My guinea hasnt eaten.

Question
Hi Laura,
My guinea pig usually is very active and specially when I give him lettuce. For the past couple of days he hasn't eaten any of his foods and when I gave him letteuce he didn't have a bite. I have a feeling that he is not doing very well. Do you know what might be going on.
Another thing I noticed is that his cage is clean but there is no poop but a very foul smell.
Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Irene

Answer
Hi Irene,

If he isn't eating anything at all, it is very important you hand feed him. Piggies digestive systems are designed to constantly digest food, so even one day of not eating at all could cause serious problems with the digestive sytsem. I would say he isn't pooping because he isn't eating - his digestive system is pretty much empty.

Blend some vegetables together and add water until it is thin enough to push through a syringe. Also add water to his dry feed until that is thin enough to syringe to him. Pure water is the other thing you need to get into him.
Aim to feed him a syringe of veggies every 6 hours, a syringe of dry feed every 3-4 hours, and pure water every 2-4 hours.
Take it slowly to begin with, as his digestion needs to kick start slowly with just a little bit of food to work through rather than a lot.

I advise contacting your vet and making an appointment within the next few hours. This would count as an emergency since he is refusing/unable to eat.
His refusal to eat will most likely be a symptom of further illness; it's always a major sign that something is wrong and you need a vet appointment when they stop eating.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com