Guinea pigs not eating

[Beccahope01]

Hiya,
In October I lost one of my piggies, and his companion got pretty down and stopped eating the nuggets. I rescued a new piggie which picked him right back up, but he still isn’t eating his nuggets much.
He was being fed on pets at homes range, but I’ve been advised against using their food as it’s higher in calcium, and was putting him at high risk of developing stones. So I was advised to put him on Harrington’s nuggets, which he still isn’t really touching. The new rescue doesn’t seem so keen on nuggets either.
They’re eating hay and veggies happily, should I be really worried they won’t eat nugget? Any advice on what to do?
Thanks in advance x

*PS the new rescue is also pregnant (not intentional breeding on my half, her previous owners bred her and couldn’t look after them so brought her to a shelter my boy took a shine to her so we’ve decided to take her and pups on)*

 

[Piggies&buns]

Pellets/nuggets are the least important and least healthy part of the diet and they should only have one tablespoon per pig per day. Therefore not eating them is not an issue at all. As long as your piggy is eating plenty of hay and has a good balanced amount of veg (including veg rich in vitamin c) then that is perfect.
Some people don’t feed nuggets to their guinea pigs at all. I personally only give mine half a tablespoon per day.

 

[Siikibam]

I just wanted to touch on your new girl. If your boy isn’t neutered then they can’t live together. How do you know she is pregnant? The shelter should have ideally kept her until her pups had weaned but that ship has now sailed.

I would book her in to see the vet in the next week. Make sure that your boy (if intact) can’t escape and get in with her. Sows come into season shortly after giving birth so there is a ‘risk’ of back-to-back pregnancy. Have a read of the guides in the link below. I would also start a new thread in Pregnancy section. Keep any questions about your sow on that thread.

Pregnancy, Mother & Baby Care Guides

 

[Beccahope01]

Hiya,
My boy is neutered luckily, she rescue missexed her and didn’t realise she was pregnant I’d took her and my boy to the vets for a general check over, and the vet confirmed she was in fact a girl and was pregnant. I contacted the rescue to make them aware, and said I’ll take on the responsibility of her and the pups as she has settled really well with me, and have a spare home up and ready for the boy to move into when the pups arrive, and ready for if she has any males that will need to be seperated at 3 weeks old.

Thank you, I will have a read of that guide

 

[Siikibam]

I don't know if you need to separate him from mum when the pups have arrived. I'll tag @Wiebke who's better placed to advise you on that.

 

[Beccahope01]

Pellets/nuggets are the least important and least healthy part of the diet and they should only have one tablespoon per pig per day. Therefore not eating them is not an issue at all. As long as your piggy is eating plenty of hay and has a good balanced amount of veg (including veg rich in vitamin c) then that is perfect.
Some people don’t feed nuggets to their guinea pigs at all. I personally only give mine half a tablespoon per day.

Aw that’s a big relief, I think because he did used to eat them with the old piggie it just caused a slight worry that he doesn’t eat as much now. They both eat plenty of hay and veggies and are generally fit and healthy,

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Neutered boars will react to the new mother come into season within hours of giving birth, which can lead to wild chases right across the top of the babies if excitement takes over. I would separate until that is season is over by day 3; the next time the babies are big enough to get out of the way. He can stay right next to his family but had best meet them on neutral ground. You have to play the relationship during that time by ear.

 

[Free Ranger]

In October I lost one of my piggies, and his companion got pretty down and stopped eating the nuggets. I rescued a new piggie which picked him right back up, but he still isn’t eating his nuggets much.

It's an interesting one isn't it, because they do get sad and they do lose appetite but I reckon there is also another instinct at play here sometimes. A few years back my friend with 4 pigs heard about dandelion leaves and went out to find some big ones (as her lawn was grazed flat!) Unfortunately she picked them from (1) opposite the petrol station (2) on a busy road (3) where a lot of dogs go. Her piggies were really unwell and when they recovered they NEVER touched dandelions again. We had one or two in their retirement years and they were still wary here when they saw my pigs eating them. I think there might be an instinct that if a herd member dies the piggies who hung round with them become cautious about what has been eaten in case it was toxic. Any pig who didn't have that reaction of going off the food and who carried on eating stood a greater chance of being taken ill themselves so evolution may well have selected for the pigs who are reluctant to eat following a death.

That was the science-y bit. Of course they might just be picky eaters. Mine like the Burgess excel blackcurrant nuggets but nobody here has ever eaten any of the mint ones (they were probably thinking "this tastes like toothpaste - bleugh!")