Austin Guinea Pig Rescue

Say Hi Saturday!

My name is Ruby and I was born on July 27th. That makes me a Leo, which explains why I am so brave and energetic. Since being born, I've met lots of female piggies and made friends really easily. I am currently single and I am looking for a female or neutered male, who is interested in a new best friend.

https://www.petfinder.com/small-furry/ruby-1faa4ee7-5846-4a61-98aa-ddaba53f7741/tx/austin/austin-guinea-pig-rescue-tx1685/details/

Violet our foster guinea pig had 3 babies today. They are not yet named. For the next 6 months they will be on baby pellets and alfalfa hay so that they can grow up to be big, strong guinea pigs. Welcome to the world, babies!

Teach Me Tuesday!

These are some of the most common guinea pig ownership mistakes we see:

1. Housing

When you look up “guinea pig cage” online, you will get an array of results from tall, narrow cages with ramps and platforms to wooden hutches to small, 30x18 inch cages. However, none of these options are appropriate for piggies. For starters, when it comes to a guinea pig's agility and ability to climb and jump, they rank about last on the charts. Guinea pigs have very short legs, poor eyesight and can easily fall from ledges. Because they cannot use exercise wheels, it is important for them to have a large space to move around in. Too small of a cage will restrict their movement and become soiled very quickly, leading to issues like bumblefoot and urine scald. Cages should be waterproof, have plenty of open space, adequate ventilation and all ramps/lofts should have a safety railing installed.

2. Pellets

Pellets are a small but important part of your piggie's diet. They provide the extra vitamins and nutrients your piggie does not get from their hay. We often see owners feeding pellets with colorful add-ins, seeds, nuts, kernels, and more. This is dangerous for your piggie! This type of pellet does not contain the vitamins and nutrients your piggie requires to stay healthy, and instead contains ingredients that can harm them! Opt for feeding your piggie timothy-based, fortified pellets like Oxbow or Small Pet Select a day.

3. Hay

Speaking of pellets, did I mention they are only a small supplement to your piggie's pure grass diet? That’s right! You will want to grab fresh, green, pure grass hay such as timothy or orchard grass. Easy access to unlimited quantities of hay is crucial to your guinea pig's dental and digestive health. They should always have a large, fresh pile to pick through and munch away on.

Have something you think should be added to our list? Comment below!

Courtesy of The Cozy Cavy Guinea Pig Rescue.

Meet Me Monday!

Meet Pixie and Fae. Pixie (white face) is about 6 months old, mom to Fae, who was born on July 17th. They are both very vocal about veggies, but tend to be shy when you pick them up. Both enjoy lap time once you catch them, especially Pixie, who stretches out for back scratches. These two are great at zoomies in the morning and will be a sweet pair for your home.

https://www.petfinder.com/small-furry/pixie-fae-8684e81b-2c33-44c7-a702-d034b488625a/tx/austin/austin-guinea-pig-rescue-tx1685/details/

Say Hi Saturday!

Meet Philly and Paninii! Panini is the little black one, and Philly is the fluffy ginger one. They are both curious but a little shy while they’re getting comfortable with people and new surroundings. Once they know something exciting is happening—especially around food—they aren’t shy about using their voices!

https://www.petfinder.com/small-furry/philly-panini-a838378b-709b-47f8-a339-d785c99e1a24/tx/austin/austin-guinea-pig-rescue-tx1685/details/

Teach me Tuesday!

Dogs and Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are prey animals, and even a dog that has always been sweet, calm, and completely uninterested in your piggies can still be dangerous. Over the past year, we’ve had two owners lose a guinea pig because of a dog attack. :(
Even the sweetest, most mild-mannered dog can react on instinct or accidentally play too rough. It only takes a few seconds for a piggy to get badly hurt.

If you have dogs and guinea pigs, please keep a few things in mind:

* Keep them physically separated with secure barriers. A secure cage and a closed door are much safer than simply relying on the dog to ignore them.

* Never leave them together unsupervised, even if your dog has always been good around the piggies.

* If you're introducing them, take it slow. Let your dog get used to their smell first before getting closer. You can let the dog smell something from the piggies cage first, notice how they react.

* Watch your dog's body language. Fixating on the piggy, getting excited, trying to get at the cage, or constantly watching them are things to take seriously.

* Make sure your dog is calm when they're around the guinea pigs. We don't want the piggy getting scared or stressed either.

* Don't assume that because your dog has been fine around them for years that nothing can happen. Things can change in an instant.

This isn't meant to scare anyone! We just wanted to share this because we've unfortunately seen it happen. Even the nicest dog can be dangerous to a guinea pig, and it's always better to be extra careful than for an accident to happen.

Information used from https://uk.kavee.com/blogs/the-piggy-blog/how-to-introduce-your-guinea-pig-to-your-dog-or-cat

(Photo credit to Drool by Dr. Chris Brown)

Meet Me Monday!

Meet Hudson, a handsome 2 year old single male who is looking for a friend. Check out his profile at https://www.petfinder.com/small-furry/hudson-7977e706-b7ce-43f3-8d22-09fdecb733ee/tx/austin/austin-guinea-pig-rescue-tx1685/details/ and if you have a single male also looking for a friend, fill out our adoption application at austinguineapigrescue.com.