Almond losing weight (not critical)

[Dindeen]

- This post will be rather lengthy but my guinea pig's condition is not critical -

I know that losing weight is usually a sign of illness. Almond's health status is as follows:

- He is a bit over 3 months old. His size when I got him is just 1/3 of his size now.
- Last Saturday, the vet weighed him at 620 grams. I don't have a digital scale so I can't weigh him here at home.
- His left lung is congested. The vet said he could be allergic to his bedding so I use a different bedding now (soft map with unscented wood bedding only on the corner where he pees)
- He is currently taking antibiotics once a day (for 7 to 10 days), multivitamins and extra vitamin C twice a day (for one month). All are given via syringe, not his drinking water.
- He does not look ill. If not for his sneezing last week, I would not have noticed that he was sick. I have not heard him sneeze in days and his nose is not wet.
- He does not look as if he lost weight, my sister only noticed it when she picked him up for medication time and I checked too, he does feel 'lighter'.
- There is no change in his appetite, water intake, excretion, personality and behavior.

I see no signs of deteriorating health aside from the weight loss. Could his weight loss be the result of a change in his diet? Until last week he has been eating a lot of carrots and vegetables because he preferred them, not hay. I bought a different brand of hay last Saturday and it is timothy hay only, his previous stock of hay contained timothy and alfalfa hay. Almond now prefers eating the 'new' timothy hay, I give him carrots only after he is given medicine so that he won't be scared of medication time, and I give him less celery and more cilantro (I finally figured out what cilantro was locally called) : hay, pellets and water all day, leafies twice a day, bits of carrot after medication only.

Below are Almond's latest pictures, I took them just before I posted here. Just in case I missed something, maybe someone could point it out? And yea, he recognizes my red Casio camera, he'll pose when he sees it:

( the yellowish stain is vitamin C syrup, it just won't go away )

And I'm sorry if I sound like an overly-worried mother >__< I don't want to lose Almond.

 

[Amanda1801]

At 3 months old, he shouldn't be losing weight.

While he's on the antibiotics, it could be upsetting his appetite and digestion as they affect the gut flora (good bacteria) that are required to digest food. Can you get hold of a good probiotic to give him while he's on the antibiotics?

What you really need to do, is invest in a pair of digital scales (they needn't be expensive ones), so that you can monitor his weight accurately at home, on a weekly basis when he's well, and a daily basis when he's unwell. Sometimes they can lose a lot of weight over a short period of time without you realising!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! It would be good if you invested some kitchen scales - you can get them quite cheaply in any supermarket. That can save you quite a bit of money and heartbreak in the long run!

If you notice a difference in weight that usually means that a piggy has already lost quite a bit. If a piggy is ill and on medication or if you are fiddling with the diet, you need to weigh daily. Here is more about why weighing is so important and when you need to see a vet: http://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html

Make sure that you up the veg again. Lost weight means that Almond is not eating enough. If necessary, you need to hand feed him. Please weigh him again asap. Never take weight loss lightly! It can be very deceptive just watching a piggy eat - only scales can give you the true answer.

 

[Dindeen]

I forgot to include the probiotics in my post, sorry.

The vet suggested that I give him Yakult next week after Almond is done with his antibiotics. I don't want to give him Yakult because it is fermented skimmed milk. I have acidophilus capsules instead and I mix the powdery contents in 1ml water which I give to Almond during the evening (I give him antibiotic during the morning before I go to work). Should I change the timing of giving probiotics? Too much probiotics can give gas, right? How much is too much?

---

More veggies and check weight. Thanks.

 

[Wiebke]

I give usually a pinch of probiotics.

What antibiotic is Almond on? Baytril for instance can cause loss of appetite.

Please don't give dairy products! Is Almond your only piggy? If not, you can collect fresh poos from another healthy piggy and mix them with water. Poo soup is anything but yucky, but it contains exactly the right bacteria! You can often see recovering piggies pluck poos from their healthy friends' bums just for that purpose. Otherwise, continue with the probiotics for a few days longer than you give the antibiotic.

 

[Dindeen]

The antibiotic label is "Enov". It isn't Baytril, I asked the vet not to give him that because it might stunt his growth.

I won't give him dairy products even if a site or a vet recommends it, not even those yogurt treats. To each his own but I really believe that a herbivore should not be given anything that comes from other animals, not even as a treat.

Almond is my only piggy, he lives indoors where all the action is. Can I give the probiotic an hour before or after the antibiotic? Maybe a total of 2mL of probiotics in separate times of the day?