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Not interested in food

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Alicia

Alicia

Adult Guinea Pig
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I'm really worried about Sasha. I was running late for college this morning and its my Mum's day off work so she offered to feed them this morning, so I went straight out to see them when I got home. I put the food in, and Willow, Edie and Marmalade were running around and seemed really active and Sasha was sitting in the hutch in the corner. I got in the run and nudged her a bit and she moved but when I put the hay in (right next to her) she stayed where she was and didn't try to eat it. I picked her up (normally she runs around before I can pick her up but today she just let me pick her up)

I don't know what to do, my Mum thinks she's just not hungry, but my guinea-pigs always run around and seem very excited for their food but today she's just not interested and the others still are. I have put her in the run on the grass for a while and put some baby corn in a bowl for her. It looked like she was eating the grass but when I looked properly she was just nudging it with her nose, it looked like she was sniffing it. I've put a little hut in the run so she has some shelter and she's gone in there and is still there. If she's not interested in food could it mean she's just full or is there something wrong?
 
Also, her hair has got a bit thinner recently, by her face its got really short, I thought this was barbering so I didn't think much of it (I added a new piggy to the group 2 months ago and she's not getting older so I thought it might just be dominance) but it feels a bit thinner all over, but I can't see any scabs or bald patches, her hair just isn't as thick as it was. She's 2 years old.
 
This may be of interest if you believe barbering is going on:

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/barbering.htm

Is your girl being bullied at all ?
Try putting extra dishes in and observing meal times so that they all get equal share. Any weight loss should be noted and no harm in booking a vet appointment.
Keep us updated but personally, I would look for dominance behaviour especially as there is a new girl in town ?/
 
Please weigh her daily and have her seen by a vet as soon as you can. loss of appetite needs always be taken very seriously.
Hairloss can have many reasons.
http://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html
As can loss of appetite:
http://www.guinealynx.info/anorexia.html

If necessary hand feed with mushed up pellets. A piggy needs 120ml over the course of 24 hours, in several small portions. Cut off the tip of a syringe for better success. Don't forget to rehydrate, too!
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
 
Thank you, I will try and book her an appointment for tomorrow, and will keep an eye on her weight. They always used to sit and eat hay together so I don't think she's being bullied. I seperated her for an hour to see if she would eat on her own but she's not eating, so I think I'm going to have to put her back with the group because it's getting dark and she's in the run.
 
You need to get to a vet failing that she needs syringe food if you leave her overnight not eating she will most likely be in gut stasis or worse still at the bridge.

I cannot the stress the importance of food, I have battled with my boy on Saturday night to keep him with me as he was in gut stasis it is so dangerous - she needs gut stimulants and you need to find the cause of her not eating!
 
Could be dental - can you not get her seen quicker ?
Time is the essence with piggies as they can suffer from gut stasis which can be fatal :(
If you believe she's not eaten properly for a 24 hours, I would get her to the vet asap.
Keep us posted and hope little one feels better very soon x>>
 
Mum told me she was eating this morning and she's just eaten a few dandelions from my hand, and when I put her back she was eating a bit of hay. I've had a look at her teeth and I can't see a problem, but obviously I'm no expert so I'll be taking her to the vets tomorrow, Mum won't like it, but Sasha's going to the vets.
 
Do you monitor there weights, that's a fairly accurate way to measure if's eating or not. Please top her up with syringe food to be sure. You suspect she isn't eating chances are she isn't eating correctly and playing with hay.
 
I agree completely with flintstones - I have lost one of my first piggies partially because nobody had told me how important hand feeding was for an ill piggy.

Please raise the issue of hand feeding with your vet; it really can make the difference between life and death! The longer you wait the smaller the chances. Piggies can go downhill terrifyingly quickly. A few dandelions and a nibble of hay won't be enough.

Good that you have got an appointment.
 
Thank you everyone, she has eaten some cucumber, carrot and baby corn and I've seperated her from the other guinea-pigs. I wasn't sure if I should do that or not, but now I can see exactly what she's eating. I'm going to keep checking on her overnight.
 
