We pamper your bunny with a pedicure, scent gland cleaning, and a gentle brushing. For the guinea pigs, a nail trim, outer ear cleaning, and basic grooming. A cilantro or parsley treat for sweet breath, and your furry friends are refreshed and ready for autumn fun!
Cost: Suggested Donation of $10
Donations will go to the Friendly Farms Medical Fund.
Update 8/25/10: All the guinea pigs have been adopted or have gone to rescues. Contact us here at Friendly Farms if you are interested in adopting a guinea pig, and we will help you to find the right match for your family.
Update 8/17/10: Several area rescues and shelters have joined together to take many of these piggies. A big THANK YOU goes to Northstar Rescue for coordinating with rescues and shelters and providing transportation. The Salinas shelter still has a couple of cuties available for adoption. Visit them Monday – Saturday, noon until 5 pm.
18 guinea pigs were left in a box in the Salinas Animal Services night drop kennels this past weekend. They all appear to be healthy, though a few have minor scratches from the fear and confusion of a night spent packed together in a box, listening to the frightened cats and dogs in the kennels around them. One of the girls gave birth that night, and, sadly, the babies were all trampled and did not survive.
The guinea pigs range in age from just-weaned babies to adults. Most of them are girls. As you can see from their pictures, they sport a variety of coat colors.
Guinea pigs are very social animals and do best in pairs or groups. They need a large, clean living space, fresh grass hay, vegetables, pellets, and water daily. They must have a source of vitamin C everyday to prevent scurvy. Frequent socializing is important (at least once a day), and vet care as soon as they show a change in appetite, runny stools, or lethargy. They need a vet who knows their special physiology. We recommend the Avian and Exotic Clinic of the Monterey Peninsula.
Here are some links to information about their care:
Update 6/16/10: Faye was spayed and recovered quickly. We have noticed that she is not into grooming herself like other bunnies do. The vet said that it looks like Faye either lost part of her tongue to an injury, or just has an unusually small tongue, which may explain this behavior (or lack of!) In any case, Faye needs bi-weekly baths from her humans to stay clean.
Faye is a very social and friendly girl who loves to run and explore. She tends to kick when being picked up, so we recommend that she go to a family with older children, or an adult home. She is now available for adoption.
Ross towel drying Faye after her bi-weekly bath.
Update 6/2/10: Faye has finished her medications, her fur is growing back nicely, and she is a very active girl! Greens and hay are no longer a mystery to her, so she is well-nourished now. She is scheduled to be spayed this week and will soon be available for adoption. This is one bunny who loves attention!
Faye came to the shelter underweight, and with extensive fur loss on her throat, chest, and legs. The shelter asked Friendly Farms to take her, as they were unable to give her the amount of medical attention she needs.
We immediately took Faye to the vet to assess her condition. Fur loss often occurs as a result of chronic dampness, such as living in unclean conditions, or from chronic drooling because of tooth issues. Dr. Wells at the Avian and Exotic Clinic gave Faye a thorough exam, including checking her molars under anesthesia, to rule out dental problems as contributing to her fur loss. Faye was bathed and skin scrapings were taken to see if she has any fungal diseases. She was prescribed a medication to reduce inflammation, and an antibiotic to help her body ward off any bacterial infections.
Faye has been eating non-stop since she came to Friendly Farms. She is unfamiliar with hay and many green vegetables, and she picks and chooses which ones she will eat. She knows exactly what to do with a carrot, apple, or raisin treat, however! With nourishing food available to her consistently now, she should soon gain to a healthy weight.
After just a few days it became apparent from the skin culture that Faye has ringworm, so she also being treated for that now.
We will continue to treat and reassess Faye’s medical needs over the next few weeks. Hopefully she will be a healthy, happy girl by mid-June, and we will be able to get her spayed and make her available for adoption. In the meantime, we could use help with her medical expenses. Donations can be made to the Friendly Farms Medical Fund at the Avian and Exotic Clinic of the Monterey Peninsula.
For more information, contact us here at Friendly Farms.
Update 10/23/09: We took Hector up to UC Davis for his appointment this past Tuesday. He was scheduled for a CT scan on Wed., but unfortunately our brave bunny boy did not make it that long. The vets were giving him his intake exam when he suddenly began to bloat. They used a gastric tube to reduce the bloat, but Hector went into acute respiratory arrest and died. We are heartbroken.
Hector’s necropsy results showed a tumor growing inside his skull that was pressing on his nasal passages, causing his respiratory problems. There wasn’t a whole lot we could have done for him, even if we had known about the tumor earlier.
Hector had a generous and valiant spirit that we will always remember. His ashes will be returned to us and his urn will be placed with those of other Friendly Farms residents who have hopped on to the next world.
Rest in peace, little guy. We love you.
Update 10/15/09: Hector has been hospitalized twice now. His breathing is labored, and each time he had swallowed a lot of air, which had distended his stomach, making him extremely uncomfortable and causing him to stop eating. The vets were able to give him steroids and relaxants to reduce the inflammation and calm his breathing. They also keep him in an oxygen rich environment when he is at the clinic, so his body doesn’t have to work as hard to get the air he needs.
