Failing to thrive?

Question
QUESTION: Hi there, I used to have a guinea pig when I was a young child.  They are wonderful pets and I know quite a bit about them.  We just bought a guinea pig yesterday for my son (he's 10), but I'm kind of worried about her because she doesn't appear to be eating, and worse she doesn't seem to be drinking either.  She just sits in her igloo unless we bring her out to roam around on our blanket-covered sofa.  Even then, she finds a snug little hiding place to just feel secure and doesn't move until she is stirred.  We've tried to entice her to eat with some goodies...I tried hand feeding a carrot, a spinach leaf, some broccoli, and a strawberry (all organic).  She was not interested at all, but I left them in her bowl last night in case, and she hasn't eaten them.  I realize she will need time to get acclamated to her surroundings, but at least you would expect her to roam around her cage and drink her water.  I'm so concerned that I'm considering taking her to work in her pet carrier with her water bottle attached to the door and food bowl just so I can hear if she's moving around and drinking.  If not, we're going to go to the vet after work.  Can you provide any suggestions?  Is there any treat that she should absolutely go crazy over that I should try?  Should I by a syringe and try to hand feed her?  Thanks for any advice you can offer.  Christine

ANSWER: Hopefully this is just an adjustment period. It's not unusual for them not to eat or drink for a couple of days. She may not have ever been offered fruits or veggies and doesn't know what to do with them. I would just leave her completely alone for a couple of days to see if she doesn't acclimate a little.

I'd also take away the igloo as it gives her an opportunity not to interact with her surroundings. Watch the water bottle to be sure she's finally taking some. You can offer a piece of lettuce as it is good for hydrating. Especially iceberg lettuce. It's not much for nutritional use but is excellent because of the high water content.

Most places will give you at least a week's insurance for health reasons. If you think she may be ill then return to the store where you got her. But give her a little more time to adjust to the new sights, sounds and smells of her new environment.

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

QUESTION: Thank your quick reply. She has started eating a bit and is drinking some which gives me a bit of relief.  We ended up taking her to the vet and she checked out fine.  I got advice from the veterinarian, and my husband did some reading online as well.  We'll certainly keep an eye on her until her activity level and consumption levels pick up.  You mentioned iceberg lettuce.......I had read that iceberg lettuce was one of the lettuces to avoid because it could give them diarrhea.  Are you only recommending this if we suspect she is not taking in enough water?

Answer
I'm glad to hear she's adjusting. Iceberg lettuce is probably more misunderstood than any other cavy question. It's like the old telephone game we used to play as children, someone whispers in your ear, you repeat it in the next person's ear and so on. The end result is the original statement is so twisted nobody knows what it was in the first place.

Many of us who travel the country going to different shows use iceberg lettuce for hydration during travel. Most of my pigs will not drink from their water bottles for a day or so because of the traveling and the different environment. So iceberg replaces the water they're not consuming. I don't think it will give diarrhea unless overfed. I've had people tell me that they heard that iceberg is poisonous to guinea pigs. Again, the telephone game, not true.

For human consumption iceberg is simply a vehicle to hold up our favorite dressing. Mostly because it has very little taste, but is hardy enough to be mixed with the heavier dressings such as Ranch, Bleu Cheese, etc. It has little nutritional value but is in no way toxic, harmful or dangerous. Obviously you want to wash it before you feed it to your family or your pigs, but that should be a habit for all fruits and veggies. Anything fed in large quanities has the potential for diarrhea. This is where common sense comes into play.

So yes, use it for hydration in limited quantity. It doesn't take much, and you don't want to replace the pellets as the main diet.

It sounds like she's becoming used to her new surroundings and I expect she will do just fine from now on. Good luck to you and her and please keep me posted on how she's doing.