Guinea pig acting weird

[Edden]

Hello, I have two male guinea pigs, Boby and Moby. I’ve had them for about about two years and they have always gotten along. Boby is the older piggie and absolutely adores food! He’s always very enthusiastic about eating and evens gives us kisses! Anyway, recently I got a female piggie, Mimi, who’s only 6 months. I introduced her to them however I have kept them separate. They all seem to get along and never faought during the introduction. However, it’s been about 3 days since I brought Mimi and Boby has started acting different. He doesn’t eat any of his veggies anymore(lettuce and celery which he loves) and only eats his hay and pellets now Moby is still eating but not much. I’m starting to worry now because Boby has also been getting lazier. He’s always been lazy but he would get excited but now he just lays down all day. Please let me know what I can as soon as possible

 

[Siikibam]

Hmmm I can’t say I have a clue what’s going on. Are you sure they weren’t acting odd before you brought Mimi home? I think pigs get lazier as they get older, but not entirely sure. @Wiebke is a fountain of wisdom regarding pigs and will surely be able to answer your question.

One thing I would say is please don’t put Mini near Boby and Moby. The pheromones alone could cause a fight between them. And are they both neutered? Just that you said you introduced her to the two of them. If you plan to put them all together later, please bear in mind you can only have one boar per herd.

Someone should be along later to answer your question re their changed eating habits. Pigtures always welcome

 

[Edden]

Hmmm I can’t say I have a clue what’s going on. Are you sure they weren’t acting odd before you brought Mimi home? I think pigs get lazier as they get older, but not entirely sure. @Wiebke is a fountain of wisdom regarding pigs and will surely be able to answer your question.

One thing I would say is please don’t put Mini near Boby and Moby. The pheromones alone could cause a fight between them. And are they both neutered? Just that you said you introduced her to the two of them. If you plan to put them all together later, please bear in mind you can only have one boar per herd.

Someone should be along later to answer your question re their changed eating habits. Pigtures always welcome

Thank you so much! I only put them together for about an hour every day and they seem to get along just fine. I’m always with them to watch over in case of fights but they seem okay. Also, neither Boby or Moby are neutered but it would probably be a good idea! Thanks again and I will check out the website you suggested

 

[Edden]

Hmmm I can’t say I have a clue what’s going on. Are you sure they weren’t acting odd before you brought Mimi home? I think pigs get lazier as they get older, but not entirely sure. @Wiebke is a fountain of wisdom regarding pigs and will surely be able to answer your question.

One thing I would say is please don’t put Mini near Boby and Moby. The pheromones alone could cause a fight between them. And are they both neutered? Just that you said you introduced her to the two of them. If you plan to put them all together later, please bear in mind you can only have one boar per herd.

Someone should be along later to answer your question re their changed eating habits. Pigtures always welcome

Here are my little piggies the brown and white one is Boby, black and white is Moby, and the gray/creme is Mimi. Also, could the behavior change be caused by stress? I put Boby alone for a while and he started eating lettuce again, so could that be why? If so, how can I help him with it?

 

[Lady Kelly]

Please do not mix your males with your female at all. It's takes seconds for a female to get pregnant and trying to separate "mid act" to prevent pregnancy could cause serious damage to your males. As a forum we prohibit discussion of intentional breeding which you are doing (you might not be planning a pregnancy but by doing what you are doing you are guaranteeing one).

 

[DM030819]

@Edden As a rescue friendly forum we do not condone intentional breeding so please keep your pigs separated until you neuter or spay them.

It takes seconds so your girl is likely to be pregnant already.

As for the changed eating habits it could be because of the confusion you are causing in their hierarchy. Adding and removing a pig to their structure means that they have to reassess the hierarchy each time.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, I have two male guinea pigs, Boby and Moby. I’ve had them for about about two years and they have always gotten along. Boby is the older piggie and absolutely adores food! He’s always very enthusiastic about eating and evens gives us kisses! Anyway, recently I got a female piggie, Mimi, who’s only 6 months. I introduced her to them however I have kept them separate. They all seem to get along and never faought during the introduction. However, it’s been about 3 days since I brought Mimi and Boby has started acting different. He doesn’t eat any of his veggies anymore(lettuce and celery which he loves) and only eats his hay and pellets now Moby is still eating but not much. I’m starting to worry now because Boby has also been getting lazier. He’s always been lazy but he would get excited but now he just lays down all day. Please let me know what I can as soon as possible

