Depressed piggy?

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KingBoris&HisFollowers

KingBoris&HisFollowers

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hi i just got my new piggy yesterday,the **** is that he barely moves from the hidey house at all and i saw him sitting in the exact same position for 5hours he has barely touched any food even though the pellets i have are similar to what he had before i got him,he hasnt touched his veges and hasnt really drank any water,he is already slightly underweight so he cant really afford to be not eating any ideas on how i can help him??
 
Perhaps if he saw Boris eating he might want to do same?
Has he started to munch and drink now love?
He's very very cute droolx)x)
 
nope i have tempted him with sprouts,snowpeas,3 colours of caps,corn kernals,cucumber,rockmelon,cherry tomatos,apple,watemelon,parsley,raspberrys,strawberrys nothing works the only thing he had a tiny nibble of was watermelon and thats mostly water dont know what to do:{


oh forgot to add boris's cage is next to his and boris is practically munching away in new boys face lol
 
what about if you had him out on your knee and tempted him with something then? or maybe Boris on knee as well?
Grapes? seedless grapes Dukey used to looooove them and so did Sully :)
He's probably scared and wary of the new house, but he needs to eat mmmmmmmmmm
I'm sure somebody else will think of something nifty to get him started, they'll all be waking up soon :)
Good luck love, has he got a name yet? x)
 
still dont know about name i picked one from another member (barney) and started calling him that but it didnt seem to fit his personality:{poor boy just checked on him still no food eaten i have tried to hand feed him and that didnt work I'm running out of ideas could i use some critical care to keep him healthy why i work out other ways to get him to eat
 
i am very worried I just got new guy out of cage and discovered if i touch my index finger and my thumb together to make a circle shape thats how big the fattest part of his belly is, and his spine is visible ,I'm quite sure even in my limited experience that this is far to small for a 6-8 week old took a pic bout 10mins ago to show you how thin he is:...http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=913&stc=1&d=1239953391
 
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he's a tiny boy x)
Yes you're right tho he needs food now tho! this is a bit too long to go without, erm have you got some critical care? if not could you moisten up some of his pellets and syringe them in, i know this is early to do it, but do you know his history? i'm wondering if the little guy has not had access to good food and doesn't know what to do?
If i'm on wrong track ignore me please.......
come on somebody help please xxxxxxxxxxx
 
I think he might just be really scared because everything is new to him. If he is hiding in his house I would put some veggies in there with some hay and pellets and leave him in peace for a while, maybe put a towel on top of the cage so it's a bit darker. Dippy used to be scared to come out and eat when he was little but usually when I went away from the cage and everything was quiet he would start eating, especially in the evening.
 
cherryredcutie said:
I think he might just be really scared because everything is new to him. If he is hiding in his house I would put some veggies in there with some hay and pellets and leave him in peace for a while.
Click to expand...

this, please.
you got him yesterday, he is not going to be acting like a tame pig. look at it from his point of view- he's somewhere completely new with a total stranger (also a giant compared to him = even more scarey) and if you keep going in his cage/hutch it's going to scare him even more. just leave him alone with some food and let him get used to his surroundings in his own time.
 
hi i have critical care i might try him on that anyone know the dosage for a pig that young or should i weigh him?i have given him his privacy but its a little hard when i have to check on Boris every 1-2hours.i dont expect him to be tame but he was the calmest most relaxed little pig when i first picked him up, and then turned to this and lost weight, I'm more worried about his eating more than anything else.I dont know much about his history i asked but they didnt know, so not much i can do there, he just feels so frail and looks sad :{
 
It does take pigs a while to settle in, some of mine didn't eat veggies for 2 days while they settled in. If you are concerned I would give critical care.

Not sure on dosage I just use a heaped tablespoon and make it up that way. I would give him some space and just talk gently to him. He's bound to be frightened.
 
Firslty, don't panic. It's easy for us mummies to get a little insane when our babies aren't well or how we think they should be.

Secondly, weigh him. Don't get paranoid :{ & start weighing him every day. Like people guineas weights will go up & down daily, but weekly will be OK & give you a good overall picture of how he is doing. It is also a useful tool for if a pig ever ends up ill, as guineas are excellent at hiding illness until they are very sick. Weight loss is a great tool for identifying potentail problems - BUT don't panic about this at the moment. Or Legolas will be coming after you. He hasn't nibbled me for sometime & I am sure he can catch up with you! drool

Lastly, give him lots & lots of love.x) You have only just got him & on top of that he was, by the sounds of things, he was very down & lonely when you rescued & took him home. It will take some time for him to feel safe & know that he can run around free again. :...

