The Loud Wheeker - The Official GPM Free Newsletter - August

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WHEEKER
THE LOUD
3
WHEEK AUGUST 2019
20 PAGES!
guinea pig
IT’S A PET THING!
Sponsored by
Rosewood
Pet Products
A Brand New
ChickChick
Interview!
GPM’S
TOP PIGTURE
COMPETITION
Plus
ENRICHMENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF
PLAY & STIMULATION
WHAT’S NEW FROM ROSEWOOD?
All this and more, inside
FOR THE ADVANCE OF KNOWLEDGE IN GUINEA CARE
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FROM GUINEA PIG Magazine

Welcome to Newsletter #3
The FREE freebie from GUINEA PIG Magazine
Sponsored by
Why does Chickchick look so pleased with herself?
INSIDE:
3
4
6
7
Rosewood Naturals Meadow Menu
Who’s that little piggy on the cover?
Rosewood Carrot Beds
The CHICKCHICK Interview
13
14
16
19
20
Rosewood Naturals Seasonal Forage
The Indexes:
Just some of the features and topics already covered by
GUINEA PIG Magazine
Enrichment
From Wiebke Wiese Thomas, an excerpt from her article
in Issue 34 - Improving & Enhancing
The Quality Of Our Guinea Pigs’ Lives!
Rosewood Top Pigture
Competition
Half-way through the competition in
GUINEA PIG Magazine, the winners and
prizes so far...
Rosewood New for Christmas 2019!
Glossy paper or Download
Available from the website
ON SALE NOW:
ISSUE 51
Posting all over the World!
It’s worrying...
7
Dear Piggy Slaves...
Well, it’s so lovely to see you all here. We are delighted you are reading the NEW
freebie Newsletter, sponsored by Rosewood Pet Products. Not least because we also
got to test the new goodies developed by their master toy-maker, Mr Dean Barratt. To
clarify, the piggies got to try the latest treats - not us obviously. I’ve always found hay
a little dry for me. Guinea pigs have a great ability to make everything look delicious.
I watched my first piggy (Piglet) one day, tucking into some fresh Timothy Hay tops.
As he bit them in half, I could hear the lovely crunch, sounding almost crisp. So I tried
one. It was horrible. It chewed into thousands of ‘bits’ that were so dry and sharp
they couldn’t be swallowed - I nearly choked on them. And even after brushing and
flushing, I was picking seeds out of my teeth for days afterwards. So there, I know
piggy treats aren’t to my taste!
Play, stimulation, and enrichment seem to be the general theme of this digital tome.
We have some great stuff for you; find out more about that little piggy on the cover
- isn’t he gorgeous with that engaging smile - and it’s not just the cover he’s on. Also,
Chick was so taken with the new products; she conducted another of her ‘Interviews’
with the great man; Dean Barratt
from Rosewood. He speaks in guinea
pig tongue, you know. He must do,
how else would he know how to
make what piggies want?
I will see you again next month
when we show you the September &
October issue of GUINEA PIG
Magazine. I’m working on it now.
Until then, take care
and best wishes,
Alison Byford,
Editor
Write to me at
alison@guineapigmagazine.com
www.guineapigmagazine.com
2

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Available from all good retailers!
For more information visit www.rosewoodpet.com

Who’s that little piggy on the
Ewan
“Ewan loves the camera and is very
photogenic, it all comes so easily to him.”
4

cover - and the new adverts?
When we saw these promotional pictures
for Rosewood’s new Celebration Cake, we
had to find out more about this gorgeous
little piggy - who was an instant cover
choice!
We spoke to his owner slave...
Ewan looking adorable!
Please can you tell us who this gorgeous piggy is?
Ewan, he's a 1 year old male piggy
Whereabouts are you both from?
County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Do you have other guineas (who are they)
I have 2 other piggies, Angus (1 year old male) and
Bruce (1 year old male)
How did you get him/her to pose so beautifully?
Ewan loves the camera and is very photogenic, it all
comes so easily to him. I usually let them settle in the
environment first prior to taking any photos as they
tend to be very excited when they first get outside. I
also use treats to reward them for sitting in the one
place (which is easier said than done).
What is it you love about your guinea pigs?
I love everything about my boys, from their individual
personalities, how greedy they are and how loud they
will squeak for food (no matter how much they already
have) and how cute they are while the popcorn around
the garden. They are such comical little creatures, the
list is endless, they make me smile everyday.
Have you had any other photos used by Rosewood for
product images?
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to take
photos for the Rosewood Catalogue of the ‘Nibble n
Dig Meadow’, the ‘Harvest Festival’ - and the main
photo for the adverts in this Newsletter on pages 6 and
11.
What (phone or camera) did you use to take these
shots - how many attempts before you got a picture
you were happy with?
I use a Canon 1300D camera to take my photographs
(18-55mm lens). This was my second shoot with these
products, on my first attempt I took 108 images and
95 the second time. I like to take a lot of photos as the
boys tend to run off every so often and usually someone
disappears mid shot. I also prefer to have a good
selection as sometimes I find the camera focuses more
on one piggy than another or on the backdrop/props
rather than the boys.
“Sometimes their facial expressions
when eating are priceless”
Do you have any tips or advice for other readers wanting to get a Cover
Pigture?
I think it's really important that your piggy is comfortable in the environment
prior to taking the photos. I usually let the boys run around and
explore and introduce any products so they can investigate them first
if they wish. The hardest part I find is keeping the piggies still, I usually
keep treats, their favourite veggies or a handful of grass close by to
reward them as I find that a relaxed piggy takes a good photograph (and
sometimes their facial expressions when eating are priceless). When
positioning the shots, I prefer a plain or floral backdrop and I position the
camera so that the pigs are the main focus point in the shot.
5

