We reached our goal!

We raised $366 this month!
We far surpassed our goal!

So far we've raised enough to pay for three months of Misha's bedding, three vet visits, three months of Destin and three months of hay and three months of veggies! (And now an extra month of veggies and bedding!)

Thank you so much to everyone who has fallen in love with this special little girl.

NEW: Sponsor a Guinea Pig is now on Facebook! Please friend SAGP and all the piggies. And now we're on Twitter too!

APRIL'S PIG OF THE MONTH-Misha!

Meet Misha
from the MD rescue
Small Angels!

Misha is a beautiful Pink Eyed White peruvian guinea pig with a very sad story. She came to the rescue from ae local animal rescue where her (at least) second owner had turned her in because she was moving. This owner found Misha at a yard sale, where she was discarded on a table of other unwanted items.

Since Sponsor a Guinea Pig has been doing so well with its fundraising, I thought we would aim high for this precious girl. Our fundraising goal for this month is $291, our most ambitious goal yet. This goal would pay for three months of Misha's monthly needs: a $20 vet visit, $40 in bedding, $15 in hay, $15 in veggies, and $7 for a tube of Destin each month so she doesn't get urine scald. If we don't meet our goal, any amount will help. And remember, Sponsor a Guinea Pig is Where a Dollar Makes a Difference!

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It's a miracle Misha doesn't have a longer list of medical requirements. Misha had a severe urinary tract infection, cysts, and liver damage. Fortunately, the UTI cleared up with antibiotics, but those antibiotics caused her to stop eating and lose weight. Misha relied on the hand feeding of Small Angels fosters in order to recover. In addition, she has cysts on her side which are being observed and may need to be removed in the future. This will cause further financial strain to the rescue (and strain to Misha). The vet is delaying the procedure because of her poor health.



Misha's liver damage causes her to drink excessively, leading to excessive urination and incontinence. As a result, Misha's cage has to be cleaned every other day, leading to great expense for the rescue. Misha must be kept partly shaved and have an ointment applied daily to ensure she does not get urine scald.

Despite Misha's sad story, and poor health, she remains lively, active, and a joy to be around in the rescue-truly one of the pigs that remind rescuers why they began rescuing in the first place, and why this fundraising program exists. Plus, have you seen that adorable photo of her with the ponytail?

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Please send checks with memo "Misha-SAGP" to

Small Angels Rescue

7501 Mayfair Ct.

Mt. Airy, MD 21771

(To donate by another method, please email sponsoraguineapig@gmail.com)

FINAL UPDATE FOR THISTLE CAVIES

We Reached Our Goal!
Sponsor a Guinea Pig has raised £235.11 or $324.14!

Thank you so much to everyone who has made this month so successful--
What a wonderful way to honor the loss of Yetti.
Though so much is beyond our control,
people are willing to make a difference about what is within our control.


And look at this adorable photo of Josh that Wendi, the director of Thistle Cavies sent me:

Yetti's memoriam post can be found here,
including some adorable photos of him as a baby.

A sad announcement

I am devastated to write to you with some very sad news. Yetti has passed away because of heart issues. I know that with fundraising for special needs pigs this would always be a risk, but I am just so forlorn about this loss. I think any condolences sent to Wendi's way would be much welcome-she is the director of Thistle Cavies where Yetti received such amazing care. Here are some photos of Yetti when he was just six months old.




For those wondering, Josh is coping really well, and the rescue is going to pair him with a friend right away so he doesn't suffer from depression.

Heart issues are incredibly common in pigs-some basic signs of a heart pig are belly pigs, lap pigs, hooters, frequent URIs, crusty eyes, lethargy, and pigs that are easy to pick up. I would really encourage any pig owner to read the following link: GUINEA LYNX-HEART ISSUES: for information about how to treat a pig with potential heart issues.

I'm so sorry to Josh, the rescue, and to all readers of the site for the loss. I know we all grow really attached to these little guys. I'm going to keep you updated with additional news, and please write sponsoraguineapig@gmail.com with any questions. At the moment I am only able to check my internet weekly, so I apologize for any delay in reply.

Edit: here are some more photos of Yetti from when he was a very young boy, with his brothers. Adorable from day one:

MARCH'S PIGS OF THE MONTH-Josh and Yetti!

Meet Josh and Yetti

from the Scottish Rescue

Thistle Cavies!

Josh and Yetti are just two of 15 special needs piggies at Thistle Cavies, and they are the best of buds. Josh is 6.5 years old and has been with the rescue for 3 and a half years. Yetti is a white rex who developed heart problems about 18 months ago, at the same as Josh, who had already suffered from a host of other medical problems.

We'd like to fundraise enough to pay for the expensive dental growth removal (£45.oo or $62.04), six weeks worth of medication: Fortekor (£22.50 or $31.02), Frusemide (£2.20 or $3.03), Rimadyl (£18.30 or $25.23) and Critical Care (£29.29 or $40.38), as well as two additional packages of Critical Care for the boys 2x(£29.29 or $40.38). This is for a total of £175.87 or ~$242.46, using an exchange rate of £1:$1.37864 as of 3/09/2009.

Please see donation links at bottom of entry!

Prior to his heart issues, Josh required extensive surgery for a jawbone abscess shortly after his arrival. An infection had eaten away part of his jawbone and part of his jaw had to be removed, as well as one of his bottom incisors. Despite the most meticulous of care the rescue feared they might lose Josh, and for two months his recovery seemed unsure. But eventually he started putting on weight, and never looked back!

Now his surgery site needs to be maintained with regular procedures, but Josh is the definition of a patient piggy. He is a calm sweetheart who loves being syringefed, despite his mouth issues. He is also a super cuddle piggy who just snuggles into you as soon as he's picked up.

Yetti is his best friend, and the two simply can't be separated. Yetti's heart issues make him a candidate for Sponsor a Guinea Pig alone, but with the close bond they have it's doubtful Yetti would let Josh go on without him anyway! We hope to help ease the financial burden of this small, home based rescue by fundraising for part of their care, just as the medications will be easing the physical burden on these small boys' dear hearts.

To donate in US dollars:

To donate in Sterling Pounds: