Little Pig Town 

Hello , 

       My name is Gina . I live in Blountville , TN . I have suffered with several mental health issues for  most of my life  . Caring for and loving animals is the only relief I have ever had . In 2000 I had to quit work . Being a stay at home , 55+ year old woman , I needed something to love and care for . I had a very nice , indoor/outdoor kennel from 2000 - 2006 . After I lost my kennel I didn't have any animals to love or recieve love from until 2014 , when 8 little guinea pigs came into my life , and now they , and a few more piggies and my Dad are my little family . Without my animals , I felt nothing of living , nothing about holidays , except to live through them . Now , I once again look forward to caring for my little family , and making the holidays happy once again for both them , my Dad and myself  . I am already hunting for them little Valentines' Day presents. By July of 2015 , I have added 6 more little ones to my little family . I now have 4 males and 10 females . I am working on making slideshows of them now , and hopefully one day I will work my way up to videos of them to show you . I hope you enjoy my website I made for them , and hope it helps you with your own little one(s) .

Health Care For Hairless Piggies

Cages Size

Must be at least 18x18 inches (45x45 cm) and 12-15 inches (30-40 cm) high for one piggy. Bigger is better so try to provide a cage that is  big as possible.  The bottom must be solid as grates cause foot problems to your piggy so make sure it has a solid bottom floor. Also, avoid using an aquarium due to poor air circulation. There are cages with pullout trays that are easy to clean and maintain also if your using fleece bedding .

 Your piggies especially if hairless should be housed INDOORS only. They may however be outdoors occasionally if weather permits. You should provide adequate shelter at all times. Your piggies should not be in direct sunlight. They can be in a family room, but not with too much noise as it can stress them out. Always be sure to protect your piggies  from turning into a meal for any birds of prey , cats , or anything else that may see them as " fast food " .

Cleaning your piggy's cage 

Check your cage for soiled bedding every day, and spot clean as necessary. if using fleece bedding  Clean their cages 

weekly and wash it with warm soapy water if using Aspen wood shavings . You may sterilize their cage at least once a month with a 1:10 mixture of bleach to water (mix in a spray bottle). Let it sit 20 min., then wash thoroughly with soapy water. For the urine deposits, soak tray in white vinegar and water for about 20 min and wash thoroughly. Do not use any harsh chemicals as this can be toxic to your  piggies , especially when they are walking over wet fresh cleaned surfaces. Make sure anything you use around your piggies is non-toxic,  and safe. 

Bedding

You may use Aspen wood shavings  or white pine shavings that is kiln dried . You must not house them on cedar bedding as this is toxic to piggies. They must also not be housed on raw pine shavings. If it is pine it should be kiln-dried pine shavings. You can usually buy large quantities of kiln dried pine shavings at any farm center, or feed store for a reasonable price.

Cedar is toxic to guinea pigs, and other small animals. Cedar and raw pine shavings contain 

phenols(aromatic oils) which will contribute to many health problems such as liver disease and respiratory infections. Do not use saw dust which can also be inhaled and cat litter as your piggies may eat it. It is completely normal for your piggies to occasionally eat a little bit of their bedding, but make sure they have plenty of Timothy or Orchard hay at all times so they don't always eat too much bedding. Alfalfa hay has too much calcium in it and gives them kidney stones if eatten too often . Spot clean their cage everyday and look for soiled bedding if using fleece bedding . Some people use fleece as bedding and it can bewashed as needed. Clean the whole cage spotless and place new fresh bedding every 3-4 days or as necessary. Hairless guinea pigs can be quite messy sometimes and they eat a lot more to maintain their body heat , so they need extra cage cleaning even sometimes much more than haired guinea pigs especially in the summertime.

