Guinea Pig Docile & Shaking?

[Gina M]

Hi all-

On Saturday, I brought home two piggies- Nutmeg and Maple. Maple is very skiddish, but she's super friendly and has been wheeking/playing around. Nutmeg, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be doing well. She seemed okay the first 2 days, but for the last 24 hours she has been very docile and inactive. She's been sitting in a corner for several hours, shaking [but barely moving otherwise]. She is still attentive- I hand fed her some food and tried to get her to drink water, but she would not drink. I'm not sure if she is hydrated- the water bottle levels seem to not have moved much today, which worries me, but they appear to be eating. I've seen her eat hay and veggies today. The only real symptoms I am seeing in her are the shaking and docile attitude.

Any ideas? Should I be concerned and take her to a vet?

Edit: I have the heat on and it doesn't seem to be cold at all so I think we can rule that out.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s always a good idea to have new piggies vet checked. It may be that she is just quieter than the other and is always going to be more scared, but because piggies can hide illnesses, so it’s always a good idea to have a vet check them out for peace of mind.

If they are given a clean bill of health, then you can rest assured they just need time to settle in - this can take many weeks. With new piggies it’s best to cover part of the cage and leave them alone to settle in - throw food in and spot clean the cage (full clean carefully after the first week) but leave them to settle. Put hay in the hides so they don’t have to come out to eat if they don’t want to. You will likely find they venture out overnight at first, and then gradually become settled and realise their environment is safe. Speak to them as you approach so they know it’s not a predator coming.

The guides below offer further help
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I hope she’s just nervous and she settles in soon. I agree a vet check would be a good idea.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Yes, I agree if in doubt a vet check will be the best course of action, will put your mind at rest too. Hope it’s nothing and just settling in nerves. You could place a sheet over the top of the cage with just one corner open for you to take a peek and I would provide a small dish of water near their bedroom just in case she isn’t drinking from the feeder

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

I agree; please have her vet checked, ideally today as young guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly.
You can reclaim any vet cost from the pet shop as part of your customer rights.

Here is information on your customer rights:
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Here is our emergency and bridging care information. If a piggy is not eating and not well, you may have to step in with feeding support. Weigh daily at the same time (kitchen scales are perfectly fine) so you can see whether your piggy is eating enough or not and how much feeding support you need to give. Information on what you can do in a pinch is also included in the link: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[Gina M]

Thank you everyone- I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get her an appointment until tomorrow at 12 [very hard to find an available piggy specialist in the city apparently :/] but I have taken some of your tips to care for her in the meantime. I've been hand feeding her- she's eaten some carrots and hay, although minimal. I also saw her trying to drink some water so, some good signs. Wish us luck

 

[Siikibam]

Perhaps try her on lettuce or cucumber. Carrots aren’t the best thing to feed piggies regularly - they’re high in sugar. Hope she’s better soon. Let us know how you get on.

For future below is a list of vets in Illinois. Hopefully one of them is near enough to you, but I wouldn’t rule out travelling.
Veterinarians: Illinois - Guinea Lynx Records