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Barry is ill

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Sparklegirl

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all

I just need somewhere to vent really. My rescue boy Barry has been to the vet today after not eating much and not really going to the toilet. I am so upset and have had a cry that she thinks it might be kidney stones. His tummy is empty she says from feeling him and he was in pain when she felt his belly.

We have come home with some Critical Care food which we have to make into a sloppy paste and syringe it for him. Even the name of it upsets me :( he was given 2 pain killing injections which hurt him as he cried at them.

So so sad that he might not make it to Christmas, his Advent Calendar is just sat there untouched, disinterested in it. Very upset that even after the injections he is not cheering up or eating. Time to try him with this vet food. Wish me good luck
 
Good luck with the feeding, I hope he takes to it well and starts to get better soon, sending lots of positive vibes to you and your piggy
x
:(
 
hannah8t9 said:
Good luck with the feeding, I hope he takes to it well and starts to get better soon, sending lots of positive vibes to you and your piggy
x
:(
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Thank you. He has had some- the syringe is rubbish so I have also been using my teaspoon. At this stage in the game, who cares how hygienic it is, he can lick my plates if it makes him feel better. Heartbreaking to see my poor little fatman so skinny and scraggly looking, he was always a pear shape (much like me!) now he looks so thin and scrawny poor little man x
 
I am sorry he is so poorly. Is he not eating at all for himself? Have you syringe fed before? and did she give you any pain relief to give at home? How does she know it is kidney stones, was an x-ray done? Is he pooing ok?

While you are syringe feeding, please weigh him daily. I can give you some pointers on how to feed too if need be.

The advent calendar, is it the type from Pets at Home? if so, the treats in it most likely contain dairy which guinea pigs are not supposed to have.

Could you also summarise the diet that you are feeding at the moment please?
 
helen105281 said:
I am sorry he is so poorly. Is he not eating at all for himself? Have you syringe fed before? and did she give you any pain relief to give at home? How does she know it is kidney stones, was an x-ray done? Is he pooing ok?

While you are syringe feeding, please weigh him daily. I can give you some pointers on how to feed too if need be.

The advent calendar, is it the type from Pets at Home? if so, the treats in it most likely contain dairy which guinea pigs are not supposed to have.

Could you also summarise the diet that you are feeding at the moment please?
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Not syringe fed piggies before, no, she gave him 2 pain relief injections, he cried a little at the first and howled at the second poor baby but none to give at home- I need to take him back again tomorrow. She didn't do an xray, just listened to his heart/chest and felt his tummy but he was not eating his food, barely drinking and not pooing.

We adopted him from the rescue section of Pets at Home and they said he was only fed on their nuggets and we had to keep him on them so as not to unsettle his tummy. He seemed to like them and of course he also gets the fruit/veg he is allowed as well as hay so it is not just the nuggets. We did integrate some other muesli type into his food but he did not seem too much of a fan

His history is an unknown quantity to us, he was very obviously a fully grown adult when we got him and we were told he was given up because he 'got too big' and they no longer wanted him. He has been with us for 15 wonderful months which was longer than we really expected but still it is devastating to think he is not well and this might be it
 
That's good that you are going back tomorrow.

How did she come to the conclusion it was kidney stones though? Is he passing blood? did she do a urine test?

For syringe feeding she will have given you a 1ml syringe, cut the tip off as this makes it easier to use, but make sure the black plunger cannot go in the mouth. Sit Barry somewhere stable such as on a pillow and slowly syringe the food into the mouth from the side so the syringe goes behind the front teeth. I tend to feed half a syringe at a time. Let him chew it and then give the rest of the syringe. If he is not eating ideally he should be having at least 120ml in 24 hours though I try to feed as much as 120ml in 12 hours. Aim for at least 30ml each sitting ideally 3 hours apart. Please note that is he is not eating at all you will need to feed through the night. If you have trouble getting the syringe in, place your hand over the front of his face so that your fingers are either side of his mouth as this should make him open his mouth slightly. I also give 1ml of water for every 5ml of syringe food.

I think one of the injections she gave would have been a gut stimulant. If he is not pooing at all after this, please let the vet know.

Does he seem miserable at all? is he hunched up or his hair fluffed up?
 
sorry to hear he is unwell. i have used critical care before, and i really believe it has saved George's life. defintiely ask for an xray and if possible a urine analysis. you can collect a sample by putting him in a bow after he has drank and wait for him to pee. collect the urine into a clean container (sterile if you can) and refrigerate until the apointment. as for drinking-is he drinking on his own? if not you should also gently syringe water so he doesn't dehydrate, and it will aid in your quest for a urine sample. good luck, and i hope he comes around. xx
 
helen105281 said:
That's good that you are going back tomorrow.

How did she come to the conclusion it was kidney stones though? Is he passing blood? did she do a urine test?

