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Post by krissy on Dec 30, 2008 1:27:50 GMT
hiya everyone im new to guinea pigs and we just got a boy about two weeks ago he is lovely but very shy and i have noticed over the past few days he has been sneezing quite a lot i think he is sneezing thats what it sounds like. could he be alergic to something or have a cold??? also he is very shy and doesnt like being touched or picked up if i try to stroke him he runs around his cage and if i try to pick him up he scatches me with his back feet. is there anyway to make him more happy to be picked up? he eats cucumber from my hand but even after he has finished he wont let me touch him... please help x
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Post by luvcats22 on Dec 31, 2008 6:56:53 GMT
if he is sneezing,it might be a good idea to get him checked over,is he wheezy at all? it could be the start of a URI. if he is kept on shavings it may be these that are making him sneeze. if you only had him for two weeks he will still be shy,if you have a look at the behaviour board,there are lots of tips on there on how to bond with him. xx
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Post by krissy on Dec 31, 2008 10:53:51 GMT
thanks for the reply what is URI? he is on woodshavings and straw what is the best bedding? if the sneezing continues i will get him checked over. would it make him happier if he had a friend piggy would it be best to get a girl or boy? x
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Post by kezabeza1 on Dec 31, 2008 11:13:40 GMT
hey a URI is an upper respitory infection and they can kill guineas, so if u are worried get him checked out by a guinea friendly vet. there is lots of info on the respitory problems section of health and illness. if he is off his food, seems to have breathing problems or a runny nose these are all signs of a URI. Gettin ur piggy a friend is a good idea as they are very social animals. another boy is best otherwise u will have baby guineas everywhere, however there can sometimes be problems as boys can fight, but plenty of people have two boys living together without any problems. how old is he? There is a section on caring for you guinea (what u need to know if you decided to keep a guinea pig) this bit will give you lots of information about caring for your guinea and what foods are good for them etc. Lets keep it simple is a really good thread. Also make sure follow the advice about shampooing your guinea once a month with anti parasitic shampoo. cutiecavies.proboards61.com/index.cgi?board=before&action=display&thread=2702Hope that helps Kerry
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Post by krissy on Dec 31, 2008 12:59:09 GMT
thanks for that I'm not sure how old he is but i know he is quite young as one of his ears is still bald and the fur is just starting to grow on it. he is eating fine and doesn't seem to have a runny nose if he goes off his food and the sneezing continues i will defiantly take him to the vets. the pet shop i got him from had separate pens for girls and boys so he should be fine with another boy. is it possible that he is allergic to one of our other pets? x
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Dawn - Admin
Administrator
MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
Dawn and the Cutiecavies
Posts: 22,784
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Post by Dawn - Admin on Dec 31, 2008 14:04:41 GMT
If he has bald patches then he could have mites, all piggies are born with all their coat and eyes open, actually they are miitures of their parents. I would take him to get checked over and if you do get him a friend make sure they are both healthy before you introduce them to each other.
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Post by kezabeza1 on Dec 31, 2008 15:43:56 GMT
guineas can be allergic to the dust from straw and wood shaving dust. if i where u get him checked out and then u can get him a friend. hope it all goes well. it might be worth mentioning to your vet about the fact he may have mites as in my experience some vets dont always look for that when they are treating guineas.
keep us updated
kerry
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Post by dianewilsher on Dec 31, 2008 20:03:06 GMT
If you have taken your guinea pig to your vet, and your vet has recognized mites, he/she will treat your guinea with a drug known as Ivermectin. This kills the mites that burrow under the skin on guineas and will make guineas very itchy. My guinea pig, Marble see pic below, had a bad dose of mites 2 years ago and she was treated with this drug and in less than 9 or 10 days, Marble was better and her skin healed up and her fur returned. She never had any of this after and earlier this year (still 2008) she started itching and scratching again and this time Dawn recommended anti parasite spot on and that is available at pet shops or Pets at Home. Thanks to Dawn, Marble recovered for good and she never had mites again. This product also contains Ivermectin and is put on the back of the neck.
Good luck with your guinea krissy
Diane
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Post by krissy on Dec 31, 2008 23:50:55 GMT
thanks for all of the advice he isnt itching he just has a bald ear and he doesnt seem to be in any pain he purrs and squeaks quite a bit especially when our tv is on so im guessing he likes it i will get him checked over if i start to worry again because he hasnt sneezed since yesterday x
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Post by dianewilsher on Jan 1, 2009 10:05:02 GMT
oh that's good news krissy that he hasn't sneezed. If you hear a clicking sound when he's breathing, a tiny little bit of vick rubbed on the top of his nose helps. In a day or two the clicking will stop. Aloe Vera gel from Holland and Barrett is good for the back of his ear and sooths that
happy new year to you and your family
Diane
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Post by celia on Jan 2, 2009 19:06:41 GMT
Hi Krissy after reading your posts do you think that pigs ears should be covered in a lot of hair ? I think you could be worrying over this and there is nothing wrong with him , the hair on a pigs ear is very fine . I would keep an eye on the sneezing though , its ok if they sneeze a little if you have just cleaned them out and then calm down once the shavings settle but if they have any wheezing or runny nose they have an infection and will need antibiotics from a vet
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Post by delukem on Jan 3, 2009 10:18:00 GMT
Your little man could be allergic to the woodshavings as there is almost certainly some dust in there. If he is not ill or wheezing and eating normally, it might be a good idea to try a piece of vetbed instead of the shavings and see if he still continues to sneeze. If he doesn't sneeze then you will know that it is the sawdust.
We never sell guineapigs to live on their own as they are social animals and need the company of another pig for them to be happy, like humans they need to interact with others of the same species. We have several males living together in pairs in our caviary and we never have a problem. Usually a slightly older guineapig will accept a baby as company and also two babies will grow up and live happily together and provided that you have no sows that could come into season you shouldn't have a problem. So perhaps it is something to think about as our male pairs are inseparable.
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Post by krissy on Jan 4, 2009 0:17:53 GMT
thanks everyone for your advice boris seems fine now he has only sneezed once since i last posted so now we know he is healthy and well we are going to get him a friend. as for his ear its pure pink with a couple of small white hairs coming through i know there not meant to be really hairy but its nothing like his other ear i would put pics up but my bluetooth dongle has broke. happy new year everyone xx
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