Not Eating/Reduced eating

[piggl]

My 5 year old boar Winston seems to be off his food for some reason and I don’t know why.

He came back from holidays at my grannies on Friday and he’s been fine. Acting like himself but a little reserved, great.
Well this morning he didn’t finish his supper from last night, a little weird but not unheard of, but his nuggets were left scattered all over his cage. This is so unlike him, nuggets are his all time favourites over fresh veg.

I then give all pigs a leaf of lettuce and he doesn’t take it, so I just leave it in his cage and when I come back a couple hours later he has had about half of it. The same time I then give them all a slice of red pepper, he doesn’t take it when I offer it to him, very strange for him.

I’m now back to close them up for the night and he hasn’t touched the pepper at all and the nuggets that were scattered around his run are still just sat about.
He hasn’t been weighed for two weeks as last week we ended up needing to rush him to my grannies due to the floods, and I haven’t got round to weighing him yet.

I will be weighing him tomorrow, I don’t know what’s wrong as he seems fine in himself, but his hair is a bit poofy (fluffed up) i’ve noticed.
Can some elder pigs lose their appetite a bit?

 

[piggl]

He does seem to be eating hay.

I’m sat cleaning poop up from the front of his cage and he’s quite happily going through and eating his cage, but why would he have gone off nuggets and vegetables?

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

A guinea pig can loose it's appetite for a number of reasons. Only a vet can tell what's the matter.
Fluffed up can be a sign of pain. But it's a good thing that he is still eating hay.

 

[poggle]

A guinea pig off their food is a worry; with mine I've never really seen a loss of appetite that didn't have something medical going on underneath it, so I'd be going to the vet ASAP personally.

 

[piggl]

I’ve just given him his dinner and he seems to be eating it. Is there any chance he’s just a bit out of routine or just not interested? It’s not the first time i’ve seen a pig love a particular veg one week and hate it the next, but never with his nuggets.

Of course i’m not anti vet but I don’t have my license yet and my parents are busy all week. I’m just worried about it being nothing as he seems fine in himself otherwise.

 

[fluffysal]

I personally haven't experienced it but I have seen posts by others saying their pigs have decided they don't like a pellet brand anymore

 

[poggle]

I think for me it's just that it's such a marked deviation from what I consider core normal guinea pig behaviour, I'd be worried. Then there's the fluffing as well. Pigs can be so (too bloody) subtle when they're feeling poorly. I'm not an expert ofc...

If I couldn't get to a vet right away I'd be doing the daily weight checks and top up feeds if needed.

 

[piggl]

I think for me it's just that it's such a marked deviation from what I consider core normal guinea pig behaviour, I'd be worried. Then there's the fluffing as well. Pigs can be so (too bloody) subtle when they're feeling poorly.

If I couldn't get to a vet right away I'd be doing the daily weight checks and top up feeds if needed.

I think that’s what I will have to do, I will be keeping a very close eye. Thankfully he’s been the same weight for about 2 years so I can tell when somethings up.

 

[piggl]

I personally haven't experienced it but I have seen posts by others saying their pigs have decided they don't like a pellet brand anymore

That’s interesting, i’m going to have a look into that.

Thanks!

 

[Wiebke]

My 5 year old boar Winston seems to be off his food for some reason and I don’t know why.

He came back from holidays at my grannies on Friday and he’s been fine. Acting like himself but a little reserved, great.
Well this morning he didn’t finish his supper from last night, a little weird but not unheard of, but his nuggets were left scattered all over his cage. This is so unlike him, nuggets are his all time favourites over fresh veg.

I then give all pigs a leaf of lettuce and he doesn’t take it, so I just leave it in his cage and when I come back a couple hours later he has had about half of it. The same time I then give them all a slice of red pepper, he doesn’t take it when I offer it to him, very strange for him.

I’m now back to close them up for the night and he hasn’t touched the pepper at all and the nuggets that were scattered around his run are still just sat about.
He hasn’t been weighed for two weeks as last week we ended up needing to rush him to my grannies due to the floods, and I haven’t got round to weighing him yet.

I will be weighing him tomorrow, I don’t know what’s wrong as he seems fine in himself, but his hair is a bit poofy (fluffed up) i’ve noticed.
Can some elder pigs lose their appetite a bit?

Hi

Hi

I am very sorry that this is happening at such a difficult time for you with even more rain in the offing.

Please step in with offering support now. Older piggies do not 'just like that' lose their appetite - most commonly it is a pain issue or because they are feeling rather unwell. 'Floofing up' points towards something fairly deeper inside where he cannot get at it either in the body or the head.
Please be aware that watching a piggy nibbling on hay can be very deceptive as you cannot know just how much he has actually eaten. If a piggy is no longer interested in veg, it is rather likely that the hay input is already impacted.

Here is our very practical and comprehensive guide which includes a chapter on how to improvise in an emergency:
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Our pain guide: Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs

Our emergency and crisis care access link in case of further quick deterioration: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Our oldies care link: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

 

[piggl]

Hi

Hi

I am very sorry that this is happening at such a difficult time for you with even more rain in the offing.

