GENERAL CARE OF CAVIES
The following is our knowledge gained by our own experience only. None of the information is intended to overrule any advice given to you by your veterinarian. If in doubt please contact them.
Cavies, like humans need an outside source of vitamin C. With out supplements or a diet high in this vitamin your cavy will be at risk for scurvy. Only once have we seen a cavy go through this, and it's owner was quick enough to ask for help that the pet recovered quite well.
Symptoms of scurvy are hard to notice unless you get to know your pet and it's normal activity levels, eating habits and general appearance. The first signs are subtle and can easily be missed. So like you grandmother said" An ounce of prevention...." A simple low dose of Vitamin C in the water bottle, a small amount of VC rich fruit or vegetable will do wonders. Veggies and fruit that are high in VC are parsley, oranges (with peel on), kale, red peppers, carrots and dandelions (if you use dandelions, please ensure that they are pesticide and herbicide free and that they free from other contaminant and pet urine.
Always start with small amount when your cavy is young letting them get used to them slowly. The first signs of scurvy would be a sloppy walk, especially the back legs, lethargy and sometimes drooling. If these symptoms are ignored or missed the next stage would be paralysis and then death.
Cavies are resilient and strong pets if they are fed properly, so like we said before, get to know your pet. If you get a sense that something is wrong, go with your instincts, and get them checked out.
BREEDING
To breed or not to breed? There are as many answers to that as there are humans. Our view is "Only breed the strong." so if in our breeding program we have a weak or small sow she will not be bred. There are many considerations to look at when deciding to breed. The first and most important is the health of the sow. She will have to carry her young for approximately two and half months. Then she will nurse them for three to four weeks. Generally speaking a strong, vibrant, young sow that is two pounds in weight, is a good candidate for mating. It is good practice to get to know your cavy, for they do communicate to us quite well, loud shrilling squeaks usually mean some kind of stress. Chattering teeth is a warning to other cavies to "back off". Then there is my favorite, their purr, often spoken as they lay down and rest in the mid day. And then there is the "feed me!" whistle, easily produced by making a grocery bag crunch or the fridge door opening. Get to know their behaviors, sleeping patterns, normal amount of food, hay and water intake. That way you will be more aware if something is "not right". Please note that the following is our knowledge that we have accumulated over the last few years, if in any doubt or in an emergency, seek professional help.
There are many health issues that can become problematic when allowing your sow to get pregnant. We believe that one should not do this "lightly", thinking that there in a few weeks, will be cute little babies running around. More than not, that is the case, but cavies like humans can run into difficulties. If your sow is doing what we call "the puff ball", were she just sits there all puffed up like she is trying to keep warm, something is wrong. Even if you bring some of her favorite treats, she remains there not moving. The first possible complication is a displaced placenta. This occurs when sows that are heavy with young are handled too much or incorrectly. There can be as many as eight pups, each with their own placenta, sounds crowded, doesn't it. Fragile is the word that I would use, do not pick her up, roll her on to your hands or do anything that could dislodge a placenta. The dying tissue in her will cause her to go toxic and her and all or her young will die. If you need to change her cage, clean and replace the bedding on one side and then allow her to move over to the cleaned side and then clean the last half.
Another complication that can occur is Hypocalcemia, where the demands of the unborn pups out-way the sows ability to produce enough calcium, we see this more in our satin cavies than in the normal coated ones. Calcium rich foods such as kale and broccoli should be offered to your cavies especially in the last month of pregnancy. This along with Vitamin C rich foods like parsley (three sprigs a day for each pig is all it takes) will ensure both of these supplements are not missed, if you feel that your sow is becoming hypocalcemic, you must act quickly, for they shut down very quickly and the longer she fasts, the chance of death is higher. You can try and give her oral liquid calcium, available at most drug stores. Two cc's to start with, repeat twice a day. At this time you can also check her for perineum difficulties, such as discharge or/and odor. When a sow is toxic there is a strong odor from her. If it is toxemia the outlook is not good. Death usually follows in less than four days. It's very important to keep your cavies digestive system working, as difficult as this may seem. We pulverize the pellet food, add crushed "Tums", electrolytes and, don't laugh, fresh feces from a healthy cavy donor. I know that this may seem outrageous, but if you ever watch your pet you will notice that they will often tuck themselves into a ball and retrieve their own feces and consume it. Like true grazers they do not digest all of the nutrients of their feed the first time through their systems, cavies sometimes need a double consumption, like cows, who chew their cud (always have food available for guinea pigs). Mix the ingredients into a paste. You can try and place small amount into the sow, we find it best to put a bit on our finger tip and roll it into the mouth side cheek area, be careful not to get bit. Again prevention, prevention and prevention.
Hypoglycemia can cause your sow to do the "puff" also, but with what I have seen it seems to me if it is hypoglycemia they tend to hide much more than when it is calcium issues, maybe because it hurts to move while hypocalcmeia is occurring and they just stay where they are, and they search out warmth when their sugar levels fall. A simple oral dose of caro-syrup, 2 cc's, again twice a day will usually turn it around.
If at all possible it is a good idea to be able to witness the birth (though most of the births seem to happen during the night), not that you will necessarily have to do anything, but it is a preventative step if your sow goes into non-productive labour, breech birth or retainment of a placenta. I have only seen one sow have a breech birth, if I were not there she surely would not have made it. Most sows, from start to finish give birth in less than one hour, giving only a few minutes for each pup to be born and un-saced. If your sow is in labour longer than one hour and she seems to be pushing with no results, palpate her to see if you can feel any more pups within her. If she has none left she could be trying to pass a placenta. For each pup born there is a placenta, if the sow does not pass all of them she will go toxic and die shortly (three to four days). Getting her to a vet where they can administer oxytocin may save her. My intention in writing this is to help you be informed in your choices to breed or not. Allowing children to own pet's opens them to stewardship, care and love of animals. It can be a chance to teach children about the aspects of an accepting life, with it's beginning and yes, eventual passing. As humans we can not prevent everything, accidents happen and mother nature pulls fast ones. Through giving your pets a clean,safe, healthy environment, you will enjoy them for as long as they grace your presence.
