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Fur Puffed Up- Sick Piggy?

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Amandanicole160

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Hello!

I’ve had my sweet Daisy Mae since last June and last night I noticed her very puffed up, facing the corner, and being stubborn. She’s estimated to be about 8 months old. I recently added a new piggy with her a few weeks ago, but they seem to be getting along well.

I thought last night that this puffy fur may be a part of a dominance thing, now that the other piggy probably feels more comfortable since being here for a few weeks, but it’s continuing even when I hold Daisy Mae on her own (we have regular snuggle sessions, so she’s comfortable with this!). She’s been super clingy when I hold her and making small chirps which doesn’t happen often. She remains puffed up and won’t sprawl out all of the way. She is drinking fine and seemed to be eating okay last night. Do you think she’s sick or is this still part of the fight for dominance?

I will definitely take her to the vet ASAP if there’s any question of her being sick, but I want to get other opinions.

Thanks!
 
Amandanicole160 said:
Hello!

I’ve had my sweet Daisy Mae since last June and last night I noticed her very puffed up, facing the corner, and being stubborn. She’s estimated to be about 8 months old. I recently added a new piggy with her a few weeks ago, but they seem to be getting along well.

I thought last night that this puffy fur may be a part of a dominance thing, now that the other piggy probably feels more comfortable since being here for a few weeks, but it’s continuing even when I hold Daisy Mae on her own (we have regular snuggle sessions, so she’s comfortable with this!). She’s been super clingy when I hold her and making small chirps which doesn’t happen often. She remains puffed up and won’t sprawl out all of the way. She is drinking fine and seemed to be eating okay last night. Do you think she’s sick or is this still part of the fight for dominance?

I will definitely take her to the vet ASAP if there’s any question of her being sick, but I want to get other opinions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Puffing up and looking at the wall is a sign that a guinea pig is not well at all. With puffing up and hunching, the pain is located somewhere in her body.

Please see a vet promptly, latest tomorrow.

Switch from weighing weekly as part of the regular health check to weighing daily at the same time, like before their breakfast or dinner. Step in with adding fibrous syringe feed as keeping the guts going is vital. You can use mushed up pellets in an emergency, but you need to prep the syringe tip as shown in the guide. Just watching a piggy nibble on a little food or chewing on crud can be very deceptive, especially as hay is making around or over 80% of the daily food intake, which you cannot control any other way.
Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding
Early Signs Of Illness
 
Thank you for your quick response! It turns out she was impacted. After my family fostered guinea pigs for 12+ years, I was super familiar with this and did the necessary syringe process with warm water/mineral oils and squeezed the rest out (yuck!). I’ll be sure to keep a close eye on her. She already looks better, but I will most likely bring her to the vet just to be sure.
 
Yes, please do!

Guinea pigs on a hay based diet should normally not suffer from impaction/constipation. Have you checked for bloat, blockage or GI stasis? The procedure you are doing is no longer recommended.

How much hay are you feeding? What are your pellets and how much what veg do you feed?
 
There is constant hay offered (Kaylee Timothy Hay) and the pellets are Oxbow young guinea pig food. Veggies are romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, and spring mix. Occasionally they’ll have a tomato slice, carrots, peppers, parsley, or a banana slice. I’m at the emergency vet now and she’s getting checked out. My gut told me to bring the poor pigster!
 
They put her on Baytril for the next week or so and kept her for a little while for fluids under the skin. She had a slight fever but already seems a little better today with the antibiotics! Her poop is coming out normally, just a little lighter than usual. Good thing the meds taste good because that helps to make the syringe being put in her mouth a little less bothersome :)

Thank you!
 
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