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My guinea pig is acting different

J

joliana.z

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi I have a male guinea pig named Jaxon and he is just over a year old. He had quite a fall a few months ago and I felt terrible (I’m 5’2 and he was at chest level). He fell on the hard floor and I quickly picked him up and carried him upstairs. He seemed ok at first but then he started crying and then so did I because I felt like the fall was my fault even though he leapt from chest. I called my mom straight away and told her what happened and she said that were gonna take him to the vet. We went to the vet that day without making an appointment and found out that they dont work with guinea pigs. It was pretty late so we couldn’t really look for another vet so we went home and were gonna make an appointment tomorrow for a different vet. The next day Jaxon seemed perfectly normal and didnt look like he needed medical assistance so we never took him. A few weeks ago I noticed he wasn’t acting the same, like sometimes I would go to pick him up and he would start to grind his teeth and run away, he never used to do that. I also noticed that he’s a lot more jumpy than before, and he doesnt take food from my hand anymore ect. I was wondering if the fall could have anything to do with this and if I should take him to the vet or not.
 
Sometimes grinding the teeth means they are in pain, sometimes it just means they are annoyed at something. I would definitely find a good guinea pig vet and have him checked over. Theres vet locator on this forum. All the best ☺
 
Thank you, but do happen to know why he wont take food from my hand anymore? Can that be because of the fall?
 
joliana.z said:
Thank you, but do happen to know why he wont take food from my hand anymore? Can that be because of the fall?
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Maybe it shook him up a bit and he lost trust. Does he eat fine otherwise? Plenty of hay?
 
Yes! He’s eating and drinking ok with veggies and hay daily, just more teeth grinding...😔
 
joliana.z said:
Yes! He’s eating and drinking ok with veggies and hay daily, just more teeth grinding...😔
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Ok, the only thing to be sure , is take him to a vet, they will have a feel around, see if he reacte to pain in a certain area. Xray would be good but not sure you would want him under g.a
 
joliana.z said:
No you’re ok, can it be harmful?
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Well not normally really. Unless something internally is wrong with your pig. I would go see a vet and have a talk about what happened, see what they can do. Its really good that your boy is still eating fine
 
joliana.z said:
Hi I have a male guinea pig named Jaxon and he is just over a year old. He had quite a fall a few months ago and I felt terrible (I’m 5’2 and he was at chest level). He fell on the hard floor and I quickly picked him up and carried him upstairs. He seemed ok at first but then he started crying and then so did I because I felt like the fall was my fault even though he leapt from chest. I called my mom straight away and told her what happened and she said that were gonna take him to the vet. We went to the vet that day without making an appointment and found out that they dont work with guinea pigs. It was pretty late so we couldn’t really look for another vet so we went home and were gonna make an appointment tomorrow for a different vet. The next day Jaxon seemed perfectly normal and didnt look like he needed medical assistance so we never took him. A few weeks ago I noticed he wasn’t acting the same, like sometimes I would go to pick him up and he would start to grind his teeth and run away, he never used to do that. I also noticed that he’s a lot more jumpy than before, and he doesnt take food from my hand anymore ect. I was wondering if the fall could have anything to do with this and if I should take him to the vet or not.
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Hi!

Please have your boy checked by a vet who will see guinea pigs. there can be a connection to the fall but it can also be a new health problem. It should in any case be checked before you look at behavioural issues.

Keep an eye on his weight and food intake by switching from the normal once weekly weigh-in and health check to weighing daily at the same time. Pain can mean loss of appetite. Since hay is making over 80% of the daily food intake, a piggy can lose quite a lot of weight quickly without you noticing. If Jaxon is indeed losing weight, then he needs to see a vet pretty quickly and you need to start with support feeding until he can see a vet for a dignosis and until any medication is kicking in and he can hold his weight on his own again.
You can find lots of helpful how-to-tips and lists in the following guides:
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight

Early Signs Of Illness
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?

Please take the time to read these guides here. They will show you how you can move Jaxon safely without having to pick him up and without risking him jumping blindly or being dropped accidentally. A cardboard box with hand holes for a safe grip would be best.
The other guide has some piggy whispering tips, which will hopefully help with your interaction with Jaxon.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
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