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Cannot pin point what is wrong!

Sophia Watson

Sophia Watson

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
47
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30
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175
Location
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Hey Guys,

I am dropping this thread in to see if anyone has any suggestion on what is happening with my Sam.

Sam is nearly 5 years old and has had no health issues in his whole life, I've been Sam's mum since he was born.

On Friday I noticed that he was a little fluffed up but nothing else appeared wrong.

Yesterday I noticed he was still the same, however in this time he was still drinking and eating as normal. I weighed him and he was 1.1kg, he has always been a 1.2kg pig so this rang a few alarm bells BUT I have seen him on this weight before and the next few days he was back up to 1.2kg so again I didnt think much of it. He was still fluffy so I thought maybe with recent weather changes (I dont know?) He could just be a little colder, so on went the air conditioning.

I woke up this morning and he is 986kg, but again still eating and drinking although clearly not as much. He does not have any other symptoms, no wheezing, no dull or crusty eyes, no runny nose, his coat is shiny. Nothing. His poops are perfectly normal looking, and there's no sign of blood in them or when he has urinated etc. When he's eating, his jaw movements seem normal with his tongue visible and moving and his bite is good, no drooling.

I called the specialist vets here who we have dealt with in the past for our pigs but because he his still eating and drinking they didnt classify him as an emergency and suggested I bring him in tomorrow. I persisted but yes didnt get far. The problem with our local vets here is that they all tell you to go to the one specialist vet, which is them.

So what can I do? I'm pumping critical care into him along with lectade to keep fluids up. I have a stack of different medications here, one being Baytril and I've given him a dose today. He's currently in a warm little house with a heat pack.

Any help would be appreciated please.
 
Sophia Watson said:
Hey Guys,

I am dropping this thread in to see if anyone has any suggestion on what is happening with my Sam.

Sam is nearly 5 years old and has had no health issues in his whole life, I've been Sam's mum since he was born.

On Friday I noticed that he was a little fluffed up but nothing else appeared wrong.

Yesterday I noticed he was still the same, however in this time he was still drinking and eating as normal. I weighed him and he was 1.1kg, he has always been a 1.2kg pig so this rang a few alarm bells BUT I have seen him on this weight before and the next few days he was back up to 1.2kg so again I didnt think much of it. He was still fluffy so I thought maybe with recent weather changes (I dont know?) He could just be a little colder, so on went the air conditioning.

I woke up this morning and he is 986kg, but again still eating and drinking although clearly not as much. He does not have any other symptoms, no wheezing, no dull or crusty eyes, no runny nose, his coat is shiny. Nothing. His poops are perfectly normal looking, and there's no sign of blood in them or when he has urinated etc. When he's eating, his jaw movements seem normal with his tongue visible and moving and his bite is good, no drooling.

I called the specialist vets here who we have dealt with in the past for our pigs but because he his still eating and drinking they didnt classify him as an emergency and suggested I bring him in tomorrow. I persisted but yes didnt get far. The problem with our local vets here is that they all tell you to go to the one specialist vet, which is them.

So what can I do? I'm pumping critical care into him along with lectade to keep fluids up. I have a stack of different medications here, one being Baytril and I've given him a dose today. He's currently in a warm little house with a heat pack.

Any help would be appreciated please.
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Hi! I am very sorry; you are doing all the right things you can do at home.
A large mystery weight loss is always worrying and to be honest, in a piggy you cannot wait the way you can in a cat or dog that is off food. the sooner he can be seen or checked the better. In guinea pigs, a weight loss of over 100g within 24 hours counts as an emergency that cannot wait for too long and should be seen within 24 hours.

Have him x-rayed or scanned as fluffing up/sitting hunched up it is usually pointing an internal pain issue (bloat in the stomach), bladder or kidney problems internal growths, developing blockages in the digestive system (ranging from the guts to swellings or an infection in throat area).
These are just some examples from my own experiences with piggies of mine suffering from heavy mystery weight loss over the years while still nibbling on food.

@helen105281 @Jaycey @Freela @Abi_nurse @furryfriends (TEAS)
 
Apart from what Wiebke has said please do not give any medication until you have seen the vet and have their permission. Medicating without diagnosis can give mixed signals to the vet and could disguise things when hey are trying to diagnose making their job harder. Also, as he has lost 200 you won't know what the correct dosage to give is.

Your vets gave you the right information as this isn't a medical emergency but an unexpected weight loss still needs investigation. I have gone through similar in the past week with Donald and he had a UTI/suspect stones. Blood in urine isn't always visible to the naked eye. Hope it goes well at the vets and you get some answers
 
@Sophia Watson In addition to the great advice above I'd also ask the vet about arthritis. Fluffing up is a sign of pain so his legs or spine might be hurting.

Also muscle loss can be a part of arthritis which results in weight loss so it could be part of that bundle.

An xray will confirm it. You can then start him on Metacam and glucosamine supplements.
 
Thank you very much everyone for your support and advice. Since yesterday he has gained 100 grams so back up nearing 1kg now. He is eating fine but doesnt want have any hay I've noticed which is odd for him..still booked in too see the vets, so let's see what they say. Again, thank you everyone. :luv:
 
Hi Everyone,
Sammy had his ultrasounds today, it appears he's got a huge mass covering his bladder wall. There's not much we can do about that the vet said as a summary. We could continue investigating but he's 60-70% sure it's cancerous, and doing surgery could lead to more complications.
To say I'm devastated is an understatement :( 2 babies in a year...it's a struggle 😭
 
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