Yawning pig

[Chickensmom]

Hello,
I’m new to this forum but not new to owning Guinea pigs.
I have a 6 year old boar named Chicken who lives with me as my ESA in college. He is the oldest Guinea pig I’ve ever owned, but not by too much. He lives alone (doesn’t get along with other piggies, trust me, I’ve tried everything) but I give him plenty of attention outside of class time. I study with him, he sits on my lap while I do my homework.
Recently, I’ve been noticing that he yawns a lot. He also rests his head on my chest and sleeps on top of me. I’m concerned that this might not be normal.
Am I just being an anxious Guinea pig parent? Or is he showing signs of aging/sickness?

 

[Pantalaimon]

Hello, welcome.
I would just like to say that I am not an expert but have spent a lot of time reading about guinea pigs, and lots of past threads on this forum.

Yawning in animals is not always the same as what we humans regard as yawning (a sort of reflex), though they may do an actual yawn like ours when waking up and stretching (it is the cutest thing on the planet!). Unusual movements of the mouth due to dental discomfort or something lodged in the mouth can appear to be yawning, as can aggression behaviours between guinea pigs, though neither are actual yawns like ours.

When you say you’ve tried everything with introducing other guinea pigs, what exactly does that cover?
Really a guinea pig is a highly social animal and should have the company of others of their own kind, social interaction with humans will provide some enrichment but will never replace interaction with other guinea pigs. Some may be very selective about what others they will tolerate the company of, but very few are actually incapable of living with others. It is a matter of having the right personality combination and the right environment, which I understand is easier said than done.
(That’s not to say your pig is not one of the very few that are extremely difficult to bond, it is of course possible that he is one of those).

Changes in behaviour should always be monitored, as they could be due to both natural ageing or health issues. Like most mammals, guinea pigs will become sleepier as they age (I have a sow who is one month away from being seven and has started doing what I have heard referred to as ‘death naps’) though it shouldn’t be a very sudden change.

If concerned, always see a vet!

 

[Chickensmom]

We've taken pretty serious precautions when bonding. When we bonded other piggies, we would take our pig to the sanctuary so they could get a good understanding of his personality. we've had to do this multiple and multiple times with chicken. Unfortunately, when we try to bond him with other pigs, he will start nipping at them and drawing blood. we put them on the ground and let them figure it out, but it never works. Out of safety for chicken and the other pigs, we kind of gave up trying to bond him. However, when he was bonded with another pig, he never really interacted with him, he just kinda tolerated him.
I do agree that guinea pigs do need partners, however i think chicken is one of the very few who doesn't seem to need a partner. He doesn't seem super bored, and i give him lots of toys to make up for it.

It could be that he has dental issues, as he refuses to chew on the toys i give him. I feed him lots of hay and crunchy foods to make up for it. His appetite is normal so it doesn't seem like he's in too much pain, which is good.

I'll talk to my parents about scheduling him an appointment, as I am in an area with limited vets, especially exotic. I also don't have a car.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Refusing to chew toys does not mean a dental issue. Most guinea pigs will not be interested in commercial toys, and in any event toys don’t aid dental wear. Only eating hay and fresh grass has any effect on appropriate dental wear.
It’s the routine weekly weight checks which are the only way to know a piggy is eating enough hay.

You should always see a vet for any change in behaviour.

 

[Pantalaimon]

We've taken pretty serious precautions when bonding. When we bonded other piggies, we would take our pig to the sanctuary so they could get a good understanding of his personality. we've had to do this multiple and multiple times with chicken. Unfortunately, when we try to bond him with other pigs, he will start nipping at them and drawing blood. we put them on the ground and let them figure it out, but it never works. Out of safety for chicken and the other pigs, we kind of gave up trying to bond him. However, when he was bonded with another pig, he never really interacted with him, he just kinda tolerated him.
I do agree that guinea pigs do need partners, however i think chicken is one of the very few who doesn't seem to need a partner. He doesn't seem super bored, and i give him lots of toys to make up for it.

It could be that he has dental issues, as he refuses to chew on the toys i give him. I feed him lots of hay and crunchy foods to make up for it. His appetite is normal so it doesn't seem like he's in too much pain, which is good.

I'll talk to my parents about scheduling him an appointment, as I am in an area with limited vets, especially exotic. I also don't have a car.

Thanks for the advice!

Chicken is an excellent name!
Especially as he is older, seeing a vet is definitely a good idea even if nothing is obviously wrong.

Do you weigh him?
He should be weighed every week (you just need a set of kitchen scales) and the weight recorded, I have a little notebook for my pigs weights. This helps show if anything is wrong as often there will be a change in weight before any symptoms begin to show. It means potential issues can be caught much earlier and improve the chances of recovery.