Olive and Fig are a bonded pair of special needs senior piggies.  Despite needing extra care, attention and vet visits, these gals are well worth it because they are sweet as can be!  Fig is a little shy to be petted but will gladly give us kisses on the hand.  Olive loves attention and is always begging for it!
  Olive has a history of back problems, urinary stones, and UTI's, and although her condition is stable now and she lives a great quality of life, she will likely need extra vet visits in the future.  So we did some xrays and a urinalysis to assess her issues, and at this time, she is moving around well and also does not have any stones or UTI present.  She does however have lots of sludge in the urine and bladder, which is something that can lead to stones and UTI if we're not careful.
  Urinary issues like these are pretty common in guinea pigs, especially seniors. The most important thing to prevent the issues from getting worse is to keep them on a low-calcium, low-mineral diet.  The main foods we'd give them are romaine, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, bell peppers, and cucumber because these foods are very low in calcium.  we would never give them rich dark greens like kale, dandelion, mustards, or cilantro because those are high in calcium and could add sludge to the bladder.  (pigs without urinary issues can have these in moderation).  Her adopter will have to keep a watchful eye out for symptoms of urinary issues popping back up such as; blood in the urine, squeaking when using the bathroom, lethargy or decreased appetite.  If any of these symptoms pop up she may need a vet visit and some antibiotics.
  Other things to consider with Olive are that she needs an accessible cage where she can comfortably move around with her bad back, with nothing she can slip and fall off of. as well as anyone who handles her should support her bottom to avoid stress on her back.  She might require regular butt-baths, because of her urinary issues she does tend to urinate on herself, and dry soft bedding to avoid foot irritation.
  Fig is also considered special needs because Skinny Pigs get frequent skin issues and tend to require extra care for their skin.
  We understand that not everyone is up for the commitment of a special needs pig, but these girls are so very sweet and they deserve all the extra things that they need. We are determined to place them with someone who is really up to the task of providing supportive care to these amazing senior gals.