Carrot Beds
Our exclusive carrot print has been used to create 4 wonderful
new beds to add to our Snuggles bed range. Beautifully made
and great to wash.
Available from all good retailers. See the 5 star reviews on Amazon. For more information visit www.rosewoodpet.com

The
Chickchick
Celebration Cake
Interview
Autumn Harvest Forage
Chick interviews
(Mr) Dean Barratt from
Summer Harvest Forage
Chick
Four Seasons
XXL Sticks
Snuffle Forage Mat
for Small Animals
WHAT’S NEW FROM ROSEWOOD?
CHICK: Brrrr Mr Dean, Brrrr. nom-nom nautrals, munch nom, no Chick, chatter chatter.
Hello Mr Dean, So, my mum has given me six new Naturals treats, they were super tasty,
but I’m not allowed to chew the packets so could you tell me a bit more about each one?
Mr DEAN: I’d be glad to Chick, we actually launched seven new lines this summer, but one
was only for hamsters, gerbils and degus so we didn’t send you this one (CHICK: Chatter
teeth-chatter teeth DEGU!). But the other six are all great for guinea pigs. First off, we have
two new salads, our first in over seven years! One is a mix based on some great “summer”
Mr Dean
He speaks guinea pig!
And after the previous two
interviews, that makes him
very brave! Chick is now
five years old and much
more mature. However, as
a precaution, this interview
was pre-recorded.
ingredients like strawberries, pea
flakes, cornflowers and rose petals;
the other was created using “autumn”
ingredients like pumpkin and Jerusalem
artichoke herbage. Then we have
a 4pc pack of XXL sized Grain-Free
Sticks, each one representing one of
the four seasons; then Apple Orchard,
which is a mix of apple wood, fruit and
blackberry leaves; a special mix for
Chinchillas and Degus, which is also
great for Guinea pigs and other small
animals and finally our wonderful
Celebration Cake…
CHICK: NOM NOM! chatter, chatter
brrrr. Crunch chew munch. Why
couldn’t I come, I thought you loved
me, mutter mutter.
Mmmm Cake…. we’ll come back to
that one. I know you celebrated the
10 th Birthday of Naturals 3 years ago
– I don’t recall an invite to the party
by the way – so after 13 years how do
you still manage to create so many
new products?
Mr DEAN: It is true we’ve been busy,
we only have 12 of the original 28
lines in our range and the range is now
81 edible and activity lines! The growing
demand and support of your pet
parents encourages us to work with
our partners on new products each
year. The inspiration can some from
many sources: ideas we have, ideas
7