Please step in with offering support now. Older piggies do not 'just like that' lose their appetite - most commonly it is a pain issue or because they are feeling rather unwell. 'Floofing up' points towards something fairly deeper inside where he cannot get at it either in the body or the head.
Please be aware that watching a piggy nibbling on hay can be very deceptive as you cannot know just how much he has actually eaten. If a piggy is no longer interested in veg, it is rather likely that the hay input is already impacted.

Here is our very practical and comprehensive guide which includes a chapter on how to improvise in an emergency:
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Our pain guide: Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs

Our emergency and crisis care access link in case of further quick deterioration: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Our oldies care link: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

Thank you for your reply, and linking in some helpful guides! I’ll have a read through them now.

Unfortunately with his fluffing of fur, he also does it when he’s cold which can be often on these cold winter days. Especially as he’s older and on his own. I wish I could take him inside, but he needs to be outdoors to get as much guinea pig interaction as he can.
His hutch is covered in insulation and he has tons of hay and coverings in the cold, he also gets snuggle safe pads but he never lies by them, probably because they’re so hard.

He did start on his dinner tonight so i’m just hoping for a better result when I go out tomorrow morning. I am going to weigh him then go from there. It’s so stressful when things go wrong, especially in Winter and with his old age.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

How is Winston this morning?
Fingers crossed here that he's eating more or less normally

 

[piggl]

On the 9th of October he weighed 1175g and today he weighs 1098g.

Is a weight loss of 80g in two weeks, with travelling, bad? I understand it isn’t good but I don’t know the extent of the issue.

I’m sat with him now and he’s eaten like 95% of his veg and his nuggets look much more reduced than they did yesterday morning (I scatter a small handful every night)
He’s lapping up hay from what I can see.

Can this wait until tomorrow, so I can weigh him again and get a better understanding of what’s happening?
Again he seems fine in himself, eating, drinking and running around.

 

[Piggies&buns]

On the 9th of October he weighed 1175g and today he weighs 1098g.

Is a weight loss of 80g in two weeks, with travelling, bad? I understand it isn’t good but I don’t know the extent of the issue.

I’m sat with him now and he’s eaten like 95% of his veg and his nuggets look much more reduced than they did yesterday morning (I scatter a small handful every night)
He’s lapping up hay from what I can see.

Can this wait until tomorrow, so I can weigh him again and get a better understanding of what’s happening?
Again he seems fine in himself, eating, drinking and running around.

His hay intake has reduced.
I would step in with top up feeding now, monitor for tomorrow’s weight check and see what happens. If continues to to go down then see a vet

 

[eileen]

I believe with that amount of weight loss this an urgent matter.you need to step in with syringe feeding ,to maintain your piggie s weight.
Then take your piggie to the vet.I'm sorry you are dealing with this, but it's not going to go away on its own.
Weibke has linked the guides,and given you excellent advise.

 

[piggl]

Alright, thank you for your replies

I've made some nugget support food which I will give to him, as much as he will take.

 

[piggl]

Okay so, he’s been lapping up nuggets, veg and hay all day.

He’s been having some smaller poops on and off, some are small and some are normal, but they are a healthy colour and texture.

Is there a chance he has had some issue with minor-major gut upset alongside the travelling which has caused him to lose this weight?
Should I still get him checked out even if his weight is okay/better tomorrow, as I have given him some nugget support feed but not alot as I was hoping to see some improvement of his weight tomorrow on his own (and also he is terrible at taking from the syringe and it took me almost an hour to get 1ml in)

I promise I am not taking this lightly or trying to make excuses, I just really want him to be okay on his own, and as I mentioned before I will struggle to find time to get him to the vet due to me and my parents schedule.
For example if his weight is down tomorrow or not increased, I will be booking him in but it will need my parent to come off work to do so.

He’s also a habitual wood eater, just recently starting on this log of wood along the front of his cage (initially installed to stop wood shavings going all over) but now he’s suddenly taken interest in it.
He has wood items in his cage, hides and a willow ball but he seems to always go from the painted/sealed stuff. Could this be causing issues?

 

[eileen]

i would weight your piggie tomorrow,if there is still weight loss,then you really need to take your piggie to a vet.weight is the only sure way to know wether a piggie is eating or not .a bit of hay here and there is no sure way to know if they are eating enough.
i know you want the best for your piggie,i would not like to hazard a guess what is going on or not.
if your piggie is chewing on wood more than it usually does,it can mean there is pain.
i wish you all the best,i hope your piggie is okay

 

[piggl]

i would weight your piggie tomorrow,if there is still weight loss,then you really need to take your piggie to a vet.weight is the only sure way to know wether a piggie is eating or not .a bit of hay here and there is no sure way to know if they are eating enough.
i know you want the best for your piggie,i would not like to hazard a guess what is going on or not.
if your piggie is chewing on wood more than it usually does,it can mean there is pain.
i wish you all the best,i hope your piggie is okay

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately Winston has again gone down in weight, only by a couple grams but I needed to see it go up or stay they same, not go down.
He has a vet appointment at 5:15pm today, so hopefully he will be feeling better soon.

Thank you all for your replies, I really hope it’s nothing serious as the last thing I would want to do is have accidentally hurt him, I just wanted to make sure there was definitely something up before making an appointment

 

[eileen]

i wish you all the best at the vets,and you can get to the bottom of it.ensure you inform the initial weight loss of 80grams,and over what period of time.
you are doing all you can.