Guinea Pig Drowsy Because of Anaesthesia

[piggies and sweet dreams]

Hello, everyone! My guinea pig, Jojo, just came back from the vet. He was given anaesthesia an hour ago because his teeth needed to be trimmed. He has now come back but is still pretty drowsy — he is not eating and is pretty lazy.
In how much time does the effect of anaesthesia wear off in guinea pigs? Should I be worried?
Thank you so much for reading! Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Claire W]

Hi, it can take 24-48 hours for the affects of the anaesthetic to wear off.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

How drowsy is he? Please don’t syringe a guinea pig who hasn’t come round fully from anaesthetic. I’m quite shocked the vet has sent him home so quickly.

 

[Swissgreys]

How drowsy is he? Please don’t syringe a guinea pig who hasn’t come round fully from anaesthetic. I’m quite shocked the vet has sent him home so quickly.

Please remember that the poster is in Asia, where vets often have less experience with guinea pigs.

@piggies and sweet dreams I hope your piggy is starting to perk up now.
With a recovering piggy I always make sure they have easy access to both hay and water, so they don't need to move far to reach either.
Maybe try placing a pie of hay next to him and also offering a few small pieces of fresh food that he is used to - lettuce leaves and cucumber rinsed with water are always popular here and will help with hydration.
Is he on any medication?

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Please remember that the poster is in Asia, where vets often have less experience with guinea pigs.

@piggies and sweet dreams I hope your piggy is starting to perk up now.
With a recovering piggy I always make sure they have easy access to both hay and water, so they don't need to move far to reach either.
Maybe try placing a pie of hay next to him and also offering a few small pieces of fresh food that he is used to - lettuce leaves and cucumber rinsed with water are always popular here and will help with hydration.
Is he on any medication?

The same rule applies that you don’t syringe feed a guinea pig until they’ve fully come round from an anaesthetic, regardless of where you are in the world!

 

[Bill & Ted]

The same rule applies that you don’t syringe feed a guinea pig until they’ve fully come round from an anaesthetic, regardless of where you are in the world!

yes, it’s quite dangerous to syringe feed a drowsy piggie they can choke and inhale into the lungs

 

[Swissgreys]

I agree a guinea pig should never be fed when not properly alert, but the poster never mentioned syringe feeding at all.
They just said their piggy wasn't eating one hour after anaesthesia.
They didin't ask for advice about syringe feeding, just what to expect and how long it would take their piggy to wake up properly and return to normal.

 

[Claire W]

I agree a guinea pig should never be fed when not properly alert, but the poster never mentioned syringe feeding at all.
They just said their piggy wasn't eating one hour after anaesthesia.
They didin't ask for advice about syringe feeding, just what to expect and how long it would take their piggy to wake up properly and return to normal.

Sorry for the confusion, I mentioned syringe feeding by mistake without realising it was so bad. I didn’t read the post properly and didn’t realise the piggy was so drowsy. My bad, sorry for giving incorrect advise

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I agree a guinea pig should never be fed when not properly alert, but the poster never mentioned syringe feeding at all.
They just said their piggy wasn't eating one hour after anaesthesia.
They didin't ask for advice about syringe feeding, just what to expect and how long it would take their piggy to wake up properly and return to normal.

The only reason I mentioned syringe feeding was because this had been suggested. I just didn't want the owner to start feeding while the piggy was still drowsy.