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My guinea pig is so skinny! I don't know whats wrong

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Wonabud

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First off I do have to say my guinea pig is quite old, she's around 7 years old. For the past little while she's become very skinny and lethargic but she's still very ravenous when food or treats are coming..the only problem is, she doesn't chew properly, not the way she used to atleast or like her cage mate, she takes a small bite, nibbles on it a bit and actually spits it out but goes crazy when the actual food is in my hand but wont take a bite! She doesn't eat her pellets very much but what I've been doing is making the pellets into a mush and she goes crazy for that and manages to swallow that. Cucumbers are her favourite and she takes a small bite and simply lets it fall out and goes back for more just to repeat the process. I've never seen a guinea pig do this before, I'm not entirely sure whats wrong...could it be a blockage? a hair ball? I've never seen a guinea so skinny.
 
I would wonder if it's her teeth overgrowing making it hard for her to chew. Although she is elderly and could have underlying health problems too, this is very definitely worth a vet visit, as teeth can be trimmed even in elderly pigs and it can make a huge difference in terms of her quality of life.
 
She needs to see a vet ASAP. Have you been keeping track of her weight? How much has she lost?
 
I agree. Having her teeth checked would be my first thought also, but only a vet is going to be able to say for sure.
 
Oh dear this definitely needs a fairly urgent vet check, especially her teeth- do you weigh her and know how much weight she has lost? For a poorly piggy its a good idea to weigh daily at the same time/same point in the feeding cycle so you know what you are up against. You should try feeding her recovery food or mushed up pellets from a syringe, also grating her veg might help- grated sweet potato and carrots are good high calorie veg treats that can often tempt a poorly piggy or dental piggy to eat, you could grate the cucumber too x
 
It's not her teeth, Her teeth look the same as all the others. Yesterday, I pulled a whole pellet right out of her throat when I noticed something something black when I was checking her out...So I'm guessing it's some kind of blockage..the only food she's interested in is mushy pellets. I've made her an appointment with the vet but it wont be for a little over a week. At this point she doesn't even attempt to eat anything
 
You can’t check the teeth properly yourself - a vet needs to look right at the very back teeth.
Guinea pigs often have food in their mouths so how do you suspect a blockage and how did you get it from in her throat?
If she is eating mushed up pellets, then I don’t think a blockage would be an issue. You say she is interested in mushed up pellets but that she won’t attempt to eat anything herself - are you syringe feeding her the mushed up pellets? If not, then please do so. With a complete lack of ability or desire to eat for herself, she needs to be syringe fed every few hours day and night to keep her system going and her weight up. Please support syringe feed her and weigh her every day to ensure she is eating enough.
She really needs an appointment much sooner than the one you have made for her. A piggy who can’t eat properly is very sick.

I’ve added in some guides below to help you

How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight Monitoring and Management
 
Wonabud said:
It's not her teeth, Her teeth look the same as all the others. Yesterday, I pulled a whole pellet right out of her throat when I noticed something something black when I was checking her out...So I'm guessing it's some kind of blockage..the only food she's interested in is mushy pellets. I've made her an appointment with the vet but it wont be for a little over a week. At this point she doesn't even attempt to eat anything
Click to expand...
She really does need to be seen by a vet as a matter of urgency.
Leaving her for over a week is just too long and unfair to her as she clearly has an underlying medical issue which is preventing her from eating.
Sorry to be blunt but in a week it may simply be too late to save her, and she doesn't deserve to suffer.

It is not possible to examining the teeth properly just by looking in their mouths - this requires a vet with the proper tools to check the molars right at the back.
Please call the vet back and ask for an urgent appointment.
 
That's exactly how my boar with dental problems was, trying to pick up cucumber and falling out his mouth, him wanting to eat. If you're anywhere near Northampton take your piggy to the Cat and Rabbit Clinic there, dental pig specialists. My boar had 2 failed dental surgeries locally before I took him there but it was too late. (Though the local vet said he also has success with these surgeries so still worth taking to any vet versus no vet).

My boar became unable to eat anything, you really need to book a vet visit.
 
Please try and bring the appointment forward as a week is a long way away.

I once had a piggy with overgrown molars although his teeth looked perfectly fine. Only a vet can diagnose teeth problems by looking at the very back of the mouth which is more or less impossible for us to do
 
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