Emergency Diarrhea

[Huey Ling Tan]

Hi all,

Need some advice or assurance! I noticed my digger was unwell yesterday with diarrhoea. I took out all his fresh veg and constantly try to give him water and cucumber to eat. This morning I took him to the vet of which the vet gave him an injection of steroids and antibiotics (Baytrill) to be taken twice a day. Also she gave me a packet of critical care to be feed to digger every couple of hours.

I came back about 1pm from work and there was some blood. Now it seems there is no more blood (5pm feed). Digger just seems to sleep in the corner now.

how long should I wait before i call the vet again?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

Need some advice or assurance! I noticed my digger was unwell yesterday with diarrhoea. I took out all his fresh veg and constantly try to give him water and cucumber to eat. This morning I took him to the vet of which the vet gave him an injection of steroids and antibiotics (Baytrill) to be taken twice a day. Also she gave me a packet of critical care to be feed to digger every couple of hours.

I came back about 1pm from work and there was some blood. Now it seems there is no more blood (5pm feed). Digger just seems to sleep in the corner now.

how long should I wait before i call the vet again?

Please contact them asap! Blood is very worrying!

Also start hand feeding and watering him little but as often as you can; that is vital. Baytril is additionally an appetite killer. You also need to avoid dehydration.
Here are our syringe feeding step-by-step tips. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-syringe-feeding-guide.115359/
Here is our recommended vets locator: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

I am keeping my fingers VERY firmly crossed!

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

OMG! First thing tomorrow! Poor Digger stuck with a stupid owner like me!

 

[madguinealady]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you are do I g your best for him

 

[Wiebke]

OMG! First thing tomorrow! Poor Digger stuck with a stupid owner like me!

Don't be so hard on yourself; you have had him seen promptly and have done everything that a caring owner would do. We are here to support you with rest as much as we can.

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

Thanks. I love him dearly. I just wished I could do more for him

 

[Wiebke]

PS: Take off the cucumber; it can cause diarrhea in itself.

 

[gizzy]

Don't try to give him veg , even the cucumber, and it may be an idea to ask your vet if antibiotics are realy a good idea

Any healthy tummy bacteria may well be compromised by the batril ,

If he were my pig I would feed him syringe paste , syringe water (be careful he doesn't choke ) and fibreplex , nothing else .

And perhaps see another vet

It may well be a long slog but kickstarting a pigs tummy after a bad bout of sloppy poos , is doable.

My avatar pig had sloppy poos and it took me many weeks to kick start his tummy flora , and he went on
to live for 6 more years.

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

Already took all food out this morning. Thanks for the link! I am glad I waited for him to chew his food. Looking at probiotic. I have actimel at home but strawberry flavour. Is that ok? Heating is on and the curtains drawn so that he can have a peaceful sleep before his next 9pm sleep. I hope he gets through this.

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

Don't try to give him veg , even the cucumber, and it may be an idea to ask your vet if antibiotics are realy a good idea

Any healthy tommy bactera may well be compromised by the batril ,

If he were my pig I would feed him syringe paste , syringe water (be car full he doesn't chock ) and fibraplex , nothing else .

And perhaps see another vet

It may well be a long slog but kickstarting a pigs tummy after a bad bout of sloppy poos , is doable,

My avatar pig had sloppy poos and it took me many weeks to kick start his tummy flora , and he went on
to live for 6 more years

That is great news! I am praying very hard. No veg whole day since this morning. Only critical care and every couple hours feed. I hope he gets better!

 

[gizzy]

I would feel happier if he were on the prebiotic called Fibreplex , is the best you can get.

 

[Wiebke]

I would feel happier if he were on the prebiotic called Fibreplex , is the best you can get.

You can find more about fibreplex, probiotics and vitamin C in our syringe feeding guide.

 

[helen105281]

As Wiebke has said, all the appropriate piggy probiotics are listed in the guide, but if you need some in an emergency, Pets at Home sell Pro C.

Actimel isn't appropriate as it contains dairy.

 

[gizzy]

Hi how is Digger,
regarding the probiotic , Fibreplex is probably the best and most trusted , it also contains important hydration salts .
It comes in a handy syringe, complete with a handy measuring ring at the back, so that you can give him the exact dose .

It is best not to give antibiotic and probiotic together , as the prebiotic will counteract the efects of the meds '

It is best to give him fibraplex 3 to 4 times a day .

Keep his back end as clean as possible as reinfection is a danger
Light palpation of the tummy should tell you if there is any tenderness , if he flinches when you touch an are and If there is tenderness, restrict his mobility.
If there is no tenderness , then give him plenty of exercise , this will stimulate gut movement.
Do not be tempted to palpate to relax his tummy , this could be counter productive , depending on what is causing this problem.

The good news is that if treated in time sloppy poos can in most cases be fixed , thoughit may take time and patience .

 

[gizzy]

Hi , should have thought of this before , has you vet done a poo float, ?
This test cost's copper
a tall container filled with satin (salt water) drop a spoon full of poo in the water and leave
for 24 hours
Particals of Lager parasites that causing diarrhea, will float to the top , along with other debris ,
the vet will then examine them with a microscope ,

A much better, but more expensive test is to ask the vet to send a sample to a veterary laboratory
for a broad spectrum analysis. This should cost around 50 to 70 pounds , but it will identify all microscopic parasites , like single celled proazoa, called geadrea. This bug is the cause of a great many cases of sloppy poos.

 

[gizzy]

The life cycle of this bug if extended , so a standard dose/s of ivermetrin, my seem to clear it up
but if the proper protocols aren't followed , it will simply return .

If I remember correctly , ivomec for 10 days then a gap of 5 days then another 5 days .
My figures may be out a bit so if your vet do's not know then he should consult a microbiology savvy vet

 

[Adelle]

My usual routine for diarohea is to stop all veg, add a couple extra water bottles to cage (new things are always interesting), give probiotic such as fibreplex, buy some expensive timothy hay to encourage eating (the overpriced stuff that my girls love), and usually some zantac syrup if theres blood in it. Keeping them warm and quiet helps too. Hope your little one picks up x

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

Thanks for all the advise and help.

His poo seems to be solidifying. It was just water yesterday and today seems to have a bit of a shape to it but very little has pass. Just drops here and there. His tummy when standing no longer looks flat (you could see the bones) but it is still quite light. He is quite tired sleeping most times but he is no longer sleeping side ways but on all four legs. Hopefully he will improve over the next few days. I have kept all windows shut and the fire in the living room started. I hope he gets better soon.

Will keep you updated.

 

[Huey Ling Tan]

I would feel happier if he were on the prebiotic called Fibreplex , is the best you can get.

Hi,

The vet already put him on the critical care oxbow brand. Are you advising I should change this to Fibreplex instead or as an addition?

 

[gizzy]

Hi good that he is improving ,
No not replace the oxbow , that is very important , it do's contain some pro biotic /rehydration salts
But using thefibraplex , will help to build up the good bactera in his tummy ,
And also, the oils in it will shooth his tummy ,
oX bow and critical care complement each other .
I have had good results using the two products .
And they are both trusted by vets !

Don't take any notice of what it says on the back of the critical care packet , regarding the amount
that should be fed,

I have maintained pigs on long term syringe feeding (chronic jaw/teeth problems that needed syringe feeding all there lives )
On 40 to 50 mil a day ,
The guide lines on the packet are juSt a general guide line for all herbivores and feeding too mutch may cause him stress , and become syringe shy ,