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Appetite loss, mystery problem

Emx93

Emx93

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi! Little flower is giving us quite the scare at the moment! We've been having some problems with weight loss and clicking sounds, multiple vet trips, chest is clear, no obvious problems.
This morning she stopped eating, was just sitting in a corner with her friends fussing over her repeatedly, I picked her up and she just seems flat and lathergic and just not interested in moving, weighed her and she'd dropped 60g to now just 608g (her highest is 825g) overnight so took her straight to the vets. They still can't find an obvious cause, they've heard the clicking but it doesn't seem to be breathing related, though I did manage to get a video to show the vet who agreed increased respitory effort but not consistently 😞 her teeth are fine and there's food in her mouth so she must be eating a bit just not quite enough.
We've come home with syringe food and suggestions to try bran/oats etc to try and bulk her up and if no improvement with her general appetite and energy levels in a week the next steps will be chest xrays and blood tests but she'll need to be sedated for this so it's best if we can improve her a little first 😥
I'm worried theres something underlying going on at this point and thinking if she doesn't turn a corner very quickly we will definitely be doing the xrays and blood tests it's just worrying with the sedation with how she is currently. She's taken 10ml of syringe feed and some oats since returning home but no interest in her normal stuff 😥
Very worried pig mama wondering if anyone's ever had anything like this before? She's only 1!
 
I haven't had anything similar, but did the vet suggest pain killers?
My vet always takes this route first with problems that are unclear.

It will at least rule out that pain is the issue causing her lack of appetite.

I hope she feels better and picks up soon. :hug:
 
Swissgreys said:
I haven't had anything similar, but did the vet suggest pain killers?
My vet always takes this route first with problems that are unclear.

It will at least rule out that pain is the issue causing her lack of appetite.

I hope she feels better and picks up soon. :hug:
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Thankyou, no pain killers no but there's 0 signs of pain on examination 🤔 I will definitely ask about a trail of pain meds if she doesn't pick up soon though we have metacam as nugget is on it long term 💖
 
So sorry little Flower is under the weather, you are doing everything I would have done so can’t make further suggestions. Hope she’s feeling better soon x
Just a thought, have they checked her heart, I remember Alpacasqueek Cleo has intermittent wheezing/clicking and Kim at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic said she had a heart murmur?
 
Try to syringe feed her more recovery food about 10-15ml at a time. Its what i did with Cloud. I use Oxbox critical care for herbivores. Hope Flower gets better! :)
 
Bill & Ted said:
So sorry little Flower is under the weather, you are doing everything I would have done so can’t make further suggestions. Hope she’s feeling better soon x
Just a thought, have they checked her heart, I remember Alpacasqueek Cleo has intermittent wheezing/clicking and Kim at the Cat and Rabbit Clinic said she had a heart murmur?
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Thankyou I mentioned heart to vet, she's checked thoroughly and no murmur but x Ray would be the next step along with bloods xx
 
I hope that you can get to the bottom of it all.

Please follow our syringe feeding tips so you can adjust the frequency of feeds and the amounts you are aiming for as needed. There is not a fixed amount, especially with piggies that still eat a little; it is more of a sliding scale you control by weighing daily on your kitchen scales. I prefer to weigh first thing in the mornings as that is when the weight is at its lowest and I can then plan better how much I need to feed in the next 24 hours and how often I need to do it, depending on how much she will take in one sitting - that can range from about 5-20 ml. You are aiming for getting in between 40-60 ml with piggies that are not eating at all and may fight the syringe if the are deteriorating, and 60-90 with piggies that are still eating. Please be aware that the more often you weigh, the more the weight swings; that is why you want to weigh at the same point in the feeding cycle so you have a better comparison.
The poo output is running a day or even two days behind as it takes that much for any food to be processed whereas the scales give you an up to date feedback.

Please take the time to read/re-read our information:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Mystery weight loss without any further symptoms is my least favourite symptom because there have been so many different issues hiding behind it, some of them more unusual than others. A scan or x-ray would be helpful.
If the lungs are free and the clicking is not coming from the nose, then I would advocate to have the heart checked further. Also keep sniffing the mouth to ensure that the gunk in it is not rotting but is being swallowed and eaten regularly. It's one of the lessons I have learned over the years with mystery weight loss piggies of mine. The pain or obstruction can sit in a more unusual place.

