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Guinea Pig only eating dry food

Cavysarah

Cavysarah

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Hello,

I am hoping someone can help me with my guinea pig. She won't eat any food other than dry food (and pea flakes as a treat). We use Burgess nuggets with blackcurrant and Oregano. As a result she is a lot lighter than our other guinea pig (she is 600g and the other 1-1kg) but not losing weight. She is the one with black face in photos.

We have tried a lot and nothing will make her eat anything that isn't dry food, even her old favourites such as dandelion. She'll have a nibble but then immediately not be interested! Therefore, would live to know of anyone knows any dry food style food with all the nutrients she needs?!

Also, to describe more of what we have tried.. different types of hay, limiting dry food, favourite fresh foods dried flowers, dried fruits, 'critical care herbivore' dried sachet as dried and mixed with water (she avoids it in the dry food!)... The list goes on!

A couple of months ago we took her to vet as she wasnt walking properly and this started her to stop eating, we think. She was on anti inflammatory for about 3 weeks and now doesn't seem to be in pain. Her eating has stayed the same, she also does get thirsty (but must be as she only eats dry food!).

If you had any similar experiences/ways to help guinea pig put weight on/food that can be used to help make up for the lack of hay etc, it would be really appreciated!

Thank you,
Sarah (and Socks & Sandy)PXL_20201014_205632741.webp
 
Sounds like your piggy needs to go back to the vet to see what might be causing them to refuse to eat. Have you tried a recovery food to supplement in the meantime?
 
I've merged your 2 topics and deleted the duplicate post. 👍
 
Hi @Cavysarah I'm going to ask for this to be put in the Health and Illness section for the experts to have a look at.
when you are next online could you add a bit more info?

Weight - did she drop to 600g and then stay there or is she a growing young one who just hasn't gone past 600g yet? If she's dropping weight she should be weighed more often to keep an eye on that. What was her max weight when she was healthy?
Hay - is she eating any at all and if not since when... this is because hay is important to keep the teeth down and grinding well and it could be that after her previous issues her teeth have actually overgrown making it difficult for them to grind together. It is very important that she eats hay - or grass if you can tempt her with that? Overgrowth can happen within weeks
Poop - how are her poops looking in terms of quantity, shape, wet/dryness etc?

If she is thin you do need to support feed with mush - either the Recovery food or just pellets mushed with a little kettle water and allowed to cool. If she is still eating pellets herself and pooping well you don't need to get up in the night but she doesn't want to get thinner. If you syringe some mush into her mouth (carefully, and only a small amount if she is not keen) you can see how she is chewing by resting your fingertips lightly behind her ears - you should feel a rapid, smooth grinding action. If her teeth have overgrown this will be a problem for her - she might be able to break up a pellet but not to grind it properly so you might not be able to tell the difference unless it's mush your feeding her where fine grinding and swallowing is the only action needed.

Some people have given oats as a bulker-upper (just dried oats) and I think I can remember something about banana (?) but search the forum to check as it's pretty late here and I don't want to tell you wrong - but she needs hay in the long term so this needs sorting. Hope someone more experienced can be more useful. Good luck little girl x
 
Oh I forgot - some will eat pellet mush well by themselves from a spoon or bowl as long as a greedy cage mate doesn't get there first!
 
Free Ranger said:
Hi @Cavysarah I'm going to ask for this to be put in the Health and Illness section for the experts to have a look at.
when you are next online could you add a bit more info?

Weight - did she drop to 600g and then stay there or is she a growing young one who just hasn't gone past 600g yet? If she's dropping weight she should be weighed more often to keep an eye on that. What was her max weight when she was healthy?
Hay - is she eating any at all and if not since when... this is because hay is important to keep the teeth down and grinding well and it could be that after her previous issues her teeth have actually overgrown making it difficult for them to grind together. It is very important that she eats hay - or grass if you can tempt her with that? Overgrowth can happen within weeks
Poop - how are her poops looking in terms of quantity, shape, wet/dryness etc?

