Piggy won’t eat his pellets

[kaitlyngeorge]

My guinea pig stopped eating his pellets randomly. I give him the oxbow essentials adult pellets He usually empties his bowl everyday and he’s pooping a little less than usual. He’s still eating most of his veggies besides his parsley. What should I do to get him to eat his pellets?

 

[Siikibam]

Hay is the biggest part of their diet so if he’s not eating pellets (5% of their diet) then it’s not much of an issue. When fed they should be kept to a tablespoon a day anyway. Parsley shouldn’t be fed often as it’s high in calcium.

Does he have a friend or did friend pass away recently? If the former are you planning to find him one? They’re very social and need company of their own kind.

 

[Piggies&buns]

They should only have one tablespoon of pellets per day anyway. It doesn’t matter if he isn’t eating as many pellets (its better for their health to not have a lot of pellets) but he needs to be eating a lot of hay.
Hay is their main food source at 80% of the daily food intake
Veg comes next as a snack, 50 grams worth of veg per day (15% of the daily food intake)
pellets least important at one tablespoon per day (5% of daily food intake)

His pooping less than normal will indicate reduced food intake. Switch from weekly weighing to daily weighing to ensure his hay intake is normal. If he loses weight then he isn’t eating enough hay and will need to be monitored With daily weight checks, potentially syringe fed and seen by a vet.

 

[kaitlyngeorge]

He did have a little friend who passed away a little while ago but they were separated. We’ve tried to pair him with many other guinea pigs but he always ends up fighting with them. He was alone when we got him and he hasn’t found any piggy he gets along with.

 

[Siikibam]

Your best bet would be to take him to a rescue where they do dating. He can choose his own friend which makes for better bonding. Alternatively he could be neutered and find a sow friend (or two) after 6 weeks.

 

[Piggies&buns]

He did have a little friend who passed away a little while ago but they were separated. We’ve tried to pair him with many other guinea pigs but he always ends up fighting with them. He was alone when we got him and he hasn’t found any piggy he gets along with.

I'm sorry for your loss
he would have had company through the bars even though they were separated.
if he is lonely then that can cause signs such as reduced food intake.

if he doesn’t get on well with boars, then would neutering him and bonding him with a sow be an option for you?
Alternatively, having another piggy live next door in a separate cage is a form of bond, provides interaction and prevents loneliness

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do check his weight daily though as either sudden weight loss or a continued downward trend needs to be checked out as it is a potential sign of illness - an illness always needs to be checked out first