• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Worried About My Boar

Status
Not open for further replies.
kiera

kiera

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Messages
197
Reaction score
125
Points
255
Location
kilmarnock
Hello ever since I adopted my new boar he's isn't eating his fresh vegs or his nuggets and starting to quiet worry about himeven hand feeding but he'll take it then drop it
 
You've only had him a short while so he'll be feeling scared and overwhelmed. You need to give him time to settle in and get used to his new surroundings.

Guinea pigs are prey animals and so aren't like dogs or cats. They take time to get used to us and settle. Their natural behaviour is to be more afraid.

Give him plenty of hay, a handful of veg and pellets and leave him to it.

The last pig I got wouldn't eat in front of me for over a fortnight, I hardly even saw him. But, the food would disappear over night.

But, if you're worried keep a notebook of his weight. Weigh him at the same time of day every few days. If his weight is declining then it's a sign of a problem.

I know your last vet really wasn't very good with guinea pigs so I think in the next week or so you need to ring, or email all of the vets in your area to find a vet with good guinea pig experience. If you can't find one, try further afield.

Ask the rescue where you got the pig from which vet they use.
 
I've recently adopted a male guinea pig and he was the same. He wouldn't eat any dry food so I bought just about every type i could find. I then discovered he loved wagg so that must have been what he was used to. Depending on how much veg his old family fed him he might just not be used to it! You can buy a recovery food from the vets which you mix with water and syringe into their mouths, my little piggy loved it! And now he eats everything in site, just takes a little while for them to adjust! If it carries on I'd take him to a vet x
 
@kiera try putting the veg in his hidey with him, if he feels secure he is more likely to eat. Try this please and let us know how he gets on
 
@kiera please put hay in/next to his hidey plus veg and food at the entrance so he can eat in privacy. He is probably just needing time to settle.
 
Hudson my boar he is two and he only eats 4 veggies and only sometimes as he has never been given a wide variety...he struggled to even go near hay until a few days after I got him. Just because he had never been looked after properly x
 
ChloeCee98 said:
Hudson my boar he is two and he only eats 4 veggies and only sometimes as he has never been given a wide variety...he struggled to even go near hay until a few days after I got him. Just because he had never been looked after properly x
Click to expand...
That's what I got told from the support adoption in pets at home
His last owner gave him mussiel for a year but they got him to nuggets
 
Jaycey said:
You've only had him a short while so he'll be feeling scared and overwhelmed. You need to give him time to settle in and get used to his new surroundings.

Guinea pigs are prey animals and so aren't like dogs or cats. They take time to get used to us and settle. Their natural behaviour is to be more afraid.

Give him plenty of hay, a handful of veg and pellets and leave him to it.

The last pig I got wouldn't eat in front of me for over a fortnight, I hardly even saw him. But, the food would disappear over night.

But, if you're worried keep a notebook of his weight. Weigh him at the same time of day every few days. If his weight is declining then it's a sign of a problem.

I know your last vet really wasn't very good with guinea pigs so I think in the next week or so you need to ring, or email all of the vets in your area to find a vet with good guinea pig experience. If you can't find one, try further afield.

Ask the rescue where you got the pig from which vet they use.
Click to expand...

I second this, give him time and move the hides and food closer together or cover part of the cage with a towel/blanket so he does not have to eat out in the open.

It may also be that he has never really had veggies before so it will take some time to adjust to those, try not to introduce too many different ones at the same time, just keep it simple and add new types over time if he eats without showing any tummy issues.
 
Squeakz said:
I second this, give him time and move the hides and food closer together or cover part of the cage with a towel/blanket so he does not have to eat out in the open.

It may also be that he has never really had veggies before so it will take some time to adjust to those, try not to introduce too many different ones at the same time, just keep it simple and add new types over time if he eats without showing any tummy issues.
Click to expand...
He'll eat if my mum or bro holds him
 
kiera said:
He'll eat if my mum or bro holds him
Click to expand...

That's a sign that he's not comfortable with his new surroundings yet. If you follow the advice given by Squakz and such then he'll slowly become less afraid over time.
 
