Don't Know What's Wrong With Lottie :(

[Amysmom]

Sorry for the typo in the heading.

After recently losing Billy we are now very worried about one of our girls in the herd Lottie. She's been quiet for a few days but still eating. We decided to take her to the vets last night because she kept flopping down when she was moving around. Our vet couldn't see any obvious signs of what could be wrong but she gave her an injection of Lawzbolin (not sure it's spelt right) and Vitamin B. Her tummy has been gurgling a little so we gave her some Infacol just in case. We also syringed her some critical care last night and this morning because we aren't sure how much she's eating-she's tales it eagerly. I have seen her nibbling a bit of hay but I suspect it's to look normal to the others-she's very much head of the herd.

Today she is lying around and looks like she staring, it's strange because although she's normal in some ways we just know there's soemthing not right. It's as though she's suddenly aged-she's nearly 4 and a half. Is it possible she could have a tumor? Our vet couldn't feel anything.

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry for the typo in the heading.

After recently losing Billy we are now very worried about one of our girls in the herd Lottie. She's been quiet for a few days but still eating. We decided to take her to the vets last night because she kept flopping down when she was moving around. Our vet couldn't see any obvious signs of what could be wrong but she gave her an injection of Lawzbolin (not sure it's spelt right) and Vitamin B. Her tummy has been gurgling a little so we gave her some Infacol just in case. We also syringed her some critical care last night and this morning because we aren't sure how much she's eating-she's tales it eagerly. I have seen her nibbling a bit of hay but I suspect it's to look normal to the others-she's very much head of the herd.

Today she is lying around and looks like she staring, it's strange because although she's normal in some ways we just know there's soemthing not right. It's as though she's suddenly aged-she's nearly 4 and a half. Is it possible she could have a tumor? Our vet couldn't feel anything.

I am very sorry about your worries.

Did your vet check her heart? This sudden flopping could have to do with that. @helen105281
Perhaps you might want to see another vet for a second opinion? Heart problems can be difficult to diagnose, as there is a whole range of them and not all are as obvious as an irregular heartbeat. Guinea Pig Vet Locator

Please keep weighing Lottie once daily at the same time so you can keep a close eye on her daily food intake and you can judge whether she needs a top up or not, and how much.
Here is our syringe feeding guide: Guinea Pig Vet Locator

 

[helen105281]

Has this behaviour been since she lost Billy? How does her breathing seem, is it laboured at all? does her head nod as she breathes?

The flopping could be "pancaking" which heart pigs can do. Have you also noticed any of the following:

Blue tinge to the extremities - ears, nose and feet
Sleeping soundly and difficult to rouse
Recurrent URIs
Fluid on the abdomen or abdominal bloating - heart pigs can suck in air as they breathe
Bumblefoot
Random coughing - especially when eating
Weight loss

I have a few pigs on heart meds (Benazepril), most were diagnosed by stethoscope only but I was lucky that someone I knew at the time had a very good ear for picking up heart rhythms etc. I then pointed out her findings to my vets who agreed to a trail of heart medication, all responded well so have stayed on the meds.

However, ideally diagnosis needs to be by conscious xray (no suspected heart pig should be given a GA) to pick up any fluid round the heart or on the chest and also to see if the heart is enlarged.

Of course, her behaviour could also be down to her grieving, but it is worth getting the vet to check her heart.

 

[Amysmom]

Our vet did have the stethoscope on Lotties sides for a while but I think she was listening to Her gut. We have always trusted our vet Rosie, she is the only vet at our practise who is guinea pig savy and she has always been very good with our Piggys but we will ask about her heart as I'm user we will be taking Lottie back soon.

We will continue to weigh Lottie, at the moment her weight hasn't changed but she's still just lying in her cuddle cup staring.

Thank you for your advice. We are praying we don't have to lose another piggy so soon after Billy. One of our other girls Millie is having injections for a large ovarian cyst at the moment also so it's quite stressful at the moment.

 

[helen105281]

If I recall correctly, Rosie is the vet that @sport_billy sees too.

It sounds to me like she is grieving and this is making her under the weather, if not, I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[Amysmom]

Has this behaviour been since she lost Billy? How does her breathing seem, is it laboured at all? does her head nod as she breathes?

The flopping could be "pancaking" which heart pigs can do. Have you also noticed any of the following:

Blue tinge to the extremities - ears, nose and feet
Sleeping soundly and difficult to rouse
Recurrent URIs
Fluid on the abdomen or abdominal bloating - heart pigs can suck in air as they breathe
Bumblefoot
Random coughing - especially when eating
Weight loss

I have a few pigs on heart meds (Benazepril), most were diagnosed by stethoscope only but I was lucky that someone I knew at the time had a very good ear for picking up heart rhythms etc. I then pointed out her findings to my vets who agreed to a trail of heart medication, all responded well so have stayed on the meds.