If she is thin you do need to support feed with mush - either the Recovery food or just pellets mushed with a little kettle water and allowed to cool. If she is still eating pellets herself and pooping well you don't need to get up in the night but she doesn't want to get thinner. If you syringe some mush into her mouth (carefully, and only a small amount if she is not keen) you can see how she is chewing by resting your fingertips lightly behind her ears - you should feel a rapid, smooth grinding action. If her teeth have overgrown this will be a problem for her - she might be able to break up a pellet but not to grind it properly so you might not be able to tell the difference unless it's mush your feeding her where fine grinding and swallowing is the only action needed.

Some people have given oats as a bulker-upper (just dried oats) and I think I can remember something about banana (?) but search the forum to check as it's pretty late here and I don't want to tell you wrong - but she needs hay in the long term so this needs sorting. Hope someone more experienced can be more useful. Good luck little girl x
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Thank you, really appreciate it!

Weight: she used to be 750g at her heaviest, she is 2 and half years old. So she has dropped and then stayed at this weight.

Hay and teeth: we asked the vet to check this when we took her before and they said she looked all okay, but have been looking at her teeth when possible (she is very tame). However, she does take a long time to eat compared to other piggy.

Poop: they are small and tear drop shaped, again we told the vet this and he checked her mouth for spores and said she was all good. However, this is when he gave us the recovery food. The amount a day on the back of the back required seemed huge and she wasnt keen so we stopped since she was eating dry food.

Thank you, I will get her back on the dry food and have a feel of her eating to see if I can detect anything in the teeth.

Thanks!
Sarah
 
Guinea pigs that aren’t eating hay usually have some kind of dental issue which are preventing them from being able to do so. Especially if she seems healthy otherwise.
Have you tried feeding her grass? Dental piggies usually can eat grass even if they can’t eat hay.
What do her incisors looks like? Sometimes their appearance can point to an issue with the back teeth.
It’s good that her poops are alright, I had a piggy that came to us with dental issues from a rescue. The rescue hasn’t realised however I noticed the first day we brought him back. He still produced decent poos despite not eating any hay and only veg and nuggets, but he was very small. He weighed around 800/900 grams and whilst it was still an acceptable weight, once we fixed his back teeth he shot up to being a 1400 gram piggy. He also drank a lot too when he was eating strictly nuggets.
Does she eat her food funny? So sometimes might look like she’s getting things ‘stuck?’ She might stick her tongue out a little, or make her cheeks look a bit funny?
Where in the world are you based too, as for dental issues the best thing to do can vary from country to country?
 
When piggies aren’t eating hay you need to feed recovery feed to ensure they get enough fibre to keep the gut functioning. Eating pellets isn’t enough given they should only have one tablespoon of them per day - they are not healthy and keeping them limited has huge health benefits. Hay is 80% of the daily food intake and without eating enough hay then they are at real risk of dental problems - hay keeps the teeth wearing down, pellets don’t.
I would definitely get her back to a vet and ensure they are an exotic specialist to have the teeth properly checked.
 
Little Ones said:
Guinea pigs that aren’t eating hay usually have some kind of dental issue which are preventing them from being able to do so. Especially if she seems healthy otherwise.
Have you tried feeding her grass? Dental piggies usually can eat grass even if they can’t eat hay.
What do her incisors looks like? Sometimes their appearance can point to an issue with the back teeth.
It’s good that her poops are alright, I had a piggy that came to us with dental issues from a rescue. The rescue hasn’t realised however I noticed the first day we brought him back. He still produced decent poos despite not eating any hay and only veg and nuggets, but he was very small. He weighed around 800/900 grams and whilst it was still an acceptable weight, once we fixed his back teeth he shot up to being a 1400 gram piggy. He also drank a lot too when he was eating strictly nuggets.
Does she eat her food funny? So sometimes might look like she’s getting things ‘stuck?’ She might stick her tongue out a little, or make her cheeks look a bit funny?
Where in the world are you based too, as for dental issues the best thing to do can vary from country to country?
Click to expand...
We have tried grass, dandilions etc! And just got some carrot tops. She shows interest but doesn't eat so I think dental sounds about right and perhaps the vet didnt know what they were looking for. I have a more specialised vets nearby which I will book her in for. In the mean time please see photo of her teeth that I managed to take.
 

