Guinea Pig suddenly hiding and acting weird

[ChunkyandChubby]

My 3 1/2 year old sow started acting strange 2 days ago. On Tuesday when I went to feed her, she didn’t come running out of her hiding spot to come eat. This concerned me because every time I’ve ever fed her, she’s always come immediately running out. When I came back later I saw her food hadn’t been touched at all. I was scared she did not want to eat. I moved her food into her hiding spot and her water bottle right outside it and she has been eating and drinking it, though slightly less than she normally eats. I tried to take her out of the cage and she was more scared than she normally was, not wanting to leave her hiding spot. She calmed down when I put her on my lap and relaxed and layed down as she always does. I decided to take her hiding spot out of her cage for around 30 minutes to see what she would do. She eventually walked around the cage but very slowly and not how she walks. I could tell the way she carried her body was off and it was tilted. She can still run as when I put the hiding spot back in she immediately ran back in. She doesn’t come out at all. The most she does is stick her head out to drink from her water bottle. I’m so worried and confused because this has never happened before and she was perfectly fine 3 days ago. I don’t know what’s wrong with her or what to do.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please have her checked by a vet. She sounds like she may be unwell.

Please ensure you switch from the normal weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily, every morning. It is likely she isn’t eating enough hay if isn’t feeling well, and as hay is three quarters of what they need to eat in a day but you cannot tell they are eating enough hay by watching, this makes the daily weight checks essential. Hay is often the first thing they stop eating so by the time they stop eating veg as well, then they are feeling quite poorly. Any reduction in hay intake and she will start to lose weight. 100g of weight loss in a day or two is an emergency but anything over 50g is when you need to step in with syringe feeding.
You are likely going to need to step in with syringe feeding a recovery feed (critical care by oxbow js one such product), however is you don’t have any in stock then mush her normal pellets with water and syringe that to her.
You are aiming to keep her weight stable each day if she isn’t eating hay for herself (again this is why the weight checks need to be daily) and you are aiming to feed a minimum of 40-60ml per 24, but as much as is needed so she doesn’t lose weight day to day.

Let us know how you get on at the vet. I hope she is ok

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
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All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Urmel]

You definitely need to go to the vet asap. Suddenly hiding more, eating less and walking differently than usual are all pretty clear signs that she is sick. Guinea pigs instinctively hide more when they feel unwell. Some piggies hide symptoms of their illnesses very well, or it could be something that is not outwardly obvious. The tilted walk could point to many things from joint problems to ear infections to even a stroke, no way to know without a thorough check at the vet.
It is good that she is still eating some, but keep in mind that refusing to eat is life-threatening within 24h, so any sign of hesitancy should be taken very seriously and monitored closely. Good luck for your piggie! I hope she gets well soon!