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I'm Not Sure If My Little Guy Is Sick Or Not

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Cleve & Teddy

Cleve & Teddy

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Lately Cleveland has been laying down a lot more than usual. He usually just sits around, but hes been laying down much more. He absolutely wants nothing to do with me. I can't even hold him. He will freak out. He's also been biting on absolutely everything nonstop. He always would chew things, but he literally is chewing almost every second of the day, other then when he is laying down. I also noticed that he seems to be breathing pretty fast. I have a video of it as an mp4 file on my computer, but it won't let me upload it.. There's no exotic vets in my college town so I really would like some advice!
 
It could be something stuck in the mouth/obstructing the swallowing/overgrown pre-molars. Please have him checked by a vet (even if it is a general one) to see if that is the case. Take some cotton buds to make sure that the vet can clear the mouth of the usual gunk stuck in there to get a look at what is going on.
It would be a good idea to weigh Cleveland daily at the same time instead of weekly to see whether he is eating properly, as the chewing can be deceptive. You can do it with Cleveland in a cosy if he doesn't like to be handled - just weigh the cosy on its own afterwards so you can compute Cleveland's weight that way.
 
It may be a good idea to get whatever you need to hand feed ready; some stuff you may get at the vets, or in shops or a pharmacy. it is vital that you keep a piggy's guts going. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

The lying down/heavier breathing can indicate a strain on the heart, which can come from the strain of not being able to swallow properly. However, you need a vet to have a proper look at your boy as all I can do is make guesses. I cannot diagnose.
 
Sometimes constant grinding of the teeth can be a sign of pain, as can freaking out when being touched. It might be worth a vet check, even with a general vet, to rule out things that could be uncomfortable, like mites or an injury, or even a urinary tract infection (one of my pigs gets extremely lethargic and acts as if in pain when she has a UTI. Sometimes an infection can present this way.) You could try to get a urine sample for the vet to rule that out (put him in a tupperware container until he pees as close to the vet appt as you can. It won't be sterile for a culture, but it will still be able to demonstrate any blood/pus in the sample.) Hope he feels better soon!
 
Yes, you should get him checked by a vet. I don't think he's sick, but its probably a mouth problem. Have you checked his water lately? Whether he's drinking the usual amount of water is a great clue.
 
As Freela said, constant grinding of the teeth can be a sign of pain, coupled with chewing and biting everything. Please get him to the vet asap.
 
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