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Small pets

OK, this week is promising to be hot'n'humid= think of the Super Furry Animals

33 replies

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/07/2014 22:24

I find it far more difficult keeping small fur covered creatures cool than keeping them warm in winter.

They don't regulate their temperatures well. They still like to have hay and a hiding space.
Wood seems to absorb heat ,
Make sure they aren't getting full sun blasting into their living space.
And there's the ever present risk of flies, flystrike, blardy slugs, and the neighbourhood cats and foxes like to be out and about more.

Small caged pets - make sure they're not near full sun through a window.

Freeze some bottles of water, ready to wrap in newspaper. They can have a 'cold water bottle' to sit near.
Pop an ice -cube in their water bowl to keep it cooler without chilling the animals.
Slices of cucumber, watermelon,juicy peppers, selected salad leaves (I give them a cold rinse to try and sneak some fluid into them)
Keep an eye on their pee production too.

And (as the mum of a red-eyed agouti and a red-eyed Himalayan, just bear in mind that the albinos and red-eyed are more sun sensitive)

They can take advantage of some long lardy grazing days, but the heat can make them grumpy, just like people. Wink

If your animals are set up for summer, make sure your friends and family pets are too.

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Girlwithnotattoos · 14/07/2014 22:27

Oops saw the title and thought this thread was about the welsh band, I'll get my coat!

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/07/2014 22:43

I won't be nurturing any of them in my Pighouse and giving them slices of cool cutted-up-veg thank you very much Girlwithnotattoos

Primly hoiks bosom Wink

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FernieB · 15/07/2014 21:10

I have shown your post to Smooth (pink eyed albino) but he insists he must lie in full sun all dayConfused. He's trying to get a tan.

Mine live in the utility which is the coolest bit of the house and only go outside if it's not too hot and I do keep their run shady if poss.

It the rabbit who is hard to keep cool. He has the run if downstairs and still lies in the conservatory all day. He is roasting but loves it.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/07/2014 21:17

That must be what GP5 has been up to - her ears and nose are chocolate brown, her feet too but some of her toes are pink (I think she's had her digits in her nose, so they missed the sun Grin )
She's not Show-Pig standard, but I don't think she cares a whit

I'm sticking the SnugglePad in the freezer tonight (plastic milkbottle already full of water and freezing) for the hot days.

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phantomnamechanger · 18/07/2014 15:56

70, you mentioned slugs in your OP - are they a problem to GPs? we have loads in our garden. I came home later than intended one evening and had to catch the GPs in the run in the dark, and there were tonnes of slugs in their finishing off the GPs veg.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/07/2014 16:07

slugs/snails can carry lungworm

though my pigs don't leave any food for them, I sometimes find the slimy perishers on the door to the Pighouse.
Copper ribbon (from garden shops) , eggs shells (messy) or salt (doesn't last long)

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phantomnamechanger · 18/07/2014 16:30

ah OK, do the GP have to eat them to get lungworm ? I need to go google it.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/07/2014 16:34

I don't think GPs would eat them unless they were really tiny but maybe the risk is in their slime and eggs ?

Time to inspire hedgehogs into the garden (we had one in the guineas lawn house last winter, he's scuttled off now )

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/07/2014 16:37

Oh and on the keeping cool theme, you can try ceramic tiles (like any cheapie oddments in B&Q or leftover floor tiles) though I don't think mine would sit on these.
If he's on the kitchen floor, he just sits there Hmm

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phantomnamechanger · 18/07/2014 16:40

we have a box of spare tiles somewhere from when the bathroom was done 3 years ago, good idea

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fortifiedwithtea · 19/07/2014 01:06

I am so done with this heat Angry too hot for the guineas and it gives me headaches.

Plonked the girls on the laminate floor with a pile of hay to keep them busy while I cleaned their hutch today. I think they appreciated the laminate, much cooler than the hutch. Coco stopped in her tracks and a look of concentration came over her. Its her pee face. Sure enough, big puddle shot out, change of expression and she carried on eating.

Tried a chilled bottle of water in the bedroom. Naughty give it a thorough lick but nobody sat by it.

I didn't put the guineas out in the run until gone 8pm, it was so hot there (Essex)

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FernieB · 19/07/2014 07:50

Mine spent most of yesterday out in their run. I kept it in the shade and as it was quite breezy it wasn't too hot for them. Very hot in the sun though.

I know that dogs have to eat snails/slugs to get lungworm so it shouldn't really be a problem for GPs. I have a large frog/toad population who keep on top of thing for me and a couple of vigilant blackbirds who patrol during daylight hours. The copper tape does work - it keeps them off my tomatoes. Don't use slug pellets as if an animal/bird tries to eat a poisoned slug, they can also be poisoned.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 19/07/2014 23:09

Grin @ pee face
GP3 does a dance, walks backwards and if you haven't picked up on his attempts to communicate with dumb animals (us humans) , well we only have ourselves to blame Grin

Ours are enjoying later evening grazing time, GP5 runs circles and laps in the run popcorning. She was very shy when she came to live with us, I think she's realising that it's all here for her - food, cuddles, GP4 and GP3 when he's sterile.

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Morethanalittlebitconfused · 20/07/2014 22:01

Don't give bunnies too much cucumber and melon it gives them the squits!

One thing my bunnies love is our shaded patio, they lounge out, feet flicked out, on the cold stone laying against the brick of the house. If you don't have a patio get some slabs and place in a shady spot for them.