Location

Hairless piggies  should be housed INDOORS ! They may however be outdoors 

occasionally if weather permits. You should provide adequate shelter at all times. Your piggies should not be in direct sunlight or where the temperatures can rise to extreme 

measures. Keep their cage away from any drafts and direct sunlight. Although, piggies 

need 12-14 hours of light daily, you may provide artificial light if necessary. Make sure to keep your piggies  in a calm area with some family activity going on, but away from any loud speakers and TV or any loud noises where they are easily frightened and can be stressed.

Temperature

The temperature should range from 65 to 75 degrees F (18 to 24 degrees C). Anything 85 

degrees F (29.4 C) over your guinea piggy may likely die from heat stroke. Avoid high humidity always.

Food bowls

Use food crocks that are attached to the cage. It also minimizes tipping. You may use a heavy food dish that is not too deep.

Water

Provide fresh clean water for your piggies every day. Get a water bottle with a ball tip.  Attach the water bottle to the outside of the cage and make sure they can reach it. You may also add Vita C to their water . I got mine at Pet Partners . Piggies can't make their own vit. C , which is why they need it given to them , and this is the best way I have found , and can be sure they are getting it everyday .Change water daily, and clean their water bottles weekly or as necessary. Their water should not be tap or distilled water and water should be changed daily. The chorine in tap water inactivates Vitamin C and even in light if it is given with it. Avoid any water high in minerals and calcium as that could lead them to easily get stones etc. The water bottles should also be washed and kept clean at all times to prevent algae buildup.

Salt, Mineral stones and Woodchip/wood chews

You may hang a salt lick spool but it is not really necessary or essential in their diet and they 

may drink large amounts of water. Some people have different opinions about salt licks and 

pros/cons about them. Some people only provide it to them in the summer time or only once in a guinea pigs lifetime. While it would make them thirsty and increase their fluid intake, it is still probably not a good idea to provide it to them. I haven’t provided it to mine and they're doing well without it. Do not give your piggies any mineral wheels/stones as they are not recommend for guinea pigs because they don't need the extra minerals in it and it is also not an essential part of their diet as pet stores lead you to believe. They could also possibly contribute to stones and etc. The guinea pig pellets are well balanced with all of what they need as long as you are feeding them high quality pellets. Most of the fruit trees are safe, such as fresh apple tree branches.

You can give them a wooden hidey hole in the cage for them to gnaw on. This will 

usually help alleviate the need to bite. Sometimes the wooden 'chew sticks' are ignored so they are usually useless. A wooden hidey hole is best. The wood chews is not really necessary as they are provided with Timothy hay to keep their teeth in proper wear 

condition to prevent malocclusion as it grinds up their molars. Those edible tunnels are terrible for hairless piggies , as they have no hair to protect their skin , and those things are like sand paper !

Hiding place

You may provide them with an old tissue box, shoe box and an Igloo sold at Petco or at FerretStore is great for them to hide, sleep and feel secure in. You may provide them a wooden house to go in too. You may also get them lambswool sacks for them to sleep in that you can make or buy. They also like pouches to sleep in.

Supplies / Equipments Accessories

• A Scale designed for small animals: To check their growth rate

• Nail clippers (you can use regular human/baby small nail clippers): keep their nails nice and trimmed, but don't cut too close to the quick. If you accidentally cut too close you may apply corn starch and or wheat to stop the bleeding. Their nails should be neatly trimmed about once every 4-6 weeks.

• Provide them with safe toys, and a playpen.

• Store food in plastic storage bins not metal as that will contribute to Vitamin C loss.

• Thermometer designed for small animals.

arrier that you can buy from any pet store or anywhere as you will need it to transport your guinea pigs to the Vets, cavy shows and etc.

