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SkittlesandFluffles

New Born Pup
Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
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Location
Newport, gwent
I'm scared to post this as I know everyone's gonna come at me over this but atm things are a struggle for me especially with my local area currently being in an extremely strict lockdown.
My female guinea pig has started acting different today, all she wants to do is burrow under her fleese blankets and sleep. Usually if I put my hand in the cage and try to touch her she runs off but while shes burrowed under there she doesn't care if I'm touching her. I put a plate of veggies in which my other pig is eating fine but she's had a few bits of lettuce and is currently just stood there not doing anything. She isn't showing any signs of being unwell apart from this, no weight loss (if anything she's put on abit), eyes are bright and normal, poos and pees fine, not eating slowly (but is picking) she still rumble struts around my other pig, not struggling with movement, nose is dry, but she just doesn't seem to want to do much apart from that. I don't know her age as she was pretty much fully grown when I got her. I think I can feel a ball on either side of her belly infront of her back legs but I don't know if this could just be her belly. What do I do? Does she need emergency help right now?

I know the logical thing is to take her to the vet but at the moment they want to charge me £200 upfront just to look her over, the vets is an hour away from me and I don't drive (public transport has stopped atm), I don't have a job now so money is extremely tight this month otherwise I would be down the vets right now please don't attack me over this I just want advice so I know what step to take next.
 
I’m sorry she doesnt seem herself.

All we can tell you is to take her to the vet - if she is ill then she will only get worse without treatment and obviously getting her seen quickly can make all the difference to the outcome.

How long have you had her? Is there a chance she could be pregnant? A rough idea of how old she is?

Otherwise, if her belly is seeming larger then bloat is a possibility which is a medical emergency and requires urgent and immediate vet care.

Ultimafely I am afraid all we can tell you is to take her to a vet as they are the only people who can really find out what is going on.
 
I’m sorry she doesnt seem herself.

All we can tell you is to take her to the vet - if she is ill then she will only get worse without treatment and obviously getting her seen quickly can make all the difference to the outcome.

How long have you had her? Is there a chance she could be pregnant? A rough idea of how old she is?

Otherwise, if her belly is seeming larger then bloat is a possibility which is a medical emergency and requires urgent and immediate vet care.

Ultimafely I am afraid all we can tell you is to take her to a vet as they are the only people who can really find out what is going on.


I've had her and her cage mate for over year and a half now, i recently found out the other is a boar when for the past year I thought they were sows, but they've not mated or tried to mate atall.
Her belly hasn't suddenly gone larger but over the past week or so she's gradually looking a little bit bigger.
I understand that though, i only came here for advice as I always think the worst, I had to pay near £200 a few months after I first got them as I thought she was ill but wasn't so I needed a second opinion. Thank you
 
So she has been with an unneutered boar and now over the last week she seems to have got bigger. A pregnancy will only become visible towards the end. A mating will take seconds and it would be incredibly likely for you to miss it happening so you cannot say they havent mated.
is she still living with this boar? If so, then please separate them immediately. If she is pregnant, sows come into season again within hours of giving birth so can immediately get pregnant again. Even if she isn’t pregnant, then keeping her knowingly with an intact boar is not a good idea and constitutes intentional breeding in terms of the forum rules)
I would have her checked for pregnancy, but if she is ill she does need to see a vet.
I know it’s not helpful but we can’t tell you she isn’t ill and Can only advise you to see a vet as soon as you have concerns over their health
 
So she has been with an unneutered boar and now over the last week she seems to have got bigger. A pregnancy will only become visible towards the end. A mating will take seconds and it would be incredibly likely for you to miss it happening so you cannot say they havent mated.
is she still living with this boar? If so, then please separate them immediately. If she is pregnant, sows come into season again within hours of giving birth so can immediately get pregnant again. Even if she isn’t pregnant, then keeping her knowingly with an intact boar is not a good idea and constitutes intentional breeding in terms of the forum rules)
I would have her checked for pregnancy, but if she is ill she does need to see a vet.
I know it’s not helpful but we can’t tell you she isn’t ill and Can only advise you to see a vet as soon as you have concerns over their health


I understand that, I have only very recently found out he is a boar and had an appointment for him to be neutered but my town went Into lockdown again. I'm still waiting on a new enclosure to arrive so I can separate them as I literally have no where else to put him this is why they are still together. I will take them to the vets. Thank you
 
Hi!

Please read our pregnancy advice: Pregnancy, Mother & Baby Care Guides
If you have an unneutered boar, then please separate him asap as sows come into season within hours of giving birth - and if he can impregnate a sow once, he can do it again. Once you notice signs of a pregnancy, you are somewhere in the last third of it but since the size of a litter can vary a lot between 1-6 pups, there are no more exact predictions we can make.