The vet told us to try these with him if he's still not eating then take him to vet

IMG_0594.webp
 
I use these sachets for any poorly pigs. Did you get instruction on how to make up the food?
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
This thread /\ might be helpful
Did the vet suggest why he isn't eating? Did they think it was more that being unsettled in a new environment? Is he losing weight?

@Critter or @VickiA - please can you merge this into the already existing thread by Kiera about her new boar to avoid confusion?Worried About My Boar

Edit by Critter: Threads moved as suggested - thank you - :) x
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@kiera Is he losing weight? Or had he lost weight since you got him? Is he showing any signs of struggling to eat?

I understand your concerns about him not eating from your hand, but have you tried leaving him alone, has he eaten anything overnight?

I'm alwaysreluctant to provided or force feed a pig liquid/soft food as it could lead to tooth issues.

Pigs should eat hay mostly, not just for their digestive system but because it wears down their teeth. Liquid food isn't going to do that and so you might inadvertently cause his teeth to overgrow.

Like I mentioned before it takes time for them to settle in as they're prey animals.

I don't think I saw Podrick eat for about two weeks but food disappeared overnight. It took months before he would take food from my hand. That's just the way pigs are, naturally defensive.
 
I've left food in his bowel from yesterday and when woke up this morning it's still there
 
Hi @kiera. Where is your new boar housed. Is he an inside guinea pig or do you house him outside. Is he near your other pigs so he can hear their chatter. I find that leaving new guinea pigs to settle in for a day or two before handling them helps them settle in. I just give them plenty of clean hay, water in a bottle and also in a dish, I also leave them food in a bowl as well as pieces of fresh vegetable.. As they become used to the new surroundings guinea pigs get a bit braver. I resisted the temptation to talk to much too a new guinea pig as even that can freak them out until they realise they can trust you.
 
Last edited:
He's gets pets at home nuggets
Alots of hay
Gave him cucumber,kale,pepper,tomato
 
Just because he fought with his brother doesn't mean he won't get on with other boars. I've adopted single boars who 'just won't get on with other boars' who I've bonded in a pair and even a trio once.
 
If there is no medical reason why he won't eat then I would say he's depressed. Isobel did this when I separated her from Daisy to monitor her food intake as she was really ill but she wouldn't touch anything while she was on her own. She's the only guinea pig I've had this problem with, they can be funny little creatures.
 
What are you planning to do with him? As he isn't neutered do you plan to get him neutered & then bond him with your girls after 6 weeks when he is safe? Otherwise you need to get him a boar as a friend for company.
 
Just had him and a female piggy out together and he wasn't even interested in her at all. Tomorrow defo gonna take him to vets because we had him since Thursday and he still won't eat
 
kiera said:
Just had him and a female piggy out together and he wasn't even interested in her at all. Tomorrow defo gonna take him to vets because we had him since Thursday and he still won't eat
Click to expand...
Goodness me ! If we had a penny for each time someone said this then a thread a few weeks later panicking that their piggy was pregnant ! Do not put him with any females :( You are actually going to make him stressed & the risk of pregnancy is high, you only have to take your eyes off him for a minute & he could do the deed ! It's irresponsible & unkind to him :( Please either get him neutered or get him seen by a vet asap if he isn't eating :(
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Goodness me ! If we had a penny for each time someone said this then a thread a few weeks later panicking that their piggy was pregnant ! Do not put him with any females :( You are actually going to make him stressed & the risk of pregnancy is high, you only have to take your eyes off him for a minute & he could do the deed ! It's irresponsible & unkind to him :( Please either get him neutered or get him seen by a vet asap if he isn't eating :(
Click to expand...
Full family was watching him and I was holding her
 
Way too risky though! Also it will be upsetting him, he will smell the female on your hands, he will get frustrated :( I suggest you concentrate on getting him well, if he isn't eating then he could be poorly, he needs to get a vet check asap, he could pass any contagious illness onto the rest of your piggies :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top