my piggy's wierd quirks. unhealthy?

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vertolivia

vertolivia

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hi, i have a little boy named liam. i finally found a vet specifically for guinea pigs and had him checked out. he is overweight and is a little less than 4 lbs. i have tried to get him to exercise but he wont move! whenever i set him down he either walks towards his cage and tries to get in or starts eating anything he thinks could be food. the vet told me to get him a ball to run in but he doesn't move at all and I'm scared that the ball wont be good for his back even if he did move. he has a bald spot under his chin, the doc says its from drool...i see so many pigs that are so active and i worry about him being so lazy. also, his lower back,bum, is very sensitive and he doesn't enjoy being pet there. he doesn't have mites or any other skin issues and the doc gave him a shot that reduced the sensitivity for a month or so but now its back! am i doing something wrong?
also, what are some no no foods. i never knew spinach was bad and i wonder about other fruits and veggies.

any advice would be appreciated. i want to make him the happiest pig possible!
 
That vet most certainly doesnt sound specific in guinea pigs! Guinea pigs SHOULD NEVER use a ball or a wheel as it is extremely bad for their delicate backs!

Try scattering his food around the cage making him work to find his food. Also reduce his dry feed.

Also most pigs don't like their bottoms being touched, and it is totally normal. I don't think it's really necessary for the vet to give him an injection to stop this!

If I were you I'd find another vet!

Hope this helped!
 
I am totally shocked that a vet would give him a numbing injection just because he does not like being touched on his bottom! No guinea pigs like that. It is amazing he thought they could use a ball as well. If he is drooling he may have a problem with his teeth so it is worth seeing a guinea pig vet and having them checked. What are you feeding him? Also some piggies are heavier then others depending on their breed.
 
piggyfan said:
I am totally shocked that a vet would give him a numbing injection just because he does not like being touched on his bottom! No guinea pigs like that. It is amazing he thought they could use a ball as well. If he is drooling he may have a problem with his teeth so it is worth seeing a guinea pig vet and having them checked. What are you feeding him? Also some piggies are heavier then others depending on their breed.
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yes, i guess this vet i had was an idiot. ill have to search out a better one, i guess i cant trust any of his advice... i feed him timothy hay pellets and dry hay. i just changed over from "fancy" pig food once i learned it had corn in it.
 
Wow- I've never even HEARD of a numbing shot for a pig that doesn't like to be touched on his lower back! Most pigs I know don't like being patted on their lower back... our general 'fix' to this problem is just not to pet them there! I also agree about the ball- not for piggies, it is too hard on their back. They are also big enough that you are not going to 'lose' them so long as you are reasonably careful... just let him explore a safe area in your home, and scatter veggies and other healthy treats to give him some incentive to move around. You don't mention if he is on his own or not- guinea pigs do better in pairs because they are social- my experience when we had a lone pig (in between the death of one pig and the introduction of another) is that two or more piggies are more apt to chase/play and be active, whereas a piggie alone is apt to plunk and sit. You also don't mention age... younger piggies are more active than older piggies and it can take more creativity on your part to get an older piggie moving. At 4 lbs approx, he's obviously not a baby and I bet scattering food around a play area would be the best way to get him going.
 
Freela said:
Wow- I've never even HEARD of a numbing shot for a pig that doesn't like to be touched on his lower back! Most pigs I know don't like being patted on their lower back... our general 'fix' to this problem is just not to pet them there! I also agree about the ball- not for piggies, it is too hard on their back. They are also big enough that you are not going to 'lose' them so long as you are reasonably careful... just let him explore a safe area in your home, and scatter veggies and other healthy treats to give him some incentive to move around. You don't mention if he is on his own or not- guinea pigs do better in pairs because they are social- my experience when we had a lone pig (in between the death of one pig and the introduction of another) is that two or more piggies are more apt to chase/play and be active, whereas a piggie alone is apt to plunk and sit. You also don't mention age... younger piggies are more active than older piggies and it can take more creativity on your part to get an older piggie moving. At 4 lbs approx, he's obviously not a baby and I bet scattering food around a play area would be the best way to get him going.
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I absolutely agree on the pairs/single point you made. When Cinnamon was alone she *never* left her house. With Chocolate now they climb on their houses, chase each other around and generally move around a lot more.
Try getting your little chunk out on floor time and like has already been said, scatter food around. If he's hungry he will search out his food and eat it. Also, do you have any toys or things to stop him being bored? He might be more inclined to run around more if he has lots to do :)
 
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