Hi and welcome

Please NEVER mix sows and unneutered boars for any length of time! NEVER mix sows with bonded boars in the first place, either.
Babies can happen within seconds, and much faster that you can interfere. I hope that you are aware that 20-25% of all pregnancies end with the death of babies and/or the mother? Is that a risk that you REALLY want to take? In any case, you have to put your sow on a 10 weeks pregnancy watch and count yourself lucky if she turns out to have escaped. You can have a look through our pregnancy section and see with how many deaths and tragedies it is littered - even in the best cared for piggies!
You will have to read up on our pregnancy information, so you know what you have to do and look out for: Pregnancy & Baby Care Guide

Guinea pigs don't do playtime; for them it is always bonding time, and VERY frustrating and depressing when they are separated again all the time. Please keep them separate from now on. Your girl will need either another sow or an over 6 weeks post-op neutered/de-sexed boar for company.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Have you conducted a quarantine with your new girl?
Please see a vet promptly - loss of appetite and leathargy are red alarm signs!
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Make sure that your piggies are not overheated in the summer weather.
Hot weather management and heat strokes

 

[Edden]

Please do not mix your males with your female at all. It's takes seconds for a female to get pregnant and trying to separate "mid act" to prevent pregnancy could cause serious damage to your males. As a forum we prohibit discussion of intentional breeding which you are doing (you might not be planning a pregnancy but by doing what you are doing you are guaranteeing one).

Thank you I have separated them. I did not know they had to be separated but I did. Since I have they have gone back to normal and have started eating again. Thanks for letting me know and should I take Mimi to the vet to see if she is pregnant?

 

[Edden]

Hi and welcome

Please NEVER mix sows and unneutered boars for any length of time! NEVER mix sows with bonded boars in the first place, either.
Babies can happen within seconds, and much faster that you can interfere. I hope that you are aware that 20-25% of all pregnancies end with the death of babies and/or the mother? Is that a risk that you REALLY want to take? In any case, you have to put your sow on a 10 weeks pregnancy watch and count yourself lucky if she turns out to have escaped. You can have a look through our pregnancy section and see with how many deaths and tragedies it is littered - even in the best cared for piggies!
You will have to read up on our pregnancy information, so you know what you have to do and look out for: Pregnancy & Baby Care Guide

Guinea pigs don't do playtime; for them it is always bonding time, and VERY frustrating and depressing when they are separated again all the time. Please keep them separate from now on. Your girl will need either another sow or an over 6 weeks post-op neutered/de-sexed boar for company.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Have you conducted a quarantine with your new girl?
Please see a vet promptly - loss of appetite and leathargy are red alarm signs!
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Make sure that your piggies are not overheated in the summer weather.
Hot weather management and heat strokes

Oh okay thank you! I have ever had male Guinean pigs and I tried to read as much as I could about females before I got one. I have separated them and now Mimi has her own place. I will take her to the vet as soon as possible thank you again for the information

 

[Edden]

@Edden As a rescue friendly forum we do not condone intentional breeding so please keep your pigs separated until you neuter or spay them.

It takes seconds so your girl is likely to be pregnant already.

As for the changed eating habits it could be because of the confusion you are causing in their hierarchy. Adding and removing a pig to their structure means that they have to reassess the hierarchy each time.

Thank you. I have separated them but how do I get them neutered?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I have separated them but how do I get them neutered?

Hi! Please be aware that keeping two neutered boars with a sow (or two) is a recipe for disaster, latest when she comes into season. Neutering only takes away the ability to make babies, but it does not impact on social behaviours and you also have to factor in a full 6 weeks post-op wait until they are safe to go with sows.

You can have one neutered boar with any number of sows, but you cannot have any number of (de-sexed) boars with sows unless you have got oodles of space (basically a dedicated room they can move in freely).

Here is our neutering guide, which looks at all aspects around the issue. Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts

In your case, I would also strongly recommend to wait and see whether your girl is pregnant or not. That can change the whole issue again. But with more than one boar in the picture, you have to say goodbye to having just one happy piggy group. It works in rare cases; usually you are left to pick up the pieces from the ensuing disaster.

 

[Edden]

Hi! Please be aware that keeping two neutered boars with a sow (or two) is a recipe for disaster, latest when she comes into season. Neutering only takes away the ability to make babies, but it does not impact on social behaviours and you also have to factor in a full 6 weeks post-op wait until they are safe to go with sows.

You can have one neutered boar with any number of sows, but you cannot have any number of (de-sexed) boars with sows unless you have got oodles of space (basically a dedicated room they can move in freely).

