Guinea pig has vitamin C deficiency, but does a weird head tilt - is it related?

[mousetribe]

Hello,

This is my first post here, so I hope I'm doing this right.

My guinea pig, Zoika, is 8 months old. 2 weeks ago we went to the vet because her teeth were big and the vet peeled them. Yesterday we went again and she got diagnosed with a vitamin C deficiency. What I find hard to understand is - she tries biting food but without success, even if she does she makes a weird head tilt, sometimes making noise out of pain. She also has diarrhea, which I hope goes away. She was prescribed vitamins which we gave her for today.

Symptoms she has: no energy, loss of appetite (she tries to eat but either spits it out, does said head tilt or loses interest as soon as she tries taking a bite), diarrhea, weight loss, low temperature (we are trying to get it back up)

I need help with the head tilting, I just don't know what it is and if it will get better after some days of treatment, as she started yesterday. I have a video of her doing that head tilt: https://youtube.com/shorts/T7sq79_Kw6M?si=lSJWmq8NMsJQy5Fs (it's unlisted, I hope the link works) - she's eating broccoli in very small pieces. She ate a little bit but that's it. The only time she tries to actually eat is when her cagemate does. Could this be caused by the vitamin C deficiency? The vet is 30 mins away in another town so I can only go once every 1 or 2 weeks. Any comment is greatly appreciated!

In short: Guinea pig does a weird head tilt, is it related to vitamin C deficiency or no?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry to hear this.

While we cannot tell you whether your piggy has a vitamin c deficiency (we aren't vets and have no access to your piggy), we can say that vitamin c deficiency is very rare in well cared for guinea pigs with a good balanced diet. It is not something we come across often at all. We only tend to get 1-2 cases a year on the forum and they have been in piggies who have had to be rescued from very poor conditions.
However, a piggy may develop a vitamin c deficiency as a secondary result of another health issue if it isn't treated promptly (which definitely does not sound to be the issue in this case). If an owner has stepped in with syringe feeding a recovery feed to ensure a piggy still gets sufficient nutrition and got her vet care when she needed it, then vit c deficiency is still not an issue we see occur.

What is your piggies day to day diet?

It is possible her reluctance to eat and head tilt is still due to dental issues - perhaps her dental work was not done properly, there have been issues missed, she is still in pain etc.
Is she on any pain medication?

Diarrhoea and weight loss is due to lack of hay/fibre intake. Diarrhoea will only go away once her digestion is working properly and that will only happen when she is eating sufficient hay independently (which will only happen once medical issues are dealt with) or getting plenty of syringe feed. She should be given a probiotic to help settle her digestion.
Are you syringe feeding her a fibre rich recovery feed?
She will need at least 60ml of recovery feed every 24 hours to stop her from losing weight. It is essential she is fed very frequently throughout the day (every 2 hours) while she is still unable to eat sufficient hay. She will need to be weighed every morning so you can monitor that she is getting enough syringe feed to keep her weight stable each day.

I've added some guides below which explain everything further

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Wiebke's Guide to Poops

 

[mousetribe]

Thank you for the reply!

She got diagnosed with vitamin C deficiency by a professional vet yesterday, her diet contains hay, pellets and rodent food, as well as fresh veggies and some fruit almost every day. Her cagemate is perfectly fine, so I never suspected the diet could be problematic. Our vet gave me 2 packs of specialised guinea pig food full of vitamins and balanced nutritions, so her diet should improve.

Her teeth were twice as long as my other piggie's, so they were shortened with an electric peeler (I can't think of a word better than this, english is not my first language, sorry), there wasn't another issue found. They were a bit short, but they should grow normally. She hasn't been given pain medication - only syrups with vitamins which we give both our piggies with a syringe.

As for syringe feeding - thank you so much for the guides! We are still trying to get her to eat solid food, but we really should make it into a smoothie-like liquid so she can at least eat for sure. Unfortunately I still have school so feeding her every 2 hours is a bit hard, but I'll try and feed her frequently when I'm home.

Our other guinea pig eats the same stuff and is healthy, perhaps this one needs more nutritions because she is still young.

Thank you again for your reply! I'll take notes and improve her current care.

