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Why won't my guinea pig eat hay but still acts normal and happy?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

So my boar guinea pig has barely eaten any hay in the last couple days. All he wants to eat is a little veggies given to him and his oxbow pellets. He is still happy and jumps around and has been acting just the way he usually does. What do you think it could be?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 9th, 2019

Hi there! Guinea pigs really like their veggies and pellets, so your guy may be starting to want those more often instead of hay. However, Guinea pigs really need to be eating hay as the main staple of their diet. This makes sure their gastrointestinal tract is always active and working.
Try to continue to offer your pig hay and very small amounts of the other stuff. He also needs to have a vitamin C supplement in the diet.
If your pig isn't eating much though in general, my biggest concern is always checking the teeth (which should be done a couple of times a year anyway by a veterinarian who is skilled at treating Guinea pigs), and also making sure the pig isn't bloated. Guinea pigs can also colic and have issues with the gastrointestinal tract not moving at an appropriate pace.
I would monitor your pig for another 12 hours and if he is not improving, I'd take him in to see his veterinarian to insure nothing serious is going on.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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