they have or even requests from some of
our larger retailers, most of whom are also
looking to launch new products each and
every year. But we only launch new products
when we are happy with them, so last
year we only introduced one new product,
this year seven.
CHICK: Yum yum nom, crunch chew.
So what inspired this year’s?
Mr DEAN: The two salads were a suggestion
from a key retailer who suggested
spring/ summer and autumn/winter products
might be interesting. We agreed and
I was conscious we needed to refresh our
salads, so this is where I focused.
Clearly, her eyes are not bigger than her belly!
CHICK: Que?
So how do you get from concept to
finished product?
Mr DEAN: With the salads, I prepared
a brief for our producer with a product
concept and a list of key ingredients. At the
same time, we’ll give initial consideration
to the pack type and size. The final weight
is then based on the type of ingredients
used. The percentages of each ingredient
are critical as this affects the final price, but
more importantly, we want the treats to
be healthy, so some ingredients, like fruits,
need to be used sparingly. Guinea pigs are
like humans and given a choice you’ll often
pick out the sweeter ingredients first, so
we try to balance these with more of the
fibre-rich herbage ingredients.
A few weeks later we get the first samples
and prices. We review the samples, looking
at the percentage of each ingredient, how
the product looks and how well it fills the
bag. Then we look at the costings. You can
have the best product in the world but if
the retail and trade pricing isn’t viable it
won’t work.
Sometimes we need to reduce the amount
of a more expensive ingredient or look for
a cheaper form of packaging – something
that we even focused on when we started
out in 2006, as we wanted the ingredients
and product rather than the packaging
to take priority. But at other times, we’ve
been able to turn around and say, “actually
we want more of this”, even if it’s a
more expensive ingredient, if it creates a
better product in terms of quality, look and
palatability.
CHICK: Mutter, chatter, mutter mutter,
nom, my mummy got no money, chatter?
This sounds unusual, whilst money means
nothing to me, I hear your human shops
are all about trying to lower prices, so can
you give us an example?
Mr DEAN: Absolutely. Some shops might
look to focus on cheaper products, but we
understand your pet parents also look for
better quality. The new Chinchilla and Degu
8

The other GPM piggies tested the Four Seasons sticks.
Bruce
George
Delight is a great example. We used
to have a product called Chinchillas
Special which was wonderful but always
a weaker seller. Such products don’t
typically perform as well as those for
Rabbits and Guinea pigs, as there are far
fewer chinchillas, but we also believed
the problem was the pack size – 500g
which is a lot of product for a Chinchilla.
So, we decided to create a new product,
as we knew chinchilla and degu owners
felt neglected as very few treats were
available that meet their special dietary
needs.
We went through four different versions
before we got the product we wanted,
each time we added additional ingredients
or added more of the more expensive
ingredients like flower petals to get
a better product. In the end, we used 14
different ingredients to create a healthy but appealing blend, which also looks fantastic; plus,
it’s great for all small animals, not just chinchillas and degus.
CHICK: 340 o range of vision and I can’t see my dinner. What’s that about?
But as I cannot really see what I’m eating when I’m at my bowl why does it need to look
good?
Mr DEAN: You are right- it shouldn’t matter, but the truth is it’s your slaves that are initially
deciding what you eat. And whilst a lot of them do care more about ensuring your treats
are both tasty and healthy, equally us humans still shop with our eyes. Because we don’t
typically go in for fancy packaging, where we can make the actual product look great, we try
to. We also don’t use any artificial colours in our products, so adding as many colourful, yet
tasty and healthy ingredients like flowers makes sense, but not too many that they make the
product too expensive!
CHICK: Bad slaves, Natter, chutter, mutter, us-us-us nom nom?
Enough talk about human slaves, what about us guinea pigs, aren’t we the best judges of
what’s good or not?
Mr DEAN: Absolutely. So when we create a new product we always consider the positive
feedback about palatability from our other products to look for key ingredients and trends.
Bruce &
Lottie
Dobby
Floor time is an opportunity
to taste what the others have!
9

Equally, we like to try new things, for
example, we were the first to introduce
the concept of herbal salads to the
UK and the first to use ingredients like
fenugreek. This is often the key to a
great new product, taking an element
that’s successful but using it in a new
way. But even though this means we can
be confident on a product’s palatability
we still test samples on our own pets, as
well as the pets of other trusted parties
and customers, as their feedback can
determine if we need to further change
a product, or even launch it at all.
CHICK: Yum-yum, nom, new?
What else inspires new products?
Mr DEAN: One key trend in recent
years is the concept of pet parents and
humanization. In the same way you see
your humans as your piggy slaves, they
often see you as their “children”. This is
great in one way but with this demand
for products to be more humanised we
need to be careful that they can be fun,
not just frivolous, and still ensure they
are still functional and appropriate.
Our new Celebration Cake is a great
example. This product has taken over
18 months to bring to market. We were
originally were looking at a Christmas
cake as it’s always a challenge to bring
new and exciting Christmas treats to
market, but then we felt owners of
small pets would also like the idea of a
birthday cake. We had some feedback
from a focus group that as humans often
don’t know the specific day their small
animals were born then there might
not be the demand for such a cake. So
we focused on the idea of a Celebration
Cake: for birthdays, Christmas, gotcha
days or “just because”.
We were pleased we stuck to our
instincts as one specialist retailer has
already fed back the product is the most
successful new item they have ever
taken, and we are seeing a lot of buzz on
social media.
CHICK: nom-nom-nom-nom, crunch,
crunch, yummy. Tsk humans!?
Just how did you create a healthy cake
that tastes so nice – humans haven’t
managed this for themselves yet!?
Mr DEAN: Initially, just by being considerate
to what ingredients are good
to use and which are not. We knew
we couldn’t use any simple sugars like
honey or dairy products. A cake needs
to have a fairly solid structure, so we
quickly focussed on using the cellulose
fibre tubes what make our Hay ‘n’ Hides.
A slice of this could form the circular
structure. Then our producer managed
to create a lid and base from the same
material. The best celebration cakes
10

