Guinea Pig Hiding ALL the time.

Question
QUESTION: My new guinea pig, Lulu, hides all the time. I've had her for 3 days. She will not come out from under the platform in her cage, even for water. She will only get food if I give it to her. She will eat from my hand, but not much at all. When I pet her, I can feel her hip bones and ribs. I don't know how much she weighs, but I don't think that's normal to be able to feel bones. I cant feel bones on her sister who came from the same place at the same time, but who seems much more comfortable eating and getting water. Lulu chirps when being petted like she is happy, but I know that doesn't mean much. Should I take her to the vet?

ANSWER: Three days is not enough time for a new pig to become comfortable in their new environment. She's probably eating more than you realize because she's eating when you're not around. I would try separating the two pigs so that Lulu has her own dish and won't be intimidated by her sister. That way you  will get a better idea of just how much she's really eating.

As for feeling the bones, no that's not normal. Chirping when you pet her is a good sign. That means she's enjoying the attention. It's possible she was kept with other pigs who did not let her eat when she wanted to and who intimidated her into hiding to protect herself. That's another good reason to keep her separated from her sister for awhile.

If you have a scale (a small food scale is perfect) weigh her everyday to see if she's gaining or losing weight. Find out from the place you got her whether or not she was housed with other pigs. If so she may just be underweight because she didn't get her fair share at the feed bowl.

Once you're sure she's gaining weight you can put her back with her sister. But watch closely for signs that sister is bullying her. If that's the case then keep them apart so Lulu can eat in peace.

I don't think there's anything that a vet can do at this point. Just watch her for signs of discomfort or illness. If you see anything that makes you think she's sick you need to call the place you got her. If it's a reputable store or breeder they should replace the pig.

Signs of illness are: a rough coat, fluffing up the fur, runny eyes or nose and listless behavior. If she is sick you certainly don't want her with her sister and run the risk of the sister getting sick as well.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you. She doesn't have any of the other symptoms so that makes me feel better. She was kept in a large aquarium with about 7 other guineas so I'm sure that intimidation could be the case. I'll go put her in a separate container/cage now so I can tell how much she is eating. Thank you for all your help!
Would you recommend leaving her alone for the next few days so she can adjust? And given a normal diet of guinea pig pellets (2TBSP daily?) and hay, how much weight should she gain and weigh? She is approx 6 months old.

Answer
An average weight gain is difficult to guess at best. Don't worry about how much she should gain, just pay attention to whether she's gaining at all.  

An aquarium is an extrememly bad environment for any single pig, let alone a bunch of them. The air quality is poor and ammonia builds up quickly from the urine because there's little or no ventilation. Whomever was keeping those pigs in an aquarium was either housing them for profit or was extremely uninformed on cavy husbandry.

Keep her by herself for a couple of weeks. She will relax and won't have to fight for food. Guinea pigs should have pellets and water in front of them at all times. They're grazing animals and therefore eat small quantities throughout the day.

My prediction is that she will thrive in no time and be as fat and healthy as she should be.