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Post by vicki on Nov 14, 2008 3:54:26 GMT
Hello eveyrone, I am new here and will go introduce myself and my piggy shortly, but I wanted to hit here first in hopes of some help. I have had every type of animal you can imagine ever since I was a kid, but it has been a while since I have had a pig. The only reason I go this one is a local pet store gave him to me. Here is the story.... A lady had gone into a different pet store and bought one, they told her it was a male, well 2 weeks later it had 3 babies, well the other day (they are about 6 weeks old) she brought them to this pet store. Two of them are just fine and normal, but this little one, is no bigger than a newborn practically. Well the pet store gave him to me because they dont think he will make it, and I have known a few breeders who had babies like this and never had one live. But Im keeping my fingers crossed. What Im hoping for .... is there anything special I can do for this little one to hopefully boost his chances of making it? He is eating and drinking just fine, bathing. He lets you pick him up and hold him, he doesnt fight you, actually he is a little too calm from what I have seen of guinea pigs over the many years i have been around them and in pet stores. But it may just be him. I know that I should get him some hay, but I forgot to pick some up when I brougth him home, is there something I can put in there with him that he can curl up in until i can get the hay that he needs? Is there anything specific I should be doing for him considering his size and how tiny he is? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are a couple of pictures of him.
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Post by Orlaith on Nov 24, 2008 16:14:07 GMT
He's really adorable! You sound like you're doing your best to help him, how is he doing now?
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Dawn - Admin
Administrator
MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
Dawn and the Cutiecavies
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Post by Dawn - Admin on Jan 21, 2009 10:44:25 GMT
Oh wow he is so small, and soo cute. You could give him a little cuddly toy to curl up and sleep with, but I reckon you should prepare youself for not having him very long. Just make sure he has everything he needs and just enjoy him and love him that's all you can do really.
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Post by Niki on Jan 21, 2009 23:39:23 GMT
Awww bless him, he is lovely. I can't add anything to what's been said but do hope he goes on ok
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Post by dianewilsher on Jan 22, 2009 21:37:09 GMT
aww he's gorgeous Vicki. I hope he makes it. In the pics he looks no more than 5 or 6 weeks old. I woulld say feed him in the normal way and introduce veggies like carrots and cucumber and some broccoli as the hard veg help his teeth. Do you mean for roughage? I would suggest redigrass. That is very good for piggies until you get your hay. Good luck with him.
Diane
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Post by vicki on Jan 29, 2009 15:43:13 GMT
Well so far he is about 17 weeks now and doing good. I have tried different veggies with him but he doesnt like anything but his romaine lettuce. My next thing to try with him is brocolli, never thought of trying cucumber, I think i will get him some of that as well. He is so darn cute and still itty bitty tiny, I wouldnt mind finding another one that is tiny like him so he has a playmate.
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Post by celia on Jan 29, 2009 16:06:37 GMT
Hi vicki what else does he eat ? the lettuce has very little nutritional value and with him being small he would need some other veg that is better for him . I am sure there is a list of fruit and veg on the site somewhere that you could look at and hopefully he will like some of them xx keep us updated on how he is getting on plz xx
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Post by celia on Jan 29, 2009 16:08:57 GMT
appologise for not seeing your post earlier just noticed this was in November
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Post by dianewilsher on Jan 29, 2009 22:41:46 GMT
Broccoli is very good for piggies and helps his Vitamin C intake. There is lots of water content in cucumber too. My piggies love broccoli. Fruit is another thing that will be very good for him. Marble likes some pear that I cut up into small pieces. I had a piggie two years ago that was only 6 weeks when he came here. That was Cherish and he was very small. You should see him now that he's about two years old. Will post some pics.
Diane
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Post by dianewilsher on Jan 29, 2009 22:52:39 GMT
Cherish at the age of six weeks Cherish now. He's an agouti bi boar. When we had him he was put in with Brandy as the pet shop said he was a sow. Later on as he got older we discovered he was a boar when he was about six months old
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Post by kezabeza1 on Jan 29, 2009 23:30:59 GMT
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Post by vicki on Jan 30, 2009 6:32:01 GMT
I have tried different veggies on him, not brocolli yet, that is the next thing to try. I did give him some apple and I think he actually liked it. And I am going to try him on some potato too, but other things I have tried to give him he has turned his nose up at. He is addicted to his lettuce, he knows the sound of the fridge door and knows thats where his lettuce comes from and will squeak like you wouldnt believe hehee he is a mess, gotta love him to pieces. Thanks for that link, I will definitely take a look at it and see what else i can give him to see that he might like.
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Post by celia on Jan 31, 2009 22:07:55 GMT
Hi vicki please dont give him raw potatoes , they are ok if cooked . The reason he wont eat many veg is as i have said before he could be addicted to the lettuce now but its not the best veg he can have . Have you tried parsley ,chervil, celery & leaves , dill , coriander , spinach , cauliflower & leaves , savoy cabbage , spring greens , melon , fennel , bell peppers (some of my pig favorites ) . I understand if he is a single pig that they are a bit fussy but just keep trying i have boars here who would only eat carrot but now they eat everything it just took some time . Good luck x
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Post by vicki on Feb 1, 2009 5:40:33 GMT
Yes I have tried him on spinach, orange, grapes, and a variety of other things and he wont touch them. I got him brocolli for the first time and gave him some yesterday and he wont touch it, he ate around it to get to his lettuce. I have been trying new things on him since I have had him to get him to take other things, but all he wants is that lettuce and if he doesnt get a leaf every day, he will squeak bloody murder at me. The only thing I can think of to do is stop giving him the lettuce for a while to see if he will give in and try other stuff, I just dunno. He is very persnippity about it. But if anybody has any other suggestions, Im all for it. I havent tried bell pepper though, that is next on my list, i didnt know that was ok for them until joining here, so Im definitely gonna try that next and see how that goes over. Im just at a loss as to how to get him to try other things. he's obsessed with his lettuce.
