'frozen' playing dead behaviour

[jayneblonde]

Hi, I have recently taken on a family of guinea pigs - a mother, father and 3 babies. I have split the males from the females etc and now i have the mother and 2 babies separate from the dad etc.

A few times when replacing the smallest of the female babies (i believe she may be the runt of the litter) back to its home she appears to 'freeze' (or sort of play dead but not laying on her back)- lay on her side with her back legs outstretched, all wide eyed - after about 20 seconds she starts to roll back onto her belly and then drag her back legs along the floor for a few paces and gradually bring them back into her body and walk off... she did this whilst i was holding her before putting her back with her mother and sister the other day too -

i'm a bit concerned - has anyone come across this or knows what the problem may be? - i have 8 piggies now and never come across this! its quite frightening to see :o( i have read numerous books trying to see if any illnesses cause this but have drawn a bit of a blank!

If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! :o

 

[roninnorfolk]

sounds like a stress / epileptic seizure especally in something so small
souunds genetic she might gro out of it just be gentle!
Good luck and welcome to the forum x

 

[rw3399]

I haven't come across that exactly. My guinea has lost the use of her back legs but I think that it might have been a stroke. It might be a neurological problem? Hope someone else can give you better information than me.

 

[jayneblonde]

Thanks for the input! Been looking for a forum like this one for a while - its nice to share info etc! I will keep an eye on her and see what happens - would like to put her in with my 3 original piggies, but think that she is still too small for that! she sprawled herself out on my lap the other night in a relaxed sleepy way for over an hour! awww bless her! :o) just want her to be ok. Strangely the father did that too when i first returned him after a cuddle... just hope it is nothing serious or genetic...

 

[rw3399]

I hope everything turns out to be ok

 

[katiep]

Aw, hope the poor little girl is OK.

 

[caryl]

Hope she gets better soon
Big hugs from us
xx

 

[jayneblonde]

Thanks guys! will keep you posted - hope all is well in your piggy villages! its a bit distressing to see so i hope that it is something that she grows out of... poor baby pig! xx

 

[choloe]

welcome to the forums from me and the girls from oz :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: hoping your little girl frows out of it, and that she and daddy get real better soon sending :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: when we take jessie out she is like a rag doll piggy. sending hugs and cuddles and the girls send :-* :-* :-*

 

[sophiew (EAGPR)]

Sounds like she's scared to me, one of my youngsters was like this when he arrived because he had never been handled - if I picked him up he'd throw his head back and go straight and rigid and if I put him back down he'd sort of keel over.

He's much better now he's settled.

Otherwise I guess it could be something neurological - someone else might know more about that!

Let us know how she gets on

Sophie
x

 

[jayneblonde]

ahh that sounds exactly the same sort of behaviour! i will keep an eye on her - if she gets any worse or this starts happening more often then i will definately take her for a check up at the vet!

i am hoping that it is just being scared and nervous - the home that she came from had a rather large, very loud dog who i believe barked at them quite a bit - hence why i couldn't leave them all there and offered to take all of them... will hold off putting them in with my 3 'original' piggies till she is a bit more secure with her surroundings! (and a bit larger)

Will keep you guys posted! any other suggestions as to how to make her feel more at ease are always welcome!

Cheers! xx