Guinea Pig Sudden Behavior Change

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Pixel91

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Hello Everyone,

Long story short, I have a female guinea pig, about 9-10 months old, that used to be very docile, very friendly, not afraid of me (still hiding from time to time, but curious of my voice, when I'm near the cage, licking my fingers through the cage and outside, all good signs from my point of view), that suddenly changed her behavior a bit.
A week ago I had to give away one of her babies because it was a male and I didn't want to repeat history and let her get pregnant again, and it all seemed fine with her for a few days, but today I've noticed she hasn't touched her water bottle at all, her hay is almost all still there, pellets don't seem to go away but she keeps asking for veggies.
Recently she also started biting/chattering the hidey made of wood, and also when I pick her up and give her a treat, as soon as the treat is gone, she starts to fidget, starts licking my hand a bit and then chatters her teeth close to my skin continuously.
In the past, her fidgeting and chattering meant she wanted to get back in her cage to go to the bathroom, but it was never this fast, specially not every single time. Combined with the lack of water and food consumption, I'm not really sure if it's a teeth issue or just a mood. She also bit me hard enough to draw a little bit of blood when I took her back to the cage, which confuses me a bit but I'll deal with that at a later time)

She's been pregnant twice, and after separating her from the babies, she did chirp in the middle of the night a few times, which I know is a sign of loneliness, but this time nothing.
She looks to be active, not hiding 24x7, not running away from me, allowing me to pick her up, wheeking when she wants veggies, all these are still present.

I've noticed this only yesterday, so I'm waiting for my day off tomorrow to take her to the vet and make sure everything's fine, was just curious on your thoughts on the matter.

Thank you for your time :)
 
@Wiebke

Does she live on her own? You aren't going to breed her again are you?

i think she needs a vet check up for sure
 
She's just given birth on the 28th of October and I've found a family for her babies last week.
None of the pregnancies were planned, and no, I'm not planning on breeding... I am fully aware of the complications guinea pigs can have during birth.

For now yes, she is alone is her cage. I will be off for about a week on holiday and a friend will be looking after her. I want to be present when the introduction to her new piggy friend is done so for now she will have the cage all to herself, and lots of floor time and lap time during the day till before I leave.
 
Seeing a vet would be a good idea just in case her change in behaviour is caused by a medical issue.

Can you switch from weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily so you can monitor her hay intake, stepping in with syringe feeding if she isn’t eating enough.

Also, you say she last gave birth on 28 October, but you rehomed a male baby last week? Can you confirm whether the male baby had been in the cage with her up until last week or whether he was separated from her when he was 21 days old? Baby boars neee to be separated from their mothers when they are 21 days old (ie 3 weeks) so they don’t get their mothers pregnant
 
Pixel91 said:
She's just given birth on the 28th of October and I've found a family for her babies last week.
None of the pregnancies were planned, and no, I'm not planning on breeding... I am fully aware of the complications guinea pigs can have during birth.

For now yes, she is alone is her cage. I will be off for about a week on holiday and a friend will be looking after her. I want to be present when the introduction to her new piggy friend is done so for now she will have the cage all to herself, and lots of floor time and lap time during the day till before I leave.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Your mother may be grieving, having lost her family if she has been with her babies until now. Please be aware that you need to remove any baby boars at 3 weeks/250g of weight (whichever comes first), or your mother (and any sisters over 4 weeks) will be pregnant again.

If you are worried, please see a vet. Weigh her daily at the same time on your kitchen scales to make sure that she eating normally. Here is more helpful information:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Here is our bonding advice:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Here is the link to our very helpful information collection for bookmarking and reading: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Her vet was not available today and she's been scheduled for tomorrow.

As for her drinking and eating, today I woke up to the pleasant sounds of her drinking, and munching on some hay, so until tomorrow I'm thinking of not giving her too many veggies, or at all if she goes for the hay., as yesterday she did have cucumber, quite watery veggie so that might've contributed but, in the past she didn't mind eating cucumber and drinking water.

From what I was told by the vet, and what I've read online on multiple forums and websites, male guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at 2-3 months, not weeks.
Nevertheless, the boar was separated from the mother at 4 weeks when he no longer got milk from the mother.

Throughout the day she's been drinking normally again, and the hay looks to be going down normally as well.

Thank you for your inputs :)
 
Pixel91 said:
Her vet was not available today and she's been scheduled for tomorrow.

