Advice for two skinny guinea-pigs

[Twig828]

Both these guinea-pigs could do with putting on weight for different reasons:

Queenie guinea-pig is an 8 year old pig with ovarian cysts which have been growing for some time. We are not spaying her as the last time she had an operation for bladder stones her heart stopped so too risky. She is lively and loves her grub but getting thinner and thinner. Vet has checked her over - teeth seem fine but too risky to check under anaesthetic as I said.
Martha guinea-pig is 2 years old. We adopted her last month. She has an upper chest respiratory gurgle with slight infection. Not a heart problem. We have changed the bedding in various ways which makes no difference so not looking like an allergy. She is 720g which makes her 400g less than her sister. No sign of obvious teeth problems but because of chest infection not wanting to check under anaesthetic at the moment. On metacam, baytril and nedulising with F10 (tried bisolven but made her really wheeze alarmingly). Good appetite but losing weight.

Both pigs are too thin so I am mainly looking for advice on how to maintain or increase their weight.

Both are under the care of an exotic vet based in Morpeth, Northumberland.

Thank you.

 

[helen105281]

Do they both still eat well themselves? if so you could try giving them a bowl of mushed pellets or critical care in addition to their usual food. Oats are good for weight gain too though you will find there are mixed opinions on them. Has the vet tried a diuretic too with Martha or is there no fluid?

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Twig828]

Thank you for the welcome. They are both eating well but just rather too skinny. I'll ask the vet about a diuretic when I see her later this week. I know she's thinking of trying a different antibiotic but I don't know at what point.

 

[Lady Kelly]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Queenie has reached a great age.

Piggy weights vary vastly and I have had healthy fully grown adults varying between 800g and 1250g. You need to check around their rib cage and shoulders for the best idea as to whether she is underweight or not. In my experience once a piggy is recovering they tend to regain most of the weight they lost quite naturally

 

[LeahsPiggies]

Hi! Just wondering if you have had the option to drain the cysts via HCG injections? They’re not always guaranteed to work, but if surgery isn’t an option it’s definitely an alternative.
You could try and syringe feed them both, maybe make a mixture of mushed pellets mixed with porridge oats and warm water. That way, you know they’re getting enough food with the added oats which are calorific and good for weight gain.

Good luck x

 

[Twig828]

Hi! Just wondering if you have had the option to drain the cysts via HCG injections? They’re not always guaranteed to work, but if surgery isn’t an option it’s definitely an alternative.
You could try and syringe feed them both, maybe make a mixture of mushed pellets mixed with porridge oats and warm water. That way, you know they’re getting enough food with the added oats which are calorific and good for weight gain.

Good luck x

Thanks. My vet did mention draining the cysts but she thought they would probably just reappear. Also she tells me they are not painful although they must be squashing other organs a bit. I'm isolating Queenie for a few hours in the morning and offering her lots of titbits which she is eating with enthusiasm. She is horribly thin though - I can feel her spine, shoulder blades and ribs sadly. My other guinea-pig is still wheezing but is very lively and yes, could be she is just small so not as concerned about her weight. Nothing is working to stop the wheezing though - hopefully vet will try another antibiotic although I gather the options are limited.