Keeping them cool in the hottest of weather!

Just like humans, during hot weather your guinea pigs need to be kept cool and have shelter from direct sunlight. Heatstroke can be a very real danger and symptoms are: obvious distress, shaking, drooling and laboured breathing.

In her excellent book The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide, Myra Mahoney suggests the following treatment for heatstroke:
"Immediately dunk the legs in cool (not cold) water for 30 seconds. Then wrap the pig in cool, wet towels until it cools down and breathing becomes more normal. A dab of Vick on the nose will open up the bronchial tubes. This is necessary because since a cavy does not have sweat glands, fluid retention will cause it to have breathing problems. When the panic is over and the cavy is up on it's feet and able to drink from the water bottle, fill the bottle up with rehydration fluid such as Dioralyte (obtainable from the chemist). Keep the pig indoors overnight to avoid night-time chill and pneumonia.

If fluid retention is causing severe breathing difficulties, a trip to the vet will be necessary for a prescription of Lasix diuretic tablets. The dose is two over a period of 12 hours (1 x 25ml or 1/2 (half) x 40ml tablet each time).

Peter Gurney has discovered that Potters Watershed herbal tablets (one to be taken night and morning) are also helpful in cases of fluid retention"

from "The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide"
by Myra Mahoney - © 1999 TFH Kingdom Books

Prevention is of course better than cure so always make sure that piggys out in the garden run have some shelter from the hot sun... a simple wet towel laid across the top of the run can be enough. Remember to keep checking though, that this is giving them enough shade as the sun moves around!

Indoor pigs can get hot too... open windows and allowing them an electric fan in the shed may be greatly appreciated.

When setting up hutches in the garden, try if possible to site them in a spot that will be shaded from the hot summer sun. However, if your hutch is already placed and cannot be moved it is a good idea to provide some protection from the sun on the hottest days. A reflective foil screen as used for car windscreens laid across the roof of the hutch will help deflect some of the heat. A few layers of newspapers on the roof covered by aluminium cooking foil will reflect heat away in a similar fashion.

On very hot days, I try to find something cool for my pigs to rest themselves against. Most successful thing I've found are those plastic ice-blocks which you freeze and put into your cooler bags for picnics! Wrap them in a towel or piece of sacking before placing them in the hutch though, as direct contact with an ice-block straight from the freezer can burn! On hot days, pigs will lie close to these blocks to keep cool.

A 6" ceramic wall or floor tile placed in a shaded cage will also give them somewhere cool to sit.

Finally, it may sound obvious, but make sure they have enough fresh water in their bottles.

These tips should be enough to ensure your piggys enjoy a cool time during the summer, but always keep an eye on them during the day to check that all is well... shade moves and wet towels dry out!

See Also: "Cold Weather"