The other thing one of mine loves is a good dust bath so we've dug him a space at the back of a shady flower bed (pampered these bunnies are!)

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PixieofCatan · 21/07/2014 07:23

I wish I saw this thread earlier! We live in a basement flat so it's cool, but my gooness, 26 degrees the past two days! We've been feeding them frozen peas and sweetcorn but the heat has definitely made the rats all dozy. Luckily they're mostly staying in their sputniks and flat hammocks so that's probably cooler for them all.

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FernieB · 23/07/2014 11:51

Scruffypig is definitely a bit more dozy than usual. I'm not sure whether it is the heat (he's black) or if it's just age. I am only putting them out in the shade first thing and then again in the evening and they have a lovely new shady box in the run as well. It's a bit breezy in the bit of the garden they go in so it's actually quite pleasant. Their inside cage is fairly cool as it's in the utility and that gets no sun at all.

He's still eating but just seems less enthusiastic about it. It could be an age thing - he's 3.5.

Hard to tell if Smooth is dozier than normal as his 'normal' is almost permanently asleep.

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Morethanalittlebitconfused · 23/07/2014 12:24

I've had a piggy live to 8 so don't rule the age factor in just yet. If he's more lethargic and are concerned it's not just the heat give the vet a ring

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/07/2014 13:24

Ooh, ScruffyPig.
It is difficult for black furred animals (our GP2 was jet black apart from 2 white hairs, his teeth and his fatty eye)

We're giving them time in the run after 5pm when it cools down a bit otherwise they'd just hide in the tunnels (or under the tunnels in the case of GP4) so they might as well stay in the Pighouse.
They do have a good run around and eat grass though.
Hopefully Scruffy will perk up a bit in the evening.

Have you tried him with some diluted Ribena to tempt him to drink?
I put parsley in a shallow bowl of water in the run to persuade them.
Dandelions?

3.5 is 'middleaged' for a guinea, when you notice they can still be all pigletty when it suits them, but at other times they look a bit Old Codgery

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FernieB · 23/07/2014 16:32

There's still plenty coming out the other end so I presume he's drinking okay or at least getting enough fluids (they don't drink much normally). He's had a large piece of cold cucumber to munch this afternoon and seemed to enjoy it. They're going back out in their run later, although I have mowed the lawn so they won't be happy.

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fortifiedwithtea · 23/07/2014 20:18

Millie is suffering the most in the heat. I think its a combination of having the thickest fur and the most fat.

She was dozing in the hutch this morning with her head propped up on a carrot Grin

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/07/2014 20:37

Grin my 3 are siesta~ing by day, then having an evening grass time.

GP3 is the largest,darkest and lardiest . He's taking life very easy-waits by the empty plate ,Daily Mail Sad Face, surveys what's for breakfast, eats, wanders over to chat to the Laydeez then retires to his quarters.

Accepts a handful of washed dandelions (why do they grow in the nettlepatch?).
Goes out in his (small and IHO inadequate) run, the sows in the big run.
Grazes. Has cuddles. Supper and messes up his clean house a bit Grin

Not a bad life eh?

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fortifiedwithtea · 24/07/2014 12:10

Coco has taken 'Diva' to the next level this morning.

Brought in a naice bag of M&S spinach. Lots of excited wheeking from Naughty and Millie. Coco came into the living room to see what all the fuss was about. Millie and Naughty grabbed the leaves out of my hand. I offered a leave to Coco, she dropped it. I offered another, same thing happened Hmm.

Then I idea had an idea. I sorted through the bag for a very tender leaf. Bingo! She ate it Smile. Little Diva had me sorting through the bag for all the tender leaves just for her. The other girls had what they were given.

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FernieB · 24/07/2014 12:50

Fortified - my boys would like to live with you as it seems as though you have been 'broken in' and 'properly trained' (carrot pillows and tender spinach leaves)! As opposed to me who gives them a large piece of cucumber each which was too big to fit easily through the igloo doorway - cue glares in my direction.

Discovered a small bald patch on Scruffy last night so he has been to the vet (nice, guinea loving vet - she has several herself). Smooth came too for the ride and regretted it as he was examined as well while he was there (has lost a small amount of his chub - probably one of his many chins).

Scruffy is fine, we think. Couldn't find anything sinister (and he was thoroughly checked) so we think it's probably just an injury - glares at Smooth, who is looking innocent (would actually be unlike him as he has never once attacked Scruffy, usually a wheek does the job). So Scruffy is 'under observation' to make sure nothing else develops.

They have both just had copious amounts of home-grown parsley to help them get over their ordeal (a border collie tried to lick them).

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fortifiedwithtea · 25/07/2014 05:19

Fernie your boys are living the good life with you. Home grown parsley, nom, nom Smile

Sorry Scruffy has a bald patch Sad. Could he have pulled it out himself being uncomfortable with the heat. Trying to be Smooth's defence lawyer.

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FeministStar · 26/07/2014 08:33

Ours go out in the garden for most of the day, we have lots of ground cover plants that they can go under when they want to and they tend to go and sit under the mint judging by the smell when they come in!

Sometimes they venture out and nibble at the grass. Some of it is in the shade and some in the sunlight and they go between the two. In the course of a day they can reduce a 5x5 patch of long grass to the length the lawn mower would cut it - we don't mow the lawn as between the pigs and the paddling pool they keep it nice and short :)

Can I add a question, soon we are going away one morning and coming back the next evening. Will they be OK indoors with two bottles of water (large) and extra food and hay?

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