are always about the decoration, so we
needed colourful ingredients to coat the
item. We used carrot for the sides and a
limited amount of coconut for the “icing”.
This is a less healthy ingredient, so we
limited its use just to the top; plus, we
need to consider that this type of treat
is only for special occasions and can be
added and removed by pet parents as and
when required. Then you piggies won’t
over-indulge and your celebration can go
on for a few more days! Also, the coconut
is the only indulgent ingredient, the top is
then dressed in our grain-free vegetable
balls and flower petals, and the filling is a
wonderful, fibre-rich herbal salad mix.
Nibble-nibble, crunch. Yum-yum.
CHICK: Nibble-nibble, crunch. Yum-yum.
Chatter teeth?
So, what about Christmas, my mum tells
me you’ve not sent me any to test yet?
Patience, Chick. Our first stock comes into
our warehouse in September, and then
we’ll send you one of each to test straight
away. This year we have 4 new Naturals
lines with 3 repeats, and 5 new Cupid and
Comet toys with 2 repeats.
CHICK: Que?
What inspired these and when did you
start creating them?
I’ll be honest, Chick, Christmas is not easy
as the products clearly must fit in with a
seasonal theme which can be rather challenging.
Then we have to ensure we have
some brand-new lines each year. We actually
started work on this year’s range in
August 2018! Initially with brain-storming.
Often the easiest thing is just to take an
existing line and make it seasonal, like with
the Wintery version of our Carrot Cottage,
but we prefer not to do this too much and
instead create unique products.
Two of this years did start out as concepts
for our main Naturals range, but they were
never fully developed or launched until we
had the brain-wave to look at them afresh
for Christmas. A great example if this is our
snow bunny (Chick – chatter teeth chatter
teeth, no snow piggy?). Maybe next year,
Chick. But about 3 years ago we wanted to
create an edible bunny-shaped treat, a bit
like a gingerbread human, but healthier.
Our partner came up with a sample but
the only way they could achieve a good
“face” was to use a white edible disc using
vegetable starch and oil. The problem was
this white, circular “face” looked terrible
sat against a dark green head and body. So
we never launched it. Jump forward a couple
of years and someone had the great
suggestion of giving the bunny a coconut
“fur coat”. Suddenly the white face worked
and the Snow Bunny was born!
CHICK: Nom nom bunny on presents,
pooping, popcorn Day. Que?
Chick: All this thinking you do must be
11

tiring, I’m glad all I have to think about at
Christmas are 3 P’s: presents, pop-corning and
pooping… surely you don’t have to think about
anything else??
Mr DEAN: We do, arguably the most important
thing: which is ensuring our treats and activity
lines are safe. We do this in several ways.
Firstly, our key partner employs the services of a
freelance graduate animal nutritionist, who runs
the Consulting Society for Animal Nutrition and
Animal Husbandry in Limburgerhof, Germany,
to approve and work with them on all our products
and ingredients. Additionally, we do a lot
of research and testing ourselves. This is done
by the pet testers mentioned previously; plus,
our quality assurance department also have to
assess the products before we launch them.
The problem is that the internet is now the
go-to source for information but a lot of this is
conflicting, or just repeated without any qualification.
A good example is the idea potato is an
unsuitable toxic ingredient, when you study the
facts you can see where this idea comes from,
but actually it’s not the whole story. Parts of the
plant are potentially toxic to both humans and
pets, but the tubers (the potatoes), especially
the modern commercial varieties, are absolutely
fine, in moderation, which is true of just about
all foods, apart from hay of course...
As Chick is so busy munching, nibbling, ruffling
and foraging, the interview ends at this
point. Needless to say, these new treats are
a big hit with Chick and the other GPM pigs!
Thank you Mr Dean! We all love the new products - Nom-NOM!
12

Summer’s here and we have created 7 new Naturals products to add to
our range of 100% natural treats and accessories. All unique and
designed to stimulate and enrich the lives of your pets…
Celebration Cake
Available from all good retailers!
For more information visit www.rosewoodpet.com

