New Piggy Issues

[Sarahsazzle]

Hi I'm new here, I've had 2 guinea pigs about 3 years one came from a friend the other I got as a companion to her from a good guinea pig rescue they where about 6 months. Unfortunately one guinea died before Christmas this year after a bad experience with a locum vet. Poor other piggy seemed lonely so I gave in and went back to the guinea pig rescue and got her a friend. The New Guinea is very quiet and they seemed ok together yo begin with but now I notice my original guinea is rubbing all over her face and rumble strutting and seems to have either bitten or made one of her eye sore. The new piggy had normal poos when she arrived and these have changed to more lumpy ones not stuck together. I was concerned the new pig wasn't drinking enough as she seems shy and maybe my original pig is bullying her but after some research maybe it's a change in food. I usually buy excel burgess guinea pig nuggets but at the sanctuary they use muesli which I thought was not very good for pigs but I bought this and she eating it whereas she wasn't eating the nuggets. New piggy also won't eat coriander or pepper which mine loves. Can anyone offer any advice? I give plenty of Timothy hay every day which she eats.

 

[Sarahsazzle]

Oh and just to add the New Guinea pig was a pet with apparently 16 others and then was at the rescue for about 3 weeks where lots of piggys are together and now she's just with one guinea pig could this also effect her?

 

[piggyfan]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Are you certain one bit the others eye? If so this needs a vet visit just to make sure she is okay.

When introducing new food it needs to be done slowly but can be done. Pellets are better then museli so I would try to get her on to them.

All piggies have different tastes so they will not all like the same things. That is nothing to worry about.

The face rubbing is her saying she is dominant. With guinea pigs one is dominant and let's the other know by mounting and rumblestruting.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Which rescue have you been using? It doesn't sound like a good one, as three weeks is just about the length of a quarantine. Was she seen and declared fit for rehoming by a vet before you got her?

Your new girl has got an eye injury or infection, which is NOT likely to be from a bite - most happen from a hay poke. She also seems to have a major digestive issue, either due to a change in diet, pain or the stress of the last few weeks. Please have her seen by a vet asap. We have got a piggy savvy vet locator on the top bar. Weigh your poorly girl daily to make sure that she is getting enough food and water, and if necessary hand feed her.
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

The behaviour is dominance behaviour which is normal for this stage of the relationship, as the piggies are establishing a working hierarchy and a relationship.

Please change your dry food slowly over to pellets. Dry food causes selective feeding of the sweet bits (scientific study) and can lead to long term health and dental problems due to malnutrition. This has now been scientifically proven for rabbits, and some shops have already stopped to sell muesli for rabbits. If a study was done on guinea pigs, they would probably end up with similar results.

 

[Sarahsazzle]

The rescue seems very good and the lady that runs it has a lot of experience. My new girl has had a normal poo now and as she's not been eating any dry food until last night I wonder if this is the reason so not given them any veggies this morning and will give a little tonight to hope this is the problem. I still have a full bag of guinea pig nuggets so I will have to introduce these I didn't like purchasingt he muesli but if this is what she will eat I'd rather she ate!

The issue with the eye my original guinea pig rumble struts then rubs all over her face I don't know is she's liking her eyes or bitten her eye lid or maybe not even done anything, as now both her eyes are a little weepy I'm wondering if it's a change in environment as I keep them indoors and they do go out in the warmer months but maybe th Central heating win a change in sawdust and hay etc is the cause? I bathed them with water I boiled in the kettle and let cool which seems to have helped.

I am also glad to say on a few posts and when I spoke to the rescue they suggested removing hidey things so the pigs where together more etc and this has really helped there is less rumble strutting and the new pig is out and about int he cage and I let them run around the spare room whenever I can as I have to supervise so they get exercise and the new pig was always just hiding but pleased to say she's out and running about with my original piggy! Hoping things are going in the right direction, I had to introduce my original pig to my other pig that passed away a few years ago and that went more smoothly than this is maybe because they where younger?

 

[Sarahsazzle]

Hi so I read the big post about guinea pig dominance and was mentioned cheek to cheek rubbing I think this is what my guinea pig is doing is this dangerous and could my pig have injured her eyes doing this?

I am going to ring the vets as soon as they are opened as both eyes are sore this morning and it appears her conjunctiva is very red and swollen this morning.

 

[Briony_S]

Hi so I read the big post about guinea pig dominance and was mentioned cheek to cheek rubbing I think this is what my guinea pig is doing is this dangerous and could my pig have injured her eyes doing this?

I am going to ring the vets as soon as they are opened as both eyes are sore this morning and it appears her conjunctiva is very red and swollen this morning.

It Is likely that your new pig has an infection when their eyes get infected other guineas will lick them I'm not sure why but I presume they are trying to help?

Sophie my little girl got a hay poke and her cage mate mrs mouse kept liking her eye until it got better.

 

[Sarahsazzle]

It Is likely that your new pig has an infection when their eyes get infected other guineas will lick them I'm not sure why but I presume they are trying to help?

Sophie my little girl got a hay poke and her cage mate mrs mouse kept liking her eye until it got better.

Thanks, she's had conjunctivitis which is an eye infection and the vet given some ointment to apply for a week and seems to be improving, I have had to separate my pigs in the mean time until it's cleared up. I am concerned about them bonding though now. Also my new piggys poos don't seem to be improving some days they are better but she doesn't seem keen on any dry food but does eat hay.

 

[Briony_S]

I'duote="Sarahsazzle, post: 1499357, member: 114877"]Thanks, she's had conjunctivitis which is an eye infection and the vet given some ointment to apply for a week and seems to be improving, I have had to separate my pigs in the mean time until it's cleared up. I am concerned about them bonding though now. Also my new piggys poos don't seem to be improving some days they are better but she doesn't seem keen on any dry food but does eat hay.[/quote]
Id be tempted to cut out veg for a day or two then reintroduce slowly just incase its her body not used to veg