Pippy & Daisy
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi everyone.
Yesterday it was the first warm day we've had in a while so while the girls were out for floor time we decided to give the hutch a full clean out - as in the hutch itself, not just the bedding. When the girls came back in the ramp must have been a bit damp still because both of them slipped a bit as they ran up. Neither of them fell, they both just lost their footing a bit. Daisy wasn't bothered and hasn't had trouble going up or down since then. But Pippy has refused to go up or down. I'm not sure if it's because of her slip or if there's something else bothering her but it took until late this afternoon (almost 24 hours since they'd been back in there) until she would even go near the top of the ramp and she still won't go up or down. Last night she wouldn't come down for food and at first I thought she was sick, but she's more than happy to eat, she just won't come down the ramp for it. I put her downstairs and she moves around down there and showed a bit of interest in the ramp, but wouldn't go up. So earlier this afternoon I put her back up there and put some food on the ramp for her but she still won't go down. She gets there and then seems to freak out and run back into the little bedroom area. And now she seems to be trying to block Daisy from getting past her to go down the ramp. But that might just be her being stubborn.
Is this normal? I don't know if it was the slip that scared her or if it was the smell of vinegar from cleaning (which I can't smell at all but maybe she can) or if there was something else. I checked through the hay and there's nothing out of the ordinary. When we first got them it took a few days before they'd use the ramp but since then there's never been a problem, and that was over a year ago. I wondered at first if she was having trouble seeing all of a sudden or if she'd hurt her legs but she stands up for food and is responsive so I really think it's just fear. But she's usually not really skittish at all so I don't know where this has come from.
Is there anything I can do other than luring her with food? I was hoping she'd be encouraged by Daisy using it but she doesn't seem to be. I don't imagine taking her to the vets would be any use because she's not acting weirdly in any way except with the ramp. I'm going to put her downstairs again tonight where the bigger water bottle is and there's more hay and the pellets are. But I obviously can't keep doing it for her. How long would it take for her to get her confidence back?
Thanks
Yesterday it was the first warm day we've had in a while so while the girls were out for floor time we decided to give the hutch a full clean out - as in the hutch itself, not just the bedding. When the girls came back in the ramp must have been a bit damp still because both of them slipped a bit as they ran up. Neither of them fell, they both just lost their footing a bit. Daisy wasn't bothered and hasn't had trouble going up or down since then. But Pippy has refused to go up or down. I'm not sure if it's because of her slip or if there's something else bothering her but it took until late this afternoon (almost 24 hours since they'd been back in there) until she would even go near the top of the ramp and she still won't go up or down. Last night she wouldn't come down for food and at first I thought she was sick, but she's more than happy to eat, she just won't come down the ramp for it. I put her downstairs and she moves around down there and showed a bit of interest in the ramp, but wouldn't go up. So earlier this afternoon I put her back up there and put some food on the ramp for her but she still won't go down. She gets there and then seems to freak out and run back into the little bedroom area. And now she seems to be trying to block Daisy from getting past her to go down the ramp. But that might just be her being stubborn.
Is this normal? I don't know if it was the slip that scared her or if it was the smell of vinegar from cleaning (which I can't smell at all but maybe she can) or if there was something else. I checked through the hay and there's nothing out of the ordinary. When we first got them it took a few days before they'd use the ramp but since then there's never been a problem, and that was over a year ago. I wondered at first if she was having trouble seeing all of a sudden or if she'd hurt her legs but she stands up for food and is responsive so I really think it's just fear. But she's usually not really skittish at all so I don't know where this has come from.
Is there anything I can do other than luring her with food? I was hoping she'd be encouraged by Daisy using it but she doesn't seem to be. I don't imagine taking her to the vets would be any use because she's not acting weirdly in any way except with the ramp. I'm going to put her downstairs again tonight where the bigger water bottle is and there's more hay and the pellets are. But I obviously can't keep doing it for her. How long would it take for her to get her confidence back?
Thanks
still not sure what scared her but it seems to be fixed now. So proud of her!
I actually thought about her today when I had to go upstairs at work 
She popped into my head. Glad the ramp is now usable - aren't they strange little things at times.
