(Part 2) Best products from r/guineapigs

Great, thank you for being such a good person and taking him in, that's a very admirable thing to do!

You seem to be intelligent and you're probably doing your own research. Good job on trying to find him a friend, I cannot stress how important that is, as you've probably read online.

The scared phase is typically just a phase in the beginning. He's in a new environment and he's afraid. Guinea pigs are prey, it's only natural for them to jump and run the second they see movement they're non-familiarized with.. even when it is familiar, they're not the brightest creatures in the world and can still overreact to slight movements. After this scared phase, which can really last from a couple days to a month, it depends on their personality. Some piggies can be chill and start wheeking whenever they see their owners, and others will simply run from them for the rest of their lives, even though they enjoy being cuddled once you finally get them in your hands. It's simply something you're going to have to go through, and don't take their fearfulness personally :)

What kind of dry food are you getting him, and what kind of hay? What type of water holder do you have? He may be unfamiliar with it. Keep giving him lettuce (not iceburg) if he'll eat it, but not too too much. 1 baby carrot a day and a little bit of green pepper should do the trick as well. Piggies are supposed to have a little salad every day. Here's a fantastic guide to what they can have and what quantities is recommended.

Regarding his bedding, the only way he'll stop being afraid of you is to see that there's nothing to be afraid of. It's okay to scare him, since he'll eventually learn that there's no reason to be scared. Just clean around him and provide him a little treat like a carrot and he'll eventually come around. My piggies run from me whenever I clean their cage, it's just apart of owning them.

I don't know if there will ever be a point where a piggie can "trust" you. I don't think they're capable of trust, though some have very relaxed personalities compared to others. Like I said, they're prey. They're built to not trust you. You can start touching and holding him whenever you'd like, though you know your piggie better than we do. If he's truly so afraid of you that you don't want to hold him, don't. If you think it's time, go for it, he'll run, but just grab his butt and give him a nice cuddle session. Don't wear any clothes you're fond of :)

Whats most important is that you get him a friend, a large cage (2x3 minimum for 2), and understand how to properly feed them. I highly recommend purchasing this hay (I know it may seem like 10lbs is a lot since your little guy is hardly eating, but you'll be shocked to see how much they eat normally), these pellets (I assume he's under 6 months old), and using these kind of water bottles. I also recommend buying fleece bedding, as you will save money and time cleaning in the long run.

Let me know if you have more questions!

Washable bedding for the piggy enclosure:

-Bottom layer: bed liner pads, there are dozens of different size options available on amazon, so you can find ones that will fit your enclosure dimensions.

-Middle layer: Moisture wicking "sheepette" faux wool. Soft and provides a thick, dry layer between the piggies and the urine absorbing bed liner pad. Easy to cut to size.

-Top layer: regular fleece fabric (if you buy new fleece, wash in hot water with unscented detergent and some Borox powder, this helps remove any moisture repelling chemicals on the surface of the fabric that will prevent urine from quickly absorbing). I get the plain fleece blankets that come in a roll from ikea, they're large and inexpensive, you can cut them to the sizes you need. Or if you want to get fancy you can go to a craft store that sells fabric.

I put my 3 layers in the enclosure, then take the top fleece layer and tuck it in on all sides so the piggies don't lift up the fleece to hide underneath it.

Feed good food. I feed my piggies Sherwood pellets, and i order hay from Small Pet Select. The bigger the box/bag you order, the more money you save. Also, NEVER buy hay at petco or petsmart. Their prices are OUTRAGEOUS. 20$ for 5lbs of oxbow, insane! I pay 72$ for a 60lb box of hay from Small Pet Select (i have quite a few pigs lol need a lot of hay). If i bought hay from petco, 60lbs would cost me like 240$.

