Advise needed

[Rachel1974]

My blond piggy Boba is poorly at the moment, he's over 2 years old and a rescue pig, he's never been ill before so need advise, I found him breathing heavy this morning, crusty nose and runny poops, he wasn't moving and didn't want to be picked up, I rushed him to the vets this morning, they said he was dehydrated and had a low temperature, he was given vetivex and baytril which I need to give him twice daily, also been told to keep him hydrated which we are doing by syringe feeding him vit c water, the vet also advised watered down honey. He taking the fluids via syringe ok but is very very weak and I feel he won't make it through the night.
I've isolated him from his Buddy Marley, as the vet said to keep them apart, Marley is doing ok and eating and drinking fine but I'm worried they are missing each other. We are giving him lots of fuss so he doesn't feel alone but I'm not sure this is enough.
Any advise would be great right now, also keep hearing about critical care, can I buy this from pet shops or vets?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! I am very sorry. It sounds like a URI (respiratory infection), but the diarrhoea on top is very worrying.

Please keep him warm and as comfy as you can; go more slowly if he is an outdoors piggy and is dealing with a bigger jump in temperatures.

You will have to hand feed him; guinea pigs need to keep their guts going. That can really make the difference between life and death. You can mush up pellets (a good emergency fill-in for Critical Care or similar recovery powders) in a bit of warm water and syringe the mix in a 1 ml syringe with the narrow end cut off; you can get more syringes from your local pharmacy. Try to get as much into him as possible; little but often around the clock does the trick, ideally 120ml over the course of 24 hours. If he is really ill, he won't be very cooperative. Don't feed him any fresh veg at all, but keep him hydrated. Weigh him daily to control his food intake.

Your vet should be able to give you a small portion of recovery food to tidy you over. You can order Critical Care over the internet, but that can take a few days to arrive. It is however useful to have it handy for an emergency!

Please be aware that baytril in itself can cause diarrhoea. Ideally, you also order a probiotic like fibreplex or bio-lapsis over the internet. In an emergency, the pet@home probiotic will tidy you over.

Here are some links that you may find helpful and informative:
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...dministering-Medications-and-Wrapping-Piggies
http://www.guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html

 

[pelicano]

I personally wouldn't feed honey to a piggy, or any kind of sugar. Especially given that the piggy has gut problems. I totally agree with the probiotic.

Best of luck x

 

[Rachel1974]

Just to let you know we lost Boba last night, we are devastated by it, Marley seems ok but keeps looking for his mate.
Thank you all for your advise, just need to keep and eye on Marley now

 

[sport_billy]

oh no I am really sorry to hear this, huge hugs to you

Sleep well little one

RIP Boba
x x

 

[Wiebke]

I am very sorry; guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly, even if you try your very best! You were clearly up against it, but you have done all a good piggy owner can do, so please don't feel guilty.

We have a Rainbow Bridge section where you are welcome to post a tribute for Boba whenever you feel up to sharing your loss with an understanding community of people.

What you can do for Marley right now: let him take his leave from Boba. Reactions can vary from licking to barely taking notice. You can also rub a cosy or soft rag over Boba and let Marley snuggle into it while he is in deep mourning. Otherwise, get him a soft (safe) piggy sized toy, if necessary with his scent on it for easier acceptance. Just be there for him and chat for him. If he is outside, please bring him inside for more company.

In the interim (while he is in effect under quarantine for two weeks), you can email and ring around for a rescue that offers boar dating for bereaved boys. There he can choose a character compatible new friend under expert supervision once he comes out of deep mourning and is picking up life again, which is by far the safest and least risky way to create a new boar bond. You will also have the rescue's support throughout the whole life of their piggy.
We have a rescue locator on the bar underneath the forum logo with recommended good standard rescues. There is a very new rescue in Devon I think; otherwise you may have to look either at several good rescues in the Bristol area or near Southampton. However, it is really worth going that bit further afield for the safety and happiness that experienced bonding can provide for you and Marley!

I have found that doing something constructive for any bereaved piggy of mine and seeing it happy and busy again is helping me to deal with my own feelings in my own human time. Guinea pigs don't grieve any less than humans, but they have the pressing need to survive, so they cannot afford to grieve for as long as we do. As each bond is unique, you are never replacing a piggy with another.

 

[AbiS]

So sorry for your loss. Poor Boba, just heartbreaking. Big hugs x

 

[helen105281]

I'm so sorry. Sometimes these type of illnesses hit so quickly.

 

[MerryPip]

So sorry for your loss. It sounds like your little man was very ill and it was just too much for him to cope with.

Wiebke's advice was excellent, she, like many of us have lost piggies many times over the years and it never gets any easier but letting your remaining piggy grieve and then finding him new company is important. A new piggy can never replace the one you've lost but it can bring new joy to you and your piggy family and make you feel that you have been able to give another piggy the new start and loving home they so desperately needed.

Huge hugs to you and Marley. x

 

[pelicano]

I'm so sorry. Boba did sound very poorly. Thinking of you x