Conditions Concerned about my guinea pigs behavior

[Hani_V]

Not completely sure where to post this but here goes...

I had 4 female guinea pigs: Mabel(4 yo,passed), Nami(2yo), Yuffie(2yo), and Butterscotch(under 1 yo). Mable was the leader, I got Nami and Yuffie together, and Butterscotch is the most recent addition.

Last year, Yuffie passed away and just last week, Mabel passed away. Nami had always challenged Mabel for leader and now shes basically become leader.

Since Mabels passing, I've noticed that she has been eating poop off the bedding and lays in a corner, only coming out to eat, drink and see whats going on when I restock their food. I know guineas eat their own poop but off the floor? She still popcorns a bit and still reacts to rustling of bags.

I'm concerned that she is depressed but not sure what to do.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

It sounds like Nami may be missing her friend.

Do you weigh her regularly? This is the first and best way to tell if something is wrong with your pig. Consistent weight loss would indicate an issue.

Is her fur puffed up? Is she eating as much as she usually does?

 

[Hani_V]

Thanks for the reply!
Nami weighs normal. She still gets excited about food, hay and snacks. When I refill their items, she'll come out of her corner and run around with the occasional doofy jumps.

Her hair only puffs up when Butterscotch is too close to her.

Maybe getting more friends for the two?

 

[ItsaZoo]

Do you rearrange the cage furniture at all, or change items out for different ones? It could be loneliness but it could also be boredom since she was used to challenging Mabel. Also, be sure there is a couple piles of hay, 2 water bottles, and the hideys should two exits. If there are challenges then Butterscotch can eat and have a safe place.

It’s usually a good idea to have some fleece or other means to block a direct line of vision between two areas of a cage so each one can eat and rest without fear.

 

[PiggyBaby]

Oh how sad, my Lila recently lost her sister, Tila, and ever since she hasnt really been the same. She was always the quiet one but shes quieter than usual, I adopted 3 new sisters for her..but so far she doesnt seem to be getting along well with them. Patiently trying to get them to interact more during floor time, but she always fights with the alpha female of the 3, the other 2 just sit by and watch lol

 

[bpatters]

@PiggyBaby, if you're just putting them together for floor time, you're actually making the situation worse. Guinea pigs are wired to establish dominance every time they meet another pig. Repeatedly putting them together and separating them again just means they have to start from scratch every time.

The general rule of introductions is "one and done." There are exceptions to that, but it's what you want to aim for. If you intend to have them live together, you need to do proper introductions and then put them into a large (at least 13-14 square feet) cage that's been thoroughly cleaned and smells nothing like any pig. Clean all hideys, blankets, toys, water bottles, cage wires, etc. See https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html

 

[Hani_V]

Thanks for the advice. Just did a clean and rearrangement. It did help! A bit more active now ☺