 

[Piggies&buns]

With a diet of hay, daily vegetables and guinea pig pellets (assuming they are a commercial brand and fortified with vitamin c) then vitamin c deficiency is very unlikely.
Hay is the main food intake.
Veg needs to be given every day. The four safe daily veg are lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander. These provide a good mix of nutrients. Other veggies can be given to offer variety.
Fruit should never be given every day. It contains far too much sugar and isn't healthy for them. They can have one very small amount of fruit as a treat but it should not be given any more than once a week.
Most commercial guinea pig pellets are already fortified with vitamin c (which is one of the main reasons we do not see cases of vitamin c deficiency occurring). They can have one tablespoon per pig per day.
If your piggy is fed according to this then vitamin c deficiency is unlikely to occur.
If your piggy's companion does not have vitamin c deficiency and is fed the same diet, then this also makes vitamin c deficiency unlikely. Younger piggies do not need to be fed differently to an adult.

I am not sure what you mean by rodent food.

Teeth can overgrow if they dont chew hay properly. Dental issues can occur due to genetic issues also. Other issues within the mouth can cause them to not eat enough hay and consequently the teeth overgrow.

If she still has dental issues or any pain in the mouth then she will not want to eat hay. The longer she goes without eating hay, the more the teeth overgrow.
She needs to be fed a fibre rich recovery feed such as oxbow critical care to replace the lost hay intake, stabilise her weight loss and provide the fibre her gut needs to keep proper function. You dont need to make solid food into a smoothie - you just syringe feed the recovery feed.
She will need at least 60ml per day.
Her diarrhoea will not get better until she gets enough fibre and probiotics to help settle her gut..

If her teeth have been filed too short then that will make it very hard for her to pick up and be able to chew food properly. She will continue to struggle to eat until the teeth grow again.
Which teeth did your vet file down?
If she is displaying pain, then she needs to be given pain meds. A piggy in pain will not want to eat. Head tilt and reluctance to eat can be signs of pain. I would encourage you to ask your vet to prescribe pain meds. To add to that, vitamin c deficiency also causes pain, so even if it is actually the case that she has it and this has nothing to do with ongoing dental issues, then she will still need pain meds to manage the problems caused by vit c deficiency.

The main symptoms of vit c deficiency are:

Rough looking coat
Joint pain and reluctance to walk - hopping like a rabbit rather than walking
Wounds not healing and bleeding
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Dental problems
Pain in the body

X rays can be taken to diagnose joint issues caused from scurvy. The vet would need a dietary history and blood tests can sometimes be taken.

However, if a piggy has dental issues or even weight loss and diarrhoea, it does not automatically mean it is due to vit c deficiency - weight loss and diarrhoea are actually symptoms of many illnesses.
If an owner came onto the forum and said their piggy had trouble eating and a head tilt - our first thoughts would be pain in the head (ears also part of that) and jaw or dental issues. We would not think vitamin c deficiency.

 

[mousetribe]

I didn't word the fruit part properly - we do give fruit only once a week, I always do research if they can eat said fruit beforehand.

By rodent food, I mean those in bulk(?) they sell at pet stores - they have foods like popcorn and nuts which piggies cannot eat (I always make sure I only give them the food they can eat). The vet suggested vit C rich foods like broccoli so that's what we got her.

Could you suggest what pain relief can I give her? I am aware you are not a vet, but do you have anything in mind? Can I give her a very small dose of liquid Aspirin or something similar?

She walks fine - I don't think she has any joint pain. She does have the other symptoms tho (maybe without the wounds because she doesn't have any and I can't check that symptom)

With your reply, I am now also confused why she was diagnosed with a vit C deficiency. I still hope she can at least improve and start eating after some days of giving her vitamins.

Thank you very much for your replies! They help a lot!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Pain meds need to be given to you and prescribed by the vet (metacam is most commonly given). Pain meds need to be dosed according to her weight and clinical need.
You must not give her liquid aspirin or anything similar - there is nothing you can give her yourself, you need to speak to the vet to get the appropriate medications.

The issue is that the other symptoms are also symptoms of pretty much every health issue a guinea pig can have. They are not exclusive to vit c deficiency.
For example, dental issues will cause weight loss and diarrhoea - this is due to lack of hay fibre intake and the gut not being able to function properly.
(the bleeding with vit c deficiency can be bleeding into the joints (hence the joint pain), bleeding subcutaneously so you see bruising and also bleeding gums).

