Spencer Needs a Wheelchair

Life Long Tails small pet rescue just took in a very special hamster. He is a syrian hamster that is paralyzed in the back end. It is a spinal injury that we feel certain was caused by a young child. ( although we do not know that for sure). Spencer is full of life and vigor, he can drag himself around and has been eating from a shallow bowl and can drink from a water bottle as long as it is low enough for him to reach. Spencer wants to have as normal of a life as he can. He does need daily cleaning ( baths) and I will watch him for urine burn, pressure sores, or other sores that come with his body being dragged and in a position it normally wouldn't be. What I need help with from my animal loving friends is a wheelchair devise for Spencer. Anyone who is creative and good at rigging and making things , please help. I am envisioning a platform type base that his back end will rest on. That part of his body will be strapped onto the platform securely but not tightly. The platform will have wheels that can turn as he turns. He will need enough free room in the front of his body to work his front legs. Of course, my vision may not work all that well, someone else may have a better idea than mine. A wheelchair will give him some time during the day to not drag himself along the ground. And he will get much needed exercise and freedom. We can set something up for anyone to meet Spencer to get an idea of his size and what his needs are for a wheelchair. Please e-mail me at Rachel@lifelongtails.org if you can help Spencer. Thank you :)

Lacey and Simone

Yesterday, Lacey and Simone the female guinea pigs were adopted!! :) Lacey and Simone are sisters. They were born in foster care. Their Mom piggie was housed with males, their previous owner was unable to keep them separated. The males and females were surrendered to Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts small pet rescue when they had too many guinea pigs and couldn't control it. ( They couldn't tell who was male or female and were not allowed any more cages) Lacey and Simone have a wonderful new home.

Baby guinea pig didn't make it

During the night the baby started to have difficulty breathing. I started the humidifier in the incubator ( intensive care unit) to help open up airways. But he passed away before morning. The poor little guy. Lethal guinea pigs are a result of poor breeding. It is one of the many reasons why breeding guinea pigs is not a good idea at all. The person who called us about the little one said her daughter received a 4 week old female guinea pig as a gift. She was bought at a pet store. The 4 week week old girl was already pregnant! Still a baby herself in my eyes, even though I know they are capable of becoming pregnant at that age. The breed and color of the Mom and Dad guinea pig produced a Lethal. Lethal's have a slim chance of making much past birth. Even when they do, they have multiple health problems throughout their life. I was told there were two other babies born, but they are doing well. I hope Mom guinea pig and the 2 babies are okay.

Baby Guinea pig could be a Lethal

I am fairly positive the baby guinea pig is a lethal. His eyes look just like Daisy the guinea pig's eyes, she is a lethal and is completely blind. If you are interested in a lethal guinea pig , please check out this information http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/kitchen/4190-lethal-guinea-pigs.html
The baby guinea pig needs a lot of love and luck.

Baby guinea Pig, Boomer and Updates

I am sorry I haven't updated in a few days. It has been very busy.
The baby bunnies are doing great. The light tan one has been bouncing around the pen. I took pictures of them and I will post them as soon as I have them on the computer.
Daisy the guinea pig is also doing wonderful. Pictures of her will be coming soon. Boomer the bunny was adopted yesterday :)
The 4 chinchillas we took in a little bit ago have been settling in nicely. They are eating Timothy hay like it is out of style. And they love their chew toys.
Just moments ago we received an urgent call about a litter of baby guinea pigs that were born today. One of the babies didn't start walking and had not nursed at all. Fearing the decline of the little baby , she brought the little bub to us to try our best to care for. The baby is a little pink eyed white Abyssinian. He/she seems to be having trouble with the back legs. I warmed up some pedialyte and he/she drank it with vigor, which is very heartening to see. Tomorrow I will call the vet and see how soon we can get the little bub in for an exam. Hopefully we can find out why he/she cannot stand up or walk. We will do everything in our power to support the little bundle.
Pictured above is Boomer.

Crick-it, New Guinea pigs and Chinchillas

First news for the day is , The baby bunnies eyes are open!!! They are able to see the world around them now. I really need to take pictures of them.
Crick-it the male guinea pig was adopted. His new Mom just lost one of her boys despite vet treatment and a lot of care. This left her heartbroken and her other boy piggie alone and depressed. She fell in love with Crick-it and adopted him in hopes that they would be friends. Normally, introducing 2 boys together for the first time leads to rumblestrutting and mounting. They have to play macho and show who is dominant and boss. This wasn't the case for Crick-it and her other boy. They were best friends immediately and love each other's company. I was surprised and very happy to hear that. Crick-it has the company of his own kind now and a loving Mom.
Damien and Gizmo the chinchillas went into foster care today. They will probably wind up adopted , but for now they are being fostered.
Today 4 chinchillas arrived. They are standard grey, and there are 2 boys and 2 girls. We will have to keep an eye on anyone being pregnant. They are named Hermione, Harry , Linus and Lucy. They are between 7 and 8 years old.

Little Explorer

I just checked on the baby rabbits, and my heart dropped when I saw only 4 in the box. One white one was missing , but I couldn't find him anywhere in the box. I started to rummage around in the pen and then saw the blankets moving around. Underneath was the baby :) He doesn't have his eyes open yet, but he was crawling and holding his head up. I placed him back with his siblings, he needs to be there when it is feeding time.
Everyone is enjoying their fresh veggies, fruits and cereals that people have donated. They are eating healthy. I love watching them munch on the food with delight. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
Jules the geriatric rat was very energetic today. He climbed onto the door of his cage, then climbed all the way to the top of the critter nation cage. He looked down at me and asked " How do I get back down, now?" I gathered him up and gave him some scratches, then back inside. I am proud of the old man's skill :)
Tomorrow we are expecting two guinea pigs and another old rat that , Kitty, our volunteer is picking up for us. And someone is stopping by to meet and maybe adopt Harold and James the rats.