Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Things to look for when getting a Guinea Pig?

i would like to know what to look (eyes,fur,nose)at when trying to decide which one to get. Thanks!
P.S. I will most likley adopt, depending if my local shelter has any.
Answers:
Fur = Make sure that it's shiny, and, soft. Also, make sure that the guinea pig doesn't have any mites, ticks, fleas ect.
Eyes = Make sure that the guinea pig has shiny eyes! And that there is no discharge or bedding in the eyes!
Nose = Make sure that the guinea pig has a clean nose!
Ears = The ears should be clean, no wax in them!
Paws = The paws should NOT be swollen. The nails should be trimmed, and NOT long!
I hope that this answers your question! Thanks, and good luck,
~ Future Vet
P.S. If you aren't sure if your local animal shelter has any guinea pigs, try: www.petfinder.com! They are GREAT! Thanks again, and, good luck,
~ Future Vet
get one that shows you some love
Eyes--Should be clean, shiny, and free of discharge.
Fur--Shouldn't be matted or overly coarse.
Nose--Like the eyes, should have no discharge and be clean.
If the piggie just sits in a corner lethargically, and doesn't have any reaction to your arrival, it probably isn't a good choice and may be unhealthy.
Handle lots of different ones before you make your decision ^^.
Good luck on getting your guinea pig!
The eyes
- Unless the guinea pig is alone, it should not be sitting by itself in a corner. These are lively, social creatures that enjoy contact with one another and people.

- Check the guinea pig's skin for bald patches and its eyes and nose for discharge. These are signals of health problems.

- Look at the droppings in the cage (you don't have to get too close) and be sure that you don't see evidence of diarrhea.

- Check female guinea pigs for signs of pregnancy. If they are very large near their rumps, then it is very likely they are pregnant.
Remember that the health of the guinea pig is especially important if you are bringing it into a home that already contains guinea pigs since many diseases and conditions can be passed between the two animals. Also, nothing is sadder than losing a new pet not long after bringing him or her home.
http://ezinearticles.com/?guinea-pigs---...
PLEASE EMAIL TO LET ME KNOW IF MY ANSWER HELPED YOU OR NOT! THANKS!
- Curious, comes to you
- No cloudiness in the eyes, clear eyes
- No muck on the nose, clean nose
- Ears free of fungal infections (looks dry and scabby), clean ears
- Moving freely and without limping
- Feet soft, and pink not red, cut and inflammed
- No sores or irration on the skin
- Hair clean
- Look at the teeth - if they are separated be aware, scurvy (not enough vitamin c) starts in the gums and affects the teeth
- Generally looking healthy
- Check the stools, not soft
- Check the urine - no blood
The list above I generated myself, check out the following site, it shows a list of symptoms and a the disease which links to those symptoms. If you make yourself familiar with the symptoms it will help you immensely when buying your guinea pig. Keep in mind guinea pigs are herd animals by nature thus why they are better in pairs. Please adopt.
http://www.guinealynx.com/emergency.html...
PLZ pick one that is running around (active) and seems happy and one that is eating!!! when i chose my first guinea pig i chose the one sitting in the corner that was cute and he was just sitting there doing nothing. BAD CHOICE! when we got home we realized that he wasnt very energetic and that his breathing is weird. it turns out that he had a respiratory infection and he was about to die!!!(we took him back to the pet store because they said he was gonna die anyway and i picked a new one) it broke my heart!! plz remember to pick one that is active and watch them very closely when you get home to make sure he does not have any symptoms like lethargy, scratching alot, not eating, discharge from the eyes or mouth, or irritations on the skin.
I REALLY dont want that to happen to you so please be very careful when picking your piggie!!
i hope this helps :)
Well make sure that it's eyes aren't matted, and don't look like it has a cold, also make sure the eyes aren't cloudy in the middle, it means their blind. Nose shouldn't have anything that looks like it would have a cold either.
Fur, when you get it make sure theirs no bald patches, look through it and if you see what looks like dandruff walking it's lice. Also if the fur on their back bone is just a bit longer or short it's also a sign of mites.
Make sure it's lively and doesn't just sit there. Get one thats friendlier and doesn't bit you. Hope that helps, good luck with ur piggie!
Here is a great "what's normal" page for healthy guinea pigs. http://www.guinealynx.info/normal.html...

I'm glad you are planning to adopt! Way to go!!

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