As I say, we cannot say she doesn't have vit c deficiency but generally speaking it is not ever a concern in guinea pigs with a good balanced diet. We have had thousands of piggies come through the forum and we will only see 1-2 cases a year and usually in neglected piggies - this should tell you just how very rare it is in well kept piggies.

To be clear though, if this is not caused by vit c deficiency, then the vitamins alone will not to improve her condition. Vitamins will not cure any dental issues or any associated pain she is in.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Wiebke]

Pain meds need to be given to you and prescribed by the vet (metacam is most commonly given). Pain meds need to be dosed according to her weight and clinical need.
You must not give her liquid aspirin or anything similar - there is nothing you can give her yourself, you need to speak to the vet to get the appropriate medications.

The issue is that the other symptoms are also symptoms of pretty much every health issue a guinea pig can have. They are not exclusive to vit c deficiency.
For example, dental issues will cause weight loss and diarrhoea - this is due to lack of hay fibre intake and the gut not being able to function properly.
(the bleeding with vit c deficiency can be bleeding into the joints (hence the joint pain), bleeding subcutaneously so you see bruising and also bleeding gums).

As I say, we cannot say she doesn't have vit c deficiency but generally speaking it is not ever a concern in guinea pigs with a good balanced diet. We have had thousands of piggies come through the forum and we will only see 1-2 cases a year and usually in neglected piggies - this should tell you just how very rare it is in well kept piggies.

To be clear though, if this is not caused by vit c deficiency, then the vitamins alone will not to improve her condition. Vitamins will not cure any dental issues or any associated pain she is in.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Hi and welcome

Have you checked whether the pellets and 'rodent food' (whatever that is) are actually enriched with vitamin C? Please be aware that any 'rodent' food is mainly aimed at rabbits, which do produce their own vitamin C and do not need it in their diet.
Are the pellets specifically formulated for guinea pigs only and contain vitamin C?

Most rodent species make their own vitamin C in their bodies but guinea pigs have switched off that gene complex because their main food is grass, which it very high in vitamin C when in growth; hay is much less high in vitamin C. How much pellets and rodent mix are you giving?

If you feed too much dry food, their lack of fibre content could also contribute to dental overgrowth. Hay should make over three quarters of the daily food intake and any fresh veg should also contain veg high in vitamin C, like a slice of sweet peppers and a bit of cilantro/coriander herb. Grass/hay fibre is high in silicates. The growth rate of the crucial back teeth has evolved against the abrasiveness of the silicates (which you will also find added to your own toothpaste. Overgrown front teeth are generally an indication that the back teeth are overgrowing when they are not abraded enough by tough hay/grass fibre.

Here is more information on dry mixes, which I think your rodent mix is: Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

Can you get vitamin C enriched guinea pig pellets in Bulgaria? If not, it would be better you dropped both rodent mix and pellets from the diet and replaced it with dry and fresh forage.
Our members can help you work out an appropriate diet with the correct amounts. Diet is an area which has changed a lot in recent years.
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

 

[mousetribe]

Hi and welcome

Have you checked whether the pellets and 'rodent food' (whatever that is) are actually enriched with vitamin C? Please be aware that any 'rodent' food is mainly aimed at rabbits, which do produce their own vitamin C and do not need it in their diet.
Are the pellets specifically formulated for guinea pigs only and contain vitamin C?

Most rodent species make their own vitamin C in their bodies but guinea pigs have switched off that gene complex because their main food is grass, which it very high in vitamin C when in growth; hay is much less high in vitamin C. How much pellets and rodent mix are you giving?

If you feed too much dry food, their lack of fibre content could also contribute to dental overgrowth. Hay should make over three quarters of the daily food intake and any fresh veg should also contain veg high in vitamin C, like a slice of sweet peppers and a bit of cilantro/coriander herb. Grass/hay fibre is high in silicates. The growth rate of the crucial back teeth has evolved against the abrasiveness of the silicates (which you will also find added to your own toothpaste. Overgrown front teeth are generally an indication that the back teeth are overgrowing when they are not abraded enough by tough hay/grass fibre.