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Her front teeth look normal but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem with the back teeth. My late Enoch had dental problems (his back teeth were growing inwards preventing him from eating) and his front teeth were completely normal. I’d seek a second opinion with the specialist vet
 
If you are in the UK (?) and live near Northampton people recommend Simon at the Cat and Rabbit clinic there for dentals. An x-ray might be recommended. For 'grinding' back teeth my own vet uses a general anaesthetic which is kind of a big thing in itself. Sometimes the teeth grow out of alignment - sometimes they form sharp spurs which stick into the soft tissues and make piggy sore. Sometimes the tongue is even trapped down by the teeth. Sometimes teeth are OK but there is an abscess in the gum which needs to be treated with antibiotics. Even a good dental treatment on back teeth should come with painkillers as if the mouth is sore your girl won't want to eat anything - even if she can! But in your shoes, teeth are what I would be checking.

That's a great pic (Hi Mr Beardy!) Do I see some greenish staining coming from her mouth? Presumably from what she's been eating? Most piggies don't drool but pigs who have trouble eating often do. You can't always see slobber but you might notice a 'dirty' mouth as they have trouble manoeuvring the food. They clean themselves up but over time the drool stains the fur if they are a pale colour. If you see this regularly show the vet the photo - it is another clue.

Don't despair at the large volume on the back of the recovery food. It does seem a lot but if they are hungry they will actually be happy to have it. Not everypig enjoys every type but rather than buying in a range I would just mix up a small amount with water to a mush and then mix it 50/50 with a mush made of her own pellets so the flavour is familiar - this keeps 24 hours at room temp without a problem - just cover it to keep flies out and add a bit more water if it goes too thick. It is their instinct to only try a tiny amount of something new and then wait to see if it makes them unwell - like strange leaves in the veggie mix. But mixing up a small amount each day and persisting in this way will hopefully get her to realise that this is good stuff and will fill her up. Even a few mls morning and evening is something, especially if she is still eating something herself. If you use a syringe bear in mind they can only take little amounts at a time - start with 0.1 to 0.3 ml and see how she manages it because if she is struggling and eating slowly any more might be inhaled and cause her to choke - more problems! Just a mush of her own pellets might be easier for her to eat too. My concern is that if this is a dental issue and it progresses, she might eventually not be able to eat pellets and then if you cannot get mush into her it is a race against time, whereas if she is used to the support food things are not so desperate. Same if she gets antibiotics which might take a few days to kick in. Well done on supporting her and getting her in to see a vet - she is a lucky girl to have such a devoted owner 💕
 
Cavysarah said:
We have tried grass, dandilions etc! And just got some carrot tops. She shows interest but doesn't eat so I think dental sounds about right and perhaps the vet didnt know what they were looking for. I have a more specialised vets nearby which I will book her in for. In the mean time please see photo of her teeth that I managed to take.
Click to expand...
Hmm, it’s odd that she won’t even touch grass. There’s definitely something going on that needs sorting. The incisors look to be good, there can still be a back teeth issue though. It’s just that sometimes back teeth problems can have a knock-on effect on the front, making it more obvious that there’s a dental issue.
If you’re in the UK, Simon from The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic will be able to sort you out. He’s worth hours upon hours of travelling and has saved the lives of two of our piggies, both times our more local exotic vets couldn’t figure out the problem. He does dental work consciously which means you don’t pay for anaesthetic. He also is able to feel the piggy and their organs and locate problems that way. He diagnosed our guinea pigs bowel disease through feel alone and only does xrays etc when he believes really necessary rather than some vets who do them as a standard. If there’s a problem, he can usually feel it. He’s very very good at his job, if anyone is going to figure out what’s going on then it would be him! If you’re in the UK, anyway. You see many of us on the forum pushing him, but he really is as good as we all say - even better, actually.
 
