Product Review: Critical Care with Apple and Banana

Most of the products we review are intended for use by all guinea pigs (whether or not they should actually be used by them, or will actually be enjoyed by them, is a separate question). Today's review will be of a different kind of product: Oxbow Critical Care, Apple Banana flavor. As the package states, this product is a "premium recovery food which can given to herbivores with poor nutritional status resulting from illness or surgery."

I do like Oxbow, apples, and bananas. But not being sick.

I'd probably prefer it if I didn't have to use a product like this, but seeing as how I was diagnosed with uterine cancer, this product has made a huge difference. It's really helped to keep my weight stable.

Critical Care comes in a powder, which has to be mixed with water into a soupy paste before you use it.

The humans have learned to only give me one unit of the syringe at a time, and then wait a while for me to finish eating it before giving more. Any more than that, and it will spill out of my mouth. They then try to wipe off my chin with a tissue, and I can't help but trying to eat the tissue, which frustrates and baffles the humans. (Have you ever tried chewing on a tissue? They're loads of fun to chew! I guess it's just a guinea pig things that humans don't understand. Like how we don't get you humans chewing gum.)

It's not bad.

Critical Care is definitely no carrot--I wouldn't recommend just eating it as a treat. But as a guinea pig food for medical purposes, it works great. The taste is okay, and more importantly, it helps me keep my weight up; my weight had gone down to 607 grams at one point, and now I'm able to keep it at around 800 grams. And for this very important reason, Critical Care with Apple and Banana gets 5/5 stars!

Where Guinea Pigs Came From: The Montane Guinea Pig

We've talked a bit about guinea pig history in the past. You may remember that guinea pigs had a giant ancestor called Josephoartigasia monesi about 4 - 2 million years ago, and that we were eventually domesticated and began showing up in Peruvian art around 200 AD. Between those two times, we had a wild ancestor that we were most likely domesticated from called the Montane guinea pig (Cavia tschudii), also known as Tschudi's Cavy or cuy silvestre in Spanish. Unlike that giant ancestor, the Montane guinea pig is still around today:

A black and white photo of one from 1964. (Source) Looks like he's about to wheek about something.

Artwork by Ed Stauffacher. (Source) Looks like he's on the move for food.

Image from Foobie. (Source) Looks like he's wondering what that human with the camera is up to.

Here's a video of a trapped Montane guinea pig in Tanti, Argentina. He doesn't seem to like being in a cage, and the boy lets him out at the end.

Although we look very similar to the Montane guinea pig, "the domestic guinea pig has a somewhat more pointed, narrower skull that the wild tschudii." The Montaine guinea pig can be found in Peru, Chile, and Argentina, and the coloration varies by location: "in Peru the dorsal fur is dark reddish-brown mixed with black, and the underparts are dark buffy-grey; in Chile the dorsal surface is pale agouti brown with paler underparts; in Bolivia, the upper parts are agouti olive and the underparts creamy-white or white." When you look at some of the above examples, you can see the color differences and might be able to guess where they're from.

If you're ever in Peru, Chile or Argentina, say hi to our adorable living ancestor for us!

Product Review: Grreat Choice Small Pet Chew Ring

That's not a typo in the post title--at least, not on our part. The company that makes this is product is actually called "Grreat Choice," because nothing says you've chosen well than buying from a company with a typo in their name.

Okay, maybe we're not being fair. We shouldn't judge a product just based on the company name, right? It could turn out to be a great product. A "grreat" product, even. (Sorry, couldn't help ourselves!)

Anyway, today we're reviewing Grreat Choice Small Pet Chew Ring, which claims to "support positive chewing behaviors" and "help reduce boredom." Let's check it out:

Do I want to chew on this thing?

Nah, I'm not interested, and neither is she.

When the humans saw that neither of us were interested, they hung it up in our cage in case we'd change our minds. We didn't. We'll give this product 2/5 stars since just like the Kaytee layer cakes, it seems to be safe to chew on, but we just have no interest in doing so. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pomelos?

Before we get into our review, we'd like to give a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all our readers. The humans have been pretty busy with holiday stuff and feeding Buffy her meds and Critical Care, so they haven't been fetching us new stuff to review nearly as often as we would have liked. Today, we had to wheek our insistence that today's the day we finally review something new. As it turned out, this worked and we got ourselves a new fruit. Looks like 2016 is off to a good start!

