Crunched Up In A Corner All Day!

[winniethepooh]

My older guinea pig, Jake, is always teeth chattering around Winnie, the younger one, and always chases him around.
Now, Winnie stays in a corner all day and I don't think he's eating. He even poops and pees there and just stays there. I think it has something to do with Jake chasing him around all day. Maybe he's afraid of Jake. Also, Winnie used to be so tame and take vegis out of my hand but now I have to set it in front of him because he won't take it and he still won't eat it!
Help me!

 

[Wiebke]

My older guinea pig, Jake, is always teeth chattering around Winnie, the younger one, and always chases him around.
Now, Winnie stays in a corner all day and I don't think he's eating. He even poops and pees there and just stays there. I think it has something to do with Jake chasing him around all day. Maybe he's afraid of Jake. Also, Winnie used to be so tame and take vegis out of my hand but now I have to set it in front of him because he won't take it and he still won't eat it!
Help me!

Hi!
Please start weighing Winnie daily instead of weekly. If he has lost or is losing more than 50g/2 oz in a matter of days he needs to see a vet. Cheap kitchen scales will do; if you haven;t got any at home, you'll find them in any supermarket.

Also make sure that you step in with offering additional syringe feed; not just water but also fibre. In an emergency, you can feed mushed up pellets and offer some water. Get a needle-less 1 ml syringe from a pharmacy and cut off the syringe tip as shown in our syringe feeding guide to allow fibre to come through. Over 80% of the daily food intake is hay, and you cannot control the intake simply by watching a piggy nibbling at some veg. It is absolutely vital that you keep the guts going until you can see a vet and until any treatment is kicking in.
Locking themselves into a corner and stopping to eat are symptoms that should not be taken lightly and not be put off for very long.

How old are your boys? Can you try an overnight separation? If Winnie is suddenly perking up and eating again when he is away from his mate, then he is not ill, but bullied. But it is important to always check the health angle, too, as bulling can be both the cause and the result of illness.


Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[winniethepooh]

Hi!
Please start weighing Winnie daily instead of weekly. If he has lost or is losing more than 50g/2 oz in a matter of days he needs to see a vet. Cheap kitchen scales will do; if you haven;t got any at home, you'll find them in any supermarket.

Also make sure that you step in with offering additional syringe feed; not just water but also fibre. In an emergency, you can feed mushed up pellets and offer some water. Get a needle-less 1 ml syringe from a pharmacy and cut off the syringe tip as shown in our syringe feeding guide to allow fibre to come through. Over 80% of the daily food intake is hay, and you cannot control the intake simply by watching a piggy nibbling at some veg. It is absolutely vital that you keep the guts going until you can see a vet and until any treatment is kicking in.
Locking themselves into a corner and stopping to eat are symptoms that should not be taken lightly and not be put off for very long.

How old are your boys? Can you try an overnight separation? If Winnie is suddenly perking up and eating again when he is away from his mate, then he is not ill, but bullied. But it is important to always check the health angle, too, as bulling can be both the cause and the result of illness.


Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Would it be okay if I put two grids to divide the cage so they can still see each other but be able to not get to each other?
Winnie is 1 and Jake is 2.

 

[winniethepooh]

Hi!
Please start weighing Winnie daily instead of weekly. If he has lost or is losing more than 50g/2 oz in a matter of days he needs to see a vet. Cheap kitchen scales will do; if you haven;t got any at home, you'll find them in any supermarket.

Also make sure that you step in with offering additional syringe feed; not just water but also fibre. In an emergency, you can feed mushed up pellets and offer some water. Get a needle-less 1 ml syringe from a pharmacy and cut off the syringe tip as shown in our syringe feeding guide to allow fibre to come through. Over 80% of the daily food intake is hay, and you cannot control the intake simply by watching a piggy nibbling at some veg. It is absolutely vital that you keep the guts going until you can see a vet and until any treatment is kicking in.
Locking themselves into a corner and stopping to eat are symptoms that should not be taken lightly and not be put off for very long.

How old are your boys? Can you try an overnight separation? If Winnie is suddenly perking up and eating again when he is away from his mate, then he is not ill, but bullied. But it is important to always check the health angle, too, as bulling can be both the cause and the result of illness.


Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

I also did a floortime for Winnie and he was all happy and popcorning but when I put him back in the cage with Jake, he seemed to go back to that corner and stay crunched up there. I think he might be bullied by Jake.

 

[Wiebke]

Would it be okay if I put two grids to divide the cage so they can still see each other but be able to not get to each other?
Winnie is 1 and Jake is 2.

Yes, please do. With these ages, illness is much more likely than teenage bullying. Please see a vet tomorrow. But it is worth to check on the bullying angle, especially if Winnie is lively in between.

 

[winniethepooh]

Yes, please do. With these ages, illness is much more likely than teenage bullying. Please see a vet tomorrow. But it is worth to check on the bullying angle, especially if Winnie is lively in between.

Just separated the cage. Winnie is exploring and just took vegis out my hand! Jake doesn't seem to happy about it though, he is pushing the grids and fleece trying to get to Win Win!

 

[Wiebke]

Just separated the cage. Winnie is exploring and just took vegis out my hand! Jake doesn't seem to happy about it though, he is pushing the grids and fleece trying to get to Win Win!

If Winnie is a lot happier and livelier as soon as he is not living directly with Jake, then I would consider keeping them as a 'can't live together but can't live apart' bonded pair with round the clock interaction through the bars. A number of our members is keeping their boar pairs that way. Some are still able to share roaming and lawn time; others don't.

 

[Nanny chicken]

Hi, sorry to butt in but I have a similar issue. I adopted an unneutered boar on Sunday, it wasn't planned I was drawn to a pet shop and there he was, up for adoption. He has several things to hide/play in, snuggle cup, chew toys etc. He is eating well but not drinking and he stays in his little house. He is pooping all over the place so I know he does come out. He hasn't wheeked at all, he rumbled a bit when I was holding him today. He is on his own currently, I'm looking for another boar to keep him company.
Is his behaviour normal because of coming to a new home? Is it because he is alone? Any advice please.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, sorry to butt in but I have a similar issue. I adopted an unneutered boar on Sunday, it wasn't planned I was drawn to a pet shop and there he was, up for adoption. He has several things to hide/play in, snuggle cup, chew toys etc. He is eating well but not drinking and he stays in his little house. He is pooping all over the place so I know he does come out. He hasn't wheeked at all, he rumbled a bit when I was holding him today. He is on his own currently, I'm looking for another boar to keep him company.
Is his behaviour normal because of coming to a new home? Is it because he is alone? Any advice please.

Hi! Can you please start a new thread in the new owners's section. It is considered rather bad etiquette to take over an existing thread; especially as your problem is NOT a health problem. You are dealing with a guinea pig that is feeling very lost in new and frightening surroundings without any company of their own.

Please take the time to read these guides here, so you understand what your are up against and what you can do to settle him in gently and with understanding of trigger-happy prey animal instincts he is currently running on.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Companionship
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics