Odd Behavior

[Jolene]

Peanut's been acting weird lately. Every time I walk past his cage, he squeaks for food, I fed him six times yesterday, and those were big servings of veggies, too. Now whenever I go to feed him, he chatters his teeth and is reluctant to eat.

I know teeth-chattering is a sign of aggression or dominance, but why would he be 'mad' at me for no reason? I'm going to go check and see if he's injured, but I doubt it. Also, what's with his appetite lately?

Anyhow, any advice or info you can offer me is appreciated.

 

[dextersmycutegp]

Is he by himself? Dexter started wheeking ALL the time when he was by himself. All he really wanted was just somebody to hold/carry him around the house and give him lovin'. The chattering could be because he wants to be held and you aren't holding him when he's been asking.

 

[Jolene]

That's a good point, I did cuddle him yesterday to get him to calm down, and it worked. So yeah, maybe that's it.

(And I bought him treats today)

 

[TheQueen]

Does he refuse to eat? I'm thinking maybe some tooth problem or injury. He may be wheeking at you because he is in pain. Does he have hay, and if so, is he eating it readily? Is he eating pellets? Sometimes they will eat veggies more than hay or pellets because they are softer and easier to chew, so keep that in mind while you watch him eat. That is, if he has a tooth problem at all. Try checking his teeth, if you can. Are his front teeth crooked or very long? Does his mouth hang open, or does he slobber? Have you been weighing him weekly, and if so, has he lost any weight? All of these are signs of malocclusion. It could obviously be a different problem as well, though. Weight lose can indicate a problem, which is why it's important to weigh often.

If you know that he's acting weird and isn't following his normal routine, then something is wrong. Is he not eating at all, or is he picking out certain veggies? Is he eating hay and pellets? I would keep an eye on him, and if he doesn't improve or he eats even less, get him to a vet. Teeth problems can be serious because they cannot eat properly. Hopefully someone else will have a second opinion on this, as I'm no teeth expert. Good luck.

 

[Jolene]

I don't have a scale, but he hasn't lost any weight, I can tell.
I just had a look at his teeth, and they're fine. And it isn't that he won't eat, he just is reluctant to, like instead of jumping over to the food dish, he almost cautiously approaches it.

 

[Blindy]

Without a weight how can you tell?
You need to get an inexpensiv kitchen scal and start to weigh him.
I would get him a cavy friend to.

 

[MilwCavyMom]

I've seen the kitchen scales at Walmart for about $20. It may not hurt to have a vet check him out though.

 

[SoCalCavies]

A thought on the wheeking:

My pigs really do well when they are on a "schedule." That way, they know when they are getting veggies, and more importantly, when they are not.

Since mine are sick right now, I've been spoiling them with veggie treats throughout the day. It has caused them to wheek at me now every single time I go in their room!

Guinea pigs really seem to enjoy being on a schedule.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

He is more than likely seeking attention because he is lonely.

There is no way anyone can tell by looking at a pig if they've lost a couple ounces of weight nor can a person look into the back of their mouths at their molars to see if there are any spurs on the molars or other problems. They use buccal pad separators at the vets office to do that usually under anesthesia.

 

[Jenah]

Pilot used to wheek/squeak a lot more at me when she was alone and in her small cage. Now that she's got a buddy and a huge pen she saves her big wheeks for breakfast and dinner veggies. I don't move fast enough for her and she lets me know it!

She does still chat a little bit with me when I come home and greet - but the amount of wheeking has gone down now that she's got a companion and larger space.

 

[Jolene]

Heh, he's always been small for his age. It might sound crazy, but I can tell by just picking him up and turning him over if he's gotten bigger. It's not that he's thin, he's just vertically impaired.

Anyhow.. I guess I should put them on a schedule. It sounds like a good idea. So, thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[SoCalCavies]

Very welcome, but please reconsider your thoughts on the scale issue. I know you think he's gained - and he probably has - but it really is the best idea to get a good scale and weigh him weekly so you know for sure. Trust me, with 3 sick pigs on my hands, you wouldn't believe how important that specific knowledge is.

 

[Jolene]

Trust me, if I could find a scale, I would.
He's better now, I've been petting him a lot. So once again, thanks for the help, but I'm sure he'll be fine now.