guinea pig depression?!

[saeedeh]

hey everyone.i have a female 8 months old piggie and a 3 months old female who i recently welcomed home and bonded the two. it's been 15 days since they are together and i've noticed my older piggie is not as happy as before.she eats and drinks well.i recently had them treated for lice. she is fine but she seems sad all the time.it's like she is in 'deep thoughts' ! just like a human ! i dont know how to explain this.something is just off about her.she's been eating alfalfa and i've noticed a few times she has white pee.i'm switching to grass hay for now.plus the other day when i took them to vet for lice treatment the vet hold them up by neck ! is this ok to lift them this way ?!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Alfalfa hay is high in calcium and shouldn’t be fed to piggies (other than pregnant sows and nursing babies but even then it should only be in small amounts). Switching permanently to grass hay is a good move. Keep an eye on the white pee and if it becomes gritty, then see a vet.
No don’t hold them that way. They always need to be fully supported when being picked up.
As for her not being herself, It is easy to misinterpret behaviours - might it be that she is simply contented? If you are concerned about her health at all, then a vet check is always a good idea.

 

[saeedeh]

wow ...that stupid vet told me not to worry about the kind of hay the eat ! i'm never going back there.thank you so much

Alfalfa hay is high in calcium and shouldn’t be fed to piggies (other than pregnant sows and nursing babies but even then it should only be in small amounts). Switching to grass permanently hay is a good move. Keep an eye on the white pee and if it becomes gritty, then see a vet.
No don’t hold them that way. They always need to be fully supported when being picked up.
As for her not being herself, It is easy to misinterpret behaviours - might it be that she is simply contented? If you are concerned about her health at all, then a vet check is always a good idea.

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[Piggies&buns]

wow ...that stupid vet told me not to worry about the kind of hay the eat ! i'm never going back there.thank you so much

Oh dear, doesn’t sound like your vet has specific piggy knowledge. Timothy hay or meadow hay are best to be fed to them. Don’t use Timothy as bedding (meadow hay is best for bedding) as it is too sharp. Best to use Timothy in hay racks to avoid eye pokes

 

[Wiebke]

hey everyone.i have a female 8 months old piggie and a 3 months old female who i recently welcomed home and bonded the two. it's been 15 days since they are together and i've noticed my older piggie is not as happy as before.she eats and drinks well.i recently had them treated for lice. she is fine but she seems sad all the time.it's like she is in 'deep thoughts' ! just like a human ! i dont know how to explain this.something is just off about her.she's been eating alfalfa and i've noticed a few times she has white pee.i'm switching to grass hay for now.plus the other day when i took them to vet for lice treatment the vet hold them up by neck ! is this ok to lift them this way ?!

Hi!

It is not OK to lift a guinea pig by the neck at all! your vet could have easily injured your piggies. Like with babies chest and bum should always be supported during a hands-on pick up.

Has your vet checked for potential bladder stones as alfalfa hay is very rich in calcium and can majorly contribute to the formation of them them. Your sow is likely rather in discomfort than depressed.

 

[saeedeh]

Hi!

It is not OK to lift a guinea pig by the neck at all! your vet could have easily injured your piggies. Like with babies chest and bum should always be supported during a hands-on pick up.

Has your vet checked for potential bladder stones as alfalfa hay is very rich in calcium and can majorly contribute to the formation of them them. Your sow is likely rather in discomfort than depressed.

I will take them to another vet.she didn't even do a full check up ! i dont know why i didnt say anything...i am so angry at myself now...why did i let her lift them by neck ! why did i not say anything
I have switched to grass hay for now.i dont have access to timothy hay.i dont know if this is enough along with pellets and veggies.

 

[Piggies&buns]

That’s fine, they don’t have to have Timothy hay. Meadow hay is absolutely fine, along with a small amount of pellets (one tablespoon per pig per day) and some veggies each day. Hay should be the biggest part of the diet, around 80%.