If the weight loss continues, then please have her seen sooner rather than later. All the best!
 
Wiebke said:
I hope that you can get to the bottom of it all.

Please follow our syringe feeding tips so you can adjust the frequency of feeds and the amounts you are aiming for as needed. There is not a fixed amount, especially with piggies that still eat a little; it is more of a sliding scale you control by weighing daily on your kitchen scales. I prefer to weigh first thing in the mornings as that is when the weight is at its lowest and I can then plan better how much I need to feed in the next 24 hours and how often I need to do it, depending on how much she will take in one sitting - that can range from about 5-20 ml. You are aiming for getting in between 40-60 ml with piggies that are not eating at all and may fight the syringe if the are deteriorating, and 60-90 with piggies that are still eating. Please be aware that the more often you weigh, the more the weight swings; that is why you want to weigh at the same point in the feeding cycle so you have a better comparison.
The poo output it running a day or even two days behind as it takes that much for any food to be processed whereas the scales give you an up to date feedback.

Please take the time to read/re-read our information:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Mystery weight loss without any further symptoms is my least favourite symptom because there have been so many different issues hiding behind it, some of them more unusual than others. A scan or x-ray would be helpful.

If the weight loss continues, then please have her seen sooner rather than later. All the best!
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Thankyou very much 💖 I've just had a read of the guides and will aim for 15ml in a session since she's taking it well :) yes I think I will definitely xray if there's no drastic improvement, not too sure about the bloods though that part sounds rather scary 😵 but I'm thinking probably best to do them together if she's likely to need them so she only needs the anesthetic once 💖 I will ofc have her seen ASAP if she takes a bad turn too 🤔 I did not like how she was wobbly on her feet this morning one bit, it gave me quite the fright but thankfully she did return to walking normally she just doesn't seem to want to move from her little corner 😞 could it be a heart issue despite the clear chest and no murmur? If so would it show on a scan?
 
Emx93 said:
Thankyou very much 💖 I've just had a read of the guides and will aim for 15ml in a session since she's taking it well :) yes I think I will definitely xray if there's no drastic improvement, not too sure about the bloods though that part sounds rather scary 😵 but I'm thinking probably best to do them together if she's likely to need them so she only needs the anesthetic once 💖 I will ofc have her seen ASAP if she takes a bad turn too 🤔 I did not like how she was wobbly on her feet this morning one bit, it gave me quite the fright but thankfully she did return to walking normally she just doesn't seem to want to move from her little corner 😞 could it be a heart issue despite the clear chest and no murmur? If so would it show on a scan?
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Blood in guinea pigs is generally taken from a little nick, so it is not as dramatic as you think and does not involve needles. it can however tell you a lot re. potential infections or whether an organ is going wrong or not. An enlarged heart would show up as well as any fluid build up in the body. ;)
The issue could however sit in another place in the body; especially if you are reporting wobbliness.

The problem is that all we can do is to speculate wildly but that is not going to help you one bit as it is more like trying to stick the tail to the daonkey blindfolded. Figuring out what is wrong is often more like detective/forensic work than your magic wand wave 'this symptom' = 'that health issue' for a vet or for us. We can only react to what you are reporting and through the filter of your own perception.
 
Wiebke said:
Blood in guinea pigs is generally taken from a little nick, so it is not as dramatic as you think and does not involve needles. it can however tell you a lot re. potential infections or whether an organ is going wrong or not. An enlarged heart would show up as well as any fluid build up in the body. ;)
The issue could however sit in another place in the body; especially if you are reporting wobbliness.

The problem is that all we can do is to speculate wildly but that is not going to help you one bit as it is more like trying to stick the tail to the daonkey blindfolded. Figuring out what is wrong is often more like detective/forensic work than your magic wand wave 'this symptom' = 'that health issue' for a vet or for us. We can only react to what you are reporting and through the filter of your own perception.
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Thankyou 💖 that sounds much less scary I'm sure the vet said she'd need to be sedated because of needles and jugulars 😱 yes I definitely think more investigations will be in order, she has thankfully not been wobbly since but did not look stable on her feet this morning, I will continue with the syringe top ups and reweigh in the morning :) pleased to say I've seen her nibble a bit of hay too but l know that can be deceiving and to rely on the scales x thankyou very much for the help. :)
 
