• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Guinea Pig not eating

R

RinT

New Born Pup
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Messages
39
Reaction score
16
Points
140
Location
UK
Hello everyone :)

My male guinea pig is not eating today (Currently it is 12:45 in the afternoon).

For a bit of background information he is a massive foodie and does not pass up any opportunity to eat. He's had 2 surgeries in the 3 years I've had one, one to be neutered and one to remove a massive cyst. At present, he seems to have developed 2 much smaller cysts, however these did not impact his eating at all and the vet cleared him stating he doesn't need to have them removed (this was on Monday). We do not know his exact age as he is a rescue, but at a bare minimum he is at least 4 as he was an adult when we got him (we think he might be 5?).

He was eating, drinking, and playing perfectly fine yesterday, however today he is not eating and I have yet to see him drink. He's just sitting in his hide and very occasionally "playing" with a ball (picking it up once then dropping it again.) I tried to feel the cysts and they seems a little bit smaller than when I felt them before.

Any advice? Thank you
 
RinT said:
Hello everyone :)

My male guinea pig is not eating today (Currently it is 12:45 in the afternoon).

For a bit of background information he is a massive foodie and does not pass up any opportunity to eat. He's had 2 surgeries in the 3 years I've had one, one to be neutered and one to remove a massive cyst. At present, he seems to have developed 2 much smaller cysts, however these did not impact his eating at all and the vet cleared him stating he doesn't need to have them removed (this was on Monday). We do not know his exact age as he is a rescue, but at a bare minimum he is at least 4 as he was an adult when we got him (we think he might be 5?).

He was eating, drinking, and playing perfectly fine yesterday, however today he is not eating and I have yet to see him drink. He's just sitting in his hide and very occasionally "playing" with a ball (picking it up once then dropping it again.) I tried to feel the cysts and they seems a little bit smaller than when I felt them before.

Any advice? Thank you
Click to expand...

Hi

Please step in with switching from your usual once weekly weigh-in to weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison in order to monitor the food intake and compute the level of feeding support for the next 24 hours accordingly. Keep in mind that over three quarters of the daily food intake is hay, which you cannot control by eye so your piggy off food can lose a lot of weight if you only look at the supplementary foods (veg, forage, pellets, treats etc.)

Here is our support feeding guide with all the practical tips; including a chapter on how to improvise in an emergency.
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...
  • Like
  • Love

Here is the access link to our one stop emergency care collection with all its practical how-tips and information
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...
  • Like

Please try to get your piggy in at your vets tomorrow. The problem may not have anything to do with any cysts.

All the best!
 
I'd get him back to the vets ASAP, syringe feeding until then. It could be a pain symptom, and it may not be linked to the cysts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top