Hello my Guinea pig Johnny is around 4 years old today he’s refused his vegetables(lettuce and carrots) which he usually eats every other day. But he also has been walking funny like hopping with his back legs and I don’t know what to do.
Hi!
Please have him vet checked asap if at all possible. As neither carrots or lettuce are high in vitamin C and unless the diet is regularly supplemented by fresh grass (which is high in vitamin C), the hopping could be a sign of scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) but it could equally be caused by a pain issue (bladder stone, digestive problem, arthritis, accident etc). One of my adult adoptees is suffering from underdeveloped muscles at the back and part of his mouth from having been kept in too small a cage on a carrot and lettuce diet and was hopping because of that on arrival.
However, only a vet can decide what is the matter after a thorough hands-on examination. Please accept that we can only tell you when and how quickly you should see a vet; we cannot replace a necessary vet visit, diagnose online (nobody can do that!) or replace any necessary medical treatment. We can only support you on the home care side after a proper diagnosis.
Please switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time to monitor the food intake (the only way you can control the hay intake, which should make 80% of what a piggy eats) to find out whether your piggy is still eating normally , reduced or not at on his own.
Do not start panic feeding lots of fresh foods on an unprepared gut; you will end up with the mother of all tummy upsets or bloat! Any changes need to be made carefully in small quantities at first to give the gut microbiome time to adapt. Ideally you start with fresh herbs because they pack a lot of vitamin C, minerals and trace elements but are not bulk if you piggy is still eating on their own.
Please sep in with further feeding support measures as needed (syringe feeding etc. if you are dealing with weight loss/loss of appetite). The emergency guide link below tells you how you can improvise short term.
Take the time to read these very helpful information and resource guides here:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Accessing veterinary care during coronavirus/Covid-19 lockdown
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