However, ideally diagnosis needs to be by conscious xray (no suspected heart pig should be given a GA) to pick up any fluid round the heart or on the chest and also to see if the heart is enlarged.

Of course, her behaviour could also be down to her grieving, but it is worth getting the vet to check her heart.

Billy didn't live with Lottie so there's no grieving-she lives with three other girls.

Lottie has always had bulging sides, they feel squishy but we did put her on a vibrating mat last night for a while and she had Infacol.

She has no symptoms that you have mentioned, just lies around staring and not having anything to do with the others whereas she did rule them all.

I think it's a case of watching and making sure she eats and drinks enough at the moment.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[Amysmom]

If I recall correctly, Rosie is the vet that @sport_billy sees too.

It sounds to me like she is grieving and this is making her under the weather, if not, I hope you get some answers soon.

Lottie didn't live with Billy, just three other girls. She didn't know Billy.

Yes we see the same vet as Sport Billy-we did meet him in the eating room once.
Rosie is an excellent vet and we waited an hour to see her last night because she squeezed us in.

 

[helen105281]

Ah ok, so that rules out grieving. Hope Rosie can get to the bottom of it. Let me know if you have any heart related questions.

 

[Wiebke]

Billy didn't live with Lottie so there's no grieving-she lives with three other girls.

Lottie has always had bulging sides, they feel squishy but we did put her on a vibrating mat last night for a while and she had Infacol.

She has no symptoms that you have mentioned, just lies around staring and not having anything to do with the others whereas she did rule them all.

I think it's a case of watching and making sure she eats and drinks enough at the moment.

Thank you for your advice.

It is always very worrying when - as a very observant mummy - you feel that there is something not quite right, but you can't put the finger on it. It is however good to know that Lottie has been seen by a competent vet, so I am sure that her heart has been also checked and nothing obvious has been missed.

I would recommend to switch to daily weighing as part of a more close observation regime instead of the usual weekly one. That should help you to see whether there is a trend of a quick or or very gradual weight loss.

I agree with @helen105281 that if symptoms persist or get more pronounced, a conscious x-ray or a scan under very light sedation is perhaps the way forward to see what could be going on.

 

[Amysmom]

It is always very worrying when - as a very observant mummy - you feel that there is something not quite right, but you can't put the finger on it. It is however good to know that Lottie has been seen by a competent vet, so I am sure that her heart has been also checked and nothing obvious has been missed.

I would recommend to switch to daily weighing as part of a more close observation regime instead of the usual weekly one. That should help you to see whether there is a trend of a quick or or very gradual weight loss.

I agree with @helen105281 that is symptoms persist or get more pronounced, a conscious x-ray or a scan under very light sedation is perhaps the way forward to see what could be going on.

Lottie usually has a big personality and always interacts with the other girls (one bring her sister Bonnie) so it is very worrying to see her like this.

I really hope Rosie did listen to Lottie's heart-can they hear it through their stomach?
The vets was chaotic and full yesterday due to the computers been down so I worry that she missed that.

 

[Wiebke]

Lottie usually has a big personality and always interacts with the other girls (one bring her sister Bonnie) so it is very worrying to see her like this.

I really hope Rosie did listen to Lottie's heart-can they hear it through their stomach?
The vets was chaotic and full yesterday due to the computers been down so I worry that she missed that.

In guinea pigs, guts take up the biggest part of the body with the other organs (including some rather small lungs) squashed closely together right next to them. Any good vet will listen to the lungs and the heart as an integral part when searching for mystery symptoms. However, if you are unsure, you can always ring up the clinic to please ask Rosie on that point. Apathy can also be caused by gut stasis (i.e. the guts stopping to work) or slowed guts, but as you have reported that Lottie's guts have been carefully listened to, I have excluded that angle as irrelevant.

 

[Amysmom]

In guinea pigs, guts take up the biggest part of the body with the other organs (including some rather small lungs) squashed closely together right next to them. Any good vet will listen to the lungs and the heart as an integral part when searching for mystery symptoms. However, if you are unsure, you can always ring up the clinic to please ask Rosie on that point. Apathy can also be causea by gut stasis (i.e. the guts stopping to work) or slowed guts, but as you have reported that Lottie's guts have been carefully listened to, I have excluded that angle as irrelevant.

Thank you

I'm going to call tomorrow as Rosie isn't in today and I will say that i need to know for my own peace of mind that Lotties heart was checked.

Lottie comes out for a little munch of hay then flops back into bed looking lethargic again so a heart problem going on certainly needs to be ruled out. Thank you for pointing this out.