Here is more information on dry mixes, which I think your rodent mix is: Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

Can you get vitamin C enriched guinea pig pellets in Bulgaria? If not, it would be better you dropped both rodent mix and pellets from the diet and replaced it with dry and fresh forage.
Our members can help you work out an appropriate diet with the correct amounts. Diet is an area which has changed a lot in recent years.
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

Hi Wiebke! Thank you for the reply!

Now as you say it, the "rodent food" (that's what we call it here) really is aimed at rabbits. We do get specialised guinea pig food, it's just that my town is small and we don't have many options. As I said earlier, my vet gave me specialised food that has a lot of vit C. The vets in my town aren't equipped for guinea pigs at all, so the only choice was rodent food which, I guess, is rabbit food. The vet I go to is from another town and she told me to stop buying the food here, so from now on I will not be feeding my guinea pigs that.

Also, my vet kept insisting they don't have back teeth, which I'm sure they do. Unfortunately, I can't get another vet, so I really hope her back teeth are not problematic. She physically examined my guinea pig by touching her jaw and neck and rubbing them to see if something is swollen, but she didn't find anything wrong. Is there a way I can somehow help with the back teeth? I don't really understand the word "abrasiveness" I'm really sorry.

Sorry if I've made any grammatical or spelling mistakes, it's late here, I hope it's not a problem.

 

[Piggies&buns]

As Wiebke has said if the front teeth were too long then it means the back teeth are also too long and overgrown. Once the back teeth are overgrown a piggy will no longer be able to eat or move the tongue.
As you say your vet doesn’t think they have back teeth then that means they probably only filed the front teeth and this means that your piggy is very likely to still have overgrown back teeth that will stop her from being able to eat and will continue to result in the pain, weight loss and diarrhoea she is experiencing.

Abrasiveness is the act of chewing the rough hay and grass and it wearing the teeth down properly. So chewing hay is abrasive against the back teeth and keeps them worn down and not able to get long.

If your piggy already has overgrown back teeth then the only way to fix it is with proper dental work being done by the vet. She will not be able to eat hay until this is done. Not being able to eat hay means the overgrowing problem with just get worse as piggy teeth grow continuously.


I did explain in my previous replies that i didn’t know what ‘rodent food’ meant so I’m glad Wiebke had had the thought about it being rabbit food. This means that it is not fortified with vitamin c so you would need to ensure you feed a good mix of vegetables every day to ensure your piggies get enough vitamin c.
The immediate issue will be that with the probability to her teeth are overgrown, she will most likely not be able to get the veg by herself.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Wiebke! Thank you for the reply!

Now as you say it, the "rodent food" (that's what we call it here) really is aimed at rabbits. We do get specialised guinea pig food, it's just that my town is small and we don't have many options. As I said earlier, my vet gave me specialised food that has a lot of vit C. The vets in my town aren't equipped for guinea pigs at all, so the only choice was rodent food which, I guess, is rabbit food. The vet I go to is from another town and she told me to stop buying the food here, so from now on I will not be feeding my guinea pigs that.

Also, my vet kept insisting they don't have back teeth, which I'm sure they do. Unfortunately, I can't get another vet, so I really hope her back teeth are not problematic. She physically examined my guinea pig by touching her jaw and neck and rubbing them to see if something is swollen, but she didn't find anything wrong. Is there a way I can somehow help with the back teeth? I don't really understand the word "abrasiveness" I'm really sorry.

Sorry if I've made any grammatical or spelling mistakes, it's late here, I hope it's not a problem.

Abrasiveness is the wearing down of a surface or of teeth.

This is a guinea pig skull; you can clearly see the 4 curved self-sharpening incisors at the front, which are for picking up and cutting the food and the row of grinding back teeth (premolars and molars), which are crucial for dental and gut health. If the dental system is in balance, the evenly ground back teeth allow the front teeth abrade evenly against each other. Guinea pig teeth have one of the fastest growth rate because grass fibre is so abrasive. That means that the back teeth can overgrow very quickly as well and that they grow spurs which either trap the tongue or less commonly painfully into the cheek.


Since guinea pigs always have some gunk, back teeth are not visible and need special equipment to hold the mouth open (usually under light sedation). Dental treatment of guinea pigs needs some knowledge and experience because if it is done wrongly, it can make things worse. Untreated overgrowth is however fatal for a guinea pig, too, because they will starve to death.