The Pigs In My Life
LIMITED EDITION
“One Week in May”
4 RESCUE STORIES!
GLOSSY PAPER £4 +p/p or DOWNLOAD £2.99
By Michael BondTHIS ISSUE IS DEDICATED TO MICHAEL BOND
SPECIAL ISSUE Only available directly from www.guineapigmagazine.com
MichaelBond Book.indd 1 02/07/2017 21:45
ISSUE
PLUS
Find out why
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#45.July August.indd 1 30/06/2018 07:26
ISSUE
GUINEA PIG Magazine
Established 2011
INDEXES
FEATURES ISSUE NUMBER ISSUE NUMBER
Are Guinea Pigs the Right Pet for Me?..........................................5
Barbering: What it is, why, how to prevent it......................32 & 33
Bathing Guinea Pigs............................................................10 & 11
Becoming a Piggy Whisperer.......................................................30
Bedding: ‘Alternative Beddings.............................................13, 43
Bedding Reviews............................................................6, 7, 8 & 9
Beginners Guide to Guinea Pigs..........................................20 & 21
Biting & Nipping: Why and what to do?......................................31
Bertie Stories by Helen Aitken................................6, 7, 8, 18 & 25
Bladder Stones: Can Herbs Help Prevent Them?.........................27
Boars: Bonding, Teenagers, Neutering, Dominance, Care….......…36
Boars Myths……..........................................................................33
Bonding Bereaved Boars (incl. ‘Boar Dating’)..............................27
Bonding & Introductions: Herd Behaviours by Wiebke.......28 & 29
Bullying......................................................................................44
C&C Cages..................................................................................12
Cage Improvements/Modifications...............................................4
Cavy Corner Annual Pignics/Fun Shows..........................7, 10 & 24
Christmas Gift Ideas...................................................17, 29, 35, 41
Christmas Tree Decorations..........................................................5
Cosy Bed Reviews............................................................31, 32-34
Dealing with Death and Loss..................................4, 5 & 14, 44-47
Depression……………………………………………….......................…...44-45
Disaster Preparedness..................................................................3
Dust Extraction from Hay............................................................26
Elderly Guinea Pigs.....................................................................16
Euthanasia/Putting to Sleep………………………..................……..…….46
Fall-Outs……………………………………………………...........................……41
Feeding Guinea Pigs....................................................................13
Fireworks....................................................................................23
Forums and Websites..................................................................22
Games: Guineapigopoly………………………………..…....................41, 42
Garden Plants and Weeds...................................................22 & 24
Grieving: How to cope with grief………...…………................…..45 - 47
Grieving Guinea Pigs ………………….……..……….....................…44 & 45
Guinea Pigs in Natural History.....................................................16
Guinea Pigs in Schools...................................................17
Holiday Boarding: Interview..........................................27
Holidaying with Guinea Pigs............................................8
Hormonal Behaviours…………………………………….........……46
How we make Guinea Pig Magazin........................30 & 31
Lethals...........................................................................23
Life Enrichment……………………….…………...…...............…..34
Longevity...............................................................15 & 16
Long-Haired Guinea Pig Care............................30, 31 & 32
Match Pigs by April Lodge: Residential rescue dating.....46
Meet the Vet: Interview with a Veterinarian..................28
Mental Health And Guinea Pigs.….…….............38, 42 & 43
Mental Health and Moods in Guinea Pigs….....……...44 - 47
Nail Clipping..................................................................13
Overfeeding....................................................................4
Piggy Pampering............................................................19
Pig-Ignorant: Cognition in guinea pigs…….….……........…..37
Pigs In Peru………………..……………………………….................45
Paralympigs 2016: Guinea Pigs with Dis - abilities……....35
Post-Surgery Separation and Companionship……........…36
Product Interviews…………....…….………..........33, 35, 37, 44
Reiki Healing and Guinea Pigs........................................19
Rescues Secret Santa 2014.............................................24
Sexing Guinea Pigs..........................................................7
Special Needs Guinea Pigs……………….………...........……….41
Summer Care................................................................22
Swallowing Staples……………………………………..............…..39
Taming Your New Piggy...................................................9
Toys for Piggies..............................................3, 4, 5, 6 & 9
The Adventures of Parsley Pig.......................................21
Vet Nurse Questions and Answers………...….......…....36, 38
Water Bottle Cleaning...................................................11
Winter Care...................................................................24
What’s in a Name? Naming & ideas……..............40, 41, 43
What to do When Piggies Pass Away...............................1
What to do with Pig Poo.................................................28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
IT’S FOR ALL
Fn u
WHAT’S IN
A NAME?
M M Ini! Ini!
GUINEA PIG
MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 201740
T is for THYROID GLAND
What it does, and what happens when it doesn’t!
H Ti
Rea’ Pig
#1 FOR ALL GUINEA PIG LOVERS EVERYWHERE!
Chickchick
X-RAYS
Plus
MAGAZINE
Interview .
- And how long to wait
before introducing a new friend?
Meet the
genius
behind
Piggie
44
HOW IS YOUR PIGGIES MENTAL HEALTH?
Part 1: Depression & Bu lying
& WIN A T-SHIRT
SKINNY THERAPY with Spencer & Sheldon!
8 out of 10 guinea pigs can’t read and behave poorly in written tests.
NEW RESEARCH
Plus
MAGAZINE
45
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
PIGS
in
PERU
A READER’S
PRIZES
TO BE
WON!
36
48
14

