[Gpdd] [CARE]<Summer Tips>

[Janneke Staaks]

Hi all,
Last year I translated some useful summer tips from my favorite dutch 
website. I thought It might be useful to post them again this year ;-) Many 
tips are meant
for people who keep their pigs outside but i think that they are useful
anyway. about the icewater, as you can read below, it is not advised. Before 
i became a slave, guiny and lotje stayed at my house while my sister was 
abroad. It was really hot in the summer and i gave them a bowl with water 
and little cubes of vegetables and ice cubes in it. As stated below it, is 
not advisable (both wet veggies and the icecubes) but lotje and guiny were 
fine and liked playing with the water. My yaya however has a difficult belly 
and even serving veggies from the fridge causes diarrhoea. I would never 
give her ice cubes. There is a lot of (contradicting) information on the 
web. I guess, in the end, it's your call.
Grtz&wkz
Janneke from the winky team

Summer tips

•Don't put a guinea pig in the sun, but always in the shade. This is very
important because guinea pigs can easily get a sunstroke. A guinea pig's
body temperature is much higher than a human's so guinea pigs overheat more
easily.

•A sunshade does provide shade but temperatures below can still be pretty
high, it's better to keep your pig below a tree or a hedge.

•The sun turns, pay attention to this, what can be a shadowy place in the
morning can be very sunny in the afternoon

•It's best to keep guinea pigs inside during the day if it's too hot. In the
evening they can go outside if it's a bit cooler. Usually guinea pigs aren't
active anyway when it's this hot.

• Guinea pigs are still very sensitive for drafts and wind. Be very careful
when you put them outside and don't aim a ventilator directly at your guinea
pig's cage

• If the temperature goes up, you can fill an empty bottle with cold water
and wrap it in a towell (or keep the bottles with water in the fridge). It's
safer than cooling elements because they can be toxic. What you can also do
is buy a tile (from stone) and put that in the fridge. And then place it in
the cage.

• Even if it's extremely hot, don't give veggies straight out of the fridge.
Guinea pigs easily develop gasproblems. Also remove veggie leftovers every
day because they can attract flies

• Don't put houses in the cage, they can become pretty sultry.

• if your guinea pig has pink ears put suntan-oil on them. The ears are very
thin and can easily burn, even in the shade.

• Put hay in a rack and preferrably not on the bottom of the cage. Guinea
pigs prefer to lie under the hay but this can become too hot and sultry

• Don't put a thick layer of hay or other bottemcovers in the cage, this can
really heat up (and smell really bad and the ammonia is not good for them).
it's better to use less and change more often.

•Always provide fresh water, but never ice cold water

• If you have to go to the vet and don't have airconditioning in your car,
place a wet towel on the bottom of the travelling cage, or a small
waterbottle from the fridge wrapped in a towel. Only transport guinea pigs
when it's really neccesary and if you can, wait until the evening.

•If the guinea pigs walk on grass (outside), wait until the grass is dry
from the morning dew before putting them outside.(can cause gas)

• In spring, be very careful with providing grass, young grass can cause gas
in their bowels and this is life threathning, also start with just little
bits.

•Take extra care in keeping the cage clean, don't give flies a chance!!

•If you suspect your guinea pig has a sunstroke (symptoms are shivering,
drewling, trouble breathing. Very often they become apathic and their blood
circulation becomes worse.), wrap it in a wet towel (not icecold!!) and
place the pig in a cool,dark place. Cool it's head (wet wascloth?) and maybe
place it with its feet in water. Don't put the guinea pig in a
tub/bowl/basin filled with really cold water!! This can cause a shock. Go as
quickly as you can to a vet! The vet will be able to administer fluids and
can improve blood circulation by administering quick working cortisones.

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