This morning she was very quiet and was laying around a lot in the cage she was in. I left her with some very small pieces of carrot, cucumber and baby corn, some pellets and some treats, and lots of hay, and it doesn't look like she's eaten any of the pellets, treats or vegetables. I can't tell if she's eaten any hay because it's all been squashed because she's been laying on it.
She's got a vets appointment for this afternoon, and I just went to check on her again and I got her out of her cage and sat in the garden with her and she seemed a bit better.
Her eyes are brighter, and she was moving her head when she was sitting in the garden. I put her on the ground and she walked around (yesterday she just sat still) and I fed her some grass and she ate all of it. I've now put her in a run on her own on the grass and she is still sitting in the corner, but she doesn't look as ill or hunched up, and she did eat some more grass. I wasn't feeling too great about her this morning and was thinking that I might lose her, but I'm feeling much more positive now, I really hope the vet can make her better :)
 
Please feed her mushed up pellets before you go and see the vet!

She urgently needs to keep her guts going!
 
Thank you, she ate before she went to the vets (although she wouldn't eat very much, she spat some back out)
The vet has checked her teeth and they're fine, and there's no blockage or tumor or anything. He thinks maybe Sasha's being picked on by the others and the stress of that has made her not eat, I've never seen them pick on her, but he said to keep an eye on it to see, and he said it might be best for to split them into 2 pairs, so I think I'm going to do that.
He doesn't really know what the problem is because he couldn't find a blockage or teeth problems or anything, but her temperature is a bit lower than normal, and she's staying at the vets so she can be fed recovery food and so the vet can keep an eye on her.
I feel sad leaving her there, but also relieved because I know she'll be well looked after, and if there are any changes then she's in the right place.
 
Alicia said:
Thank you, she ate before she went to the vets (although she wouldn't eat very much, she spat some back out)
The vet has checked her teeth and they're fine, and there's no blockage or tumor or anything. He thinks maybe Sasha's being picked on by the others and the stress of that has made her not eat, I've never seen them pick on her, but he said to keep an eye on it to see, and he said it might be best for to split them into 2 pairs, so I think I'm going to do that.
He doesn't really know what the problem is because he couldn't find a blockage or teeth problems or anything, but her temperature is a bit lower than normal, and she's staying at the vets so she can be fed recovery food and so the vet can keep an eye on her.
I feel sad leaving her there, but also relieved because I know she'll be well looked after, and if there are any changes then she's in the right place.
Click to expand...

It did have the classic signs of bullying in your original post - I've witnessed this twice with mine and with careful monitoring can be managed. I put extra dishes in and observed the 'victim' who sat back and let the others eat everything, made no attempt to go for any food etc. Was almost as though she couldn't be bothered in the end :...
I just made certain she had her little stash, scattered the other girls veggies then gradually placed her food closer to the others over a time until she realised it was ok to eat with them and the other girls never batted an eyelid.
A small piggy I adopted recently did the same as her buddies are bigger so I repeated the process, she is the first one in the bowls etc. and they all happily eat together now - zero nipping and chasing.
Hope little one is home soon and you find a solution, as your vet said, two pairs may reduce her stress so she will eat normally again :)
Keep us posted x>>
 
I phoned the vets this morning, she was good last night but isn't very well this morning. She's very bloated and she's eating the recovery food but hasn't pooed at all since last night. They're talking about either operating on her or putting her to sleep if she's not better by this afternoon. They've given her an injection and I've got to phone back at lunch :( vibes for sasha please
 
Oh gosh I am so so sorry to hear this. I wish her the best of luck. I really hope she is okay.
 
Oh my ............ gosh whee are really sorry.....

WHEE ARE SENDING MEGA HEALING WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEKS FOR SASHA XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oh love i do hope they can find out the problem and help her..... all paws and fingers crossed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Sasha died this afternoon :( She had a glucose injection and another injection (I can't remember what that one was for) I phoned the vets at lunch and was told there was no change, and to phone back later that day. I got home from college and Mum said they'd phoned to say Sasha had died. I was really hoping she'd be ok
:(
Thank you for all your help
 
I am so very sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking for you. If you ever wish to talk then please pm me. I know how awful you are feeling as my Marble passed away last month. My thoughts are with you.
 
I'm so sorry that you've lost her and hope you are okay - very sad news.
 
Oh how awefil, I'm sorry for your loss, my thoughts are with you as I know how heart breaking it can be :-( x
 
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