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Not eating
- Thread starter 4pigsies
- Start date
I’m sorry to hear this.
Please step in with syringe feeding urgently. You will also need to switch to daily weight checks so you can monitor that you are giving enough syringe feed to keep the weight stable each day.
What makes you think it’s dental issues?
Any medical issue can cause piggies to stop eating and often these things can be dealt with.
With an experienced vet dental issues can also be dealt with.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Please step in with syringe feeding urgently. You will also need to switch to daily weight checks so you can monitor that you are giving enough syringe feed to keep the weight stable each day.
What makes you think it’s dental issues?
Any medical issue can cause piggies to stop eating and often these things can be dealt with.
With an experienced vet dental issues can also be dealt with.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
We had a piggy named Bumle. He was the sweetest little angel. However, of what we think, he had a dental issue and we did everything we could to help him survive.
It didn’t work we just caused him a lot of pain and stress.
All of my piggies, except for one, has dental issues. And it looks like Buggie can’t close his mouth.
My parents don’t want him to get stressed or be in pain.
It didn’t work we just caused him a lot of pain and stress.
All of my piggies, except for one, has dental issues. And it looks like Buggie can’t close his mouth.
My parents don’t want him to get stressed or be in pain.
You need to be very persistent with syringe feeding but if he can’t close his mouth or can’t swallow potentially because his tongue is trapped by overgrown teeth then he needs urgent vet care, diagnosis, treatment and pain relief. He will be in pain and stressed if this is the case. Dental issues do not always need to mean the end.
Can I ask, if they’ve all got dental issues, do they all eat plenty of hay?
Do you weigh them all weekly as routine care, switching to daily weighing when there are health concerns?
Can I ask, if they’ve all got dental issues, do they all eat plenty of hay?
Do you weigh them all weekly as routine care, switching to daily weighing when there are health concerns?
Claire W
Forum Donator 2024/25
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I am very sorry 
Please don’t write him off, see what the vet says first before making such a drastic decision. Some dental issues can be cured but he will need to see a vet for the correct diagnosis and to discuss what treatment options are available to you
Please don’t write him off, see what the vet says first before making such a drastic decision. Some dental issues can be cured but he will need to see a vet for the correct diagnosis and to discuss what treatment options are available to youtry and hand feed her grass, i have 16 guinea pigs, and have lost 1 to poor eating, a lot ive learnt is that keeping them in a safe carrier with plenty of straw and regular grass helps a lot with weight gain
Straw should never be used with guinea pigs, only hay.
hay tends to get stuck in their eyes, causes lots of pain and long term problems.
why cant straw be used?
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
Straw is too sharp and doesn’t offer the nutrition they need. Hay makes up the largest part of their diet. Part of guinea pig ownership is accepting that they could get hay poke. Having said that, its not a given that they will all suffer from it.
Please make sure your guinea pigs are offered plenty of hay. Sometimes the dusty bits at the bottom can be problematic, but it should be their staple food.
ive been using straw from the moment i got guinea pigs, and its been much more efficient than hay. i cant tell you how many times hay has been gauged into their eyes, id rather not use hay, then be plucking it out of their eyes everyday.
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
How many of your 16 have suffered from hay poke? Is the hah you buy dust extracted? I am not sure how you can say that straw is efficient when you don’t sound to have used hay much.
It has little to no nutritional value for them and is sharp and likely to cause them injury. I am afraid you will not get anyone on here supporting your use of straw. It is in fact worrying because someone can read this thread and think this is the way to go.
It has little to no nutritional value for them and is sharp and likely to cause them injury. I am afraid you will not get anyone on here supporting your use of straw. It is in fact worrying because someone can read this thread and think this is the way to go.
D
Deleted member 151640
Hay is 80% of a guinea pigs diet, straw is made from grain, which is not what guinea pigs need.
Hay contains all the nutrients a guinea pig needs, and the chance of you picking out hay from their eyes everyday is very unlikely, I have owned pigs for over a decade and have only had one hay poke. Hay is dried grass and full of nutrients where as straw is dried stalks of things such as barley and contains little to no nutritional value for guinea pigs, which is very valuable considering it is 80% of their diet.
Straw is also not as tasty so your guinea pigs are likely to have dental problems as this would cause them to be less interested.
When my pigs are outside in winter, I use straw as insulation and they never eat it because it is not what they need. I am in no way saying it is your fault and dental issues can be very genetic based, but not feeding your animals what they need is against the law and unfair to your animals.
Hay contains all the nutrients a guinea pig needs, and the chance of you picking out hay from their eyes everyday is very unlikely, I have owned pigs for over a decade and have only had one hay poke. Hay is dried grass and full of nutrients where as straw is dried stalks of things such as barley and contains little to no nutritional value for guinea pigs, which is very valuable considering it is 80% of their diet.
