Guinea Pig won't eat

Ilovemydog · 03-16-2005, 03:55 PM

My guinea pig I got 2 weeks ago is refusing to eat.She'll drink a bottle full of water a day but her food dish has not been touched. I tried giving her lettuce, apple, broccoli, carrots, orange, anything I could think of and she won't eat. She has been surviving of off hay and cardboard. I don't know what I could feed her to get her appetite going.Any suggestions?

Lixx · 03-16-2005, 05:21 PM

Okay, I am not a GP expert but a whole bottle of water a day seems exsesive. Have you been to the vet? How long has she not been eating? Where did you get her from? What was the diet she was on before you got her? How old is she?

Amethystbelle · 03-16-2005, 05:43 PM

I agree a bottle of water is excessive although if shes only living on hay it could be making her dry although not that dry but i suppose it depends on how big the water bottle is aswell as if its tiny then might not be a lot? I would also stop her eating the cardboard as it will clog her up inside and cause her problems. How old is she? Is she on her own? Has she been taken away from her friends etc...? I can't think of anything to suggest at this moment in time as it sounds like you have tried all the things piggies love as mine go mad for broccolli but i think you should get her checked out at a vet as its better to be safe than sorry as small animals can go downhill really quickly

jennawing · 03-16-2005, 05:52 PM

What size water bottle? Piggies drink a lot- My Picasso will drink 16-20 oz a day.

I assume she is either a baby or she has never been offered a variety of foods before. Are you using plain pellets? Best not to get them hooked on cookies and seeds and nuts are a choking hazard besudes making themn fat.

It took a lot of experimenting to get Piccy to eat his veggies. Red cabbage was what he finally ate. As he grew, he sould try more things and I managed to get him more on a balance of greens and tummier things like corn on the cob or apple or carrots.

Try shredded carrots, too- Piccy wouldn't eat them whole at first- but loved them shredded.

Also, an older established piggy is good to teach them what veggies are for- and competition, too, encourages more veggie eating.

Best to keep an eye on the weight- do you have a scale? And if you can't tempt her to eat something in the next day or to, I would definitley be on the way to the vet's.

Chinchilla Valley · 03-16-2005, 07:46 PM

maybe it's worth a try to give her oat flakes or sweetfeed if you can have access to some.

najiwench · 03-16-2005, 08:10 PM

is she pooping alright?

hawaiianchinnielover · 03-16-2005, 10:27 PM

When we first got our piggies they didn't seem to know what veggies were. I took a little piece of lettice and kind of put it right up against their teeth and then they took it. How long has she not been eating? If its been more than a day and a half then take her to the vet.

Catherine · 03-17-2005, 02:30 PM

If you say the water bottle is being emptied daily are you sure it isn't leaking and she is not actually getting much to drink so doesn't want to eat.

I would remove the cardboard if it is being eaten and take her to a vet immediately. If you wait with Guinea Pigs it may be too late.

03-17-2005, 03:53 PM

If she's not even eating hay or pellets...something is wrong...maybe in the mouth, check the teeth and look for mouth sores...that would make her drink more too. let us know