Buster....Posey?

You may think I’m talking about the amazing San Francisco Giants Catcher, Buster Posey. And yes, this would be a great blog post to read if I listed all of his accomplishments. http://www.buzzfeed.com/lindseyadler/magical-moments-with-buster-posey However, this post is about Buster the amazing Guinea Pig, who is named after Buster Posey the amazing Catcher.

Buster and Carrot joined our family this summer. We’ve now learned a lot about Guinea Pigs. First, they aren’t just rodents you stick in a cage. Nope, they’re cute cuddly pets that have the funniest personalities.  Even though they have lots of great qualities, they are fragile little critters that live 5-8 years and require a lot of attention. I’m sharing our experience for those who may be considering adding one of these babies to your family.  This isn’t to discourage you, it is to make sure you are informed before jumping in.

Guinea Pigs need a friend. They are social critters and get depressed if left alone. One Guinea Pig poops approximately 30 times a day….2 piggies will give you about 60 poop pellets a day. They eat constantly! Seriously…constantly!! Hence, the name piggies! They need fresh vegetables daily to provide them with vitamin C. We like to see our piggies scurry, but we don’t want them to have scurvy.  Their digestive systems are fragile, so you have to find the right balance of veggies for your piggy. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with diarrhea, which is really bad for a piggy and the person who cleans the cage (me).  Did I say they are fragile??  A piggy that shows signs of sickness is probably near death. This is because they hide sickness until they are so sick they can’t hide it anymore. This is part of being a prey animal.  Which is also why they are easily startled and need hidey holes to escape. We all look like giant predators to them.  Stress is bad for piggies, this weakens their immune systems. Common issues for piggies are upper respiratory infections, digestive problems, and urinary tract problems. Guinea Lynx, http://www.guinealynx.info/ , has lots of great info about Guinea Pigs.

As for our experience, it started with Buster making wheezing noises. I did not research guinea pigs before we bought them, so now was the time for me to hit the internet. This is when I learned all about how fragile they are. I took Buster to the Animal Emergency Room…..yes, they treat Guinea Pigs. And, no, it is not cheap!  Buster was diagnosed with an Upper Respiratory Infection, given a shot of vitamin C and an  antibiotic shot, and then sent home with antibiotics to give him for the next 14 days. Day 13, he starts making the wheezing again. I take him back to the vet. After x-rays, it is determined he has pneumonia, so he is given another shot of antibiotics, a nebulizer treatment and sent home with another 14 days of antibiotics. Oh, he was also scheduled for a follow up visit for another nebulizer treatment. Surely, you can see this adding up. We now have the million dollar piggy!  At that point, I moved the cage out of Anabelle’s room to my bathroom. My thought was he was getting sick because his cage was next to the window.  Of course this all happened right before we had to leave to go out of town. Luckily, a friend came over and took care of the piggies while we were gone. When we returned, he was doing great, so I moved them back to Anabelle’s room and covered the window. Then a few days before finishing the 2^nd round of antibiotics the wheezing came back. I now have the piggies back in my bathroom, with a humidifier and heater.  Since Buster is still eating, pooping and playing, I’m planning to finish the antibiotics and see how he’s doing. He really is a cutie.

When I walk in the room, the piggies start chirping and whistling….Probably hoping I’m carrying a handful of veggies. Again….they eat constantly!! Buster follows me all around the bathroom and when I start to leave he starts wheeking. He loves attention! The other thing he does that is cute, but I worry may be bad for his breathing, he pulls the hay down from the hay bin, sticks his head in it and falls asleep. As soon as I clean it up, he pulls the hay right back down. I guess he’s preparing for those dreams where he needs a snack. Carrot is our wild man! He bounces all over the room at full speed. It’s the funniest thing to watch. He also loves back rubs. When you start rubbing his back, he’ll collapse like it’s the best massage in the world. Like I said they are very cute!!  

As much as Buster has gone through, I’m still glad we have them. They provide a lot of enjoyment to our family. I just hope Buster will fully recover soon. We are all worried about him.  That’s all for this post. Wheek Wheek!

Carrot and Buster