Here is our neutering guide, which looks at all aspects around the issue. Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts

In your case, I would also strongly recommend to wait and see whether your girl is pregnant or not. That can change the whole issue again. But with more than one boar in the picture, you have to say goodbye to having just one happy piggy group. It works in rare cases; usually you are left to pick up the pieces from the ensuing disaster.

So I should keep them separated but not neuter the boys yet? I’ll take Mimi to the vet today to see if she is pregnant but does that mean I can’t Neuter Moby and Boby? Also, do you recommend getting another female for Mimi so she is not alone?

 

[Wiebke]

So I should keep them separated but not neuter the boys yet? I’ll take Mimi to the vet today to see if she is pregnant but does that mean I can’t Neuter Moby and Boby? Also, do you recommend getting another female for Mimi so she is not alone?

You can neuter your boys if you wish to - just as long as you do not expect them to get on better or be able to live together as a pair with a sow or two.

Please read the pregnancy information. A vet can realiably diagnose a pregnancy only in the last third (ca. 7 weeks) when the embryos are developed enough to show up clearly on a scan or x-ray; that is about the same time you should notice signs of a pregnancy. Before that, it is far to easy to mistake inner organs for embryos; we have seen that often enough! A first-time pregnancy lasts for around 10 weeks.
We have also included picture from scans and x-rays in our information pack. Our pregnancy and baby guides have been specifically written for owners with no experience and are very practical and step-by-step.

You are welcome to ask any questions you may have or that have come up while you have been reading the information pack. It has taken me days to write it; I can't repeat it all for everybody all the time, please respect that.
You are facing a rather steep learning curve; take the time to work through all the information. Concentrate firstly on your piggies' health before you start planning for the medium or longer future.

Your sow can live with any daughters of hers, a new introduced sow or one neutered boar. The best place to find a new mate of her choosing would be a good standard rescue where you can be sure that you you only adopt any healthy/fully quarantined/vet treated piggies that are properly sexed and guaranteed not pregnant and whose personalities are also taken into account. Mutual liking and character compatibility are the key to any successful piggy bond. Shops and breeders just can provide that; a good rescue you get a lot more service for total peace of mind and avoid neatly all the problems that await the unwary. Please be aware that anybody can call themselves a rescue in English speaking countries without licensing and control, and the results can be accordingly. here are links to rescues in several countries that we can guarantee for:
Recommended good standard rescues UK: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

Please keep your existing boar pair as it is; for the sake of their wellbeing. When it comes to boars, the rule is that two boars are best and that you do not break what is not broken because they are most fragile of all piggy bonds.

 

[Edden]

You can neuter your boys if you wish to - just as long as you do not expect them to get on better or be able to live together with a sow.

Please read the pregnancy information. A vet can realiably diagnose a pregnancy only in the last third (ca. 7 weeks) when the embryos are developed enough to show up clearly on a scan or x-ray; that is about the same time you should notice signs of a pregnancy. Before that, it is far to easy to mistake inner organs for embryos; we have seen that often enough! A first-time pregnancy lasts for around 10 weeks.
We have also included picture from scans and x-rays in our information pack. Our pregnancy and baby guides have been specifically written for owners with no experience and are very practical and step-by-step.

You are welcome to ask any questions you may have or that have come up while you have been reading the information pack. It has taken me days to write it; I can't repeat it all for everybody all the time, please respect that.
You are facing a rather steep learning curve; take the time to work through all the information. Concentrate firstly on your piggies' health before you start planning for the medium or longer future.

Your sow can live with any daughters of hers, a new introduced sow or one neutered boar. The best place to find a new mate of her choosing would be a good standard rescue where you can be sure that you you only adopt any healthy/fully quarantined/vet treated piggies that are properly sexed and guaranteed not pregnant and whose personalities are also taken into account. Mutual liking and character compatibility are the key to any successful piggy bond. Shops and breeders just can provide that; a good rescue you get a lot more service for total peace of mind and avoid neatly all the problems that await the unwary. Please be aware that anybody can call themselves a rescue in English speaking countries without licensing and control, and the results can be accordingly. here are links to rescues in several countries that we can guarantee for:
Recommended good standard rescues UK: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

Please keep your existing boar pair as it is; for the sake of their wellbeing. When it comes to boars, the rule is that two boars are best and that you do not break what is not broken because they are most fragile of all piggy bonds.

Okay thank you so much for all your help!