Straw is also not as tasty so your guinea pigs are likely to have dental problems as this would cause them to be less interested.
When my pigs are outside in winter, I use straw as insulation and they never eat it because it is not what they need. I am in no way saying it is your fault and dental issues can be very genetic based, but not feeding your animals what they need is against the law and unfair to your animals.
i used hay for the first couple of months, sorry i didnt use it from the moment they were born, i used hay for maybe 3 months, and one of my guinea pigs went blind because of it, and yes all 16 have suffered from it, its not nice as a guinea pig owner to pluck hay from their eyes
no it was not dust extracted, and not one of my guinea pigs have been injured since i used it. its fluffier and they get many more nutrients from everything else they eat. I'm sure my information will be helpful for some as they might not like the idea of hay poke. thankyou for your input
I'm not breaking any laws, i pay for their needs, they are all healthy and live happy lives, straw is better for me, it means i dont have to watch them suffer, my hay was not dust extracted so every time i went to cuddle them, there was hay in their eyes. so yes i did have to pluck it from their eyes EVERY DAY.
D
Deleted member 151640
Surely you could find somewhere that has dust extracted? Unless you are buying straight from farmers in bulk the chance of it being dust extracted is very high.
I am not trying to be rude, but surely the fact the majority of your pigs have dental issues may cause you to re-think your choices, not only is hay a large portion of their food needs it also helps keep teeth ground down. You say they are not suffering by refusing them access to 80% of their diet and most are struggling with dental issues, it just sounds a bit off.
We can only provide the correct information. If you choose to feed straw which offers absolutely no nutritional value then that is your choice but be aware that it is not the kind of information which will be is suitable to be on the forum.
Their basic dietary need is hay. Denying them that because of the risk of haypoke goes against everything they need and basic welfare needs. In three decades of small animal keeping I have had two haypokes in by animals.
Their basic dietary need is hay. Denying them that because of the risk of haypoke goes against everything they need and basic welfare needs. In three decades of small animal keeping I have had two haypokes in by animals.
i completely understand it sounds off, and i dont recall myself saying they have dental issues. sorry if i said that. i appreciate your input, unfortunately i dont have lots of money left over, i can only afford little ammounts of straw or hay. and the option of buying dust extracted hay is much to expensive. i promise my guinea pigs get the utmost attention and if anything goes south, i will consider hay. thankyou
that is all good and well, but we are different people, we care for our pigs differently, which is okay, but just because in 3 decades, which is a lot of dedication, hats off to you, you have had two haypokes, doesnt mean I'm lying, everyday i had a hay poke, and now ive been using straw, and their still living. thankyou
D
Deleted member 151640
"All of my piggies, except for one, has dental issues. And it looks like Buggie can’t close his mouth."
This is what you said earlier, money being tight is tough, but if you really look online or if you just head to your local pet store you should find they sell hay and straw at a very similar price.
I appreciate you love your pigs, as we all do, but I doubt anyone on here will agree with you. At the end of the day it is your decision, but when we are speaking about welfare of animals, people will disagree. This forum is here to support and give advice, but spreading misinformation just is not allowed, or appreciated.
I can not change how you look after your pigs, but I can ask you to rethink, so you can continue to love your pigs for longer. If you change to hay, you may reduce your vet bills with dental issues.
This is what you said earlier, money being tight is tough, but if you really look online or if you just head to your local pet store you should find they sell hay and straw at a very similar price.
I appreciate you love your pigs, as we all do, but I doubt anyone on here will agree with you. At the end of the day it is your decision, but when we are speaking about welfare of animals, people will disagree. This forum is here to support and give advice, but spreading misinformation just is not allowed, or appreciated.
I can not change how you look after your pigs, but I can ask you to rethink, so you can continue to love your pigs for longer. If you change to hay, you may reduce your vet bills with dental issues.
I'm sorry but i dont think that was my message. thankyou for your input, I'm feeling a little dissatisfied with this app, some people are coming across rude, and i understand you are trying to get your point across, but some people might agree with me. they might not speak it but think it.
D
Deleted member 151640
I apologise, i thought this was your thread. I got you mixed up with someone else.
This is a forum run by people who love guinea pigs, we are real people who most of us care for guinea pigs in our day to day lives, and share the same passion you do.
When you are actively doing something that may cause harm to your animals, people aren’t going sit by and let it happen. So i am sorry you haven’t had the same experience many of us have on this forum, I wish you the best.
thankyou for your input. at the end of the day, my guinea pigs are healthy, active, no dental issues, no hay pokes, and thats all i need to worry about. I'm not causing harm, simply keeping them from it. wish you the best too.
