New Guinea Pig Owner, Concerned About Piggy.

[jazzahontas]

Hello,

i recently became a guinea pig owner, ive never had one before but my daughter has been asking for one, and was so excited to get one but we have all fallen in love with our new guinea pig she is so sweet! we are even thinking of getting another!

unfortunatley we adopted flower from the pet store before we even knew that rescues existed, we've had her for three days now and the first day we brought her home she seemed very scared, we let her settle in a bit before taking her out of the cage, we then attempted to feed her some fresh red leaf lettuce, cucumbers and grapes, she wouldnt take them from our hand but when i put them in her hidey hole she ate them right up, I'm assuming its because she felt more safe there.

my concern is that when i take her out of the cage and she begins wheeking she also makes this wheezing/hissing sound? but she only makes this hissing/wheezing sound when we pick her up, as soon as we bring her close to our chests and she calms down the sound stops. when shes calm i will put my ear to her chest to listen to her lungs and nose and i hear no crackles or wheezing sound, it is only when we are first taking her out of the cage or try to pick her up or move her position when shes out of the cage and we are holding her.

she seems to be eating well, drinking water etc.

she hides a lot in the corner of her hidey away from the opening, but i've noticed that she comes out and goes about the cage when she thinks no one is in the room, or in the morning when we go to play with her and feed her i'll notice shes moved around her little fleece blanket and the nesting fluff.

i feel so sad because she really doesnt seem happy when we hold her or brush her or rub her back, she mostly seems terrified, no happy purrs or wheeking.

i have also noticed she has something that looks almost like a nipple near her inner thigh on her right back leg, is this normal?

should i be concerned with her behavior or the noise she is making? we just want her to feel happy and safe!

 

[Gem789]

Hello,

i recently became a guinea pig owner, ive never had one before but my daughter has been asking for one, and was so excited to get one but we have all fallen in love with our new guinea pig she is so sweet! we are even thinking of getting another!

unfortunatley we adopted flower from the pet store before we even knew that rescues existed, we've had her for three days now and the first day we brought her home she seemed very scared, we let her settle in a bit before taking her out of the cage, we then attempted to feed her some fresh red leaf lettuce, cucumbers and grapes, she wouldnt take them from our hand but when i put them in her hidey hole she ate them right up, I'm assuming its because she felt more safe there.

my concern is that when i take her out of the cage and she begins wheeking she also makes this wheezing/hissing sound? but she only makes this hissing/wheezing sound when we pick her up, as soon as we bring her close to our chests and she calms down the sound stops. when shes calm i will put my ear to her chest to listen to her lungs and nose and i hear no crackles or wheezing sound, it is only when we are first taking her out of the cage or try to pick her up or move her position when shes out of the cage and we are holding her.

she seems to be eating well, drinking water etc.

she hides a lot in the corner of her hidey away from the opening, but i've noticed that she comes out and goes about the cage when she thinks no one is in the room, or in the morning when we go to play with her and feed her i'll notice shes moved around her little fleece blanket and the nesting fluff.

i feel so sad because she really doesnt seem happy when we hold her or brush her or rub her back, she mostly seems terrified, no happy purrs or wheeking.

i have also noticed she has something that looks almost like a nipple near her inner thigh on her right back leg, is this normal?

should i be concerned with her behavior or the noise she is making? we just want her to feel happy and safe!

If you could get her a friend that would be great.She does sound very nervous which is normal as guinea pigs are prey animals and it will take a while to gain her trust.We have a rescue locator in the menu if you have a look to find your nearest one.

 

[SkinnyPigRiver]

Yes, guinea pigs have two nipples and a navel! I have skinny pigs and their nipples are SO WEIRD, right above their legs.

My pig River was immediately curious and eager to interact, but Melody is STILL not happy sitting still for even a second in her cage for me to stroke her chin. She's happy to receive pets and attention once out, but is terrified of being picked up.

The wheezing sounds like rapid breathing due to fear, but I'm guessing there. My pigs squeak when being scooped up, but I haven't heard them make sounds like a wheeze.

 

[jazzahontas]

YES! thats actually what it sounds like, like very heavy breathing, like she just ran a marathon or something! lol

we sent some adoption applications to a few rescues in Los Angeles where were from and am hoping to match her soon! maybe she will come out of her shell with another piggy around!

should i be concerned about her hiding in the corner of her hidey? ive read that guinea pigs in corners can be a sign of something more serious, but again she is drinking and eating all the fresh veggies fruits we are providing! she seems to really like grapes! but she isnt currently very interested in eating the pellets we provide tho theyre the same ones they were feeding her before! since she doesnt seem to eat the pellets we have been putting vitamin c drops on the lettuce and other veggies.

i think she is just terrified of us and that makes me so sad!

 

[Freela]

Guinea pigs take longer than three days to settle down and feel comfortable, especially when they are on their own. Hiding from people and being very anxious are really normal in a new guinea pig. They are prey animals and, as such, are really cautious. As she gets more used to being handled, she will be more comfortable. It does take time. They don't automatically trust humans. I would keep handling her daily for short periods of time and offering her treats... she will warm up given some time and tender loving care!

As for sounds, it's hard to tell without hearing her... keep an eye on her for watery eyes or nose, sneezing, nasal discharge, etc. She is very likely just breathing harshly because she is worked up and nervous. But keep an eye for other signs of illness. Simply hiding at this point really isn't a sign of illness, more a sign of caution. Guinea pigs who are sick will sometimes sit in the corner and not move much, but will probably also have some other signs- sitting hunched up, ruffled fur, discharge from eyes/nose, etc.

It's great that you're looking for buddies for her, but make sure you confirm her gender first! Sometimes pet stores sell pets who are identified as the wrong gender and you could end up with more guinea pigs than you had planned if you introduce another female and the pet store had it wrong. There are some pictures of how to tell the difference (I believe on the pregnancy page at the top?) and if you're in doubt, you can always post a picture to get some help identifying gender.

 

[SkinnyPigRiver]

Hiding in corners is totally normal. My pigs' favorite spots are two canopied areas that basically give them dark and privacy. Sometimes they hang out in there together, sometimes they each take "a room." Melody really likes the cubes made for hedgehogs, as they give her a nice, tight space that makes her feel secure.

 

[sport_billy]

Sounds all perfectly normal so I hope that reassures you. Guinea pigs are prey animals so take a while to settle in.

Hello, welcome to the forum to you and your piggies.

Try not to worry this is normal behaviour. with piggies being prey animals they can take a little while to gain their trust. Things like picking them up goes against all their survival instincts so it can take a while to get them used to lap-times etc... When we got our first piggies (in our avatar) they never came out we set a video camera up to see if they ever came out - so I know where you are coming from. We ended up building a wonderful bond with them over time though...

I would let them settle in the cage a little more before attempting lap-times, I know it's tempting to dive straight in but getting them used to you in and around the cage is an excellent way to gain a bond. It may be worth offering food to your piggies while they are in their cage and hopefully after time they will take it off you. Do this first of all by putting it in their hidey houses for them so they can eat and feel safe - Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also.
Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up.
We started off we lap-times for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time over the forthcoming weeks. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust. To collect them use a cosy or a conveyance like in video below

Have a read of this thread for some helpful tips How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Welcome to the forum

Lee