Feed healthy veggies every day. Fruit should be a RARE treat. I only give my pigs a little bit of fruit once every 2-3 weeks. Fruit is just natures candy, its not really healthy, its a special treat and should not be a part of a guinea pigs regular diet. Raspberry is one of the lowest sugar fruits so its a good choice for the occasional treat.
Always rinse veggies well before feeding. Red/orange/yellow bell peppers are extremely high in vitamin c so they are fantastic as part of a daily piggy salad. Other good veggies are green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuce, celery, cucumber, escarole (aka curly endive). Fresh herbs in moderation bc they have high calcium contents. I never give my pigs things like kale, spinach or broccoli, too much calcium and oxalates. Carrots have quite a bit of sugar (not as much as fruit though) so i only give a little carrot 2x per week.

I give my piggies a Sherwood joint support tablet daily to help prevent arthritis bc guinea pigs are extremely prone to developing arthritis in their knees (my vet told me most pigs have significant arthritis in the knees by age 4 and it is certainly not comfortable).

Last thing i can think of that i think its important for piggy owners to know is that piggies are very sensitive to sound, they don't like loud TV/music/etc. I leave classical music on a low volume for my piggies on a radio or streaming from my computer (WQXR and KUSC are great classical stations you can stream online or on those smart speaker devices a lot of people are getting these days). Its nice for them to have something pretty and soothing to listen to, makes their living environment more interesting.

Guinealynx.org is a very good resource for piggy info.

I bathe my piggies once per year, using Gorgeous Guineas shampoo. Its an adorable little company and they sell affordable shampoo, even some in very small bottles so those with just 2 piggies dont need to spend money on big bottles theyll never get close to finishing off.

Throwing in my support for what everyone else has said.

Since you're looking for guinea pig products, I'll link you a few things that have worked for us.

Kaytee guinea pig kibble: My pigs love the little orange pieces in this food. Made with Timothy so it is lower in calcium. I never tried the Oxbow adult pellets you got, but I do have the young pig pellets. All the pigs love it so I'd say you got a good buy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ZXO106

Treat wise I just got these two from Oxbow. Pigs absolutely loved it. Several of them tried stealing from each other. -_- I told them they only get one each! I also got some Critical Care just in case any of my pigs goes downhill and needs some just in case. Critical Care comes in 3 types: Original blend (coarser ground, green bag), Apple-banana (coarser ground, green bag), and Fine ground in a red bag (for syringe feeding). I got some Original and mashed some apple sauce and a little slice of banana in it. Pigs seemed to enjoy eating it out of a spoon. lol.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00244F546
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PZEBKS

Word of caution about the Timothy. My family is allergic to timothy hay. I've heard plenty of stories about people giving away their guinea pig cause they were 'allergic.' I suspect many of the times the people were just allergic to the hay. If your family starts getting a bad case of the hay fever - think about switching to Mountain Grass/Orchard Grass.

Once you guys really start getting into guinea pigs and start considering cutting costs down by buying in bulk. Look for your local feed and grain stores. They'll have bales of hay, big bales of wood chips and other supplies. I get a bale of Mountain Grass for $20ish.

If you are looking for corrogated plastic and can't find any at your local hardware stores. Call local sign making companies. I recently had to buy two sheets of 4ft by 8ft. None of the hardware stores could help, but this sign company I called thought it was the most hilarious order! It wasn't a big thing for them since they get sheets every day. Perfect match! Being a piggy owner is a lot about improvising and thinking of creative solutions. Good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear your piggy is sick! It might be a good idea to go get him checked out by a vet to make sure everything is okay, especially if he is loosing weight.

I wouldn't offer this snack to your pig as a way to help him gain wieght. This treat stick is more like candy and not really recommended for guinea pigs.

You definitely want to up the vitamin C intake to give his immune system a boost! Think fresh produce like apples and oranges and kale. I (as well as many other Piggy parents) would recommend a product called Critical Care to help him gain weight. You may be able to get some from a local vet, pet store or it can be purchased on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Critical-Banana-Supplement-1-Pound/dp/B005KSOIJG

It's a powder that you mix with water and piggies loveee the taste!

I hope this has been a little helpful!
Hoping your piggy feels better soon! 🧡

Bactrim is fine for pigs, and is typically successful in treating URIs. Side effects are quite rare as it is a milder antibiotic, but it's possible that it could cause digestive upset. If you wanted to be on the safe side, you can give your pigs some probiotics an hour or two after their Bactrim dose. Probiotics aren't likely necessary but it won't hurt them if you want to do it anyway for your peace of mind. Even more rare side effects (but also more serious) are loss of appetite, severe diarrhea, and lethargy. Contact your vet if you notice those.