A - Z of BREEDS ISSUE NUMBER
MEDICAL ARTICLES
ISSUE NUMBER
Abyssinians.......................................................1
Black Selfs.........................................................2
Coronets...........................................................3
Dalmations.......................................................4
English Cresteds...............................................5
Foxes................................................................6
Goldens............................................................7
Himalayans.......................................................8
Ivory Satins.......................................................9
Just Hairless (Skinnies, Baldwins)...................10
PinK Eyed Whites............................................11
Lunkaryas........................................................12
Magpies..........................................................13
Non Selfs (Dutch)............................................14
Otters..............................................................15
Peruvians........................................................16
HarleQuins......................................................17
Ridgebacks......................................................18
Shelties...........................................................19
Teddies............................................................20
*CUys..............................................................21
Very Pretty AGOUTIS......................................22
SWiss..............................................................23
TeXels.............................................................24
TrulY BLUE......................................................25
Dobby the Capybara (ZOO)............................26
REGULAR CONTENT
ISSUE NUMBER
#GuineaPigsofInstagram......................From 30
Adorable Adoptables - Piggies for
Re-homing............................................From 26
Artist Interviews...................................From 11
Caption Competition............................From 14
Caravanning Cavies.................................13 - 32
Cavy Comic..............................................8 – 14
Totoro comic..........................................17 – 32
Kakzuma Comic……………………………......From 36
Fairy’s Tales.............................................21 - 34
Guinea Pig Rescue Blog............................6 - 15
Hot Topic: Controversial Debates.........From 18
Reader’s Pigs: Special Stories.................From 9
Special Needs Guinea Pigs……………............…41
The Pig O’Clock News....................From 18 - 34
Therapy Guinea Pig.......………….10 and from 42
Thoughts before Vegtime………..………..From 30
Tidbits from the Tribe...............................7 - 27
+ The Story of Wiebke’s Tribe…………...…37 - 39
All issues feature rescue stories,
your letters, pictures of your pigs,
your stories, and your questions
answered by the experts!
Abscesses............................................................................................21
Administering Medications...................................................................5
Allergies (respiratory symptoms)……………………..................…….……....38
Bloat........................................................................................14, 27, 44
Boar Care and Problems………………..……………...................…….......29, 36
Bumblefoot (Pododermatitis).............................................................22
Human Cold & Flu (Can piggies catch from humans?)........................24
Cysts....................................................................................................23
Dental Awareness................................................................................27
Diabetes..............................................................................................18
Diet Related Problems…………………..............................27, 31, 34, 39, 43
DIY Diagnosis (Dos and Don’ts)...........................................................24
Emergency – Illness List…………………………....................……..................37
Euthanasia…...……………………………………….........................…………….....45
Eyes.....................................................................................................25
Finding a Good Vet........................................................................2 &14
First Aid Kit....................................................................................14, 37
Fly Strike..............................................................................................26
Fungal problems............................................................................20, 35
Gastrointestinal (Gut) Problems……….................................................27
Health Checks........................................................................................5
Heart (Cardiac) Problems....................................................................28
Impaction…………….…...........................................................................29
Joints……………...…................................................................................30
Ketosis (Toxaemia – blood poisoning from various causes).................31
Lymph Nodes……....…..........................................................................32
Mites, Lice & other Parasites...............................................................33
Nutrition…………………………………………………………...........................…....34
Oral & Oesophagal Thrush (Fungal mouth & throat infection)..................35
Physiotherapy for Guinea Pigs............................................................26
Pneumonia…………………………………………………………..............................38
Poop Problems............................................................................18 & 27
Post-op Care………………………………………………………...............................36
Respiratory Illnesses……………………………………………........................…...38
Rodentologists in Vet Care..................................................................13
Scurvy (Vitamin C Deficiency)………..……………………….....................……39
Skin Parasites……………………………………………………….............................33
Signs of Illness……...………………………………………….........................……..37
Spaying Sows…....................................................................................19
Spinal Fracture……...............................................................................22
Stones……………….………………………………………............................…………43
Syringe-Feeding ....................................................................................3
Thyroid Gland……………………………………………….........................………...40
Urethral Stones.........................................................................4, 17, 43
URI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)……………..................…………...38
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)…………………………………….........................41
Urine Samples & Values........................................................................4
Urine Scald…………………………........................…………....................……..41
Uterine Tumour...................................................................................23
Vets - Helping Them Help You.............................................................12
Viruses………………………………………………………………...............................42
Vitamin C Deficiency…………………………………………........................……..39
Weight...................................................................................................3
Worming……………………………………………………............................…………..2
X-Rays…………………………………………………………….............................…….44
Your Duty of Care: Prevention of Suffering…….................…….…………..45
Zoonoses (Diseases that you can catch from your cavies)…...........…..46
MICHAEL BOND: True Memoirs from the Author of Olga da Polga............................................................. Issues 12 - 27
+ Michael Bond Tribute…………………………………………………………..................................….….................................. Issue .40
www.guineapigmagazine.com
15

