Won’t eat

[Firstguineapig555]

Hello. I am excited to have my first guinea pig ever. I read in the book the store gave me that they eat quite a bit, but mine seems very scared and hides a lot and I don’t think he is eating. He has a bowl of carrots and a cucumber slice that he is not interested in. Not sure what to do.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Did you get him today?

Is he on his own or does he have a friend?

He’s going to be very scared and will need some time to settle in. Make sure he has water and lots of hay close by. Make sure there are places to hide and maybe cover half the cage with a blanket so he feels safe.

He would love a friend. They must not live alone. He will be lonely without a friend. Also they would give each other confidence.

New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

He is going to be very scared and that can stop them wanting to come out if you are in the room, for example - often new owners find their piggies eat at night once nobody is watching. It’s recommended that you cover part of the top of the cage with a sheet. Piggies don’t like open spaces (they fear being attacked from above) so with a sheet covering the cage it will help him feel more safe. Put plenty of hay everywhere in the cage but particularly by the house be is in that way he can eat hay without having to come out. However if he is alone, then he is going to have a harder time settling - if he is currently alone, then the best thing you can do is get him a friend asap (today if he is a baby as babies under four months definitely should never be by themselves).

Hay is their main food intake and they need to constantly eat it to keep their system running, this means that they are constantly producing poop. Gently lift his house to clean poops out everyday - the poops are a sign he is eating. However they are an inaccurate sign as poop production is 1-2 days behind food intake - so by the time you don’t see any poops they already haven’t eaten for up to two days which means the gut has already slowed significantly. If you stop seeing poops being produced then he does need to see a vet quickly. If you have only just got him within the last day then I suspect this would be a scared issue rather than a health issue. If you have had him longer and he really isn’t eating, and you do suspect a health issue then he needs to be syringe fed and seen by a vet (urgently).

This guide explains the importance of weight checks.
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels

In case he really isn’t eating and you’ve had him for longer than a day - All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

The main part of a guinea pigs diet must be hay. It makes around 80% of the daily food intake. Hay intake cannot by gauged by eye. You can only know a piggy is eating enough via the routine weekly weight checks (daily weight checks where there are health concerns).

Carrots, and including all fruit, are not suitable to be fed regularly or in large amounts due to the sugars. They can have one very small piece as a very occasional treat but no more than once a week.
In terms of eating other veg, veg is just one cup per pig per day which equates to around 10-15% of the daily diet. They learn what is safe by watching and trying with their companion and when they were with their mother; and if he is a pet shop piggy then they don’t get fed the variety to learn so it can take quite a long time to get them to eat a variety of veg. The four safe daily veg are lettuce (not iceberg), coriander, bell pepper and cucumber.
Pellets are just one tablespoon per pig per day, equating to just 5% of the daily diet.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets


As weepweeps has mentioned, having a friend is very important. A new piggy is a scared piggy anyway but if he doesn’t have a friend then that will make it harder for him. Piggies must never be alone - they should always be kept in pairs and their companionship needs are so high.

It can take weeks to months for a new piggy to settle in properly settle in and the guides below as well as the ones weepweeps added can help explain more about this.

Companionship
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

 

[Truffolo]

Congratulations on your pet. Piggies and Buns has given excellent guidance on caring for your piggy. I hope you will get him a friend. If he is young, he could be neutered, which would make it possible to pair him with a girl (6 weeks after the op to make sure he can't fertilise the female piggy). Having a mini herd is great fun, much nicer than having only one piggy ❤

 

[Firstguineapig555]

Wow! Thanks for all the wonderful information! I am getting concerned, it’s been close to 24 hours and he has just sorta nibbled on a small carrot. Then I tried a mild/warm bath and realized after reading that baths may not be the best thing either. Right now he is being very still and quiet, he looks comfortable.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Wow! Thanks for all the wonderful information! I am getting concerned, it’s been close to 24 hours and he has just sorta nibbled on a small carrot. Then I tried a mild/warm bath and realized after reading that baths may not be the best thing either. Right now he is being very still and quiet, he looks comfortable.

Is he alone?
Is he young?
This is vital information. A baby piggy by himself is going to be even more terrified than new piggies are anyway, and this likely won’t get better until he gets the essential companionship that he needs. It’s so important they are never by themselves. Coming to a new home and being separated from a friend is a huge trauma to them and babies simply can’t cope being by themselves. Even as an adult they find it hard to be by themselves.
However while being scared and alone might be the root cause of him not eating - so getting him a friend may be all that is needed to perk him up - (of course we don’t know whether he may have already had a medical issue brewing when you got him), not eating will cause medical complications which require a vet to treat the resulting issues.

Have you covered his cage with a sheet?
Is hay right beside him so he can eat without having to move?

If he really hasn’t eaten any hay (which you can only tell by weighing him every morning and comparing his weight to the morning before as explained in the guides), then he should see a vet today and you may need to be prepare to step in with feeding a recovery feed if his not eating continues.
If he really isn’t eating anything then he will lose weight quickly and the gut slows down - and if he is a baby then he can’t afford to lose weight - and he is at risk of going into bloat or stasis without hay going through his system which are serious issues - he will require syringe feeding and gut medications if he goes into a resulting bloat or stasis.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

No definitely don’t bath him. They should never be bathed.