Because Bactrim is gentler it's a good 'first' option to treat infections, especially for young guinea pigs. There is a chance that it may not be effective if the infection is sufficiently advanced or simply antibiotic-resistant. If your pigs aren't starting to improve after 3 days, or if they ever worsen after beginning treatment, call your vet as they'll likely need a different antibiotic (usually Baytril, but not always).

Probiotic info:

Safe probiotics to feed guinea pigs are fresh poops from a healthy guinea pig if you can get it (this is believed to be the most effective, plus it's free ;D), or if not you can sprinkle some powder from an acidophilus capsule on their pellets, or a probiotic meant for small animals like BeneBac (comes in gel or powdered form, and is usually carried by pet stores and vets) or Probios powder. Pigs don't do well with dairy, so avoid yogurt or other dairy products.

Amazon links (if you live in the US): Benebac gel tubes and Probios powder (a big tub like this is overkill for your situation, but it is another option)

I'm certain there are plenty other probiotic options that will also work fine, these are just the ones I've used and know of off the top of my head. It's also a good thing to consider keeping on hand just in case.

Guinealynx page on probiotics

Hiya! I'm a first-time owner as well. I have about 1 1/2 month of experience so far with my young cavies but have done extensive research on our new family members to ensure they are well taken care of.

Young guinea pigs should have alfalfa pellets with vitamin C-infused, 5lb Oxbow young guinea pig pellets bag will run you 15$ at petsmart. Amazon reviews on adult guinea pig oxbow but same goes for young, but make sure you get the suited one for Alfonso age
http://a.co/cS5bTe1


C&C cage - <span-tp timeprices-text="72.59" timeprices-isnew="true"><span-tp timeprices-text="72.59" timeprices-isnew="true">$72.59</span-tp></span-tp> you'll be able to make a 4x2 with storage space and a 1x2 canopy plus have extra grid to make ramp.

https://www.amazon.com/Fixtures-Clothes-Organizer-3-Foot-4-Foot/dp/B001BRD2N8/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1494008686&sr=8-12&keywords=wire+storage)

here is a picture of my set up

http://i.imgur.com/biTnC4v.jpg

A single sheet of 4x9 coroplast sheet from home depot is <span-tp timeprices-text="15.97" timeprices-isnew="true"><span-tp timeprices-text="15.97" timeprices-isnew="true">$15.97</span-tp></span-tp> and will be more than enough
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Coroplast-48-in-x-96-in-x-0-157-in-White-Corrugated-Plastic-Sheet-CP4896S/205351385

you can either make your own fleece bedding with a sewing machine or purchase them from etsy or the mention guineapigcages.com, I picked up a sewing machine on offerup for 30$ and roughly 20$ on fleece & U-Haul moving pads (approx $10) i self-taught myself + youtube on making them, now I'm making cuddle cups with pee pads with leftover fabric which I highly recommend because being pooped on or peed on is kinda a mood killer.

My cavies don't like being chase around the cage to be picked up but once they are in our arms they are all for the cuddles, I recommend either getting a shoe box with a cut out or a fleece tunnel put it inside and when you go to pick them up they will run inside and you can easily transport them out and into your hands or play pen. Handle your guineas every day for at least 15 minutes. try to hand feed them so they get to associate you & your hands as something positive.

below is a diet chart as well for what vegetables are acceptable.

http://pin.it/fkHsFjc

Here's some links to products I mentioned and products my pigs like:

Small Pet Select Timothy Hay Pet Food, 10-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ID70IEU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_tr8Eub1AJRAQ7

Ware Hand Woven Willow Twig Tunnel Small Pet Hideout, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002H3BLCY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_-s8Eub0ETWT7J

Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Food for Guinea Pig, 5-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VB503Y/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Av8Eub1ERBJYN

eCOTRITION Snak Shak Treat Stuffer for Guinea Pig/Rabbit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WAGVO2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_jw8Eub001T4KZ

Kaytee Chew-Proof Water Bottle, 26-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHQ70S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_eA8Eub1MCZ8ZJ (I fill it almost completely and mine never leaks, but some reviews mention it leaking).