The Tribe
EXCERPT FROM ISSUE 34
By Wiebke Wiese-Thomas
ENRICHMENT
Improving & Enhancing The Quality Of Our Guinea Pigs’ Lives!
SOCIAL NEEDS
Enrichment can take many
forms. Guinea pigs are group
animals. The most basic and vital
enrichment is the right for guinea
pigs to companionship of their
own kind, either in the same cage
or with round the clock interaction
and stimulation through the bars.
That is why in Switzerland it is now
law that guinea pigs cannot be
kept as singletons.
The more interaction and stimulation
a guinea pig has, the brighter,
happier and healthier it generally
is.
HUMAN
INTERACTION
The more time you invest in
a pet, the more you get back:
interaction works both ways! This
doesn’t necessarily mean cuddle
time, but time spent talking to
guinea pigs, just watching them,
discovering the world and new
things from a guinea pig perspective.
Guinea pigs are not animated
cuddly toys; they are lively personalities
that can give you back
so much if you give them the opportunity
to live their lives to the
full and allow them to draw you
into their own fascinating world.
Please be aware that you as a
human and a different species can
never quite fill the vital role of
another guinea pig and that the
vast majority of guinea pigs would
prefer cavy company over human company.
DAILY RUN TIME AND EXERCISE
Once guinea pigs have settled in their new surroundings (and provided you are allowed to by a landlord),
giving your guinea pigs daily indoors run time in a puppy run or another safe space is a wonderful
opportunity for piggy exploration, adventures, “popcorns” and “zoomies” – i.e. crazy hops like popping
corn and full speed running.
If you just let your piggies roam freely in your house, please make sure that they cannot get at any
cables, or get into any nooks and crannies you don’t want them to. You can bet that they find them all!
Guinea pigs, like all rodents, can’t vomit, so they explore the world with their mouths and teeth. They
are not as bad as hamsters, but they can leave little nibble marks on furniture and some can develop a
taste for gnawing wallpaper! Some guinea pigs also figure out how to climb stairs.
You also need to be able to wipe off or remove any pees and poos.
RACE AND OBSTACLE COURSES
Many guinea pigs that are comfortable with their surroundings love to run at full speed, especially subadults
and young adults, but some love to do it right to the end of a long life.
Cavies often enjoy loops through or around tunnels, cardboard boxes with door openings, foot stools
etc. and they love to play dodgems with their companions by bumping deliberately into them at the
end of a mad run.
You can also create small obstacles like hurdles (about 1 ½ - 2 inches high) with rulers or other suitable
rods of wood or plastic. Little ramps can also be fascinating; it doesn’t matter if it takes a few days to
figure out!
Some guinea pigs love the high life and love to climb or jump on things, so giving them the opportunity
Running at full gallop!
OUTDOORS TIME AND HOW TO BRING IT INDOORS
Even if you do not have access to a lawn, time spent
sniffing the breeze and experiencing all the outdoors
sounds count as enrichment. You can grow grass
and wheat grass or dandelion in seed trays on your
windowsill or allow your guinea pigs to raid a fresh
herb pot.
If you have access to a lawn, make sure that your run
is at all times protected against ground and aerial
predators and make sure that the grass has not been
urinated on by dogs or foxes; it is highly poisonous to
guinea pigs and can kill if fresh. Guinea pigs also need
adequate protection against sun (double shade on a
hot day etc.) and sudden weather changes.
Free roaming time in your garden should only ever
happen if your garden is fully fenced in with no gaps
and only ever under adult supervision. Make sure
that you have your guinea pigs well trained to come
back to you or a pick-up box/run beforehand as chasing/cornering
them can spook them so badly that
they may not come back and get lost or get stuck
somewhere. If you are a child – IT IS NOT A GOOD
IDEA and can get your guinea pig killed!
16