Oh it's horrible when you are fighting an unknown enemy. Like Wiebke, I hate mystery weight loss. I would also opt for the xray/scan and/or bloods to see what it is you are facing. They will use a very light sedation (whiff of gas) to pop a needle in the jugular and take a small blood sample. It doesn't take long and they usually come back home quite soon afterwards. It sounds far worse to us than I think it is to them. Hugs x
 
VickiA said:
Oh it's horrible when you are fighting an unknown enemy. Like Wiebke, I hate mystery weight loss. I would also opt for the xray/scan and/or bloods to see what it is you are facing. They will use a very light sedation (whiff of gas) to pop a needle in the jugular and take a small blood sample. It doesn't take long and they usually come back home quite soon afterwards. It sounds far worse to us than I think it is to them. Hugs x
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Thankyou that is very reassuring 💖 x
 
Emx93 said:
Thankyou that is very reassuring 💖 x
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Over the years several of mine have had bloods taken with no ill effect - including Felix whose bloods came back showing he had leukaemia and not a single platelet in the sample taken. With hindsight he could have bled to death but he didn't, so that helps show how quick and simple a procedure it can be.
 
VickiA said:
Over the years several of mine have had bloods taken with no ill effect - including Felix whose bloods came back showing he had leukaemia and not a single platelet in the sample taken. With hindsight he could have bled to death but he didn't, so that helps show how quick and simple a procedure it can be.
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Thankyou so much for the reassurance, it really does make me feel a lot better! I think I will email tomorrow and ask about booking the tests, to be honest even if she perks up and completely starts eating etc id sooner be sure to rule things in or out I think :) 💖
 
Very pleased to say we have weight gain this morning 🎉 🎊😌 only 14g so could just be a full bladder but that's better than another loss! Nibbling hay too! I got a total of 90mls of syringe feed in, based on the weight today is that about the right amount to aim for again today or should I reduce it as she's nibbling herself too? Sorry for all the questions, ive noticed she's more interested in munching hay etc just after a syringe feed, the support feeding definitely seems to be waking her up a bit 💖
 
I've booked the xrays and blood tests for the 11th November, if anyone is curious about cost of an xray and bloods under anesthetic - £487 😵
 
I’m not altogether surprised. It’s like private medicine, you pay for absolutely every single thing - anaesthetic gas, inpatient stay, numbers of xRay plates, procedure to take blood, lab fees for interpreting……it goes on and on. But she’s worth it xx
 
Oh that’s a shocker, I hope you find out what’s wrong with Flower and it’s easily treatable x
 
VickiA said:
I’m not altogether surprised. It’s like private medicine, you pay for absolutely every single thing - anaesthetic gas, inpatient stay, numbers of xRay plates, procedure to take blood, lab fees for interpreting……it goes on and on. But she’s worth it xx
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Yes definitely is worth it, I just hope it gives us answers as it's half the vet fund and it's frustrating not knowing what's wrong 😬 oh is going to work some serious overtime I think 😂 I'm hoping to go back to work next year when my youngest is due to start school, then we can have a bigger vet fund because we sure need it with these pigwigs 😂 I'm just really glad the support feeding has perked her up, I wouldn't have wanted to sedate her yesterday 💖
 
I'm really not sure if this will work but I'm giving it a go 😬 I'm not very tech savy sorry 😬
 
Flower is going back to the vets at 10:45, I'm really not happy with her, 581g this morning and I'm not happy with her breathing and the fact I'm syringe feeding so much and she isn't leaving her little corner in her hay tray, I'm just not comfortable leaving her till the 11th 😭nugget is looking after her though 💖
IMG_20211031_201140.webp
 
Emx93 said:
Flower is going back to the vets at 10:45, I'm really not happy with her, 581g this morning and I'm not happy with her breathing and the fact I'm syringe feeding so much and she isn't leaving her little corner in her hay tray, I'm just not comfortable leaving her till the 11th 😭nugget is looking after her though 💖
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I’m sorry to hear she’s not doing so well. I think you are wise to get her seen sooner. Hope you can get some answers for her.
 
VickiA said:
I’m sorry to hear she’s not doing so well. I think you are wise to get her seen sooner. Hope you can get some answers for her.
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Thankyou, me too, it's a different vet as my exotics wasn't in so they mentioned taking her to Sheffield or barnsley but I'd never manage it in between school runs so I've asked for the vet that saw nugget as she seems to know her stuff 💖
 
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