  Hay 

You may use a hay bin/hay rack attached to the outside or inside of the cage. Be careful with 

some of thosHay:e hay racks they sell. Some guinea pigs and babies may get their heads stuck in 

them. Give them unlimited grass hay source of timothy, or orchard. Timothy hay is the best 

and should not only be provided to the older guinea pigs but all guinea pigs at all ages 24/7 as it is essential in the guinea pigs diet everyday at all times. Hay provides a good source of fiber, protein, gut motility and roughage. It is also used in grinding down the molars. Give them hay that is fresh, green, and fragrant. Timothy hay is recommended for guinea pigs over the age of 6 months and it should be their main stay of their diet. They should have access to Timothy hay 24 hours a day. Alfalfa cubes or alfalfa hay is recommended for young/growing cavies under 6 months, and pregnant or lactating/nursing mothers or malnourished(under weight) adults should receive alfalfa but as always not in excess. Alfalfa is too rich in calcium so it should only be given to adult cavies occasionally as a treat as they could develop stones so be careful giving it in excess just as everything. Don't give excess alfalfa as most guinea pig feeds contain alfalfa already. Veggies, even their water that are fed to your guinea pigs also may contain calcium etc. Always feed alfalfa hay in moderation as they can contribute the formation of bladder stones. Alfalfa hay is given only as asupplement at very limited quantities to the diet of particular guinea pigs mentioned above so it should not replace grass hay, which is Timothy hay that should be provided to them 24/7 at all times. You may buy hay from your local pet stores(but it isn’t always that fresh, green and fragrant), farms and feed stores are the best places to get it at. You may also order hay, and other guinea pig items from Kleenmama's Hayloft. Give fresh unlimited grass hay daily, and clean up wet soiled hay every day.

Pellets

Feed fresh dye-free plain high quality premium guinea pig pellets twice a day or provide it to 

them at all times. Throw out any old leftover pellets and give them some fresh pellets always. You may provide them with pellets at all times including timothy hay as they are hairless and have a higher metabolism so they eat more to maintain their constant body temperature.

The guinea pig pellets must be fortified with vitamin C. Vitamin C IS ESSENTIAL TO A GUINEA PIGS DIET! Don't buy more than you would use in a month or so as the Vitamin C disintegrates after 90 days and during the storage period also after milling. Store guinea pig pellets in a dark dry cool place and in a plastic bin. If you buy too much pellets you can store it in the refrigerator or preferably in the freezer to preserve freshness and Vitamin C content. Always check for freshness of your pellets in the "best if used by date" on the bag. The guinea pigs should be fed pure guinea pig pellets not any guinea pig "mixes." They must not contain any hulled seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, or any colored bits and dried fruits as they can be a chocking hazard to your guinea pigs. Also, they may be high in fat and are not a very nutritional diet for them.

Your guinea pigs should be fed pure guinea pig pellets along with Timothy hay or Orchard, vegetables, herbs, greens, and fruits. You may give them fruits only occasionally as a treat. Try to avoid guinea pig pellets that have animal byproducts and ones where their primitive ingredients are corn. Avoid brands which put chemical preservatives like ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT in the food. This is a preservative usually used to preserve animal meat or fat. Check for foods that have “animal fat” listed in the ingredients. This is most likely not a quality food as your pet is an herbivore and would never eat animal products in the wild. Do not give any dairy or meat products. Do not give rabbit pellets which do not have Vitamin C essential to guinea pigs and some may contain antibiotics that are toxic to guinea pigs. Avoid brands with any type of chemicals. Some brands of guinea pig food are used for lab animals which do not live long healthy lives. Guinea pigs can live long healthy lives on a diet of quality grass hay(Timothy hay), fresh grass, pure dried grasses, wild plants(only for guinea pigs), herbs, fruits and vegetables. Their natural food is grasses so it would be a good idea to provide it to them and everything else listed here. 

If you are feeding guinea pig pellets that already has alfalfa hay/meal in it then there is no need at all to feed extra alfalfa hay. Too much alfalfa is not good and can lead to stones.

If you are feeding a timothy based only feed such as Kleenmama's pellets then they can get a little bit of alfalfa hay ONLY once in a while as a treat. Pregnant/nursing pigs are the ones that should get a bit more alfalfa hay or just an alfalfa based feed. 

