[Gpdd] [CARE] Just rescued a pair, new to GPs, what am I doing wrong? -- Part 1

[scalabro3 at cfl.rr.com]

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later...my post was rejected for being too wordy. Here's what a tried to post earlier, in two parts:

Hi, Ari!  Welcome to our Group. You're doing great. Thank you so much for 
rescuing your two little piggies. So many little ones can't find homes right 
now. It's great that these two found a loving home with someone who wants to 
take good care of them. 
 
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you know whether you are 
dealing with boars (boys) or sows (girls). Guinea Lynx has a great web site with 
pigtures that can help you figure it out 
(http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html). 
 
I don't know much about bunnies, but for the most part, I would guess that you 
can feed your pigs the same veggies that you feed your bunnies. I'd make sure 
that you give them no more than a baby carrot a day and limit things like 
spinach and other dark green leafy veggies to an occasional treat. Guinealynx 
has some good information on safe foods. I'm sure that others in the group will 
know more about the differences in diet between piggies and bunnies. 
 
You did great by switching from alfalfa to Timothy based pellets. As I'm sure 
you found out, you can't use the same pellets for piggies and bunnies. Even 
though I use Oxbow Timothy pellets which also have Vitamin C, I still supplement 
with Vitamin C. Because you don't know how these two were cared for before they 
came to your home, extra C couldn't hurt. I use Oxbow Vitamin C. Six of my seven 
pigs love it and consider it a treat. The seventh will have nothing to do with 
it.  Ann Evans, who works for a veterinarian in Florida, uses another brand; I 
believe that it's called Puritan. If your piggies don't like Oxbow, you can try 
another brand, or cut down human chewable tablets to the right dosage (a pill 
cutter would be a good investment. If someone gets sick, most meds are in dog 
and cat sizes, so you'll sometimes have to cut them down based on your vet’s 
instructions). 
 
Most piggies don't understand the concept of litter boxes.  Some do, and I hope 
yours do; it will make things easier for you. My girls seem to be better about 
going in one spot than the boys, so it's easier to clean up after them.  Aspen 
is on the list of generally safe beddings, but make sure you avoid pine and 
especially the dreaded cedar. 

Part 2 is on its way...

ME in New Smyrna Beach