So, my guinea pig just ate....

some Vick's Vapo-Rub, and I had to call a 24-hr animal clinic to see whether or not it'll make him sick. Blah! What a naughty piggy. The vet I talked to said it shouldn't hurt him, except maybe give him the runs or something. *sigh* I've been up (on and off, not straight) the last two days with this pig and his major sinus/cold thing (hence the Vicks) and now this?? Goodness me. But I love the little fuzzy face and just want him to get better. Anyone have any other suggestions about dealing with pigs with colds? His regular vet told me last time this happened (he had pneumonia a couple of years ago... ever since, this happens from time to time) to push the greens like lettuce and hay, keep him out of direct wind (so i closed our window) and make sure he's drinking. But he's just laying there, so lethargic and sad-looking... and he sneezes so violently. My poor piggypoo... Help!

 

wow. never heard of piggys getting colds! i will ask some of my co-workers and see if they have any advice.
out of curiosity, what kind of bedding do you use and do your piggys get enough vitamin c? the fresh veggies are really helpful with the vitamin c. raw sweet potato, red bell pepper, and many culinary herbs can all be good sources of vitamin c for guinea pigs.

 

He's using the bedding that's made from recycled paper, it's the one the vet recommended. Apparently guinea pigs (and other "pocket pets") are allergic to the pine/cedar beddings that are out there. Mainly for "snacks" he likes green pepper, lettuce, carrots, apples (he loves empire apples), celery leaves, and oranges. I've wanted to get one of those little tiny indoor herb garden things for ages, because he really likes things like parsley, but you have to buy such a huge bunch at a time and so much of it goes bad.

 

well it sounds like his bedding situation and diet are pretty good. as long as his bedding doesn't emit dust (i've not used recycled newspaper bedding, so i don't know if it does).

if you have a yard, you'd be amazed how easy most herbs are to grow. you don't need much room or care, they're basically just fancy weeds in most cases. i geta small basil plant for a doller or two in the spring, and by summer it's usually a great big bush. basil is good for piggys too.
anyway, you can get seeds for herbs really cheap and if you have a good window, growing them inside is easy. however, if you need to continue buying the cut stuff at the grocery store, here's a trick:
take a deep plastic bowl or tupperware container and fill it with cold water. trim the stems of the fresh herbs you bought and just stick them down in the water. store this in your fridge, changing the water daily and not covering the dish. this will really help extend the fresh crisy quality of your greens. it also works really well for Kale which piggy's love.
i work tomorrow and will ask then aout the cold thing. will also ask if what he is eating is providing enough vitamin c.

 

I have two male pigs myself. Here is the website I use to help care for them. It's the best one on the internet...


http://guinealynx.info/

Hope s/he gets better..

Ohh, and here is another site I really like. I built my piggies cage from this site..

http://www.cavycages.com/

 

Aquasquish: Thanks for the info... and thank your friend for me too :

Mrs_Eads80: Those websites are great, and very informative. I've bookmarked them both. Some cute pictures on the main pages, too... don't you just love pictures of piggies? What are yours named?