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My Pigs hair is very fluffed all of a sudden.

Opiggy

Opiggy

Junior Guinea Pig
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For some reason my guinea pigs hair has been fluffed up since I have seen him today. Normally he fluffs it up a little when he comes out of his cage but when he goes back in he's fine. His fur if fluffed up on his face too which hasn't happened before. I'm worried because I've heard it could mean he is sick or in pain. But otherwise he seems to be acting normal. I'm going to be getting a scale to make sure he is correct weight. But I am a little scared and worried.
 
He also keeps laying down a lot. I am not sure why. And it started all of a sudden nothing has changed except less playtime, he is alone now a single piggy, and I fed him a bit of green pepper that had a brown spot but I cut it off before feeding it.
 
You need to see a vet if you are concerned about him. You can never tell a piggy is eating enough hay simply by watching them hence the important of the weight checks and stepping in with syringe feeding.
Still eating veg isn’t enough if their hay intake has dropped (hay being 80% of their food intake).
If you cut the brown spot off then it won’t make any difference to him - not that it would have caused him harm anyway.

We can’t know what is wrong with him, he needs a proper vet diagnosis
 
Opiggy said:
He does seem to be eating normal.
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Just tried to check his body. He is being nicer than normal, he is liking me and not running when he normally would. Also I noticed a bald patch behind his ear. There is not another piggy and he couldn't reach there himself, but could that be a sign of the problem?
 
Fluffed up hair is usually a sign to me that my piggy is unwell and needs to see a vet. Similarly not running away is a change in behaviour and usually means there is a problem. Please have him seen by a vet as soon as you can do so.
 
Opiggy said:
Just tried to check his body. He is being nicer than normal, he is liking me and not running when he normally would. Also I noticed a bald patch behind his ear. There is not another piggy and he couldn't reach there himself, but could that be a sign of the problem?
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All guinea pigs have symmetrical bald spots behind each ear.

He needs to see a vet as he is unwell
 
He seems to be back to normal, aside from fur. I just ordered a large c&c cage. I will be getting another pig soon, so maybe he could just be deppressed or bored?
 
Yeah its hard to tell though, he is always fluffed up outside of his cage but it does seem to be slightly more. Is it true Guinea pigs can catch illnesses from humans?
 
Opiggy said:
Yeah its hard to tell though, he is always fluffed up outside of his cage but it does seem to be slightly more. Is it true Guinea pigs can catch illnesses from humans?
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How old is he? Could he have arthritis maybe? Does he move more outside of the cage, have to jump in and out? Maybe it’s hurting to do that.

I think because they hide pain and illness so well, if you’ve picked up on something even slightly ‘off’, it’s better to be on the safe side and have him checked over.

Really hope he’s ok :)
 
He is only about a year old. I found a vet 35 min away if need be. He gets excited when I come with his vegies so he will jump from the top part of the cage down, its about a foot drop. I hadn't thought anything of it because he did it himself but he did fall once.
 
No they can’t catch things from humans.
Hes too young for arthritis. As a young pig he should be able to jump down from the roof of a huge house. I would not let him jump a foot down off of something though.

All we can say is that Being fluffed up is a sign of discomfort/pain /feeling unwell. You should see a vet for that.
The routine weight checks which are your guide as to if there is going on with his hay intake, which consequently means being unwell.
 
How should I take him to the vet if needed without him becoming super frightened? He is my first piggy and is finnally being cuddly jumpig on me and he even started to lick me! I found one smooshed poop, and checked his body he seems to be doing better.
 
I heard there is different types of being fluffed up? Like if they are in a corner fluffed up not eating or drinking thats bad, but if they are running around and eating and look fluffy they could just be happy?
 
Going to the vet is a frightening experience for them but it is essential that any piggy who appears unwell is take to the vet regardless of how much it scares them. It’s non negotiable. It’s already been several days so if you are worried the appointment should already be booked.

Does he have a companion? Remember piggies should never live by themselves, so take his companion with him and he will be comforted by that.

Checking his body doesn’t really tell you much and we can’t know what is happening in your piggy’s case. This is why the weight checks are an important part of keeping an eye on his general health. Have you started weighing him yet? If hay intake drops then you won’t know without the weight checks.
 
Hi

Please take the time to read the guides links below.

A piggy that is constantly fluffed up is a piggy that is experiencing pain deep inside their body or head that they cannot get at.
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs

Please switch from the recommended life-long once weekly health monitoring weigh-in to monitoring the weight by weighing daily on your kitchen scales first thing in morning for best day to day comparison. You cannot control the hay intake with your eyes and especially a long-haired guinea pig can lose a lot of weight very quickly underneath their coat. Major pain is usually impacting on the appetite. You need to weigh at the same time of the day because the weight swings in a band of ca. 30g/1 oz over the course of 24 hours. It is lowest in the morning. Weighing is your most important tool when navigating any illness because it allows you tailor any support measures for the coming day and know when the weight loss is such that you need to see a vet.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Here are our practical advice for vet visits: Tips For Vet Visits
How to manage any longer car journeys, especially in weather extremes: Travelling with guinea pigs

Our one-stop emergency and crisis care collection: My Pigs hair is very fluffed all of a sudden.
 
