• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Ear infection

Merv987

Merv987

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
66
Reaction score
34
Points
220
Location
Hampshire, UK
On Sunday my guinea pig was looking very poorly, head tilted to one side, hardly walking but going round in circles, and falling over, but still eating. I couldn't find a guinea pig vet on a Sunday, but Monday I got an appointment first thing. But by then she'd made a remarkable recovery, still slight head tilt, but walking OK, falling occasionally. The vet said it was an ear infection and gave antibiotics, enrobactin 0.2ml twice a day. She's taking it OK. She's eating some food and hay, but she's loosing some weight.
A bit of back story, in January her sister died and she was very lonely, she just sat and watched us from the corner, and started putting on weight. After a few weeks, we couldn't find anyone to help with dating, so we bought 2 baby girl guinea pigs, it was love at first sniff, she's thier new mummy and they are so happy together. ☺️ So she was more active and started loosing weight slowly again. She was 1221g on 22nd of Feb, 1152g 5th of March, and today she's 906g. Is that too much weight loss? She's eating some food, she ate pepper and cucumber, but didn't want the brocali, but she might eat it later, and she's eating lots of hay, and drinking water. Her poo's are fine. Is there any foods that would be better to offer?
 
Merv987 said:
On Sunday my guinea pig was looking very poorly, head tilted to one side, hardly walking but going round in circles, and falling over, but still eating. I couldn't find a guinea pig vet on a Sunday, but Monday I got an appointment first thing. But by then she'd made a remarkable recovery, still slight head tilt, but walking OK, falling occasionally. The vet said it was an ear infection and gave antibiotics, enrobactin 0.2ml twice a day. She's taking it OK. She's eating some food and hay, but she's loosing some weight.
A bit of back story, in January her sister died and she was very lonely, she just sat and watched us from the corner, and started putting on weight. After a few weeks, we couldn't find anyone to help with dating, so we bought 2 baby girl guinea pigs, it was love at first sniff, she's thier new mummy and they are so happy together. ☺ So she was more active and started loosing weight slowly again. She was 1221g on 22nd of Feb, 1152g 5th of March, and today she's 906g. Is that too much weight loss? She's eating some food, she ate pepper and cucumber, but didn't want the brocali, but she might eat it later, and she's eating lots of hay, and drinking water. Her poo's are fine. Is there any foods that would be better to offer?
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please switch from weighing regularly once weekly to weighing daily at the same time. Step in with offering syringe feeding top up if your piggy is losing over 50-100g, depending on the speed of the loss. Keep in mind that at at least 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, which you cannot control by eye.

In an emergency you can use mushed up pellets instead of recovery powder but you need to cut off the syringe tip as shown in the syringe feeding guide to allow the fibre to come through. Pain and antibiotics are both appetite dampeners.

Please take the time to read the guides below. They offer practical help with very ill piggies:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
So I've been weighing her daily, her weight is fine, staying the same so that's great. But she's still not better. It's her right ear that has the infection, but her right nostril is buged up, I've been wiping it clean, but she doesn't seem to be breathing through it.
The vet said gp ear can also are so small if they get an infection they often don't heal completely. It's been 6 days so we've still got to give the antibiotics today, do you think she'll be OK? She seems happy enough, just isn't as energetic as she usually is.
 
Yes, we started Monday so today is day 7, but I still have well over half a bottle left. I phoned them before and asked if I could speak to the vet and they said they'd change a fee for that, seeing as I've got no money coming in for 3 months, I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.
 
Merv987 said:
Yes, we started Monday so today is day 7, but I still have well over half a bottle left. I phoned them before and asked if I could speak to the vet and they said they'd change a fee for that, seeing as I've got no money coming in for 3 months, I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.
Click to expand...

If you have over half w bottle left, I’d be inclined to finish the bottle but obviously I'm not a vet
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top