Today, we're going to review pomelos (AKA shaddock, pummelo, etc.). Pomelos are a really big citrus fruit. How big, you ask? So big that people have made hats out of them.

That's a big fruit!

You might be thinking that pomelos look similar to grapefruits. As it turns out, there's a really good reason for that. Grapefruits are actually hybrids between pomelos and oranges. We'd advise feeding pomelos in the same amount and frequency as grapefruit: only give part of a section to each pig occasionally as a treat. Only feed us the flesh, not the peel, and be sure that there are no seeds in the parts you give us.

Tastes like grapefruit without the bitterness.

You've been sick lately, so I won't try to steal any from you. Go ahead.

Pomelos are sweet, juicy, and really tasty. Therefore, they get 5/5 stars!

Product Review: Kaytee layer cakes

Today we're reviewing Kaytee layer cakes, which we received through Piggies Paradise. These are chew toys that are supposed to "provide a hard source for gnawing and trimming teeth." You may be wondering if Buffy can fairly review a product like this when she's feeling sick, but don't worry. The medicine is helping her feel a bit more like her old self, and I saw her chewing on the log chew toy recently. If these chew toys are any good, she'll probably want to chew on them, too.

Wood chew toys are generally safe as long as they aren't shiny or smooth, which indicates they're coated in a sealant.

Doesn't look like sealants were used.

We're not interested. Got any food for us?

These chew toys just don't interest us. They do look nice, though, so we're thinking we'll leave them in the cage as holiday decorations. We give Kaytee layer cakes 2 out 5 stars!

How Do You Know When It's Time To Euthanize A Guinea Pig?

The humans have had to make a lot of hard decisions lately surrounding Buffy's health. A few weeks ago, they brought her in to the vet after she had been exhibiting lethargy and had been losing weight. An X-Ray revealed a uterine tumor that the vet diagnosed as cancer. They sent her home with some medicine, and told them to bring her back in in a few weeks. She had started to gain weight on the medicine at first, but after the course of treatment ended, her symptoms reappeared.

When the humans brought her back in, the vet explained that she wasn't a good candidate for surgery and gave them two options: to euthanize her, or to send her home with some painkillers and other meds to make her more comfortable.

The sad truth is, every guinea pig owner will have to face this question at one point or another; it's part of owning any pet (except for maybe a bird, some of which can outlive their human owners). The humans decided not to euthanize her just yet, and brought her back home, where I have been sleeping next to her and watching over her every day.

I've been sleeping next to Buffy, guarding her pigloo while she rests.
I will chitter at anyone who gets too close to her.

Buffy is in what can be considered a guinea pig hospice at this point, and the humans have been providing her with palliative care. She has regained a bit of weight now that she's back on the meds, but still has to have Critical Care a few times per day. She isn't in any obvious pain, and still enjoys coming out of her pigloo for treats and to hang out with me.

So how do you know what the right decision is under these difficult circumstances? The right decision in a situation where all of the options are bad is the decision you can live with. The humans didn't feel that putting Buffy down at that point was the right call because even though her condition is terminal, she isn't in pain, and with the meds, she can still enjoy nibbling on a blueberry, following me around, and chin scratches.

With Lola, the humans knew it was the right time because she was unable to eat on her own or with assisted feedings, and was in obvious pain on her last day. In that circumstances, it was the humane thing to do. But with Buffy, she isn't quite at that point yet, and the humans are committed to ensuring that her remaining time is as comfortable and happy as can be.

Guinea Pig Attractions Around the World: Cavy Village in the Netherlands

We recently mentioned some guinea pig-related attractions for your humans when they decide to go on vacation. Here's another guinea pig attraction we wanted to bring to your attention: the Cavy Village in Bakkeveen, The Netherlands. The Cavy Village provides a shelter for guinea pigs whose owners can't care for them anymore. In addition, according to their website, "the village has an entertaining and educative function. Thanks to the presence of the many guinea pigs, the chicken and the geese, the cavy-village is well worth a visit."

Watch this video about the village from Vice (make sure you turn on closed-captions if you don't speak Dutch):



Good job, Netherlands! We think every country should have a Cavy Village.