Is it possible for you to send a picture of what a fluffed up piggy looks like to make sure I'm not over reacting! I will be able to take him to the vet this week
 
Opiggy said:
Is it possible for you to send a picture of what a fluffed up piggy looks like to make sure I'm not over reacting! I will be able to take him to the vet this week
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No, we cannot tell the difference between normal and not just from one picture without comparison and without access to your piggy. But if the hair continues to stand up despite a brush and if there is weight loss - whether a fast one or a slow and gradual one - over 50-100g (2-3 oz), then you should see a vet. It is normally more difficult to see hair standing up in a long-haired piggy because of the weight of the hair so if it is very noticeable and persistent, then it would have to be more severe.

Please step in with weighing regularly. Cheap digital kitchen scales from a superstore or online are totally fine for the job. It is your biggest ally in working out what is going on and also gives your vet a better idea what could be going on and wht to look for.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

Please take the time to read all my links. They give you a practical handle for working out yourself whether your piggy is ill and how soon they need to see a vet and how to support them if they are not well.

Mystery pain and weight loss are unfortunately very vague symptoms where a host very different issues can be hiding behind. It is one of the most stringent restrictions when working online that we get everything through the filter of the owner's perception without any direct hands-on access; we can only react and pick on what you are saying and feeling.
But what we can give you is a handle for making your own judgment with the help of our very practical guide links.

Please also have a good feel of the body and head to see whether there are any lumps or sore points that should not be there.
 
UPDATE: I weighed him he weighed 895g (910g after I fed him). Is this bad? also when eating his peppers he was drooling in sever excess. Like a pool of green water.
pig drool.webp
 
It’s not what he weighs which is the issue as such, you need to check for how consistent his weight is by weighing weekly as part of routine care but weighing daily when you have health concerns.
You are weighing so you can monitor how much hay he is eating.

You need to weigh him once a day - weigh him each morning.
If you weigh him after you’re fed him then all you’re doing is weighing his full stomach. If you weigh him more than once a day then you pick up too much fluctuation which then makes is inaccurate.

They do sometimes drool when eating wet veggies. If he is drooling a lot and more than what is normal for him then that needs to be checked by a vet

Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
Opiggy said:
UPDATE: I weighed him he weighed 895g (910g after I fed him). Is this bad? also when eating his peppers he was drooling in sever excess. Like a pool of green water.
View attachment 241139
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He’s very cute :luv:

His weight sounds fine but it really depends on what he usually is.

Some pigs are messy eaters but if he could be drooling then checking his teeth properly is a good idea (the vets should include this in their thorough check of him - front and back teeth)

The best thing to do might be to make an appointment so you’ve got it ready, continue to monitor and weigh him daily to check if he’s losing weight and then you can see how he’s getting on with the back up of the vet appointment ready incase you need it. If he’s losing weight or goes downhill then you’ll be glad you don’t have to wait long to have him seen.

You seem reluctant to take him to the vets. Is something worrying you about it? Maybe we could help offer advice? :)
 
Opiggy said:
UPDATE: I weighed him he weighed 895g (910g after I fed him). Is this bad? also when eating his peppers he was drooling in sever excess. Like a pool of green water.
View attachment 241139
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Hi

You feel around the ribs whether a piggy is overweight, underweight or a normal weight for their individual size. This method works for all ages and breeds. You can then put any weight changes into the appropriate context.

If you can just feel the ribs but not every single rib, then your boy is a good weight for his size. If you can feel every single rib, he is underweight. If you cannot feel the ribs at all, he is overweight.

I've had smallish piggies who were feeling borderline overweight at 800g and piggies who were borderline underweight at 1500g, just to make the point why checking the heft/BMI is important. The variance in sizes and normal weights is much larger than most people and vets assume.

If the dribbling happens with every meal, then you may want to see a vet; especially in connection with weight loss. One-off dribbling can happen from eating some very watery veg with an open mouth.
 
Spaniel said:
He’s very cute :luv:

His weight sounds fine but it really depends on what he usually is.

Some pigs are messy eaters but if he could be drooling then checking his teeth properly is a good idea (the vets should include this in their thorough check of him - front and back teeth)

The best thing to do might be to make an appointment so you’ve got it ready, continue to monitor and weigh him daily to check if he’s losing weight and then you can see how he’s getting on with the back up of the vet appointment ready incase you need it. If he’s losing weight or goes downhill then you’ll be glad you don’t have to wait long to have him seen.

You seem reluctant to take him to the vets. Is something worrying you about it? Maybe we could help offer advice? :)
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I guess I am worried he will be super scared, and bite them even. I did call a couple vets and found one 30 min away that can take him. I should be able to this week. I also was worried if it will be like $300.
 
Opiggy said:
I guess I am worried he will be super scared, and bite them even. I did call a couple vets and found one 30 min away that can take him. I should be able to this week. I also was worried if it will be like $300.
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Hi

You can give the clinic a call nd ask them for their fees and an estimate.
 
Opiggy said:
I guess I am worried he will be super scared, and bite them even. I did call a couple vets and found one 30 min away that can take him. I should be able to this week. I also was worried if it will be like $300.
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You cant worry about that- vets deal with animals who are scared and may nip all the time.
My animals are always scared at vet appointments but it has to happen

I hope he is ok
 
Opiggy said:
I guess I am worried he will be super scared, and bite them even. I did call a couple vets and found one 30 min away that can take him. I should be able to this week. I also was worried if it will be like $300.
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He probably will be a bit scared. Put some hay or a snuggle sack into his carrier for him so he can hide, a couple of little snacks and he’ll be fine.

The vets can give you an estimate before the appointment and some will even consider a payment plan if needed.

Good luck :)
 
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