Fluffing up fur

[Sherbert and Leia]

Please help me. Both of my guinea pigs have recently started fluffing up there fur when sleeping and on some other occasions too. When I go and see them to feed/pet them they usually have fluffed up fur. I don,t have any photos but will try and get some
This is one of them without fluffed up fur but now her fur seems a lot more fluffed up. She also seems a bit less active

 

[Siikibam]

If you’re worried then there’s no harm getting them to the vet.

 

[Wiebke]

Please help me. Both of my guinea pigs have recently started fluffing up there fur when sleeping and on some other occasions too. When I go and see them to feed/pet them they usually have fluffed up fur. I don,t have any photos but will try and get someView attachment 167405
This is one of them without fluffed up fur but now her fur seems a lot more fluffed up. She also seems a bit less active

Hi!

If you have concerns, please have them vet checked. Whenever you have concerns over potential health issues, please switch from your usual life long once weekly weigh-in to weighing daily at the same time in order to monitor the food intake. Keep in mind that around 80% of the daily food intake comes from their dietary mainstay hay which you cannot control just by eye but it is generally the food group that is first and worst impacted when a piggy is not well. Only the scales will give you an up to date monitoring tool. Normal kitchen scales are perfectly adequate for the job.

Here is more in-depth information on the points I have raised:
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

Early Signs Of Illness
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide


PS: Is the indoors temperature still the same in the current cold weather with bigger night frosts? Have you checked your gas alarm if you have one? My own piggies, especially the frailer ones, are having additional snugglesafes (microwaveable heat pads on the highest setting) as well as fleeces around the cage side or over the cage as draft protection on the window sides for overnight. Just the fleece barrier makes about 1 C difference between the inside of the cage and the cold air pooling at the foot of the window in the mornings.

 

[wafflesandcosmopiggies]

I really don't know what this could be, so if you are worried please check out a vet!

 

[Free Ranger]

First thing is are they cold. If they are outside it really is too cold right now and even inside, depending on where they are, they might benefit from something like a snuggle-safe heat pad to ward off the draughts and a blanket over the cage. Are they somewhere less than 15 degrees C, do you know?

If they are feeling poorly they can sometimes sit still, a hunched position, puffed up fur. They might be hiding all the time too. But you would also be looking for other symptoms... piggies are prone to respiratory infections (URI) so they might have noisy breathing, running nose or eyes. They can get urinary tract infections (UTI) so it stings when they pee and they might whimper when they pee (or poop) or have blood stains where they have peed. If they are both behaving the same it is either something environmental or something contagious like a URI. Only a vet can diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment though.

If you are not already weighing them make a start now and monitor whether they are losing weight. There will always be a bit of fluctuation but losses of more than 50 grams usually mean something serious is going on - take a look at the guides on here. Also check they're pooping the same as usual and the poops aren't a weird shape or squishy or anything.

Last thing is if something upsets them they might puff up and maybe chutter at you... mine complain if the radio/tv is too loud!

 

[WheeksforWeeks]

Of course, you should always go to the vet if you are concerned, but if it’s only sometimes that they puff up, I wouldn’t be worried. If they puff up when you feed them, this is most likely a dominance thing. It’s basically saying “I’m big and scary, you don’t want to steal my food!” Puffing up is also okay when sleeping as a comfort thing. Cold, grooming, there are many different reasons that they could puff up. But of course, if it’s constant, you will want to see a vet.