Hmm, Chip's Not Himself...

[TheWheekies]

Hi. Could you please help out? My liccle Chip doesn't seem himself recently. Less wheeky, less energetic, less nosy and less happy. Could you please help work out what's wrong and come up with any ideas how to get him back to normal? Thx. Xx

 

[piggyfan]

The best thing is to have him checked out by the vet. Guinea pigs hide any sign of illness or pain and if he is not as bright it indicates he is feeling poorly.

 

[Wiebke]

I am very sorry that Chip is not well, but he needs to be seen and thoroughly checked over by a competent vet. Chips symptoms are too vague and need professional attention.

We have got a piggy savvy UK vets locator on the top bar.

 

[MerryPip]

Guinea pigs don't often show definite signs of illness as I've found out to my cost this week. A piggy who is not behaving as they normally would and is a little 'off colour' is in need of a vet check to make sure nothing is going on.

Check his weight too as weight loss is another common indicator that all is not well. It is advisable to weigh a healthy piggy weekly at least and a poorly one more often. Small changes can just be due to having a full/empty bladder, having just eaten etc but larger changes need investigated.

 

[TheWheekies]

Thank you all, but during cuddle time this afternoon Chip definitely showed us he was fine, wriggling, squeaking, and fighting against the nail clippers. By the way that is all normal in his circumstances.

 

[klee]

I would still recommend you get a vet check up with a piggy savvy, even if just for peace of mind. Piggys are very good at hiding illnesses and noticing small behaviour changes like what you initially saw may be the start of an illness. The reason Esme ended up at the vets and eventually being diagnosed as a heart pig was through behaviour changes. The most friendly attention seeking pig didn't come rushing out when she heard my dads motorbike to be fed grass, and when they were given grass she just didn't want it. To show how well Esme hid her illness, she would do zoomy laps of the living room every time she came in almost up until the week she passed away.
Even if the vet wasn't to find anything, you would have peace of mind.