A timothy based feed is recommended for guinea pigs over the age of 6 months and an alfalfa based feed for guinea pigs under 6 months also pregnant or lactating nursing mothers that you can purchase from Kleenmama's Hayloft. 

.Grass, herbs and other plants are also the best cavy foods too. Their natural diet should 

consist of fresh grasses, roots and other plant material. Fresh grass and wild plants are the 

best foods but good quality hay, dried grass, fresh grass, vegetables and grass based pellets 

are the healthiest for your guinea pig. We have a pig garden where we grow all kinds of guinea pig food such as grass, vegetables, herbs, and wild plants. You can order fresh dried herbs and plants for guinea pigs at Old Time Herbs. You can get some seeds to grow some herbs, dried herbs and wild plants at Mountain Rose Herbs. Most seeds for herbs are from Horizon Herbs.

Vitamin C

Natural Vitamin C is extremely important as they cannot manufacture or store their own Vitamin C. Vitamin C will be provided to them when giving fresh pure guinea pig pellets with stabilized Vitamin C, grass, and vegetables daily. They will also be given fruits with vitamin C as a treat occasionally. Many guinea pig feeds contain Vitamin C but they may not eat the recommended amount daily so it must be given by feeding them greens, grass, vegetables daily and fruits as their treats in moderation occasionally. Adult guinea pigs should receive 10mg-30mg/kg of Vitamin C daily. It is given to prevent scurvy. Nursing/lactating, pregnant sows and sick/ill guinea pigs should receive double the amount of Vitamin C daily. Vitamin C breaks down very easily in light so it must be supplied fresh at all times. Vitamin C disintegrates rapidly after 90 days and during the storage period. Store your pure Vitamin C in a dry dark cool place such as a closet or in the refrigerator/freezer and in a plastic container. Vitamin C may be provided in the form of supplements but it must be pure Vitamin C/Ascorbic Acid.

Do NOT give them any type of Vitamin drops that you find in pet stores to them as they may 

contain too many other additional vitamins and minerals. In excess it can cause a lot of health problems. These Vitamin drops can also be potentially toxic to them. They also do not like the taste of the water with the Vitamin C drops and they may not drink as much water as they are supposed to drink. Make sure you get only Vit C drops .

Also, DO NOT give your guinea pigs any "multivitamins" at all. When you are feeding any wild greens such as grass and dandelion greens make sure it has not been sprayed with any 

chemicals and or frequented by any other species of animals such as dogs, cats and birds etc. 

Vegetables and Fruits

Provide them with fresh variety of vegetables high in vitamin C DAILY and fruits high in Vitamin C only as treats occasionally. You may provide veggies twice or so a day. Veggies should make up to 10-15% of their diet so it should be given in small quantities. Organic fruits and vegetables is best fed. Give them about a cup of vegetables per day and everyday, which contains an essential extra source of Vitamin C and other nutrients. We feed our cavies with a variety of organic vegetables. Give them a variety of vegetates and fruits as treats in moderation such as: parsley, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, Cilantro, carrots, Chard, seedless oranges, pears and etc. Make sure you take out the seeds, stems and pits as they could be a choking hazard. Also, any possible leaves such as tomato leaves and stalks as it is toxic to guinea pigs but celery leaves are okay. Fruits should be given in small quantities to guinea pigs only as treats occasionally only every 2 or so days not every day as guinea pigs could get diabetes if given in excess. Feed carrots in moderation as it is said to cause liver problems and diabetes in excess. Do not give them too many sugary fruits such as apples, pears etc and certainly not every day. Do not give iceberg lettuce, which doesn't have much nutritional value and can result in loose stools if provided in excess. They can be given pesticide-free grass, clover, and dandelion greens. Rinse all vegetables, fruits and etc. 

thoroughly before offering it to them.

