Friday, July 31, 2009

Is my guinea pig depressed?

She always just sits there, she never purrs anymore, and doesn't come to me when I walk into he room anymore. Also, she hardly ever squeaks anymore.
Answers:
I agree with everything Jenn said.
It is very possible that she's depressed if she's by herself or not played with much, but more likely, she's not feeling well. Does she sit in one spot with her fur kind of puffed out? Does she try to face the corner or wall? Has her eating or drinking or pooping habits changed?
See http://www.guinealynx.info/normal.html... for some very good information on "what's normal" for a pig.
Good luck to you %26 your piggie! I hope everything is okay.
wtf? i have had like 6 guinea pigs in my life and have never heard them purr
get another guinea pig so ur old one can have a friend :) and get her some new toys foor extra happynes :) hope ur guinea pig gets happy :)
i would say yes try giving her a special snack once a week that should perk her up something sweet uve never given her before or try getting her a boyfriend or another companion.
i don't think they get depressed, it sounds like she is sick. Most animals act oddly when they get ill. you should take her to the vet.
does your guinea pig ever get out of the cage and roam around? If not maybe you should let him/her out once in a while.
I agree that she may have some ailment like constipation also called anal impaction or other. Guinea pigs need attention like any other pet so take her to the vet for an examination. If that is not feasible then read up on Guinea pig health at: http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/index.html...
As echoed above, you need a vet.
A depressed/unhappy guinea pig in my experience, tends toscratch their hair out, eat less, and generally don't take the care of themselves. Also become quite nippy.
At wendy: our (my family's) guinea pigs used to purr a lot when happy, alongside very noisy squeaks! They also licked us, which is apparently for salt. But ignored the salt lick + mineral one we tried..
are you sure its not a cat? guinea pigs dont purr.
How long have you had your pigger? What did she used to do when you walked in or gave her "treats"? What diet do you have her on? How big of a cage do you have her in?
Guinea Pigs are notorious for hiding their health problems as they are prey animals. If you're noticing this big of a difference then you really do need to have her checked out by veterinarian experienced with guinea pigs, as soon as possible.
If she gets a clean bill of health then please seriously consider getting her a friend (either another female or a neutered male). Guinea Pigs are herd animals and therefore are happier with others of their kind ~ no matter how much human love and attention they get.
Make sure she has timothy hay or some kind of orchard grass accessible to her all the time ~ their digestive systems need this. She should also have a high quality timothy hay pellet, and at least a cup of green leafy veggies every day.
Do you make sure she has a good source of Vitamin C? They need this ~ Green and Yellow Peppers are a great source of this. If they don't get enough Vit C they can get Scurvy. Could this be her problem? If so, Vit C is an easy answer. Please do not use the vitamin or mineral drops in her water, either.
Sorry this is long, but there's so many possibilities!
All in all, First thing to do ~ get her to a vet ASAP!
P.S. for the others above ~ Yes, some guinea pigs purr. Some, at times, chirp like a bird, and some even give kisses! : o )
yes they purr, when they're happy and comfortable!
She sounds depressed.
Is she eating, drinking...etc?
Do the obvious sick check to make sure she's ok.
But if she is and is still mopey like that, I'd make sure you make more time to hold her and play with her, she sounds lonely.
It depends if you think she looks sad in the face. But from the signs that i have just read from you it's a good possibility. I would highly recomend you getting a room mate for her.

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