Little Ones said:
Hmm, it’s odd that she won’t even touch grass. There’s definitely something going on that needs sorting. The incisors look to be good, there can still be a back teeth issue though. It’s just that sometimes back teeth problems can have a knock-on effect on the front, making it more obvious that there’s a dental issue.
If you’re in the UK, Simon from The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic will be able to sort you out. He’s worth hours upon hours of travelling and has saved the lives of two of our piggies, both times our more local exotic vets couldn’t figure out the problem. He does dental work consciously which means you don’t pay for anaesthetic. He also is able to feel the piggy and their organs and locate problems that way. He diagnosed our guinea pigs bowel disease through feel alone and only does xrays etc when he believes really necessary rather than some vets who do them as a standard. If there’s a problem, he can usually feel it. He’s very very good at his job, if anyone is going to figure out what’s going on then it would be him! If you’re in the UK, anyway. You see many of us on the forum pushing him, but he really is as good as we all say - even better, actually.
Click to expand...
Thank you, she is an odd piggie bless her, always has been since we rescued her! - Simon sounds amazing, I will have a look. I am in London so not too far to go for me.
 
Free Ranger said:
If you are in the UK (?) and live near Northampton people recommend Simon at the Cat and Rabbit clinic there for dentals. An x-ray might be recommended. For 'grinding' back teeth my own vet uses a general anaesthetic which is kind of a big thing in itself. Sometimes the teeth grow out of alignment - sometimes they form sharp spurs which stick into the soft tissues and make piggy sore. Sometimes the tongue is even trapped down by the teeth. Sometimes teeth are OK but there is an abscess in the gum which needs to be treated with antibiotics. Even a good dental treatment on back teeth should come with painkillers as if the mouth is sore your girl won't want to eat anything - even if she can! But in your shoes, teeth are what I would be checking.

That's a great pic (Hi Mr Beardy!) Do I see some greenish staining coming from her mouth? Presumably from what she's been eating? Most piggies don't drool but pigs who have trouble eating often do. You can't always see slobber but you might notice a 'dirty' mouth as they have trouble manoeuvring the food. They clean themselves up but over time the drool stains the fur if they are a pale colour. If you see this regularly show the vet the photo - it is another clue.

Don't despair at the large volume on the back of the recovery food. It does seem a lot but if they are hungry they will actually be happy to have it. Not everypig enjoys every type but rather than buying in a range I would just mix up a small amount with water to a mush and then mix it 50/50 with a mush made of her own pellets so the flavour is familiar - this keeps 24 hours at room temp without a problem - just cover it to keep flies out and add a bit more water if it goes too thick. It is their instinct to only try a tiny amount of something new and then wait to see if it makes them unwell - like strange leaves in the veggie mix. But mixing up a small amount each day and persisting in this way will hopefully get her to realise that this is good stuff and will fill her up. Even a few mls morning and evening is something, especially if she is still eating something herself. If you use a syringe bear in mind they can only take little amounts at a time - start with 0.1 to 0.3 ml and see how she manages it because if she is struggling and eating slowly any more might be inhaled and cause her to choke - more problems! Just a mush of her own pellets might be easier for her to eat too. My concern is that if this is a dental issue and it progresses, she might eventually not be able to eat pellets and then if you cannot get mush into her it is a race against time, whereas if she is used to the support food things are not so desperate. Same if she gets antibiotics which might take a few days to kick in. Well done on supporting her and getting her in to see a vet - she is a lucky girl to have such a devoted owner 💕
Click to expand...
Haha Mr Beardy made me laugh! Thats my boyfriend who loves our girls just as much as me (maybe even more so!).
thank you, I will definitely try it in smaller doses, I guess a small success is better than none at all! She had pain killers for her hurt leg back before and LOVED them, used to tug the syringe back from me but that might be that she learnt it made her feel better. Fingers crossed I can get the same as this with the recovery food. The vet before didnt see any spurs but again I think a check up again wont harm!
Thanks so much!
 
