Guinea pig sick?

Question

i just brought my guinea pig less then a week ago, i'm worried if it is sick

it hasnt drunken as much water as it had the first 2 to 3 days i had it..

i had fed it yesterday with alot of vegatables, like carrots.

its not eatting it's pellets. i tried letting it eat hay outta my hand..

i had listened to it's stomach to see if there is that "clicking" noise indicating if it has URI ..

and sadly, i'm not sure what i'm hearing .. its breathes hard and the sounds seem to some from it's nose!

i read, that maybe it isnt drinking because of the water coming from the vegetable had made it not thirsty ..

i can't sleep knowing that my guinea pig would be sick T_T

i live in the philadelphia area where i hope to fine a clinic that would be a cheap up with a small cost..

Answer 1

it is just new to your faimly my guinea pig did that too and just comphert it nothing wrong (it might be pregnate)if it is a girl

Answer 2

my little baby died because he was sick :(, I don't want that to happen to another person so Google you butt off and do it quick if you give me your zip (if you're ok with it I'll find you a Place it is really easy. If not then look on Google and yellow pages. my e-mail [e-mail]

Answer 3

When guinea pigs and other animals first move into a home, they're nervous and scared.  Like some people, animals may tend to drink or eat more to relieve the stress.  Now that she's settling into her new home, she may just be cooling off on eating so much.  Remember, guinea pigs are rodents.  While some drink more than others, they don't normally drink a whole lot to begin with.

Another thing could be that she got a little stomach ache.  Often times when you get a new animal, you don't think much about what they were eating at the pet store.  You brought them home and gave them food you picked out, simply that.  All of the sudden their diet has changed.  They eat a lot to begin with because it's all new and seems like a treat, but then it gets a stomach ache from not having its old food and starts to cut back on eating.  Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about this unless you want to go find out what it was eating back at the pet store.  On the brighter side, your guinea pig will get over it.  Try feeding it less veggies and limit yourself to every other day so it eats the pellets.  

Have you ever heard your stomach growl or make weird noises after you eat?  Haha, yeah, it sounds like there's something growing in there.  Well, guinea pigs can have the same thing happen to them.  This might be why it is confusing to you.  You might just be hearing your piggy's tummy digesting and churning the food within it naturally.  In which case, there is nothing to fear.

As for the breathing, all animals sound like they're breathing hard if you get real close to them and watch their tummies go in and out.  It's probably just breathing a little faster because it's still getting used to you and it's wondering why you're right up in it's face.  Though if it sounds like more than just that, it could be he got a little water in his nose from his water bottle, has a booger, has to sneeze, or something else.  

I would check out a few medical websites and try to figure out what is up with her.  While I know you're scared, don't make too big of a deal out of it until you know what is wrong with her.  

Some websites I found that might help you:

http://www.guinealynx.info/

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/index.html

http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/piggyhea...

http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-health/...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Guinea-Pigs-He...

I wish you the best of luck with your new baby and I hope she is alright. (:

Answer 4

This is normal for a guinea pig that's new to your home. There are a few things I would check out.

First, what kind of food are you feeding it? Guinea pigs can be picky. If you're not giving the same brand of food it was previously eating that could be the problem. Call the store or breeder you got it from and find out what specifically they were feeding. Then feed it that brand. If you want to switch foods, do it slowly by mixing in small parts of the new food daily.

Second, what kind of bedding is it on? Pine and cedar can kill your guinea pig. The oils in these woods can cause respiratory problems, and these can cause death. The best beddings are paper beddings like Carefresh and SoftSorbent. These are safe and great at absorbing odor and moisture, and they don't have the wood shaving smell to them.

Another thing is to watch fruit and vegetable intake. They shouldn't be having more than a handful of fresh produce once a week. More can cause diarrhea or other problems, veggies aren't a staple diet. There was probably more than enough water in what you gave her, so she didn't need to drink anything. And she was probably pretty full, so she didn't need to eat any pellets.

Does she have a water bottle, or a dish? If you got a bottle, but there was a dish at the store she may not know how the bottle works. Or if it was a bottle and she has a dish she may not know. Make sure to show it the water so it knows it's there.

Give your guinea pig some time to get used to the new surroundings. Soon it should be eating and drinking just fine. It's good to remember that they don't drink a lot at once, so it's hard to see if the water level has gone down a lot. Just make sure there's always food and water available. Hope I could help!