We have talked to a vet at UC Davis, and the total costs of a CT scan for Hector will run between $2000 and 2500. We would love for him to get these advanced diagnostics in hopes of finding a way of reversing his disease, but we are not wealthy people. Our boarding and Spa Day revenues help, but, like most small rescues, 90% of our costs come out of our own pocket. Any donations toward Hector’s CT scan would be greatly appreciated.
Update 9/10/09: Hector had his ultrasound on the 8th. The good news is, his heart is perfectly healthy! Hooray! The bad news is, we still don’t know what is causing his respiratory issues.
Our next option in diagnostics is a CAT scan at UC Davis. This will cost between $1000 and $1200, however, so we need some angels to step up for him to make it happen. If you can donate even a little, it helps us get that much closer to our goal.
Poor Hector! He was found by Hwy 101 and taken to the shelter back in Jan. of 2007. Filthy, flea-infested, and sporting lots of little nicks and scars, Hector was one tough looking bun!
He quickly rebounded from his misadventures to become the star of our adoption events- always the bunny on his back legs begging to be petted! But no one took him home, and after 6 months, the shelter asked if Friendly Farms would take him. We couldn’t abandon this sweet soul, and made room for him here, where he is still his friendly self, asking for strokes, eager to be a part of things, and hoping for a loving, forever home.
In October of 2008, he was having respiratory issues, so we took him in to see the vet. They took a nasal culture and prescribed 3 weeks of antibiotics. He did really well, so we thought that was the end of that.
A few months later, same problem. In to see the vet. A different antibiotic. Everything seemed fine.
Again, respiratory issues. X-rays. Another culture. Different antibiotics. Nebulizing. And now, no improvement.
Our vet thinks that the cause of his respiratory problems could be either cancer or heart disease. We can do some things to help him once we know what it is, but we need more diagnostics.
The next step is to see a veterinary cardiologist who will perform an ultrasound. This will cost over $300! We would love to help poor Hector be more comfortable, but need assistance with his medical bills. Can you help?
We had our first rabbit round up at the school in Salinas last night. We were able to catch 4 of the 5 bunnies who have been enjoying the school garden as their personal nightly dinner buffet. Two of the bunnies are adults, and probably the parents of the two juveniles. All of the rabbits are small; around 4 lbs. for the boys, maybe 4 1/2 for Lavender.
We are pleased to introduce to you:
SAGE
Update 9/20/09: Sage has been bonded with Donna, one of our sanctuary bunnies, and will live out his life here at Friendly Farms.
Update 6/7/09: Sage has been neutered and is ready to go home with a loving family. He would especially enjoy living with a compatible bunny girlfriend. Contact us here at Friendly Farms if you would like to meet Sage.
Sage is an adult male who is self-assured around humans. He may have been someone’s pet bunny at one time. He is very intelligent and quick, making him a difficult bunny to catch, which is surely how he managed to stay alive living on his own. Sage is likely to be the father of Thyme and Basil.
LAVENDER and THYME
Update 5/25/09: Lavender and Thyme have had their spay and neuter surgeries now, and are healing quickly. They are doing well with their litter box training, and are ready to move into a loving home! Contact us here at Friendly Farms if you are interested in adopting this charming pair.
Lavender is the lovely agouti girl on the left. She may be the mother of Thyme and Basil. She is not used to living with humans and is slowly learning to trust that hands can mean gentle strokes and good food.
Thyme is a young male, about 4 months old. He is also unused to human attention, and stays close to Lavender when people are around. He will need a quiet, safe home to become trusting.
BASIL
Update 9/20/09: Basil has been bonded with Dailey, one of our sanctuary bunnies, and is now a permanent resident of Friendly Farms.
Update 6/7/09: Basil has also been neutered now, and looking forward to moving into a forever home. He and the rest the Garden Gang are now used to living the house rabbit life, and enjoy taking ear rubs and getting their parsley and dandelion greens from human hands.
Basil is also a shy little boy, and most likely Thyme’s brother. He is spending a lot of time trying to make himself invisible right now, but he is quick to come out when fresh veggies are left in his cage. An apple or banana slice everyday will do a lot towards earning his trust!
Contact us here at Friendly Farms if you would like to adopt one or more of these wonderful rabbits. Donations towards their spay or neuters and other medical needs can be made to the Friendly Farms Medical Fund at the Avian and Exotic Clinic of the Monterey Peninsula.
A big thank you to Jessica, Farrah, Suzanne, and all of the other helpers we had at the round up! We appreciate your commitment to helping these bunnies move on to safe, loving homes.
Friendly Farms is currently assisting some bunnies who have taken up residence at a school in Salinas. We need donations for spaying and neutering these rabbits before they go to their forever homes. If you would like to help, please send contributions to the Friendly Farms Medical Fund at the Avian and Exotic Clinic of the Monterey Peninsula. They can take your credit card number over the phone, or a check sent by mail.
We will introduce the bunnies as we are able to catch them. Stay tuned!
Melinda and one of her darling babies share some veggies.
Melinda came to Friendly Farms in late May from the Salinas shelter. She delivered her babies 3 days later, and those furry little bundles of joy are growing fast!
We will have Melinda and her six babies at our adoption event at the Sand City Petsmart on July 12th. They will be available for adoption on the 19th. If you have been thinking of adding some rabbity fun to your family, this will be your chance to see if a baby bunny or two is right for your household!
