Why is my new guinea pig only eating hay, not pellets or veggies?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Keep in mind that she just may simply not like those. I would encourage you to try other vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers or celery and also other types of dry food until you find what she prefers. Best of luck!

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.

It's probably not a tooth problem, especially if he is eating his pellets and veggies without any problems, some guinea pigs stop eating hay for no apparent reason, you can try to change the type of hay this might help.

It might not like that hay. If it comes from a pet store there is a chance it is old and dusty. Try finding someone with horses and ask if you can buy a slice of grass hay from them. Might cost you two or three dollars, but will be far nicer hay and your piggy will likely eat it.

I do not think the pellets are bad but should be given in moderation. These are high in fat and can cause obesity. I recommend a large amount of roughage like Timothy hay all day long with moderate amount of veggies and small amount of pellets. The roughage is really good for their teeth too.

I would try a variety of fresh foods that are high in vitamin c like kiwi, kale, oranges, and different color bell peppers. If this doesn't work you could try to add tang powder (a human powdered drink) to his water and see if he will drink it this way. I hope this helps.

Thanks for reaching out about Lucy. Dental disease (cheek teeth) are fairly common in guinea pigs, as their teeth grow throughout life. Infections, inflammation, scurvy, can all be causes. Dental disease can be infections or inflammation, and therefore painful. If it hurt to chew, and hay requires more chewing, then she might be shying away from hay. A veterinary visit is recommended to check, more important if you think she is loosing weight. Good luck.