For syringe feeding she will have given you a 1ml syringe, cut the tip off as this makes it easier to use, but make sure the black plunger cannot go in the mouth. Sit Barry somewhere stable such as on a pillow and slowly syringe the food into the mouth from the side so the syringe goes behind the front teeth. I tend to feed half a syringe at a time. Let him chew it and then give the rest of the syringe. If he is not eating ideally he should be having at least 120ml in 24 hours though I try to feed as much as 120ml in 12 hours. Aim for at least 30ml each sitting ideally 3 hours apart. Please note that is he is not eating at all you will need to feed through the night. If you have trouble getting the syringe in, place your hand over the front of his face so that your fingers are either side of his mouth as this should make him open his mouth slightly. I also give 1ml of water for every 5ml of syringe food.

I think one of the injections she gave would have been a gut stimulant. If he is not pooing at all after this, please let the vet know.

Does he seem miserable at all? is he hunched up or his hair fluffed up?
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I dont know where she got the diagnosis from, I am hoping against hope he might have some sort of tummy bug or anything which might be less detrimental to him. No urine test and thankfully not passing blood.

She gave me a 3ml syringe and advised we feed him 5-10ml per feed and to give him 2 feeds tonight and some in the morning and then again after work before he goes back to the vet. She is hoping to see an improvement form him or else she will be quite concerned. From that I took he will be in danger of being PTS if he is not showing signs of improvement.


I told her he was not eating other than the liquid rich things like fruits I was giving him to help him and therefore there was no poo and not much wee either. She said it was a pinkiller she gave him- maybe one was that and the other was a gut stimulant? My poor little angle face looks so so miserable and is quite hunched up and is fluffed up, not as much as when he was bigger boned shall we say. Even the vet said he was looking sad which made me feel even worse.

I feel as if I have failed him. He gets taken regularly for his nails clipped and so the vet can have a general look at him to make sure he is well so this has hit me hard.
 
piglet_and_rogers_mama said:
sorry to hear he is unwell. i have used critical care before, and i really believe it has saved George's life. defintiely ask for an xray and if possible a urine analysis. you can collect a sample by putting him in a bow after he has drank and wait for him to pee. collect the urine into a clean container (sterile if you can) and refrigerate until the apointment. as for drinking-is he drinking on his own? if not you should also gently syringe water so he doesn't dehydrate, and it will aid in your quest for a urine sample. good luck, and i hope he comes around. xx
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Thank you. How thick a paste did you use for George? She didnt tell me it was a powder and its not much help that the instructions are not in English. The sticker with my details on said mix into a sloppy paste (how do I know what is too thick or too thin?) and give 5-10ml. Not drinking much, my critical care is quite liquid to help with that too but not sure if what I am doing is right x
 
The 3ml syringe is too big, if no decisions are made at the vets tomorrow re PTS please ask for a 1ml syringe, the 3ml will be too big for his mouth. It is a matter of quality of life and he sounds very miserable to me. I know it is very hard and we do put our human emotions onto them when trying to decide what is best but I am a firm believer in better a day too soon than an hour too late. I can see where your vet is heading as a pig that cannot eat is a miserable pig and he is in danger of his whole system shutting down if he is not eating and not passing any poos.
 
it's hard for me to explain how much water i mix with it. i dont do an exact measurment. i add enough water to the powder so it's thin enough to go through the syringe, but not so liquidy that they can't chew it. does that make sense? i'd say like half as thick as toothpaste? sorry to be vague. the critical care should have directions on the back for feeding guidelines.
 
A little piece of me died today when The Bridge gained another beautiful piggie. He had to be PTS which broke my heart but I could not allow him to suffer for my own selfish 'wants' to keep him with me for as long as possible
 
I'm so sorry, it really does sound like it was his time though and you made the kindest decision for him. It is a difficult one to make but shows just how much we love our pigs when we can make that decision to stop them suffering.
 
helen105281 said:
I'm so sorry, it really does sound like it was his time though and you made the kindest decision for him. It is a difficult one to make but shows just how much we love our pigs when we can make that decision to stop them suffering.
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I would have done whatever it took to make him better but with him being a rescue, I had no idea his true age poor little man so it would have made him suffer more to have operated. The vet didn't think he could have survived all the x rays and blood work never mind the op so it really was his time to go peacefully. Broke my heart but we have just buried him in the garden
 
piglet_and_rogers_mama said:
Oh sweet heart I am so sorry to hear this. You had to do what was kindest; he was lucky to have such a loving mummy. RIP little pig, and hang in there love.
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Thank you, that was lovely. Just so hard to go into the kitchen and go to talk to him then he not be there. It would have been cruel to have left him any longer. Its so nice to have had messages of support to get me through this awful time
 
worried val of york said:
I am so sorry for your loss. RIP little Barry. He is now free from any pain.
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He is munching on all the treats he likes at the Bridge, chittering down here to me telling me about his day. He is finally resting in the garden of the home where he was loved so much
 
hannah8t9 said:
So sorry for your loss :( sending lots of hugs x
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Thank you. Your avatar reminds me of his little face, same facial markings. I gave him his last cuddle before I buried him and I felt a strange sense of peace. Sounds silly I know given that he had already passed but he felt happy
 
piggyfan said:
I really am so very sorry for your loss.
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Thanks. Such a huge hole in my life but it is better to know he is out of pain than keep going to check on him and cry knowing he is hurting or uncomfortable at least
 
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