Kaytee Super Sleeper Cuddle-E-Cup, Colors Vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ASBRM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_qY8Eub0PE7E4Y best to get two of things like this, pigs will fight over it if there's only one.

Thanks!! These are non disposable liners, they're made especially for Guinea pigs, and they are machine washable! Best invention in the world. They are expensive but you end up saving money in the long run - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D4BD7Z2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share . I change mine every week (2 piggies), they can get a little stinky, so you definitely need at least 2 liners to change between washes.

Piggies tend do be more messy where they eat, so you just have to play along with their natural instinct. Building a "kitchen/toilet" area helps a lot with that. I have 2 "litter" trays with paper bedding where they make most of their poops and pees.

They also poop inside their hideys of course, so I have swipe those up twice a day, but it's a lot easier with these liners :)

Don't forget these cuties are the definition of "poop factory" 💩

If you're worried about weight, I would highly recommend buying a food scale! Not for veggies, but for your guinea. One like this with a little dish that fits on top, so your little one can sit more comfortably.

I try to weigh my boys once a week (like after cage cleaning time so it's become part of the routine) so I can monitor their health. Weight is one of the main indicators of guinea pig health that you can reliably measure without a vet. Also it was really fun charting out how much they grew over time when I first got them! After a few times weighing your guinea, you'll have an idea of what a healthy weight should be, regardless of hair length.

Edit: I forgot to mention that a scale is an especially helpful tool if you think you'll be moving a few times in the next few years. I move my guys maybe 4 times a year because I go to college an hour away from my parents' house, and at first it was stressful for those little potatoes. They lost weight for the first few days each move, but slowly regained it once they settled in (they're pros at moving house now though). I'm not sure how long it's been since you moved to your parents' house but it may have contributed to her weight loss.

The L.A. Guinea pig rescue recommends the Davis Miconazole Pet Shampoo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078LOSUW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qzWADb53B9J5M
It’s anti-fungal and it can help get rid of ringworm.
You can also check out their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnY3dhKVuHUr4yOqpNSpoOw
They have a lot of great info and has helped me out a lot!

Super important to note that guinea pigs can’t produce vitamin C and need supplements. You can also get liquid vitimin C and small syringes from a vets office or online to give them daily. Mine think it’s a treat!

Examples:

Vitimin C: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00016RLSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_XgPPDb6004AC1

Syringes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N01TO2O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_ziPPDb57CGQPG

The syringes can be rinsed out with water and reused!

I have 3 of these and love em. No leaks and easy to clean.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHQ70S/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_rCuPBbTP5GCRT

Thanks for the tip! It's $30 for anyone else interested:

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Pet-Select-Cutting-10-Pound/dp/B00ID70IEU

I got a kitchen scale:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P1PJL4/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has a switch on the bottom to toggle between grams or ounces.

I like it because it has a bowl you can set them in. :)

My piggy's food isn't in form of pellets but rather a dry food that looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Vitakraft-Guinea-Fiber-Timothy-Formula/dp/B01BLGAIQM

Is it okay to crush this instead of pellets and mix it water and feed him?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joy-Outdoor-small-animals-elements/dp/B000V9KIU2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335567381&sr=8-1 this is the same one, if your in the UK this is helpful if not you could try amazon.com? :)

This is the only one my local pet store carries. Would it be okay or do I need the one that says its specifically for guinea pigs and small animals?

I think it's the 10lb box? [Small Pet Select 2nd Cutting Timothy Hay Pet Food, 10-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ID70IEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sS1izbSQJ0152 ]

I use a glass bottle. If the noise is coming from them picking it up and wiggling it, the weight of the class may help. My plastic bottle fell on the floor once while filling and broke. The glass has fallen and not broken, and you can set it down if needed. Here's a link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Kaytee-Chew-Proof-Water-Bottle-26-Ounce/dp/B000HHQ70S/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&ie=UTF8