Bell@
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi!
I’m reaching out on here again since last time you guys helped me save my Guinea pigs!
They were getting constant bladder stones and the vet wanted to put them down - turns out their water was high in calcium and I needed to filter it. They are now 5 1/2, they live on predominantly straw, cucumbers, capsicum, thistles etc (they’re get sick from some foods, like grass). We’ve had a thing with their grain having soy protein which was causing fatty lumps (a different vet wanted to put one down bc it was potentially cancer). We moved past all that but the pig who didn’t have the fatty lumps recently had an actual tumour removed- it was quite large. She’s always been a bit more delicate too. Surgery was a few months ago and went well. She was really happy after. She wouldn’t even take the painkillers after day two. I’ve noticed lately tho she cries for food like normal (they’re very vocal pigs), I feed them, she takes her portions - and doesn’t eat them. There’s been a lot of uneaten food in the cage and the other one has DOUBLED in size. I pulled her out last night and she readily accepted painkillers with no fuss. She wouldn’t eat from me but she’s never been a fan of just accepting food unless it’s sweet. Today she has bad breath, similar to when a previous pig was dying. She took painkillers today also. She seems to eat a tiny bit of grain, but won’t touch her usual favourite veg. She pretends to eat, nibbling with her lips, and ate a TINY piece of lettuce for nearly ten minutes. She did a weird motion with her head a few times (didn’t look like typical gagging but mbe it was gagging?). Her teeth look beautiful, no visible mouth sores. She has diarrhoea and has lost significant weight. I’ve been to the vet so much lately and we keep “fixing” their problems (they’re sisters). I’ve never had such sick g pigs before, I love them so much but they’re super high maintenance and I’ve spent many thousands on them at vets. Is it possible she has more tumours, mbe in her throat or tummy? I don’t know where she could have picked an infection up from, she lives inside and I keep everything pretty clean. Starting some fresh parasite treatment now. Is there anything else I could try, maybe mushing her food and syringe feeding? Any advice and recommendations would be very appreciated! Thank you for reading, sorry for the long story
Pic is of sick pig a few years ago 
I’m reaching out on here again since last time you guys helped me save my Guinea pigs!
They were getting constant bladder stones and the vet wanted to put them down - turns out their water was high in calcium and I needed to filter it. They are now 5 1/2, they live on predominantly straw, cucumbers, capsicum, thistles etc (they’re get sick from some foods, like grass). We’ve had a thing with their grain having soy protein which was causing fatty lumps (a different vet wanted to put one down bc it was potentially cancer). We moved past all that but the pig who didn’t have the fatty lumps recently had an actual tumour removed- it was quite large. She’s always been a bit more delicate too. Surgery was a few months ago and went well. She was really happy after. She wouldn’t even take the painkillers after day two. I’ve noticed lately tho she cries for food like normal (they’re very vocal pigs), I feed them, she takes her portions - and doesn’t eat them. There’s been a lot of uneaten food in the cage and the other one has DOUBLED in size. I pulled her out last night and she readily accepted painkillers with no fuss. She wouldn’t eat from me but she’s never been a fan of just accepting food unless it’s sweet. Today she has bad breath, similar to when a previous pig was dying. She took painkillers today also. She seems to eat a tiny bit of grain, but won’t touch her usual favourite veg. She pretends to eat, nibbling with her lips, and ate a TINY piece of lettuce for nearly ten minutes. She did a weird motion with her head a few times (didn’t look like typical gagging but mbe it was gagging?). Her teeth look beautiful, no visible mouth sores. She has diarrhoea and has lost significant weight. I’ve been to the vet so much lately and we keep “fixing” their problems (they’re sisters). I’ve never had such sick g pigs before, I love them so much but they’re super high maintenance and I’ve spent many thousands on them at vets. Is it possible she has more tumours, mbe in her throat or tummy? I don’t know where she could have picked an infection up from, she lives inside and I keep everything pretty clean. Starting some fresh parasite treatment now. Is there anything else I could try, maybe mushing her food and syringe feeding? Any advice and recommendations would be very appreciated! Thank you for reading, sorry for the long story
Pic is of sick pig a few years ago 
It’s night here and nothing is open (also haven’t seen any critical care type foods for sale anywhere), so I improvised using the article you sent - pellets and I smooshed some capsicum in there for extra vitamin C and taste - she licked little bits from the syringe and even took a little from the spoon. She also ate a little lettuce and baby spinach yay! So food seems to go down, she just doesn’t want to eat much or chew anything super hard. I’m going to put her in a separate cage tomorrow so the other doesn’t eat all her food/stress her and I can see how much she’s actually eating. Her coat is still shiny but she is quite thin. She’s always been smaller but it’s quite alarming - and you’re correct, the vet is closed on weekends here. She’s always pulled fur out, ever since I left her at the vet for tests when she was 2yrs, so I don’t know if she’s pulled her fur because she’s sore or just her nervous habit. As for ballooning, the other g pig has fatty lumps that apparently cause pain/discomfort (hence why I have painkillers at hand, she has it daily) in her tummy and is also quite fat. She seems to have a tummy upset but she gets that regularly (old age? Also loses her eyesight time to time. Milk thistle seems to help tho), vet is kind but doesn’t seem to have any suggestions. She loves eating and her coat is shiny so vet is satisfied she’s still happy, just gotta be careful what she eats (like no grass, she gets a kind of colic thing). Going to reassess them both in the morning, sort cages out and try and feed the sick piggie some more syringe mush. Thank you again, I really really appreciate it 
I very traumatically lost my previous two pigs (have had g pigs since age 3.5yrs) and then got these when I was 16 and Covid lockdown started. Even though they have been very health defective and we’ve spent thousands my dad and I are VERY attached to them. And my bird of 10.5years just passed so this is really tricky timing. I gave dad all the symptoms and your very kind recommendations and suggestions for the vet - the vet couldn’t find anything. I couldn’t get into the one that operated on her and had to go to the one that wanted to put a pig down over fatty lumps. He did give her an antibiotic shot and some meds. It’s not helped sadly. She now won’t willingly take syringe food and I have to force feed (little bits so she doesn’t choke). She seems to gag if she tries to eat herself. The vet couldn’t feel/see anything in her throat but there must be something there, mbe a cancer. She just sits near the heater. It seems to be her time, I’m devastated but don’t know what to do. I’m watching her to see if I need to take her to the vet if she gets in pain for euthanasia but in the meantime I’m trying to help her be happy, put her outside today with her sister to eat grass because even tho it makes them sick it’s the only thing she will try and eat. She still gags but seems happier. She’s now back up against the heater. These two just keep getting sick over and over, they’re not even the old old age, I had a pig who passed at 8. Trying to keep her going also for her sister’s sake because they’re so bonded. 
), her appetite is back! She’s talkative and curious again too.