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My boy is acting weird!

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boysmum

One of my boars, Davy is acting a bit strange.

He used to be the greedy one out of the pair and was always pop-corning around. He ate all his veg within a couple of hours of getting it. BUt he was not a great hay eater.

Came home from work last week at 6pm and shock horror! Most of the veg was left, maybe a few bits had been nibbled, but this was most unusual. Took him to the vet the next day as he appeared to be a bit depressed. Vet gave him a good check-over and said that he appeared ok, his teeth were fine, he was not bloated and his weight was ok at 1kg.

The boys were housed in the garage in a cosy hutch but I decided to take them into the house due to the severe frost. Plus I can keep an eye on him more. Well, what I have observed is that this little boy can't get enough hay! He is chomping away all the time, both TImothy Hay and bedding hay. BUt he is not interested in his usual veggies but will only eat coriander leaves which he never liked before! He is eating his dry mix. He gets Vit C tablets from the vet sprinkled onto his mix.

What has happened? Is it possible for a guinea to completely change their tastes? He used to be veg boy! He still seems a bit depressed. Can eating heaps of hay be viewed as still eating normally or should I still view this as a loss of appetite? He is not sitting hunched up or puffed up - coat wise.
 
Maybe he's just fed up of the veggies? Try something else. My lot leave foods when they get bored of them, not as often now cos they get different foods every other night :)
 
I'll see what happens tonight. Guess I get paranoid when I see food left, makes me think that illness is the main reason.
 
Hi,

If he were mine, I'd start weighing him every few days, just make sure he isn't losing weight.
If he is eating his hay and dry food normally, his teeth are likely okay.
Keep an eye on his droppings for any looseness.
If there is any change in his behaviour, snuffles, wheezing, etc etc. then obviously take him back to the vet.

Hopefully he will soon be eating normally again.

Barbara
 
Last night, I tried Davy on different veg. He ate his tomato and apple slices which he does not often get. I was encouraged by this. Weighed him and yes, he has lost weight 2 grams. He feels a lot thinner too. I noticed also that he is jerking his head a lot when lying down and I wonder if this could be ear-related.

Anyway, I have asked my boyfriend to take him back to the vet as I'm at work today to get his ears checked. He is very depressed looking.

It's funny when you just know when your pet is not himself.
 
boysmum said:
It's funny when you just know when your pet is not himself.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right and it is wise to do what you have done and listen to them.
Hope you can find out what might be troubling him, keep us updated and take care.
Barbara
 
Davy went to the vet again yesterday and got a clean bill of health! He was weighed and the vet (who thankfully has guineas herself) said that his weight was good and that she would be more worried if he was fatter! My b/friend mentioned that his shape had indeed changed and that he had been very rotund round his rear end which is now slender. The vet said that he had probably been holding in a lot of gas and has probably been windy and uncomfortable for a few days.

Teeth checked, tummy nice and soft, no impaction, heart and lungs ok. Ears very waxy though. They were cleaned out.

Boyfriend mentioned also that he had been moved into the house due to the severe frost (up in the north of Scotland) and she thinks that he could be simply confused with his new surroundings. So, last night we had the mammoth task of moving in the double tier hutch from the garage upstairs into the spare room and I placed both him and his mate in. Davy perked up and ate his dinner and more hay! I wonder if it is because he lprefers having a solid roof over him instead of the c&c open arrangement he was in before. Anyway, I am going to place them in the hutch most of the time and use the c&c cage for a daily run for exercise.

We are at minus 5 here so I am happier with them being inside and hopefully he will adjust being in familiar surroundings. His cage mate, Captain, loves the warmth! He's a big boy at 1300 grams, pure bred black self, who was given up by the breeders as his ears were too long for show and breeding purposes. I think he is very handsome and I like his ears!
 
boys mum I had this gas thing on a subject a few weeks ago becasue my vet said artie had gas and I said to her I did'nt know GPs farted she said give him gripe water which turned my little porker into a nice slender man now renamed farty artie
 
gripe water - i think my pebblse could do with some of that. She's quite stomachy bless her, where do you get it from? x
 
Thanks for your note. I will invest in a bottle of gripe water too. I'm sure you can get this in the baby section in supermarkets or definately at chemists.

Davy was absolutely fine last night. He ate all his veggies and I gave him some different tastes. For example, he used to hate celery and parsnip. I added a few chunks in last night and guess what? He went straight for them and chomped away. What a fussy little man.

I was unaware that they can change their tastes so dramatically.
 
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