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Dawn - Admin
Administrator
MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
Dawn and the Cutiecavies
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Post by Dawn - Admin on Feb 1, 2009 20:24:18 GMT
Best thing to do is not give him the lettuce at all he will eat the other things when he is hungry. He wont starve himself and a day or two wont harm if he has his hay and pellets available. Just keep trying him with them and soon he will get the idea that they are to eat. It is easier to get them to eat if they are in two's or a group that way they try what the other one is eating but as you have just the one he will take longer to try things new.
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Post by vicki on Feb 2, 2009 4:12:13 GMT
He will yell at me for not giving him his lettuce but if it means he will eventually try other things and realize they are tasty and like them, Im willing to do that. Im actually about to go get me some grapes, gonna give him a couple too and see what he does. Brocolli was a bust, but gonna put some fresh in there again without his lettuce and see, he hasnt had his lettuce for a day or so now. So we shall see. I wish I could find another itty bitty piggy like him, as a playmate, i know he's lonely even though he gets playtime with mommy.
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Post by vicki on Feb 2, 2009 4:16:55 GMT
Holy smoke stacks, I just handed him a grape and he snatched that thing out of my hand like he hadnt eaten in a week LOL He has his hay and pellets of course, but he hasnt had his lettuce in a couple days, but he sure took that grape from me, and he ate a few bites off it, so tahts a good sign.
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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 Feb 2, 2009 9:31:23 GMT
That is a good sign
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Post by vicki on Feb 2, 2009 15:18:25 GMT
Yep I gave him one grape and put 2 in his bowl, and he ate part of the one grape, and then went away from it and i was like oh man he dont want it. Well i got up this morning and all 3 are gone. So I finally found something else he likes. But I want him to like other things with more of the vitamin c in it that he needs, so gonna keep on trekking for more things. We'll get there Im sure of it Thanks for all the help on it.
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Post by waterscavies on Feb 2, 2009 17:35:52 GMT
You could try orange segments, sliced bananas as well as honeydew melon... all mine love those.. some eat the melon skin - some don't.
Sasha
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Post by vicki on Feb 2, 2009 22:53:04 GMT
he wont go near an orange, i put it anywhere in his cage he runs to the other side and stays there until I remove it. LOL have a feeling orange will be something he never gets around to eating, dont know why though. But I am definitely going to try some canteloupe with him as I love that myself and hmm banana, didnt think of that, will try that too. But he definitely loves his grapes. Gonna give him a couple more tonight.
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Post by Kayleigh on Feb 2, 2009 23:29:31 GMT
At least hes experimenting with other fruit and veggies! Mine love sprouts and celery, as well as the usual carrots. They also like the mini corn you can buy.
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Post by vicki on Feb 3, 2009 4:57:54 GMT
I cant wait to try new things on him, the list I had been given of foods they can have by a so called breeder here locally was 10 times shorter than the one here on the site, so im glad for that list here, I have it written down and going to just start going down the list until we get him into some good stuff thats good for him that he likes I wont be around for a day or so, Im having surgery in about 7 hours, so if you dont hear from me you know why...but i'll let yall know how things go with Neo and the food search
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Post by Orlaith on Feb 3, 2009 21:57:15 GMT
Good luck with your surgery and with your food search!
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Post by celia on Feb 4, 2009 0:44:29 GMT
Awww i am so pleased he has eaten some grapes its a good start :-) , good luck with the other fruit and veg ;-) , dont worry too much about oranges mines hate them too but they eat satsumas . Good luck with you op hope all is well and hope to hear from you soon x
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Post by abby on Feb 4, 2009 11:30:49 GMT
I can recommend bell peppers- red in particular are full of vitamin c and all mine have always gone mad for them. Make sure you're getting the large peppers though, these are not hot/spicy ones like the little ones! Mine don't like anything citrussy like orange but fruit they do like includeds plums, grapes and strawberries.
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Post by vicki on Feb 4, 2009 14:36:31 GMT
Thanks yall, the surgery went well. It was an easy procedure that just left me sleeping all day yesterday and all last night and Im back up and about somewhat today. It was better than the alternative which was a hysterectomy and being down for a few weeks, so Im not complaining LOL And yeppers, Neo loved his grapes, and I am going to the store sometime today and gonna get him a bell pepper. I dont eat them myself very often but I will definitely get them for him. I so appreciate all the help and suggestions, and hopefully soon i will have a lot longer list of stuff he likes to have
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Post by dianewilsher on Feb 4, 2009 21:57:49 GMT
That's a good sign that your piggie liked his grapes Vicki. At least you have now found something to start him off and to wean him off the lettuce he was eating. My piggies love Honeydew melon and sprouts. They have started to eat red peppers too. Once his stomach gets used to all these different fruits and veggies, he won't stop.
Hope your op went well
Diane
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Post by vicki on Feb 5, 2009 4:31:28 GMT
Thanks the surgery went fine, Im back to normal today, it was a simple thing actually and today it was like I never had anything done. I got him some red bell pepper today, so going to give him a smidgen of it tomorrow and see what he thinks of it. Gave him a few more grapes today, but havent checked to see if the finished them off yet or not. But he did snatch that first one out of my hand pretty quick hehee
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Post by vicki on Feb 7, 2009 1:12:45 GMT
Oh my goodness. I got Neo some red bell pepper, cut him off a small piece just in case he didnt like it. He snatched that stuff out of my hand so fast and gulped it down, so thats romaine lettuce, grapes, apples and red bell pepper so far LOL Now onto other goodies to see what else we can get him to eat. hehee
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