They should receive Vitamin C in their regular diet daily, which veggies, grass, greens and 

fruits contain as well as their guinea pig pellets. It is best to give them high quality veggies and greens daily that are high in Vitamin C and low in calcium. Many guinea pig feeds contain Vitamin C but they may not eat the recommended amount daily so it must be given by feeding them greens, and vegetables daily. Fruits also may be given occasionally only as a treat. Make sure to remove any uneaten veggies and fruits as they may spoil. Do not give many cruciferous vegetables frequently such as cabbage, broccoli, collards, etc. as they may cause gas so only give it to them sparingly and infrequently. Introduce vegetables, fruits, greens and slowly as to avoid digestive upsets. Once they are introduced to them you can provide them with a variety. Variety as with moderation is the key to maintaining healthy happy guinea pigs. We wash our guinea pigs fresh foods with a Veggie Cleanse if it is not organic. This is to get rid of all the pesticides and etc. on the fresh veggies and fruits before offering to our guinea pigs. Feed everything in moderation. 

Give them about a cup of vegetables per day and everyday, which contains an essential extra 

source of Vitamin C and other nutrients. Give them a variety of vegetates and fruits as treats in moderation such as: parsley, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, Cilantro, broccoli, carrots, 

seedless oranges, pears and etc. Make sure you take out the seeds, stems and pits as they 

could be a choking hazard.. Vegetables should account to 10-15% of their daily intake. Do 

NOT give too many vegetables as it may be possible for your guinea pig to get diarrhea. Most people like to feed carrots to their guinea pigs because they seem to enjoy it the most. This is true, most guinea pigs love carrots. However, too many carrots can lead to an overdose of Vitamin A and can be toxic. The key is to feed each type of food in moderation. Most guinea pigs will avoid foods that are bad for them but to be sure check out the guinea pig shopping list or this other guinea pig shopping list. Fruits should only be fed as a treat, because they have very high sugar content. Offer pesticide-free grass, wheat grass, clover, dandelion greens, corn husks and silk, which will be very appreciated by your pet.

Wild plants such as clover, plantain, golden rod, cleavers, yarrow and dandelion in a balanced salad - Dandelion is a diuretic and can make their droppings soft if fed in excess.

You may be able to find some of these at the organic/grocery stores or farmers markets. Wheat grass in the organic form is best fed to your guinea pigs. It has been known to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely. Watch out for acidic foods like tomato and apple fed in excess. These can cause sores around the mouth if fed too often. Variety is the key- try different vegetables each week to see what your pig likes or doesn’t like; each pig is likely to have different preferences. Do not feed too many cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, and etc as this is linked to bloats due to gas. Gas is a killer. Their natural diet should consist of fresh grasses and other plant material(not toxic to guinea pigs and pesticide free). Fresh grass and wild plants are the best foods but good quality Timothy hay, dried grass, fresh grass, vegetables and grass based pellets are the healthiest for your guinea pigs. 

Treats/Fruits

You may give them guinea pig treats sold at pet stores, at Ferret Store and at Drs.

Foster&Smith and etc but most treats from pet stores etc. are not recommend as some may 

even contain seeds in husks, nuts, colored bits, dyed bits etc. Most treats from the pet stores 

are like junk food for guinea pigs that contains sugar, etc and are not very nutritional. Feed 

treats in small amounts and or as a reward or just because you love them. The best treats for 

guinea pigs are fresh fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, and etc. You may give them fresh fruits and veggies as treats also such as apples, pears, oranges, carrots, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, blueberries, carrots, and celery that is also a good source of water when traveling. 

You must make sure to remove the seeds, leaves, stems and pits. Most pet stores sell those 

honey stick type treats with hulled nuts and stuff, which is not good for them and can be a 

chocking hazard. Do Not give any of those commercial colorful treats that are marketed for 

guinea pigs such as the yogurt drops which can even be detrimental to their health. They will be consuming these empty calories which contain fat, sugars and even excess calcium and can result in decreased consumption of the nutritious foods they really need. Fruits should be given in small quantities to guinea pigs only as treats occasionally only every 2 or so days not every day as guinea pigs could get diabetes, diarrhea if given in excess. Do not give them too many sugary fruits such as apples, pears etc. and certainly not every day.