Please be aware that a larger belly and apathy can be very much the result of an illness; especially apathy and loss of apetite are red alert signs. You need to weigh daily at the same time and step in with syringe feeding and watering support; if she is losing weight fast, then you need to see a vet as an emergency because nothing you can do at home will cure her; you can only do your best to keep her going until any necessary medical care can kick in. Guinea pigs are prey animals and wired strongly to suppress any symptoms of illness. When they show that they are not well, they are already very ill.
You may want to have her checked for bloating, ovarian cysts, etc. but only a hands-on vet examination can tell you what you need to know.
Here is our one stop detailed and very practical emergency care information: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

There are payment support options in the UK; see whether they can work for you; many clinics to do have them. Vet care and accessing vet care count as key services, as does travelling to or from a vet clinic. they have done so in the spring, and they do now. I appreciate that you are in a difficult situation but please try to your best.
A guide to vets fees, insurance and payment support.
 
I understand that, I have only very recently found out he is a boar and had an appointment for him to be neutered but my town went Into lockdown again. I'm still waiting on a new enclosure to arrive so I can separate them as I literally have no where else to put him this is why they are still together. I will take them to the vets. Thank you

Do you have a large cardboard box or a laundry basket? or can you fashion a divider out of cardboard and tie it into the cage?
Temporary Housing Solutions?
 
Do you have a large cardboard box or a laundry basket? or can you fashion a divider out of cardboard and tie it into the cage?
Temporary Housing Solutions?

I have a small box which I'm worried he will chew through. As the cage I have now is a 2 teir cage I'm thinking I could just remove the ramp and add another panel in place so it's safe. I think that is my best option right now
 
If possible you could move the top tier down so they’re side by side. But I don’t know how that would work with making sure his part has a lid so he can’t escape and get in with the sow. Do you happen to have a play pen?...
 
I have a small box which I'm worried he will chew through. As the cage I have now is a 2 teir cage I'm thinking I could just remove the ramp and add another panel in place so it's safe. I think that is my best option right now

Yes, that would be by far the safest and best option. A carrier would be a very unsatisfactory option, either.

Please keep a very close eye on your sow; your kitchen scales are important as you cannot measure the 80% of hay in their daily food intake by eye. You can find clear lists of when and how soon you need to see a vet for problems in the emergency guide, including what counts as a life-or-death emergency; as well as all the measures you can take at home with what you have at home or easily available from a supermarket or pharmacy (which are still going) for any bridging care and support feeding if your girl is getting worse quickly to help you do the right thing at the right time.
Sadly in my experiences, these things always happen at the worst time.

Please really take the time to read the guide links; they are important. We cannot assess a piggy we don't have access (nor are we legally allowed to replace a vet); we can only give you the tools to hopefully make as informed decisions as possible to not put your piggy's life and health at risk.

All the best.
 
If possible you could move the top tier down so they’re side by side. But I don’t know how that would work with making sure his part has a lid so he can’t escape and get in with the sow. Do you happen to have a play pen?...

I think for the moment he will have to stay in the top teir until I can manage to get him fixed. I'll give them floor time together then where I can monitor them properly as I know they'll have serious separation anxiety.
I don't have a play pen, space is quite limited in my flat, when having floor time I usually just border off areas they can't go with cardboard (don't worry they still have space to run around in)
 
Yes, that would be by far the safest and best option. A carrier would be a very unsatisfactory option, either.

Please keep a very close eye on your sow; your kitchen scales are important as you cannot measure the 80% of hay in their daily food intake by eye. You can find clear lists of when and how soon you need to see a vet for problems in the emergency guide, including what counts as a life-or-death emrgency; as well as all the measures you can take at home with what you have at home or easily available from a supermarket or pharmacy, which are still going for bridging care if your girl is getting worse quickly to help you do the right thing at the right time.
Sadly in my experiences, these things always happen at the worst time.

Please really take the time to read the guide links; they are important. We cannot assess a piggy we don't have access (nor are we legally allowed to replace a vet); we can only give you the tools to hopefully make as informed decisions as possible to not put your piggy's life and health at risk.

All the best.

Thank you so much I appreciate the advice alot
 
I think for the moment he will have to stay in the top teir until I can manage to get him fixed. I'll give them floor time together then where I can monitor them properly as I know they'll have serious separation anxiety.
I don't have a play pen, space is quite limited in my flat, when having floor time I usually just border off areas they can't go with cardboard (don't worry they still have space to run around in)

once he is neutered he can live back with her, so he won’t need to be kept away buf While he isn’t neutered, he cannot have floor time with her. Once he is neutered, he needs to wait a further six weeks before he is infertile before he can live with her again.
 
I’m afraid you will have to look for a way to have them side by side. They really need that interaction to stave off loneliness. As Piggies&Buns has said, you can’t give them floor time together, supervised or otherwise. It literally only takes second, and trying to separate them can lead to damage to both piggies.
 
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