Yesterday I purchased a young boar. I am not sure of his exact age but I am guessing a little over a month. His previous owners were not very cavy savvy. He had not been handled much and was fearful and stressed at being picked up and moved.
When we brought him home we set him up in a temporary cage (eventually I plan on introducing him to my other boar). He was still very scared. He tried to hide but didn't go into his igloo until I put him facing the entrance. I gave him water, pellet food (the same type his previous owners had been feeding him), hay, and a small piece of bell pepper. I left him alone to calm down. This morning he was still in his igloo, but there were poops outside so I believe he did leave it at some point. He hadn't touched the bell pepper, and I didn't notice any difference in the pellet food. I can't really tell with the hay, but if he ate any it wasn't much. I put a small piece of lettuce near the entrance of his igloo but he wasn't interested in that either.
Around noon I decided I needed to examine him closer. I took him out and held him. He tried to run away when I went to pick him up, and while I was holding him he was very still at first, probably scared. After a while he began to relax, he did lay down at one point. During that time I had a piece of apple I was holding out to him. He sniffed it and licked it, but he didn't eat it.
I took pictures for you guys and then put him back in his cage. I put him in a separate room closed off, so that there is minimal chance of it transferring to the other guinea pig and cat in the house and so that it would be quieter (there are several other people in the house).
His ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and poop looks fine as far as I can tell. When I was holding him I notice small bugs in his fur. They are really tiny, flea sized or smaller. They are a light tan color. Right now I am thinking probably running lice, but it could potentially be some kind of mite. I have not seen any itching or irritation, and no apparent hair loss. The only symptom so far is that he isn't eating and is fearful.
I have pictures of his ears, eyes, nose, and poop. I haven't tried to get a picture of his teeth. They looked normal, but if you would like I picture I can try.
I attempted to get a picture of the bugs/lice/mites but they are extremely tiny and did not show up well and I haven't figured out how to post them. The pics of the ears, eyes, nose, and poop worked, but for some reason the pics of the bugs aren't attaching. I will play around with it.
When we brought him home we set him up in a temporary cage (eventually I plan on introducing him to my other boar). He was still very scared. He tried to hide but didn't go into his igloo until I put him facing the entrance. I gave him water, pellet food (the same type his previous owners had been feeding him), hay, and a small piece of bell pepper. I left him alone to calm down. This morning he was still in his igloo, but there were poops outside so I believe he did leave it at some point. He hadn't touched the bell pepper, and I didn't notice any difference in the pellet food. I can't really tell with the hay, but if he ate any it wasn't much. I put a small piece of lettuce near the entrance of his igloo but he wasn't interested in that either.
Around noon I decided I needed to examine him closer. I took him out and held him. He tried to run away when I went to pick him up, and while I was holding him he was very still at first, probably scared. After a while he began to relax, he did lay down at one point. During that time I had a piece of apple I was holding out to him. He sniffed it and licked it, but he didn't eat it.
I took pictures for you guys and then put him back in his cage. I put him in a separate room closed off, so that there is minimal chance of it transferring to the other guinea pig and cat in the house and so that it would be quieter (there are several other people in the house).
His ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and poop looks fine as far as I can tell. When I was holding him I notice small bugs in his fur. They are really tiny, flea sized or smaller. They are a light tan color. Right now I am thinking probably running lice, but it could potentially be some kind of mite. I have not seen any itching or irritation, and no apparent hair loss. The only symptom so far is that he isn't eating and is fearful.
I have pictures of his ears, eyes, nose, and poop. I haven't tried to get a picture of his teeth. They looked normal, but if you would like I picture I can try.
I attempted to get a picture of the bugs/lice/mites but they are extremely tiny and did not show up well and I haven't figured out how to post them. The pics of the ears, eyes, nose, and poop worked, but for some reason the pics of the bugs aren't attaching. I will play around with it.