I'm super worried about my piggy :(

[piggyGin]

Hi everyone! how are you all doing?

I have few questions as I'm worried about my piggy Gin. He is eating and drinking, eats snacks, a little bit of pellets, and a lot of hay. He was pooping a lot more than usual for 2-3 days, but yesterday and today it's normal again.

My concern is that he sleeps and lies down a lot, and scratches himself 5-10 times a day. He also is kind of confused and walking around slowly. today when I was giving him vitamin C snack he lied down and kept eating while lying down. He comes out of hidey houses only to eat and drink water, other than that he is there, he is not active anymore at all. He does run around like crazy few times and that;s it. He lets me pet him like usual but I feel like something is wrong with him. Oh and one more thing, today he opened his mouth and seemed like he was trying to breathe or squeak but no sound came out, it was kind of strange what he did. But he did it only once today, he is breathing ok i guess. He also yawns a lot. I made an appointment for monday (Jul 19th) since nothing is available sooner.. ((
Should I take him to an emergency? Can he be like this before Monday? I am so worried that he might die or something before that, I cant take it, I'm literally nervous. Maybe I'm overreacting but i love him so so much and idk if he is doing ok or not. It makes me sad to see him lying down all the time.
Any help would be appreciated!

Thank You!

 

[piggyGin]

Hi everyone! how are you all doing?

I have few questions as I'm worried about my piggy Gin. He is eating and drinking, eats snacks, a little bit of pellets, and a lot of hay. He was pooping a lot more than usual for 2-3 days, but yesterday and today it's normal again.

My concern is that he sleeps and lies down a lot, and scratches himself 5-10 times a day. He also is kind of confused and walking around slowly. today when I was giving him vitamin C snack he lied down and kept eating while lying down. He comes out of hidey houses only to eat and drink water, other than that he is there, he is not active anymore at all. He does run around like crazy few times and that;s it. He lets me pet him like usual but I feel like something is wrong with him. Oh and one more thing, today he opened his mouth and seemed like he was trying to breathe or squeak but no sound came out, it was kind of strange what he did. But he did it only once today, he is breathing ok i guess. He also yawns a lot. I made an appointment for monday (Jul 19th) since nothing is available sooner.. ((
Should I take him to an emergency? Can he be like this before Monday? I am so worried that he might die or something before that, I cant take it, I'm literally nervous. Maybe I'm overreacting but i love him so so much and idk if he is doing ok or not. It makes me sad to see him lying down all the time.
Any help would be appreciated!

Thank You!

he has been like this for around 4-5 days already. also, he is alone in his cage and he's 4-5months old.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you are concerned then you are right to see a vet - a change in behaviour should be checked out. What you are describing seems non-specific though so its difficult for us to comment helpfully. Keep an eye on his weight so you can be sure he really is eating enough hay (you cant gauge intake by eye).
What I would say though is the fact that he is alone could be the reason he doesnt seem to come out of his hide for anything other than food - the best enrichment for a piggy is another piggy

 

[piggyGin]

If you are concerned then you are right to see a vet - a change in behaviour should be checked out. What you are describing seems non-specific though so its difficult for us to comment helpfully. Keep an eye on his weight so you can be sure he really is eating enough hay (you cant gauge intake by eye).
What I would say though is the fact that he is alone could be the reason he doesnt seem to come out of his hide for anything other than food - the best enrichment for a piggy is another piggy

Thank you! I did weigh him today he was 1.4lbs same as yesterday and before that. I'll keep weighing him every day.

 

[piggyGin]

The fact he is still eating a lot of hay and still drinking are really good signs , I can't take guesses what's wrong with him , but how old is he? and I'm thinking maybe he could be lonely ? It could be something like arthiritis which can be managed well with pain relief . But it could be many things . Keep us posted

My single sow went exactly like you describe when she was single . When I got her a friend to live with , she changed instantly

thanks for the reply!
he is 4-5months old only. I will definitely post updates after vets appointment and yea i thought the same thing that he might be bored of being in cage alone since we got him.. I definitely have to get him another piggy even if it means having not enough space for myself in my bedroom lol.

 

[piggyGin]

yes I agree w everything u said. I am aware that i have to bring him to vet for checkups. When i first got him from Petco (which was a bad idea), I took him to vet 3-4 days after, and he apparently was sick with respiratory illness, he was very tiny and skinny. i gave him antibiotics and everything as directed and we took him back to vet for followup and he was healthy! everything was ok with him. I will take him on monday just in case, but he gets very nervous about everything and after vet appointments he is stressed.
thanks!

