Hyper active 8 year old, constantly begging and wheeking

miowmix

miowmix

Junior Guinea Pig
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Over the last few months my 8 year old boar is constantly running around, begging and wheeking (rasping - his squeaker doesn't work any more).

He appears to eat a lot but remains skinny and hyper active.

In the way of food he gets:
science selective grain free nuggets
johnsons muesli
hay
porridge oats
crunchy treat sticks

Plus daily veg: morning chunk of pepper, chunk of celery, half romaine leaf;
Lunch: chunk of carrot
Tea: chunk of cucumber.

He goes out on grass for around an hour most days.

He was wormed around one month ago after a long gap (does the wormer have to build up in the system)? Or could this be a dementia behaviour?

Help!
 
I think at that age they can lose body condition. How much weight has he lost and over what period?

A few things re his diet. I wouldn’t give carrot every day. I’d also cut out the muesli - leads to selective eating and some ingredients shouldn’t be fed to guinea pigs. Were you told to give him oats to help with his weight loss? And does he have hay available 24/7?

PS guinea pigs have been described as balls of fur with an appetite. They will eat as much as you give them. I don’t know if it would be an idea to perhaps syringe feed him, depending on how much weight he’s losing.
 
Thanks for the responses. I don't have exact dates and weights with me now, there's a chart at my local rescue that I can copy on Saturday. I think it's about 200 g over the past 6 months.
I've tried syringe feeding, sometimes he goes for it, sometimes he doesn't.
He has loads of hay.
I started with the oats to try and build him up, I only give him about a dessert spoon full per day.
It's hearbreaking to see him beg so much. I suppose he just wants more veg, but he already gets plenty!
He never used to be like this, he used to sleep most of the day.
 
Has he seen a vet for a check up?
It’s normal for them to beg for more veg though, he should have a variety of veg of 50 grams per day and all other times he has hay available so he won’t be hungry.
 
Are you fostering him at the moment? He should be weighed weekly. I’d perhaps consider a vet check. How often do you have to top up his hay?
 
miowmix said:
Over the last few months my 8 year old boar is constantly running around, begging and wheeking (rasping - his squeaker doesn't work any more).

He appears to eat a lot but remains skinny and hyper active.

In the way of food he gets:
science selective grain free nuggets
johnsons muesli
hay
porridge oats
crunchy treat sticks

Plus daily veg: morning chunk of pepper, chunk of celery, half romaine leaf;
Lunch: chunk of carrot
Tea: chunk of cucumber.

He goes out on grass for around an hour most days.

He was wormed around one month ago after a long gap (does the wormer have to build up in the system)? Or could this be a dementia behaviour?

Help!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please have him vet checked for hyperthyroid by a piggy savvy vet. It is not quite easy to treat and to diagnose but you are mentioning the classic behaviour in combination with weight loss so it is something that has to be taken into consideration.
 
Thanks everyone for your help with this.

@Slikibam - yep he's a foster so for any health issues I have to go through the rescue first. I hadn't realised this until the recent check and had been paying his vet bills myself (he previously had bladder sludge which was cured by switching to grain free pellets and zero water, and a bout of snuffles which turned out to be nothing). I have started daily weigh ins now. I mentioned his symptoms to the rescue this weekend and will tell them about @Wiebke 's tip re hyperthyroid and ask for a vet appointment.

I will post an update when I have more info!

Thanks again
 
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