Verry Confused And Worried! I Dont Know Whats Wrong.

[Ellbell]

This is the story of Penny.... PLEASE READ!

I rescued Penny about 3 weeks ago. I got her with matted hair and bumblefoot.
She was in a tiny cage with a male guinea pig.
I took her to the vets for treatment. She weighed 950g
I introduced her to my other 2 girls and got them a nice big cage as well as a big run that they play in everyday on the grass.
Penny is very submissive towards my other girls. They are only young and VERY playful. They nip at her she she lets out a loud squeek but nothing bad.They groom her and sleep right next to her. They hate sleeping together but they love sleeping with penny.

Penny is CONSTANTLY rumbling and following them as though she is in heat. It MIGHT just be a habbit she picked up from being in a breeding cage all her life. (or on heat and not pregnant?)

A week later she weiged 900g. I was thinking i might of weighed her wrong the first time so i left it for a week.
Today she was 849g so i took her back to the vets.

The vets suggested shes pregnant but the untrasound came up clear as it might be to early to tell. The vets think they feel babys but it could just be poo. They said to seperate her from my other girls as she might be bullied. She will be soooo sad. Without another guinea pig she hardly moves about at all.

They constantly have Hay to eat and pellets. They get a large bowl of vegies everymorning and sometimes a bit of corn at night.
Is she pregnant even though shows signs of being on heat? But why weightloss? Is she loosing weight because shes never had large space to run around?. She hardly runs all that much because she has tight hips form the small cage she was in.

Should i seperate her? I watch them eat everymorning as they are inside over night. I know she is eating as much as my other 2.

 

[AbiS]

Just bumping this for you x

 

[Ellbell]

Thanks! I know its a tricky one so lots of people might not have any answers or clues

 

[AbiS]

Also - the majority of members are in the UK so you started with thread at 02:47 when we were all in bed - it is now 11:00 so most people are at work. Am sure you will get more of a response this evening. Does your vet have much experience with guinea pigs? Is there another vet you can take Penny to? If an ultrasound didn't show up any babies then I'm not entirely sure how the vet would think he can feel babies. Unless I got the wrong end of the stick I would be questioning how much your vet actually knows.

I would prefer more experienced members to advise you but I don't see any reason why you would need to separate the piggies. The rumblestrutting isn't just about being in season it is about organising the hierarchy - ie who is top pig. so long as they aren't fighting to the point of drawing blood I would just let them get on with sorting it out themselves. You could put 3 food bowls, 3 water bottles and 3 hideys (with 2 entrances) in to make sure they all have access to food etc. That will minimise any bullying.

 

[Wiebke]

I would not separate; there is no behaviour that you are reporting that is supporting it. The rumbling is dominance; Penny was very submissive at first (hence the submission squealing and the nipping, which is still very normal mild dominance behaviour) but she has found her confidence and is now obviously trying to ensure a higher rank in the hierarchy.

Make sure that all three girls have a bowl each and that you only feed as much in one go as they can eat. Also make sure that you have at least 3-4 hideys, each with two exits; cardboard boxes with two sides cut off will do nicely. How hot is it where you are?

How are you treating the bumble foot? Her weight loss can be due to that, not necessarily the bonding.

 

[Ellbell]

Hello,
the vets gave me a wash for her feet that I leave on for 5 min and wash off. It seems to be working.
They are happy eating out of the same bowl but I have 2 in there anyways. I don't think the weightloss is related to how much food she is eating. They have constant hay which she is always grazing on. They get about 2 cups worth of vegies in the morning which consists of things such as, kale, rocket, spinach, corn, capsicum, brocoli, etc... they also have about 3-4 hours grass time. It's not to hot where I live as it rains a lot.
Shes going back to the vets in 2 weeks for another ultrasound. I have called a few vets around but I'm in a rural area so its hard.
She seems happy and not bothered. I just want to know if its due to pregnancy or illness. Should I feed her something richer like Lucerne? Shes 10 months old apparently.

 

[Ellbell]

They also said her uterus is inflamed a little....

 

[Wiebke]

Has he given you antibiotics or anti-inflammatories for the inflammation of the uterus? Pyometra (infection of the womb lining) needs to be treated promptly in guinea pigs.

Please do not feed too much alfalfa/lucerne, as it is high in calcium and can lead to the build up of bladder sludge and stones. if you can get hold of readigrass, a daily pinch of that would be better, even though too much can also cause problems. Sweetcorn is quite energey dense, but you'd best top her up with hand feed so she gets the fibre she needs most.

I am sorry that you are struggling to find a decent vet.

 

[Goth Mummy]

I'm really sorry that you are struggling with her. Do you think the vet meant that her uterus was a little swollen, possibly indicating pregnancy, or that it was inflamed, possibly indicating infection? Did the vet properly explain?
Thinking positive thoughts for you both.....

 

[Ellbell]

The vet just said her uterus is a little inflamed suggesting pregnancy. Then I told her shes showing signs of being in heat. Then said it could be inflamed because of that. They will look at it again in two weeks but didn't say anything else about it. They are a good vets, they just don't get many if any guinea pigs come in. Which sucks! I'll just stick with what I'm feeding her and hope she starts to gain weight. I'll mention all these things to the vets next time and won't leave without an answer.