any guinea pig experts out there?
my 2 yr old pig is usually very skatty, jumps about, hates being picked up etc.
lately he has been so quiet, just sitting there, lets me pick him and he wines when i do. hes very skinny. ive been showing him lots of attention, feeding him personally and giving him little bowls of water which he is drinking.
anyone got any tips or ideas?
thanks
2006-10-15 22:03:21 · 16 answers · asked by kirsty 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Hi
THE weight loss is the most concerning since its accompanied by the behavior change...
There are so many things it could be.. Unfortunately for both of you most of them are not good, but many are treatable.
I urge you to go to the VET. Your Pig is obvioulsy in pain and when yo pick him up it makes it worse..
If it were me Id get into a VET as soon as possible.. Make sure it s a vet familiar with Guinea Pigs.
Poor thing.. must be feeling quite badly...
Good Luck
Wismom
2006-10-15 22:23:42 · answer #1 · answered by Wismom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Need to see a vet. It could be anything from malnutrition to some kind of infection, or internal parasites. It's teeth could be to long to eat right. The right foods are very, very important to the piggies health. Get it to a vet and study the web below. A warning though, once their system shuts down there is no recovery for them, they will slowly starve to death. It's not good to use bowls for water unless you change it 2 or 3 times a day. They have to have an unlimited supply of timothy hay, and a sufficient supply of veggies with high vitamin C content. It could be problems with it's bedding, or cleanliness of it's cage. Many things.
My piggies are all over 6 years old and healthy.
2006-10-16 04:47:48 · answer #2 · answered by Who am I? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not that you need to be told this again it seems, but;
A loss in weight and dehydration means that your cavy is not eating. A loss in appetite is a clear sign that there is something wrong, most likely an infection. If you get your pig to the vet asap then s/he wont be 'on the way out' as one idiot has just said, as piggies live upto 6/7/8 years!
Get to the vet as soon as and you should be OK.
I would also recommend, as somebody else has said, getting another pig - as they are very sociable and will get lonely. Would recommend same sex unless you want lots and lots of babies!
2006-10-16 08:54:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A change in behaviour which is accompanied with drastic weight loss needs to be investigated fast....2 years is not ancient for a guinea pig...mine lasted 5 and 6 years...but they both went very skinny and lethargic towards the latter stages of their little lives..give your vet a call and get your gp checked over...good luck
2006-10-15 22:18:17 · answer #4 · answered by widow_purple 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's always a good idea to take a trip to the vet with animals that show changes in weight etc. Also remember that Guinea pigs are NOT allowed antibiotics, sadly one or two vets forget this fact. As long as you mention that you've heard this somewhere, it reminds them in a polite way. I do hope that the vet helps, it often isn't as bad as we think. I was always taking the school one to the vet (who didn't charge as it was a child's/children's pet, and was very small.)
2006-10-16 06:10:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the weight loss is a big concern. Is he getting enough of the appropriate vitamins? Try guinealynx.com. This website is very helpful with guinea pig health problems.
ALso, I would consult a vet. He is only 2 years old, so he shouldn'tbe having any old-age problems since he is still young
2006-10-16 01:52:05 · answer #6 · answered by iloveeeyore 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he is skinny, I would take him to the vet - he might have some problem. Not sure about the whineing - guinea pigs squeak when they are happy and contented, so if it's a sort of "eek eeek eek" noise, then he is happy - a bit like a cat purring when it sits on your lap. My guinea pig used to make that noise when I walked up to her cage! Go to the vets just to be safe - make sure you give him plenty of fresh veg and seeds (they love carrot for example) - and lay off the rabbit pellets as they can dehydrate them and cause kidney damage if you feed them nothing but - hope that helps - good luck - eek eek!
2006-10-15 22:12:40 · answer #7 · answered by Miss Behavin 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your guinea pig definately needs a friend for company it is very likeley a single pig on its own will be loneley and miserable its best to keep two together also make sure your pig gets plenty of exercise in an enclosure hope this helps
2006-10-16 06:00:07 · answer #8 · answered by claire k 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Make sure your guinea pig has plenty of vitamin c in his diet, as he cannot produce it by himself and will become unwell without it. But I would seek the attention of a vet for such a major peronality change.
2006-10-15 22:25:20 · answer #9 · answered by Free Range Human 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Gday, looks like the warmth might desire to have have been given to her, ensure you maintain her heat and get her too a vet asap because it appears that evidently like a digestive concern she might desire to have some thing caught in her bowel or urine song as she is has hind leg issues, each and every of the terrific, intense high quality to pay attention you care
2016-10-02 08:31:02 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