 

[Wiebke]

thanks for the reply!
he is 4-5months old only. I will definitely post updates after vets appointment and yea i thought the same thing that he might be bored of being in cage alone since we got him.. I definitely have to get him another piggy even if it means having not enough space for myself in my bedroom lol.

Hi!

Here is a lot more helpful background information and practical tips:
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

Tips For Vet Visits
Travelling with guinea pigs
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

All the best! it is hopefully nothing serious.

 

[weepweeps]

Just another thought, has the weather got hotter recently? My boys seem to lay around more if it’s hot. I’d definitely get him seen by a vet and definitely get him a buddy

 

[piggyGin]

Just another thought, has the weather got hotter recently? My boys seem to lay around more if it’s hot. I’d definitely get him seen by a vet and definitely get him a buddy

yes the weather definitely is hot and humid, but i have ac on most of the time, so its not hot or too cold in our room. I live in NYC, and the weather here is unbearable in summer if you dont have AC .. thanks for advice!

 

[piggyGin]

UPDATE: as I said, I'm weighing Gin on a daily basis, he is eating plenty of hay, little bit snacks and pellets each day. He is doing ok, but I'm still looking forward to his vet appointment on monday.
here's his weight for past 4 days:

Jul 13- 665 grams
Jul 14 - 674g
Jul 15 - 675g
Jul 16 - 687g
is this normal weight for 5months old guinea pig you think?
Thank you!

 

[weepweeps]

My Percy was 790g at 20 weeks
Pepper was 1030g at 20 weeks
So is varies massively between piggies. There isn’t an ideal weight as such. You just have to make sure they have a good heft. Have a look at the weight guide in the bar at the top.
Pepper is lying around a lot today as it’s got very warm here. I’ve popped him in the garden for a run about in the shade and he’s fine. But in his hutch he’s lying down.
Gin seems to be gaining every day so there’s not a problem with his eating. Glad you’ve got him booked in at the vets for a check up.

 

[Wiebke]

UPDATE: as I said, I'm weighing Gin on a daily basis, he is eating plenty of hay, little bit snacks and pellets each day. He is doing ok, but I'm still looking forward to his vet appointment on monday.
here's his weight for past 4 days:

Jul 13- 665 grams
Jul 14 - 674g
Jul 15 - 675g
Jul 16 - 687g
is this normal weight for 5months old guinea pig you think?
Thank you!

Hi!

As long as the weight is going up or stable, you are perfectly fine. Please take a deep breath and relax.

The normal weight range varies much more than books and literature suggest. Your piggy is now coming towards the end of the fast growth phase when the growth pattern changes towards a more stop and go one with sudden growth spurts. This generally seems to happen when a piggy has reached a certain percentage of their ultimate genetically determined personal adult weight - whatever that is.

Please don't get hung up on weight; much more important is your piggy's long term health. I've had both piggies looking at 800g from below and at 1500g from above living to celebrate their 8th birthday. It's a good diet and your normal everyday care that makes all the difference for the long term - whatever the size.

 

[piggyGin]

Thank you both for your helpful comments !

 

[Black piggies]

That's great you have a vet appointment Monday to check that Gin is well.

Just to add that while waiting for new friends following bereavement, my piggy Shadow started behaving oddly, standing gnashing her teeth at nothing, I thought she might be getting dementia. But she's had new friends for a month now and has gone back to normal. I'm mostly working from home, she's in the sitting room, she and I are very bonded, but missing piggy company made her behave oddly.

 

[piggyGin]

That's great you have a vet appointment Monday to check that Gin is well.

Just to add that while waiting for new friends following bereavement, my piggy Shadow started behaving oddly, standing gnashing her teeth at nothing, I thought she might be getting dementia. But she's had new friends for a month now and has gone back to normal. I'm mostly working from home, she's in the sitting room, she and I are very bonded, but missing piggy company made her behave oddly.

oh, I'm so sorry about your piggy and I'm glad Shadow feels better now with a new friend!

 

[piggyGin]

YAY! Gin's vet appointment today went very well. She gave him mite cream on fur (even though she could not tell if he had mites or not for sure :// ) and a dewormer orally just in case as well since his poop was a little bit inconsistent past week. Other than that he is healthy so far and I'm so happy about it! He also gains weight every day which is great! the doctor said he was over 1.5lbs today. I will keep weighing him every other day from today on.
thanks to everyone here for kind and helpful comments and advices. I appreciate it a lot as a new guinea pig owner.