Skin Care/Grooming

As long as you keep their environment clean and dry they will be clean. You can bathe them  I use Dawn dishwash or Baby Shampoo on mine . For their skin you can use organic Extra Virgin Olive oil or pure organic Aloe Vera. I use coconut oil with some vit. E in it on mine , they love that !  You can wipe them when their skin is flaky and dry with organic baby wipes that contains aloe. Baldwin’s need to be bathed more often than skinny pigs because they have no hair at all and they can get very oily. Dirt, dust and everything will get on your Baldwins so be sure to bathe them more frequently than your skinny pigs. They also are prone to getting whiteheads. We use and highly recommendGorgeous Guineas Skin Care products.

Health

Skinny pigs and Baldwin's are susceptible to some of the same ailments as haired pigs. You can also find more information here: Guinea Pigs Care, Health and Medical Guide, Peter Gurney's GuineaPig Health Guide and many other valuable web sites on the web. Cavies Galore is also a great website with lots of great info and you can post in the forums they have there. You will get great advice from many other cavy knowledgeable people and breeders. Another great website with valuable medical information is Guinea Lynx.

You must provide veterinary care regularly. They must be provided with Veterinary care when especially needed if the guinea pig has an ailment, injury or illness that you are not able to care for properly by yourself. Be sure to find a competent knowledgeable exotics Vet that is experienced in treating guinea pigs and possibly holistic. 

Guinea pigs are social herd animals that enjoy the company of another guinea pig of the same sex. It is a common myth that two male guinea pigs will fight. Rather it depends on the personality of each individual guinea pig than sex, age etc. Two males are more likely to fight usually only when females are around or in the same cage with them. Most guinea pigs will great along great and will enjoy each others company of having a cage companion to be with and love. This is to insure a happy and healthy life for your guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs will still bond with you even if you have paired up two and even three guinea pigs housed together in the same cage. Haired guinea pigs or haired Skinny/Baldwin hairless gene carriers will even go great housed together with hairless guinea pigs and they may even cuddle for extra warmth. The best possible match is usually between two babies/young pigs or an adult and a baby/young pig. Adults can also be compatible as long as they are introduced properly.

If you consider getting a male and female together be sure to neuter the male if he is going to 

be housed with the female. All neuters/spays may carry risks for guinea pigs so be sure your 

Vet has experience in altering guinea pigs. Otherwise, separate the male and female in 

separate cages especially when the female is in heat(estrus cycle). If they are in separate 

cages you can put the cages next to each other where they can only see each other, say hello 

and possibly touch noses.

For sick guinea pigs

You should properly get a diagnosis from your exotics knowledgeable guinea pig Vet to find out the cause of the ailments. We also highly recommend getting “Critical Care” for your sick guinea pigs that you could buy from Oxbow Hay Company or without a vet prescription from KW Cages. There is an excellent natural antibiotic called Vibactra andVibactra Plus that we have used on our guinea pigs and highly recommend it. It is good to keep on hand for emergencies if your guinea pig gets sick. 

Most of the time your Vet won’t even mention that your guinea pig needs probiotics because all antibiotics/drugs kill the good beneficial bacteria in the gut that your guinea pig needs to thrive. The probiotics would be given an hour or two after administering the antibiotic although we do not recommend antibiotics unless absolutely necessary as a last resort. We really don’t recommend antibiotics at the Vet if you can treat them naturally. We would only recommend antibiotics as a last resort if nothing works to save your guinea pig/s. If your guinea pig/s is seriously ill and can’t wait you should get to the Vet if need be, but if you can treat them naturally you should try that option first. 

Quarantine any new guinea pigs that you bring home for 2-3 weeks even if they look healthy as guinea pigs can hide their sickness/illness so well. This is to insure that you do not introduce any parasites and or illness to your other guinea pigs that you have.