On May 26th at the Edmonton Valley Zoo in England 65 guinea pigs and one red squirrel where found dead, Police suspect they were poisoned by oranges. Police officials believe that someone came into the park after closing and fed the poor little guinea pigs poisoned fruit, how very sad. One little cavy died the next day, graciously 6 guinea pigs survived the attack.

They are awaiting toxicological reports to determine what exactly happened.

Here's more on the guinea pigs death

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• Guinea pigs poisoned at Edmonton zoo (cbc.ca)

I live in OZ and it is winter here now. My guinea pigs are currently in the shed as it has been raining. When I went up to feed them tonight I had realised that when one of my guinea pigs tried to squeek she made a weezy noise instead.

She is old about 4-5 years old- what could this be… can she have a cold or something?. Also on the bottom of her, her hair is going and little sores/scabs are left, not much though. I checked my other guinea pigs and they do not have this? Can she have mites?

Answers

1. Please get your guinea pig into a vet as soon as possibly since respiratory illness is often very rapid and fatal in guinea pigs if not treated. Mites and allergies can also be an issue with guinea pigs, and you just might want to bring her in for now and separate her from the other piggies to make sure they do not get sick too and to keep her dry and warm. Peace

2. You should take her to the vet she may have a respiratory illness, and it cant be treated very quickly. You should take her to the vets quickly before it gets any worse. She could also have a cold off your shed. She might be cold! (could be old age too) Good Luck !

3.What kind of shavings do you use? (If any?) Because if they are cedar, it’s most likely going to be a respiratory illness. You need to take your piggy to the vet immediately. You said you had another one right? If you DO use cedar shavings, get that piggy out of that cage, and into something else without cedar shavings. Good luck!

4. Take her to the vets, it could be very dangerous. they can get it from being in the cold. good luck

5. you should never have guinea pigs outside in winter! even in a shed, sounds like she has cold and stressed, keep them inside.

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Need a home for your cavy? Cages for guinea pigs should be at least 2 feet by 3 feet at the bare minimum for one guinea pig any cage smaller will affect your guinea pigs health. In this case a bigger cage is better; you should buy the biggest cage you can afford to get. Guinea pigs need to run and play so they should have a large cage, a cramped up guinea pig will get depressed, overweight, and sickly. Make sure there enough room in the cage for a nesting box so your little guinea pig can sleep or hide. Add a rack for hay and greens, a water bottle and your cavy is all set.

Guinea pig cages should be made from wire for proper ventilation with a plastic floor so they don’t get their little feet caught. If you can find a cage with a pull out tray for easy cleaning that would be ideal. For your sake you should look for a cage with sides a few inches high to help keep the hay and litter from landing on the floor.

Guinea pig cages should not be made from wood because wood could allow the urine to soak in which will smell up your house. Although aquariums seem like a good choice they are not, your guinea pig could get too hot from a lack of air.

Guinea pigs are social butterflies and two guinea pigs are happier than one so if you can buy a larger cage now (enough for two) then you can get another guinea pig later on.

Luckily cages for guinea pigs have evolved from the old days some have wheels so you can move your cavy around with you or take outside for a short time (don’t leave your guinea pig in direct sunlight). Others have lofts or second stories that keep the top area clean. It is very important to clean your cage regularly for a happy and healthy pet.

Find cages for guinea pigs on sale...

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