Not eating vegetables

Claire W

Claire W

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Edward and Elizabeth get fed veg twice a day consisting of cucumber, pepper, green beans, coriander and lettuce.

I have noticed for the past week or so, they are leaving lots of veg just eating the lettuce and coriander.

Could they be poorly? any ideas why they are leaving their veg? Could they be bored of what’s on the menu? If so, what do I do as I feed these veggies as they’re low in calcium
 
I’m wondering if it might be teeth issues as it appears that they’re leaving crunchy veg. Hopefully more expert advice will come shortly. I hope they’re ok and all goes well
 
As Winniepeg says, have a check of their teeth. How is their hay intake and their weights? I have had times where my pigs go off certain veg for a while with no rhyme or reason. It takes a little while for things to return to normal.

I would recommend trying a small strip of spring green as it has Vit C and good trace elements like magnesium. I'd also make up some probiotic with added Vit C (like Pro C in Pets at Home) and give each pig a couple 1ml syringes of the fluid per day just to make sure they aren't lacking in Vit C due to not eating their pepper.

Finally, I don't know how cold it is where you are but could you cut just a little bit of grass for them to try with their fussy wee bottoms?You could also try growing grass in trays indoors, I'd be happy to send you some seed I got from Galen's Garden :nod:
 
Thank you both. I hope it isn’t their teeth but I’ll have a check.

They’re eating plenty of hay and are maintaining their weights.

I have some Pro C so I’ll given them both some of that and try them with some grass :)
 
It may be that the veg tastes different at the moment. I find this with Rusty and Peanut, their preferences seem to go in seasons. They go off pepper at this time every year, at the moment they will only eat green if I can find them. I notice myself that there is a seasonal change in taste, parsnips and carrots are both lacking in flavour at the moment. I agree with the vet check though just to make sure there is nothing wrong.
 
I agree that a vet check can’t hurt, though to me it seems unlikely to be dental seeing as they’ve both gone off the veg at the same time.
Dental piggies can usually eat veg unless there is an incisor problem, so a wobbly incisor that hasn’t snapped off yet, or a missing incisor. The incisors deal with picking up food. This is something you can check yourself. Back teeth and veg, from my experience, have no relation. When their back teeth are really bad and are pinning the tongue, they can still eat veg just more slowly as they find it harder to manipulate food. If they’re still eating hay, then it’s likely not back teeth at all. And if their incisors look good and intact to you, then I doubt it’s dental at all.
I remember once my piggies (both dental piggies) went off cucumber and red pepper. Both vegetables and both piggies at the exact same time. I’m not sure if it was just the fact that one went off them and the other just copied, as they do. But that’s what happened. Similarly, Little had actually hated red pepper until he met Peanut and then decided he liked it. Since Peanut passed away and Little has been eating veggies alongside other piggies, he's decided he likes cucumber and red pepper again. I think they’re just big copy cats (or pigs).
It could also be that it doesn’t taste as good this time of year, too.
I’d check if they’ve both decided to stop eating it or if it’s one piggy that doesn’t want to, too
 
piggieminder said:
It may be that the veg tastes different at the moment. I find this with Rusty and Peanut, their preferences seem to go in seasons. They go off pepper at this time every year, at the moment they will only eat green if I can find them. I notice myself that there is a seasonal change in taste, parsnips and carrots are both lacking in flavour at the moment. I agree with the vet check though just to make sure there is nothing wrong.
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:agr: I think if the shops have imported from a different source the veggies can taste different. One year mine all refused all Tesco, Aldi and Lidl cucumbers but would eat the M & S ones. Can’t remember what the countries were, but it turned out that it was due to the country of origin!
 
piggieminder said:
It may be that the veg tastes different at the moment.
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When the girls arrived last month I coughed up for some green beans which are expensive at this time of year. Everybody had a go but left a bit and the next day no-body was bothered. We'd eaten them cooked, which was OK, but when I tried one raw it just tasted 'old' if you know what I mean. At this time of year they come from either S. America or Africa so they probably are pretty old by the time they get here!

There might be a general trend towards the cheaper shops buying in stock from wholesale that has less shelf life left. I've had peppers both from Waitrose and Lidl and on the day they tasted the same to me but 3 days later and the cheaper Lidl peppers were definitely on the turn. Similar for other salad veg.

The other thing is washing. We probably all do it already but it's important to give things a good wash as you don't know what has been sprayed on the crop to help growing or to help preserve during transit in the package. Pigs can probably detect the difference! I've drilled the family to wash things like cucumbers after peeling off the wrapping before they slice - yet before we had pigs (or kids) I wouldn't have bothered 😜
 
Well Luigi hated sprouts last year, had a good scoff earlier (from a different shop). Jasper hated green beans but seems to love them now. Hopefully it’s just a phase and nothing going on. You’re an amazing owner and you’d notice straight away if it was teeth etc so hopefully it’s just them being fussy beggars! (Like they do to worry us! :doh:):))xx
 
Hi. @Claire W . . As both piggies are off veg . . To me suggest that they don't like what's in front of them. . Poos suggest they not liking it. . As you know plenty fresh Hay to keep them intrested.
I'd mush up some pellets . . .. also.
Hopefully they get out they system what's bugging them. . . If course they lose all intrest and become withdrawn then.. bit feeding off mummy ..
Hope they ok . . I'm sure little loves be ok
 
alpacasqueak said:
Well Luigi hated sprouts last year, had a good scoff earlier (from a different shop). Jasper hated green beans but seems to love them now. Hopefully it’s just a phase and nothing going on. You’re an amazing owner and you’d notice straight away if it was teeth etc so hopefully it’s just them being fussy beggars! (Like they do to worry us! :doh:):))xx
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I agree all piggies like to worry us.
 
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