Safely tucked away in a pile of hay
Always be present and make sure that your
guinea pig is not getting stuck!
SQUEEZES AND HIDE-AND-SEEK
Guinea pigs love to discover hidey holes pile the fresh cosies in a heap in the freshly
and to squeeze To past enter tight your openings pigture, and send to alison@guineapigmagazine.com
cleaned cage before you finish the job.
through narrow passages.
The “Car wash”: Cut strips into an old bit
If you let your guinea pigs gnaw or squeeze of fleece or rag, but not quite through. Tie
their way through tight gaps, do so only the solid end of the rag to the top of the
under your supervision, in case they get cage sides and let your guinea pigs streak
stuck. Otherwise, it is dangerous!
through. An old hankie, pegged to the side
One of the best plays is to just dump the of the cage to fall on the floor as a tent, is
dirty fleece and cosies into the run and let also a source of fun!
your guinea pigs romp through them. Or to
DIVING AND SNUGGLING INTO
SOFT HAY
Soft orchard or meadow hay is ideal for making a big pile
in a bow or on the run floor to let your guinea pigs have
a romp. Please always make sure that you use soft hay to
prevent eye injuries. Some cavies love to burrow, others
prefer to jump on top. This is a favourite enrichment for
those guinea pigs that have their hay in a rack in the cage.
It is advisable that you have an underlay you can just roll
up and shake out, but your cavies will love you for allowing
them to mess around.
Hay should make up 80% of the daily food intake, so this is
at the same time a very healthy activity. Try out different
grass or cereal hays to further the enrichment – this is the
guinea pig equivalent of eating different varieties of bread
and cake!
It is hay, not chewing toys, that keeps the back teeth
ground down evenly to allow the self-sharpening front
teeth to do their job as intended and the guts to work at
their best.
TEACHING TRICKS
You can teach confident and happily settled guinea pigs tricks.
Always give plenty of praise and encouragement as well as
healthy treats. It is however very important to always keep in
mind that your guinea pigs should have as much fun as you
doing this!
WRECKING TIME WITH OR
WITHOUT FOOD
Guinea pigs have a destructive streak, and the best toys are
always the cheapest – brown paper bags (any handles cut
through), toilet or kitchen roll inners (cut open lengthwise
if your guinea pigs could get their heads stuck), and brown
cardboard houses are ideal. You can stuff them with soft fresh
hay (Timothy is often too stalky for this purpose), fresh grass or
their favourite veg, sit back and enjoy!
THINGS FOR THE NOSE AND
THE PALATE
Guinea pigs have a much better sense of smell than
humans. Tickling the nose gives them therefore more
pleasure than us. Even just an open window can mean
enrichment.
The more different foods young guinea pigs are exposed
to, the less picky they will become, especially if you continue
to rotate. High calcium foods like spinach or kale can
still play a role as occasional special treats, for instance.
Apple or pear tree leaves, bark or branches or fresh
herbs and bits of fruit come in the same category, as does
freeze-dried Readigrass (which can be fattening if fed too
much) and dry forage.
You can also swirl a saucer with some fruit juice (that is
too sugary to give regularly) and let your cavies sniff and
lick it.
What guinea pigs should NOT be exposed to is cigarette
smoke, incense sticks, perfumes and air fresheners, especially
not scented ones!
Full Article In Issue 34 of GUINEA PIG Magazine
Back issues on sale at ww.guineapigmagazine.com
17

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18

Rosewood Top Pigture Competition in GPM:
In each issue of GUINEA PIG Magazine this year we will be choosing our three favourite Gallery pigtures to win a prize - courtesy
of Rosewood Pet Products. At the end of the year, the 18 semi-finalists will be judged by Rosewood, who will select their Winner of
Winners for a Grand Prize!
The winners so far...
ROUND 1
ROUND 2
ROUND 3
Magnolia From Jessica Farrar Minnie. From Andrew Elliot Chas, Dave & Newt. From Chloe Prosser
Winston. From Brittany Manning Leo. From Emily Hansen Jaffa & Fudge. From Chloe Jordan
Pebble. From Lauren Murphy. From Lydia Dixon Biscuits. From Gillian Jackson
The prizes so far...
With NINE more winners to go, you still have
a chance to win BIG PRIZES! Send your
pigtures to alison@guineapigmagazine.com
19

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