As for her drinking and eating, today I woke up to the pleasant sounds of her drinking, and munching on some hay, so until tomorrow I'm thinking of not giving her too many veggies, or at all if she goes for the hay., as yesterday she did have cucumber, quite watery veggie so that might've contributed but, in the past she didn't mind eating cucumber and drinking water.

From what I was told by the vet, and what I've read online on multiple forums and websites, male guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at 2-3 months, not weeks.
Nevertheless, the boar was separated from the mother at 4 weeks when he no longer got milk from the mother.

Throughout the day she's been drinking normally again, and the hay looks to be going down normally as well.

Thank you for your inputs :)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately your vet and the things you’ve read are incorrect - baby boars are fertile from 3 weeks of age or 250g in weight and need to be separated at that point.
 
Update: She's taking in hay like there's no tomorrow and water's going down, can hear her drinking throughout the day, and she doesn't start chattering her teeth at me as fast anymore. She's started relaxing more in my lap again, pancaking herself when petted, licking me and eventually chattering her teeth but, much much better than just yesterday, so I'm quite happy with her progress.

Still taking her to the vet in a few hours for a general checkup. I'll explain the situation of her male baby and if possible check if she's pregnant (I really don't expect it, and I don't know if the vet can tell this early, but when it comes to her health I'd like to be sure).

On this subject, I will continue to do the research, but I have to say it's quite difficult to distinguish the correct from the false information. I've also spoken with a lady that's been rescuing guinea pigs for about 20 years now, and to sum it up, she's closer to your answer but not agreeing with the 3 week deadline. Over time, for some reason, maybe just fear of unwanted pregnancies, the "deadline" has gone down. Her recommendation was to actually examine the animal, and see the development, not just separate it from its mother at 3 weeks when the weaning might not be over just yet. And for the record, the little one didn't stop drinking his mothers milk at 21 days, but at 26.

I do appreciate all the feedback I've gotten from everyone, and I do apologize if I sound hostile anywhere along the line while disagreeing, but my primary concern is the health and development of both mother and pup, and so far I'm on the fence about which side to believe. The lady from the rescue center so far makes the most sense to actually care for the individual animal, not the entire group, at a strict number of days, as not all pups are born equal.

As thanks for your time and contribution, because I know people genuinely worry about these little furry potatoes, I will keep you up to date until she is back to her regular self.

Again, thank you, sincerely.
 
Vet visit went well.

After mentioning all the symptoms, he said the most common reasons encountered would be pain or a bit of loneliness because she's been recently separated from her pups. After an examination, he found no reason for any physical pain, bones are okay, teeth are not too long, all is well, but just in case there is a reason that he could not identify, he's given her an anti-inflammatory injection, and 14 doses of a syrup for the stomach lining, one every 12 hours for a week, till she gets back to her regular feeding habits. Suggested I stay away from watery veggies for this period, and just stick to bell peppers and parsley. She actually prefers those so, no issues there. Also suggested we neuter her after we're passed this little phase, I'll get a few more opinions on that, but from what he's told me, it's beneficial for them in the long run as well.
Also planning on making her some pea flakes which I understand guinea pigs adore.
 
Pixel91 said:
Vet visit went well.

After mentioning all the symptoms, he said the most common reasons encountered would be pain or a bit of loneliness because she's been recently separated from her pups. After an examination, he found no reason for any physical pain, bones are okay, teeth are not too long, all is well, but just in case there is a reason that he could not identify, he's given her an anti-inflammatory injection, and 14 doses of a syrup for the stomach lining, one every 12 hours for a week, till she gets back to her regular feeding habits. Suggested I stay away from watery veggies for this period, and just stick to bell peppers and parsley. She actually prefers those so, no issues there. Also suggested we neuter her after we're passed this little phase, I'll get a few more opinions on that, but from what he's told me, it's beneficial for them in the long run as well.
Also planning on making her some pea flakes which I understand guinea pigs adore.
Click to expand...

I'm glad the vet visit went well,

Lots of hay is the best thing for her to eat, and ensuring you weigh her regularly so ensure she definitely is eating enough hay.
Parsley is too high in calcium to be fed regularly - it should only be given once a week. Coriander/cilantro is a herb which can be fed daily though.

Spaying sows is a major operation and is generally only recommended to be done when the medical need to do so arises. It’s certainly not something which is done routinely on piggies in this country
 
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