For him to have a friend, you have to go about bonding the right way. You have to carry out a neutral territory introduction properly for several hours before moving them to the cage.
You also need to double check that he is indeed male and that his companion is also male before you put them together.
You will also need to ensure the cage is big enough for two male piggies - that is 180x60cm, as anything smaller can cause space related bond issues.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Firstguineapig555]

Thanks for the information, it helps. I did put some hay in his box today. He does have cucumbers and strawberries too. Hope he starts responding soon. From what I am reading, he may just be nervous about the new surrounds and sounds.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for the information, it helps. I did put some hay in his box today. He does have cucumbers and strawberries too. Hope he starts responding soon. From what I am reading, he may just be nervous about the new surrounds and sounds.

He should not eat strawberries and carrots in the same week - it’s too much sugar. Fruit and carrot should not be fed to them really.
He needs a large pile of fresh hay topped up at least twice a day.

I would also assume it is because he is scared but nobody other than a vet can rule out this being due to illness, even pining from being alone, which as I say, won’t get better until he has a friend.
Please do monitor his weight every morning on a normal set of kitchen scales, as his hay intake needs to be sufficient to keep his weight stable. Eating veg is not enough to maintain full health without hay intake, and means up to 80% of food intake could be lost.

Please do understand we will continue to mention the importance of having a friend. Even if he does perk up within the next couple of days, it won’t negate having a friend. A single piggy will become depressed and won’t live their life to the fullest

 

[Firstguineapig555]

He is just sitting there still. Has not touched the strawberries or hay. No sounds and very little movement. I will be taking him to the vet on Monday. I’ll keep trying to get him to eat.

 

[Piggies&buns]

He is just sitting there still. Has not touched the strawberries or hay. No sounds and very little movement. I will be taking him to the vet on Monday. I’ll keep trying to get him to eat.

How long have you actually had him?
Has he produced any poops today? As I explained earlier, poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake so while it is not an accurate measure of hay intake (only the weight checks are), total lack of poop, noticeably less poops than normal (although you aren’t going to know what his normal is) or very thin and dry poops today does mean he hasn’t eaten anything since at least yesterday - this then puts him in an emergency situation as it means his gut has slowed. If this has happened then he needs to be seen by an emergency vet tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Stasis kills so this is very serious if he is not eating, losing weight and not producing poop
Please weigh him.

You will need to syringe feed him a recovery feed immediately tonight (or mushed pellets as the emergency alternative) to get and keep his gut functioning. You won’t encourage him to eat by just offering food - he is either too scared or his gut is slowing - you will need to actually syringe feed him. A baby guinea pig will go down hill very quickly if he has not eaten anything at all.

The guides below explain how to do it

How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Firstguineapig555]

Wow! I played some guinea pig sounds from YouTube and he started squeaking back at my phone! Amazing. Still won’t eat.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Wow! I played some guinea pig sounds from YouTube and he started squeaking back at my phone! Amazing. Still won’t eat.

That’s a sign he is desperate to have another guinea pig to communicate and interact with. It’s actually going to be very stressful and confusing for him if you play piggy sounds - to hear another piggy but not be able to find another piggy will be unsettling.
Hearing sounds is not going to make him eat.

As you have not answered the questions posed in the thread, it’s very difficult to currently advise any further. I can only repeat everything said so far - if he is or starts losing weight, not pooping or any poops he does make are not normal looking, not eating anything at all then he is at risk of serious medical issues; and also that he urgently needs a friend

 

[Firstguineapig555]

No poop in a day or so. My sister has a small animal scale, I will take him over there for a few days and record his weight. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Piggies&buns]

No poop in a day or so. My sister has a small animal scale, I will take him over there for a few days and record his weight. Thanks for all the help!

No poop at all is a very serious sign - it means he has definitely not eaten anything for the past 1-2 days which will now be causing his gut to slow down putting him At risk of bloat and stasis both of which can be fatal. He needs to urgently be syringe fed - you don’t have time to wait for weight check information to make the decision on weight loss before feeding him, the fact there is no poop at all is confirmation his gut isn’t getting what it needs for proper function. He needs to see a vet asap.

If by take him over there you mean travel to her house, then it would be much better for him if you to bring the scales to you or buy your own set. You only need a normal set of digital kitchen scales; and he needs to be weighed first thing every morning.
The only place he needs to travel to is the vet.

Are you able to get him a friend?

