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Guinea pig acting differently

L

Lauren Louise

New Born Pup
Joined
Feb 19, 2025
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Hello guys, I’m about worried earlier today my guinea pig was absolutely fine eating, drinking, running around etc now that iv come home from work and when in and checked on them both and my 1 piggie wasn’t moving when I touched him normally he runs away iv been watching him and he just seems to be laying down all the time, he’s drunk some water and iv seen him eat some hay I'm scared should i be? Someone please give me advice or am I just panicking abit to much?
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

Any change in behaviour is of concern. You know him best and if something doesn’t feel right, then you shouldn’t ignore those feelings.
If your piggy usually doesn’t like being touched and runs away but now hasn’t, you are right to be concerned.

We would advise that you see a vet.
The other thing you need to do is switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily, each morning. This enables you to more closely monitor hay intake (it can’t be gauged by eye). Any reduction in hay intake and consequent weight loss is of concern and means you need to step in with syringe feeding to stop any further weight loss.

I will add guides below which detail further.
I hope he is ok

Wiebke

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

1 Statement
2 Emergency assessment and accessing vets
- How urgent is my guinea pig's problem?
- Finding an emergency vet
- Seeing a vet not familiar with guinea pigs (including lists of safe and dangerous medications)
3 First Aid care and easily available products
- General 'always have at home' stuff and comfort measures for very ill guinea pigs
- Improvising support feed; recovery formulas...
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Wiebke

Thread 'How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency'

1 Feed
- Important crisis management resources
- When is improvising necessary?
- Which food group am I replacing with my feeding support?
- How much and how often should I feed and water?
- What can I use that I have already got at home?
- Other possible easily available foods with their pros and cons
- How do I prep a syringe for rougher pellet fibre?
- What can I do without a syringe?
- The role of lukewarm water
2 Probiotics
- Probiotic products...
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  • Love
Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
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Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
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He’s only about 2 months old, he has got up and run around with his brother he has been popcorning, I’m not sure if he’s done this before because in his last hide I couldn’t see him I got them a new hide today and I can now see in it and all iv seen is him laying down a lot, like I said he’s got up a few times drunk water and eat hay but normally when I touch him he runs from me the passed hour he hasn’t and I’m a little concerned! I’m going to keep a close eye on him and hopefully it’s nothing.
 
See it’s weird I just went to check on him again and as soon as I lifted his hide and touched him he run away so I have no idea what’s going on
 
If they are only 8 weeks old, I'm guessing you haven't had your piggies long. They are probably still getting used to their new home and companions, and learning new things.

Also guinea pigs are "crepuscular", that is, most active around dawn and dusk. Twilight is when it is safest for then to go out foraging for food in the wild. At other times they have bursts of activity with rests in between. Some piggies like to scare their slaves by "death napping" - sleeping so soundly that they don't wake up even when spoken to or touched straight away.

On the other hand, an observant owner is a good owner, so if you keep seeing behaviour that seems off, do take them to the vet to check it out.
 
Please do go to the vet if you are at all worried. A vet would rather see a worried owner but a well piggy.
Plus, as they are new piggies, we always recommend a health check if the piggies came from a breeder or shop (a rescue would have vet checked them before rehoming whereas a shop or breeder won’t).

As I say, weigh him every morning as that is the only way you can ever know a piggy is eating hay. Watching them eat some doesn’t mean it is enough.
Piggies can lose a lot of weight very quickly (within 24 hours in a worse case scenario) if their hay intake has dropped so keeping an eye on that is a key factor in spotting the start of an illness.
 
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