Skip to content

Why is my guinea pig lying flat?

Why is my guinea pig lying flat?

Most often guinea pigs will lay flat and stretched out when they are comfortable. Guinea pigs are naturally prey animals, so that means that they get scared often. But when you see your guinea pigs in their cage lying down flat, that means they are not scared of much at the moment and they want to relax.

Why is my guinea pig leaning to the side?

Ear infections due to bacteria are frequently the culprits behind head tilting in guinea pigs. Your cavy’s holding his head sideways could be a result of the frustrating infection traveling to both the inner and middle portions of his ear. Some guinea pigs with wry neck also experience nausea.

Why is my guinea pig laying down and not moving?

A guinea pig may lie on his side when he’s sick. In this case, he may not want to move, and other symptoms of illness may be evident. Signs of illness include lethargy, difficulty moving, heavy breathing, panting, runny nose, weepy eyes, diarrhea, vomiting or anything else that’s not normal for your guinea pig.

Why does my guinea pig stretch when I pet him?

When a guinea pig stretches they are really just trying to make themselves more comfortable, generally before nap time. They will often display this behaviour and yawn whilst being petted and may even drift off into guinea pig dream land. As mentioned previously, guinea pigs do love a good yawn!

What happens when a guinea pig gives birth?

When a guinea pig is about to give birth, any male guinea pigs near her will gather around and try to become the dominant male in order to both protect the female and mate with her. The female has a short postpartum estrus that will last for only about half a day and, without a dominant male, all of the males will try to mate with the new mother.

When do guinea pigs have their first litter?

Female guinea pigs begin a new estrous cycle shortly after giving birth. The guinea pig gestation period is 59 to 72 days. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common.

Is there something wrong with my guinea pig?

Some conditions in guinea pigs still haven’t been well-researched. Hind leg paralysis is one of these conditions. Even experienced exotic vets are often stumped. Extensive, expensive testing often reveals nothing wrong with the guinea pig, and they are otherwise happy, going about their normal tasks. Eating. Pooping.

Is it possible for a guinea pig to regain its legs?

Hind leg paralysis is not a hopeless situation. Depending on the cause, it’s possible, even likely, they can regain full use of their legs. Armed with knowledge, in just a few days your paralyzed guinea pig could be popcorning again. Don’t give up on your guinea pig too soon.

Is it normal for guinea pigs to lie down all the time?

It’s already been established that if you see your guinea pigs lying down, it’s usually normal behavior. However, there are signs where you should be worried if your guinea pigs are lying down most of the time. They have physical injuries. They’re not normally eating, drinking, and pooping.

Some conditions in guinea pigs still haven’t been well-researched. Hind leg paralysis is one of these conditions. Even experienced exotic vets are often stumped. Extensive, expensive testing often reveals nothing wrong with the guinea pig, and they are otherwise happy, going about their normal tasks. Eating. Pooping.

Hind leg paralysis is not a hopeless situation. Depending on the cause, it’s possible, even likely, they can regain full use of their legs. Armed with knowledge, in just a few days your paralyzed guinea pig could be popcorning again. Don’t give up on your guinea pig too soon.

What should I do if I only have one guinea pig?

If you only have one guinea pig then one way to make them a lot happier is to provide them with a great environment that they will really enjoy living in. The most important thing about a guinea pig cage is the size of it. It needs to be large enough for your guinea pig to feel free and be able to explore and not become bored.