 

[Truffolo]

Offering him only cucumber and carrots may have upset his fibre intake. I agree, he needs to see a vet to get meds to get things started again. Piggy intestines don't work on their own the way ours do. Without high quality fibre, which can only be found in a constant supply of lots of grass and hay, they stop working. Piggies can be fragile where digestion is concerned. You definitely need to see a vet. Try him with some grass, out it down in his hiding place and leave the room. Then come back and see if he has eaten. But seeing a vet is crucial at this stage as he has not been pooping. Good luck, I hope he will be OK

 

[Piggies&buns]

Be very careful if you introduce fresh grass. It has the power to really upset the gut if too much is given on an unprepared, and what is now an already fragile digestive system, particularly where it is fast growing spring grass. As he hasn’t had enough fibre in the last few days, adding too much fresh food with a continued lack of fibre will further tip the balance in the wrong direction.
If you do give it, make sure it is a very small amount - just a few blades to see if it piques his interest. What he really needs at this point, aside from a vet, is lots of syringe feeding of a recovery feed to replace the hay fibre which he isn’t eating for himself (as much syringe feeding as he will take at each sitting. As many sittings in 24 hours as is necessary to keep his weight stable at each morning weight check - he could need feeding every 2 hours) and hay (which he probably won’t willing eat if his gut is now slowing too much).

 

[Truffolo]

Be very careful if you introduce fresh grass. It has the power to really upset the gut if too much is given on an unprepared and what is now an already fragile digestive system, particularly where it is fast growing spring grass. As he hasn’t had enough fibre in the last few days, adding too much fresh food with a continued lack of fibre will further tip the balance in the wrong direction.
If you do give it, make sure it is a very small amount - just a few blades to see if it piques his interest. What he really needs at this point, aside from a vet, is lots of syringe feeding of a recovery feed to replace the hay fibre which he isn’t eating for himself (as much syringe feeding as he will take at each sitting. A many sittings in 24 hours as is necessary to keep his weight stable at each morning weight check - he could need feeding every 2 hours) and hay (which he probably won’t willing eat if his gut is now slowing too much).

Yes, sorry, I forgot to say just a taster of grass, as Piggies and Buns says, grass can be dangerous in sudden, large amounts

 

[Firstguineapig555]

Sad news I think. This morning I found him just lying on his side with labored breathing. He has been that way all day now. I have been reading about GI problems with guinea pigs and I think maybe this is what might be happening. I am trying to keep him comfortable, but he is not interested in eating. We are going to the vet first thing in the morning.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear this

Yes this did turn into a GI problem. As soon as he stopped eating it became a risk to his gut health, and then as soon as he stopped pooping he was already going into stasis. Prescribed gut medications and constant syringe feeding is the only way to attempt to reverse stasis.
Now his system has shut down I’m afraid he isn’t going to eat independently.

I’m sorry to say seeing a vet tomorrow morning will be too late. The laboured breathing means he is in respiratory distress. He needs to see a vet as an emergency right now particularly if he has been like this all day.

How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

 

[Piggies&buns]

How is your piggy?

Have your been able to get to a vet?
Is piggy accepting syringe feed?

 

[Firstguineapig555]

He will not really syringe eat, but he did try. I did buy another guinea pig this morning to keep him company since he responded to the YouTube sounds so well. I did syringe him some water too.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Did you get to a vet? That should be the priority at this point. Getting him a friend is good but vet care is more important at this point if he stands any chance of surviving.
Did you get scales so you can weigh him every morning?
The amount of weight he would have lost and the damage done to his gut with no food intake for this long would be significant now.

What has happened with his laboured breathing? Laying on his side with laboured breathing is a massive issue and not something they just get better from.

 

[Firstguineapig555]

He seems to be a little better. He is trying to stand. His friend squeaks at him some and he tries to squeak back. He seems to be trying more now.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Well that’s good, and a bit of a miracle really!

Did he get to the vet?
Is he pooping?
How much syringe feed were you getting into him in each 24 hour period?
Have you been weighing him every morning?
What have those weight checks said?

Stasis, without full vet care, meds and round the clock intensive syringe feeding (literally every hour or two day and night getting at least the minimum amounts into them) will cause organ damage and kill an adult within a day or so, a baby much quicker. They don’t recover from stasis on their own.

Did you check the sex of both piggies?
I’m guessing bonding wouldn’t have been done properly given your piggy was so gravely poorly.

 

[Truffolo]

Yes, he needs to see a vet

 

[Piggies&buns]

He definitely needs to see a vet today particularly if he hasn’t been seen since this started - even if a piggy recovers from stasis (the meds - painkillers, gut motility meds, sometimes antibiotics need to be given - and syringe feeding started immediately when the signs of stasis occur) they can be left with permanent damage and suffer lifelong health issues. He is not out of the woods.
He will still need full syringe feeding (a minimum of 40ml per day is needed as that is the lowest amount necessary just to keep them alive but that is still with the necessary medications) until he eats enough hay again and then he still needs to eat enough hay to maintain his weight by himself before you can stop feeding, the daily weight checks still need to be done to monitor intake. It can take around a week (sometimes more if it was severe) to recover from stasis (and still with the risk of lifelong issues) to the point of being able to stop syringe feeding

If the two piggies have bonded (which the full process of takes two weeks) then you need to make sure you take them both to the vet when the poorly one goes. You can’t separate bonded boars (unless the bond fails and they fight) as it can cause issues between them.