Worried Owner

[Moofin]

I am new to the Guinea Pig environment I just got a baby guinea pig which she is about6 weeks old I got her two weeks ago it was like love at first site. Well recently my hamster died three days ago and we wouldn't have known unless the piggy had made noise and ran to him cage every since she has been acting strange. At night she sleeps in a corner most of the time under her water bottle. Also, she hasnt been pooping at night. Yesterday she went from 8 to like 4 without pooping. I've been really worried and I don't know what to do. Other than that she has been normal eats and runs around with excitement.

[bpatters]

If she eats and runs around, she's probably just fine. Pigs do sometimes eat all their poops, not just the cecal ones.

What are you feeding her?

[trista81]

sometimes guinea pigs eat their own poop, perfectly normal. My female does it sometimes, if you notice her putting her head down there that may be whats happening, because they do it before it even touches the ground. I'm sure you'll get alot of usefull responses, sorry for your loss, but congrats on your new friend, and welcome to the forum, i'm sure you'll like it here, i'm kinda new to this site too, and i love it! you should post some pics of your piggy!

[TigerLily]

Well recently my hamster died three days ago and we wouldn't have known unless the piggy had made noise and ran to him cage every since she has been acting strange.

Did you have your hamster and piggy in the same cage?

[Moofin]

Maybe she did I'm not sure I was looking at her the whole time yesterday it didn't seem like it
I am feeding her Timothy hay, her pellets, cucumber every here and there, and lettuce.

[Moofin]

No I didn't have both of them in the same cage they did run around at the same time though he was in his ball and she was just out running.

[TigerLily]

Oh ok I see now, I wasn't sure what ment. thanks. Thats cute did your guinea pig take an interest in your hamster durnig play time when he was in the ball or did she not care. Just curious

[CavyMama]

I am feeding her Timothy hay, her pellets, cucumber every here and there, and lettuce.

Oh but no veggies other than an occasional cucumber and some lettuce? What kind of lettuce are you feeding? They need to have 1 cup of veggies every day and a good variety as well.

Here is a chart of diet and nutrition ideas for your pig. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ants-list.html

[mufasa]

What type of lettuce are you feeding her? Lettuce is a great piggy food, but NOT the iceberg variety because there's mostly water and little nutrition.

I'd advise adopting a second guinea pig because they're very social animals. Having a friend often makes a piggy more active and encourages them to eat more, too, because they get competitive about it with a buddy. Just make VERY VERY VERY sure to adopt the same sex.

[Moofin]

She actuall would try to get him to chase her but he would go the other wit was kind of cute

[Moofin]

I try to give her other veggies but she is so picky she takes a bite nd then she leave it there and bet goes back to it after awhile I just take it out

[Moofin]

I give her green leaf and romaine lettuce
I have been on a look out for another guinea pig but it's so hard to find another baby
The local pet store said I should wait about 2 more weeks for her to grow more so she won't seem to get bullied

[foggycreekcavy]

You don't want to get one from the local pet store, and you don't want to listen to what the pet store employees say. They usually are not experienced with guinea pigs.

You don't need another baby. An adult female would do very well with her.

Check Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Shelters, Veterinarians - Guinea Pig Zone and Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder to find a rescue in your area.

[Moofin]

I was doing more reading about that and I don't even know where to look for another guinea pig but hopefully I find one soon I would like them around the same age so they could grow together and stuff

[bpatters]

It doesn't matter if they're the same age. Guinea pigs don't play like kittens and puppies. Just having another pig in the cage is all that really matters.

[Belas.human.mom]

We just adopted a 6 month old cage mate for our 2 year old. We found the adoption agency off petfinder.com I would suggest you use it as they have reputable agencies. Have you tried carrots or bell pepper yet? I know my guinea loves cilantro too. If I'm not mistaken if she is only 6 weeks old she should be on alfalfa hay instead of regular timothy hay (can anyone confirm this for me?).

[bpatters]

@Belas.human.mom , no, they shouldn't be on alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is a legume, like beans or peas, not a grass hay. You can supplement timothy hay with alfalfa hay for young pigs, or just put them on alfalfa pellets, or give them extra calcium-rich foods, like parsley.

@Moofin , you can teach her to eat vegetables by dicing them VERY fine and sprinkling the bits on her pellets. She'll get enough by accident to get accustomed to the taste, and will then eat them in larger pieces.

Pick one vegetable, like bell pepper, and dice that for several days. Then try her on a larger piece. If she eats it, then start dicing another. If not, keep on with the pepper until she'll eat a larger piece.

I taught my two to eat about 10-12 vegetables that way, and they'll try almost anything I give them.

[mufasa]

I was doing more reading about that and I don't even know where to look for another guinea pig but hopefully I find one soon I would like them around the same age so they could grow together and stuff

I agree with the others who say why not adopt an adult piggy. I've adopted two adults myself. But you can absolutely find babies to adopt. My most recently adopted piggy is young; someone bought her at a pet store and decided very quickly they didn't want her, or were allergic, or somesuch story. It happens every day with young piggies because they're an impulse-buy pet.

Also, people buy mis-sexed piggies and end up with surprise litters, and rescues take in pregnant piggies. That means lots of young guinea pigs to adopt too. Look on Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder and the Craigslist in your area.

Adoption in the best option because you don't support breeding mills or take the very high chance of getting a sick pig (and that's not just something people here claim...I personally bought an adorable baby before I knew better and he was dead in 15 days of an illness he had when I bought him). If you just look, you'll find the perfect piggy, whether adult or baby.

[CavyMama]

I was doing more reading about that and I don't even know where to look for another guinea pig but hopefully I find one soon I would like them around the same age so they could grow together and stuff

You can go to petfinder.com or adoptapet.com to locate a shelter or rescue near you. And ditto what others have said. They don't need to be around the same age. Adopting an adult would be perfectly fine. Adults are often overlooked because of their age but are just as in need of a home.

[foggycreekcavy]

Even if you can't find a rescue or shelter, try craigslist: washington, DC classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events . There are always people needing to re-home their guinea pigs. You just need to make sure the pig is the right gender, which you can figure out by reading one of the sexing guides, either here or at www.guinealynx.info .