My Billy & Bobby were rescued when they were about 4-5 & 2-3 weeks old. Bobby was in a cage with 8-10 adults & was terrified. Check out the first picture posted on the rspca site - I have never seen a pig look so afraid before: http://www.rspca-walsall.org.uk/newpages/billybobby.htm
Once he was rescued he was taken to the vet's. His little body was so bloated & the vet basically said there was nothing he could do & that Vicky (his foster carer) should give him lots of tlc. He was 250g at the time of his rescue. I am a Christian & believe he was meant to be my baby & that God did see that he was healed. It took lots of love, patience, good diet, hay & time. But he did make it.

Weight wise he has been about 150-200g below Billy, even though there are only about 2-3 weeks between them. He still doesn't like many people - in fact he's a mummy's pig. He will sit for ages on my shoulder watching the world go by - well actually it's just a wall, but hey, he's happy & that's all I care about! 8) For more recent pics check out the thread I had in the pcitures section "Billy & Bobby's first trip to the garden" or something vaguely resembling that. You can see how he has changed & he has occasionally mixed with the big pigs - although this isn't very often as he doesn't like it.

Just slow down. Weigh him. Have a short cuddle (5-10 minutes) 2-3 times a day. Have him only & let him get to know you & at this moment in time, only you. The rest of the family will come when he is feeling more confident & happier. Offer him small amounts of food - don't overwhelm him as it will scare him. Bobby still doesn't like to run around the room & I have had home for about 6 weeks now. But it has to be done at his pace.

Back to the food - offer him 2 or 3 different types of food. If he eats something great! If not, don't give up. It may takle a couple of tries before he decides he likes it! :x Think of babies being weaned. Spometimes they like it, sometimes they don't. Guineas are just as fussy & have different taste buds. Give him what he likes & what you know he will eat. It may be worth trying syringe feeding, but again, don't overdo it or force/scare him.

FYI (& nothing to do with this thread!) Billy has decided to sleep outside his house! He is all stretched out & has shown me what a fine set of teeth he has. Mind you if I move from the computer he will speed into the house at 100mph, but he still looks very handsome & peaceful. x)

My boys are sending bigs hugs & squeaks to your baby & of course theri 'friend' Boris (or possibly their 2 new brothers, we still haven't decided is Legolas is coming over or not!). xx>>>

Gotta go as I have a child arriving in an hour & i am working until 8.30, well **** 9pm. I have loads to do - aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Sorry, you know me, had to have a mad moment there. Must still think of names. What about Horace? or Basil? Chewbacca? Jupiter? Samson? I like Samson or Jupiter. Must really go now as have to check spellings before posting!

No doubt you'll hear from me again soon!

Michele, Susie (the guinea-loving cocker spaniel) & my 5 handsome boys
xxxxx
 
thanks so much i am a little calmer now i will weigh the little boy regulary,and cut down the bonding sessions i had him out for a good 30mins tonight so will make sure its 10-15 i havent been here long enough to know all of that about your lovely boys,although i am now wondering why my little man thinks his life is so hard?;)your guys had a much rougher start oh and hey don't worry about being off topic i love to hear about your boys gives me hope that mine will be just fine thanks for all the fantastic info and will let you know his progress tommorrowxx>>>
 
Don't compare your little man's start in life to my boys. Your baby did have a tough start in life - in a pet shop, alone, who knows how he was being fed & to be so wary, you have to wonder what happened to him. ?/

The thing is that now he has a loving, wonderful home & hopefully with your love & care he will be OK. x) Take it one day at a time & let him lead you. You will know when to increase your hugs together, introduce more food, take him outside & put him with Boris. Trust your instincts & don't forget - we are always here for you! (by we I mean me & my boys, as well as the forum!)
 
i have to give a quick update just went in to feed Boris and our little guy who i decided to name Basil,and he has eaten bits and pieces of vegetables and i saw that the water levels have gone down.very good progress puts my mind at rest :)
 
Basil is a great name. :)

Thats excellent news! He just needs to settle in thats all, and sounds like he is doing that now. Bless him! x
 
I like the name!

I am glad that Boris is getting his bearing and is starting to tuck in.

Just take it very gently; some of the shop guineas haven't had much human contact or proper care at all. I wouldn't be surprised if his mother was overbred! He'll probably turn into a proper greedy guts in no time - my own tiny bundle of bones and fur certainly did! Complete with a voice to wake up even the heaviest sleeper...

Once Basil feels comfy in his space, he'll start making friends with Boris; don't worry. Give him time!
 
Awww I am glad he is eating and drinking now, well done! Just be patient, it sometimes takes a bit longer for piggies to get confident :).
 
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