Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register
  • ONE THREAD per pig please!
    We really want your pig's history all in one place to help you. Please don't start a new thread for a new issue. Just reply to your old one. We can edit the title for you if needed.

Vet My 5 year old guinea pig keeps crying

Steffy

Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Posts
4
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
4
Hello! I am very concerned about my 5 year old Guinea pig. He used to have a very good sense of time when he was younger. He would only cry when it was time for his fresh veggies 3 times a day. He always had enough hay and grains available. A year ago, he started loosing his sight due to cataracts. He is now completely blind. I am not sure if that is the reason why his eating habits started to change... he started crying for food at random times, and for the last several weeks, he keeps crying really frequently, day and night, and he doesn?t stop until he gets more fresh vegetables ( Pepper, lettuce, kale, carrots ). He always has enough hay and grains! Do you think this is somehow related to his age/change of habits, or should I be concerned about something else like diabetes....?
I am new in this forum. Thank you for any advice or comments.
 

Soecara

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Posts
1,985
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
1,985
Is he still eating the same amount of hay? Has his weight changed?

My first concern would be something like teeth issues causing him to not eat his other food, meaning he is crying for vegetables all the time because he is very hungry because that is all he is eating. Have a read of this page and see if he has some of the signs https://www.guinealynx.info/malocclusion.html

On a side note do you mean pellets when you say grain? If not and you actually mean grain, please consider switching to a plain pellet (such as Oxbow brand adult guinea pig pellets), as grains do not have good nutrition for guinea pigs and pose a choking hazard.
 

Steffy

Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Posts
4
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
4
Hi Soecara, thank you so much for the information! I just read the blog about malocclusion. I haven’t noticed some of the signs of this condition (such as inability to close his mouth, drooling, etc) My Guinea Pig is definitely eating A LOT of hay and some pellets (Not grain). I don’t think he has lost weight, but his hair seems to be getting very thin. I don’t know if he needs more Vit C, since he eats so much green pepper, wich is supposed to have Vit C.
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251
Guinea pigs do tend to lose weight as they get older, but it's usually a very slow process, and not accompanied by eating everything in sight. If it were my pig, I'd get it to the vet to be tested for diabetes.
 

Soecara

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Posts
1,985
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
1,985
I agree that the possibility of diabetes might be worth looking into, even if he doesn't have diabetes having him checked over by a vet given his recent change in behaviour and senior status would be a good idea.

Guinea pigs can become less able to absorb vitamins as they age, so it is possible that supplementing him with vitamin C could help with the hair thinning. Green bell peppers do have vitamin C in them but sometimes vegetables alone aren't enough for an older animal.
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251
Good point about the vitamin C, [MENTION=24757]Soecara[/MENTION].
 

Steffy

Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Posts
4
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
4
Thank you, everyone, for all your comments and advice. I will follow up w the vet since it is possible that my Guinea pig has diabetes. In the meantime, fruits and other starchy foods will continue to be restricted. I will change the brand for pellets, since the one I buy have seeds and other sugars. I will also look for a good Vit C supplement. Thank you!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Similar threads

K
Replies
2
Views
309
Kids0519
K
GuineaPigParent36
Replies
2
Views
270
GuineaPigParent36
GuineaPigParent36
megamazing
Replies
5
Views
201
SSLee
SSLee
N
Replies
4
Views
504
Guinea Pig Papa
Guinea Pig Papa
A
Replies
3
Views
260
alliej
A
Top