. She has no skin infections and is kept inside with ... A: I'm so happy to hear she's improving. Whatever it was it's obviously resolving. She must have ... | ||
| Breeding rex guinea pigs | 1/22/2012 | Sam Amison |
| Q: I would like to breed a litter of rex piglets. Do I breed a rex with another rex to achieve this. A: well it depends on what sort of rex, if you want pedigree then it definately has to be pedigree rex ... | ||
Answers by Expert:
Pat VanAllen
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
As volunteers, we were recently offered the option of setting up an account to take donations for our time and advice. For myself personally I feel this would be a conflict of interest, that it might compromise the integrity, sincerity and purpose of volunteering to share my experience and knowledge. It is my personal choice to continue freely giving help to those who come to me, and who trust that my motives are nothing more than the sincere desire to offer help or comfort to the pet owners in need. Having raised and exhibited cavies for many years I have extensive experience in cavy care and husbandry. I currently have an active breeding program for pedigreed show animals but do not encourage 'backyard breeding' for inexperienced owners. Although I don't encourage 'breeding for fun' I'm always happy to answer any questions from an owner who is in sincere need of help. Pet owners wanting to breed should understand that even experienced breeders have litter losses. The mortality rate is high in cavies. The chance for losing both sow and pups is always present, even with experience. Although this is a site for experts to assist owners, there is no expert in any field who has all the answers. Sometimes the smartest thing a wise expert can know is what they don't.
Experience
Raised and shown cavies for many years, having aquired my first cavies in the early 1970's as pets. My caviary currently handles 65 + animals in two different breeds and several varieties. Having been in the health care industry as a licensed nurse for 35 years I have hands on experience with care and needs in both humans and cavies. Member of American Rabbit Breeders Association and American Cavy Breeders Association.
Organizations
Awarded Lifetime Membership in of one of the oldest cavy clubs in the United States, on whose Board I served as Sec/Treas for six years and currently serving as President. Also editor/publisher of the club's quarterly newsletter. We are strong supporters of our youth exhibitors, most of whom are 4H members who are working on cavy projects. Through these projects they become good responsible citizens.
We deal with all aspects of showing, breeding, caring for and sharing experiences in the fancy. The cavy fancy is not a new one but in some areas is still relatively unknown. Our goal is to inspire interest in high quality, responsible breeding to improve the species, not just the reproduction of guinea pigs. Our job is to educate owners to help them make the right decisions and choices in the care of their cavies.
Education/Credentials
Graduate in nursing. Certified in emergency medicine.
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