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Emergency Diarrhea

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Huey Ling Tan

Huey Ling Tan

Junior Guinea Pig
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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?
 
Huey Ling Tan said:
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?
Click to expand...

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 said:
OMG! First thing tomorrow! Poor Digger stuck with a stupid owner like me!
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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.
 
PS: Take off the cucumber; it can cause diarrhea in itself.
 
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.
 
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.
 
gizzy said:
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
Click to expand...

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!
 
I would feel happier if he were on the prebiotic called Fibreplex , is the best you can get.
 
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.
 
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 .
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
gizzy said:
I would feel happier if he were on the prebiotic called Fibreplex , is the best you can get.
Click to expand...

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?
 
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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 ,
 
Last edited:
gizzy said:
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 !
Click to expand...


Do I still use the same dosage for both and feed at same time? Digger's is 2ml for every two hours (at most 4 as I work full time so I come home from work during lunch hour) while feeding him fibreplex?
 
By the way when the fibrapex syring is empty Do not throw it away it will be useful if you ever need to
syringe feed again as it can be loaded with syringe paste, and used as a feeding syringe

When it is emptied do not wash it as that will dry the plunger out and make it difficult to use
simply store it as it is , and wash it when you need to use it again
 
Huey Ling Tan said:
Do I still use the same dosage for both and feed at same time? Digger's is 2ml for every two hours (at most 4 as I work full time so I come home from work during lunch hour) while feeding him fibreplex?
Click to expand...
Yes !
 
Great that things are firming up. I sometimes give Dioralyte too if my pig has runny poos as it contains electrolytes. Avipro Plus does too (a brand of Probiotic). It doesn't sound like he is reliant on syringe feeding and the vet has only given the critical care as a fibre boost to firm things up but have a look at our syringe feeding guide as it contains the amounts you need to feed for different situations.

Here it is again in case you need it.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-syringe-feeding-guide.115359/

Is there any more blood this morning? I would still speak to your vet if you can.
 
Huey Ling Tan said:
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.
Click to expand...

It is great news that the poos are firming up! The amount of what comes out reflects yesterday's food intake. Please continue to syringe feed as much and as often as you can to keep the guts going; go by how much he is willing to eat and drink - that can be anything from 2 ml to about 15-20 ml in a healthy piggy per feeding session; the less he will take, the more often you feed.

Also make sure that you continue to hydrate as much as he will take each time. You can get some dioralyte (US: pedialyte) from your pharmacy and make that up according to the instructions to help with the absorption and rehydration; that will also give him minerals etc. that he has lost. If you order fibreplex from Viovet online (has the fastest delivery), this can help a lot with the recovery of his guts.

The diarrhea is taking a lot out of your boy, so he has not much energy left right now; a lot of the weight loss is down to dehydration. The more food (fibre) you can get into him, the better, as that will help him to perk up again. He will be able to put on weight again once he is well and has recovered. Right now, you have to concentrate on getting him through the crisis, first and foremost. ;)
 
Thanks Wiebke, I have ordered the fibreplex from viovet online. Should come in next day (and cheaper!). I did order it this morning but via amazon but Saturday was the latest! I gave him more water to drink down but he does not seem to like the oxbrown. I will try the fibre plex tomorrow.

Hi Helen, no blood so far, in fact it was just that one off since yesterday.

Lunch time feed, he is still very weak (and refusing to eat!) and no poop in sight but there is also no diarrhoea in sight as well. He has moved from one corner of the cage to the other (it is 140cm long) while I was away and still sitting on all four.

Should I try to clean his anus? See if there is any poo stuck up there and help it move on?

Please pray for him. I am worried for him. I was hoping he would be around for the birth of my baby as well.
 
Huey Ling Tan said:
Thanks Wiebke, I have ordered the fibreplex from viovet online. Should come in next day (and cheaper!). I did order it this morning but via amazon but Saturday was the latest! I gave him more water to drink down but he does not seem to like the oxbrown. I will try the fibre plex tomorrow.

Hi Helen, no blood so far, in fact it was just that one off since yesterday.

Lunch time feed, he is still very weak (and refusing to eat!) and no poop in sight but there is also no diarrhoea in sight as well. He has moved from one corner of the cage to the other (it is 140cm long) while I was away and still sitting on all four.

Should I try to clean his anus? See if there is any poo stuck up there and help it move on?

Please pray for him. I am worried for him. I was hoping he would be around for the birth of my baby as well.
Click to expand...

Yes, please wash any soiled areas gently with hand/elbow warm water. If it is very caked, sit him in bowl of water and let it soak for a few minutes.

You can try and mix the recovery food with some mushed up pellets (see our syringe feeding guide for that), but it is imperative that you continue to get some syringe food into him to keep the guts going, ideally up to 40-60 ml over the course of 24 hours to sustain him, but every single syringe load you can get in will help his chances of survival. A healthy guinea pig needs about 120 ml of food in a day. Please read our guide. Very ill piggies usually don't have any appetite at all, so it is a major struggle to get the food in. You have to be tough right now to help him through this!

It would also help if you added some probiotic, especially 1-2 hours after any antibiotic. You can get that in any pet shop.
 
Hi Wiebke,

Got the Dioralyte. It was the last one in store and a discontinued item! So will be adding that to his diet. 5pm feed and he managed a lump of solid poo but still soft poo. It is not the usual bean shaped one more like a ball of poo. I hope he is getting there. But he is very tired out. I have never seen him like this.

Should I stop the 2 hourly feed and let him rest longer or just keep at it? My husband says I should let him rest throughout the night instead of feeding him 2ml every 2 hours (will now change to 3ml).

Will be giving him antibiotics at his 6.30pm feed.
 
Huey Ling Tan said:
Hi Wiebke,

Got the Dioralyte. It was the last one in store and a discontinued item! So will be adding that to his diet. 5pm feed and he managed a lump of solid poo but still soft poo. It is not the usual bean shaped one more like a ball of poo. I hope he is getting there. But he is very tired out. I have never seen him like this.

Should I stop the 2 hourly feed and let him rest longer or just keep at it? My husband says I should let him rest throughout the night instead of feeding him 2ml every 2 hours (will now change to 3ml).

Will be giving him antibiotics at his 6.30pm feed.
Click to expand...

It is encouraging that your boy has progressed to the "cow pads" stage; that means that the poos are starting to firm up. Hopefully, you will start to see first poos by tomorrow, provided you can get more food into him, so he can make more poos. He will need syringe feeding for some more days, though.

Please try to get more into him with each feeding session; the more food he can process, the more likely you are getting firm poos. 2 ml every 2 hours only add up to 12 ml per day - and that is too little to survive for any time (it about 1/10 of the normal food intake)! Try to get 5-10 ml of syringe feed into him in one go, even if it may take you half an hour, but then you can start to only get up once or twice throughout the night and try to feed more throughout the day. With more food, you should also see an improvement in energy. He is over the worst of the acute crisis; now you can start to think of building him up again. ;)

Please give him a pinch of probiotics with the next feed after the antibiotics. You can mix it with the syringe feed.
 
Thanks Wiebke for the advise and the website. The product will arrive tomorrow via first class post. They did not sell any at Pets at home (annoyingly).

Fingers cross he is getting better.
 
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