Thank you for everyone's support, it is amazing that so many people would take so much time to give such valuable response. We will keep you updated with how we go at vet's etc! ♥️
 
Kim and Simon are the best! My Meg was really ill last year and my Cavy Savvy Vet is usually amazing but even she couldn't diagnose what was wrong with Meg. I took her (Meg not the vet!) to see Kim and Simon. Kim diagnosed that Meg had a slight heart murmur, arthritis of the spine, she was paralysed on one side of her face and that she had tooth spurs lacerating the inside of her mouth! Kim sorted out her teeth and we went back home and two weeks later we were back again for another Meg dental and after that Meg was fine. It took Meg a long time to have the confidence to eat hay. I fed her with grass for months. You may find that you have to do that with your piggy too.
 
Cavysarah said:
Thank you, she is an odd piggie bless her, always has been since we rescued her! - Simon sounds amazing, I will have a look. I am in London so not too far to go for me.
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Definitely do, he and his wife Kim are amazing. We travel 2 and a half hours each way to see him, it’s a long way but I leave every appointment with complete peace of mind. I trust him completely, if he’s not worried then I’m not and similarly, if there is a real problem I know it’s been correctly diagnosed and treated. With other vets, I can sometimes leave still feeling concerned that somethings been missed whereas I never feel like that with Simon.
The appointments with him can be scarce because he is very popular due to his expertise. Usually the best way is to ring for a same day appointment at 8am on the dot and explain that piggy isn’t eating for herself properly and hasn’t been for a while and you feel out of options as your local vets don’t know what’s wrong. Honestly, if there’s something to find then he’ll find it.
 
Absolutely Simon or Kim will find the problem. Kim explained to me that even before she had taken Meg out of the carrier she diagnosed one thing that was wrong with her but I can't remember what is was now.
 
Hi All, just wanted to come along and give an update! I took our little Socks to a local vet, just as a last try before travelling and it was a waste of time and money.. I have just got back from Kim and Simon's vet and honestly, wow. Turns out it was her back teeth, she has awful tooth disease, causing her pain and therefore inability to eat. Kim also explained that she is just a bit of a frail guinea pig, has a bad spine and stiff back legs, no fault of our looking after, just unfortunately her. Had a few tears as I dont want to lose her but feel super reassured that I am doing all I can with Kim's care. She was lovely and put up with my 100 questions. She had a good dental and we have super strong pain killers and she goes back for a follow up in couple of weeks. Just got to train her back to eating grasses/hay etc as much as I can now to keep her teeth good, so fingers crossed for the next few weeks. Thanks so much for your support once again!
 
That's great that Kim could treat Socks. You may find that Socks doesn't want to eat hay for quite a while. It took Meg a good few months of eating grass before she was confident enough to eat hay again after Kim sorted her tooth spur out that had lacerated the inside of her cheek (OUCH!). Luckily I have a heath about 5 minutes walk from my house where I collected grass from when I had exhausted all the grass in the garden. Socks will eat hay again she just needs the confidence that she can eat it.
 
I’m so glad you could get a diagnosis for her, Simon and Kim are amazing piggy vets! Hope she starts feeling confident and gets munching that hay now! Come on Socks! :)❤️
 
Betsy said:
That's great that Kim could treat Socks. You may find that Socks doesn't want to eat hay for quite a while. It took Meg a good few months of eating grass before she was confident enough to eat hay again after Kim sorted her tooth spur out that had lacerated the inside of her cheek (OUCH!). Luckily I have a heath about 5 minutes walk from my house where I collected grass from when I had exhausted all the grass in the garden. Socks will eat hay again she just needs the confidence that she can eat it.
Click to expand...
Thats reassuring thank you! Have given her dandelion this evening and although she hasnt properly munched it yet, more mouthed it, it the greatest interest she has shown, so expect its just patience for her to be brave again. After the pain I completely understand it, bless them! Will make sure to pick grass etc, hopefully this weather improves so I can get her outside in the run! She loves a sunbathe!
 
You could also try hand feeding her lettuce leaves rolled up so that the stalk end goes in her mouth first.
 
That’s great news! Simon and Kim are both amazing! I used to take my old rainbow piggie Ted to Simon as he had dental spurs which grew into his cheek. He saved my Ted’s life after a poor GA dental from a local vet. A very long 600 mile round rip but worth every mile
Hope she chomping away very soon x
 
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