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
This is not about whether people agree with you or not. The information we give out on the forum is based on up to date expert guinea pig care, of course it is always your decision as to what you provide them but that doesn't change the fact we will always reiterate the facts.
It's great that your piggies are in good health, long may it continue
Wheekallweek
Adult Guinea Pig
A guinea pig's natural diet in the wild is mainly grass.
Hay is dried grass.
Straw is grain stalks.
Guinea pigs NEED hay, not straw. It makes up 80% of a guinea pig's diet. Straw has no nutritional value and does not have the silicates in that hay and grass have, which are vital for the CORRECT wear of teeth. It also doesn't have the correct amount of fibre in it; guinea pigs are FIBREVORES and need this long chain fibre in their diet to maintain gut motility.
Sorry @matilda_remi but just because you can give straw instead of hay, does not mean it is the correct thing to do. You are required by law, in the UK at least, to provide the CORRECT diet for your animals. Some simple research across various respectable websites as well as our own forum guides here will quickly show you how important hay is to guinea pigs.
Its like just feeding your dog treats and no proper dog food. Yes it will survive, but it will not thrive and you are putting it at risk of becoming ill.
Please do right by your piggies and buy them some hay, there as many many members on this forum, none of whom have daily hay poke as far as I'm aware. Yes, it happens occasionally but it should not be happening daily!
@pigmotherof6 sorry to hijack your thread! Please get a second opinion from the vet before making any decisions like PTS.
Hay is dried grass.
Straw is grain stalks.
Guinea pigs NEED hay, not straw. It makes up 80% of a guinea pig's diet. Straw has no nutritional value and does not have the silicates in that hay and grass have, which are vital for the CORRECT wear of teeth. It also doesn't have the correct amount of fibre in it; guinea pigs are FIBREVORES and need this long chain fibre in their diet to maintain gut motility.
Sorry @matilda_remi but just because you can give straw instead of hay, does not mean it is the correct thing to do. You are required by law, in the UK at least, to provide the CORRECT diet for your animals. Some simple research across various respectable websites as well as our own forum guides here will quickly show you how important hay is to guinea pigs.
Its like just feeding your dog treats and no proper dog food. Yes it will survive, but it will not thrive and you are putting it at risk of becoming ill.
Please do right by your piggies and buy them some hay, there as many many members on this forum, none of whom have daily hay poke as far as I'm aware. Yes, it happens occasionally but it should not be happening daily!
@pigmotherof6 sorry to hijack your thread! Please get a second opinion from the vet before making any decisions like PTS.
Wheekallweek
Adult Guinea Pig
Please don't feel we are ganging up on you @matilda_remi we just want what's best for your piggies! There are many member of this forum who have huge amounts of experience and knowledge in guinea pigs, and we try our best to improve the lives of guinea pigs everywhere by spreading that knowledge 
D
Deleted member 151640
It is not my thread! But I do agree.
@4pigsies Usually threads are kept to the original question/discussion to offer support and advice but it doesn't always go this way.
I can only agree with the advice already given, please continue to feed critical care, as much as you can get in. Please get to your vet as soon as possible if your girl is not eating at all and take it from there.
There are many options and things it could be, so I wouldn't personally recommend to go in thinking your girl will be put down, I can imagine this is quite stressful. It can be easy for your mind to go straight to the worst possibility, we all struggle with it especially in such fragile animals, but please give yourself and your girl a chance.
Keeping you in my thoughts x
Wheekallweek
Adult Guinea Pig
I literally just realised that, sorry 
Good luck to Buggie, hope she is on the mend soon
I do agree with what @matilda_remi has said though regarding trying to hand feed fresh grass, it can often tempt a guinea pig to eat if you hand feed it nice and fresh a blade at a time. Herbs like basil, coriander and parsley are also popular, along with dandelions.
Good luck to Buggie, hope she is on the mend soon
I do agree with what @matilda_remi has said though regarding trying to hand feed fresh grass, it can often tempt a guinea pig to eat if you hand feed it nice and fresh a blade at a time. Herbs like basil, coriander and parsley are also popular, along with dandelions.
thankyou for all the information you have given me, i am still going to continue keeping straw as their bedding, and will look into getting bales of hay and feeding that to them. thankyouI literally just realised that, sorry
Good luck to Buggie, hope she is on the mend soon
I do agree with what @matilda_remi has said though regarding trying to hand feed fresh grass, it can often tempt a guinea pig to eat if you hand feed it nice and fresh a blade at a time. Herbs like basil, coriander and parsley are also popular, along with dandelions.