Here is more information: Guinea Lynx :: Teeth

Guinea Pig Facts - An Overview

I hope that this helps you and your vet.

Please also read my next post below.

 

[Wiebke]

Please weigh your piggy on your normal kitchen scales first thing in the morning and then every morning for monitoring her food intake. You cannot measure the hay intake by eye. This gives you the best day to day comparison so you know how much or how little she has eaten ovver the last 24 hours and how much extra you need to feed.

With overgrown back teeth, she will need syringe feeding support right now. Some of the symptoms your vet has seen could simply be from her no longer able to eat hay and to chew properly.

Please take the time to read these links here. They contain all the practical tips, pictures, videos and information that you need in order to look after an ill guinea pig.

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[mousetribe]

Thank you all for your replies!

'll do what I can and hope I can somehow get my parents to take me and my guinea pig to the city instead (there should be a vet specialising in guinea pigs), it's around an hour away but I will try and insist. If they also say guinea pigs don't have back teeth (which i don't understand why they would think that) then I'm not sure what I can do.

I fed them some minutes ago, but she hasn't been out to eat yet. I'll measure her and compare her weight with my last measure 3 days ago.

I am very thankful for you all!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I hope you can get her seen by a vet who knows about piggy teeth.

You have to make up a fibre rich recovery feed, take her out of the cage and use a 1ml syringe to get the recovery food into her (she will need to have around 10-15 syringes full at each sitting). She needs to have at least 60ml of the recovery feed per day, but the actual amount she needs depends on what her weight checks tell you.
She needs to be weighed first thing every morning. You then adjust the amount of syringe feed she has as necessary to keep her weight stable. So if she had lost weight from the previous morning then she needs to be fed much more than the previous day. So if she had 60ml of syringe feed on the day before, but still lost weight then you need to get her to have 70ml in the coming day etc to see if she then doesn’t lose weight in the following mornings weight check.
The product you feed needs to be Timothy hay or grass based - a product such as oxbow critical care if you can get hold of it
All the purple links to guides that have been added throughout our replies explain the syringe feeding process and the guidance for weight checks and when weight loss becomes a serious problem

She is not going to be able to eat by herself if she still has dental problems

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all for your replies!

'll do what I can and hope I can somehow get my parents to take me and my guinea pig to the city instead (there should be a vet specialising in guinea pigs), it's around an hour away but I will try and insist. If they also say guinea pigs don't have back teeth (which i don't understand why they would think that) then I'm not sure what I can do.

I fed them some minutes ago, but she hasn't been out to eat yet. I'll measure her and compare her weight with my last measure 3 days ago.

I am very thankful for you all!

Just show your vets the picture of the skull in my previous post. That is why I have posted it and the green information links.

 

[mousetribe]

Update: my parents are currently going to the city to see if any vet can help her. I can't go unfortunately because I have a private math lesson today, which I can't skip.

I'm not sure if I can get recovery feed like the oxbow one you mentioned, but if there's a way to make it at home then I'll make it. I weighed her right after I made the previous post and she is currently 390, which is very low. I really hope the vets at the city can help, my parents will check several vets until they find one that can sedate and shorten her teeth.

After I measured her I gave her some cucumber slices and she could eat and swallow the soft part, so I'm happy she is interested. They have hay in their cage, I'm not sure if it's exactly Timothy hay, but it's edible and good for guinea pigs.

I will keep you guys updated. For now my parents are travelling, so I can't say much, but I put her in a blanket and in a transport bag so she can keep warm during the travel. Thank you all for the tips!

 

[mousetribe]

Just show your vets the picture of the skull in my previous post. That is why I have posted it and the green information links.

I showed my parents and I'm sure they will show the vets. I hope the vets in the city are equipped for shortening her back teeth. My parents will see other vets if this one isn't equipped.

 

[Wiebke]

I showed my parents and I'm sure they will show the vets. I hope the vets in the city are equipped for shortening her back teeth. My parents will see other vets if this one isn't equipped.

Wishing you all the best. There is a possibility that there is no vet in your country who is experienced with treating guinea pig teeth, since it is not something general vets are trained for nor exotics vets. Even here in England there are not many vets who can do it.

 

[Wiebke]

PS: Front teeth with an even edge don't need shortening - they keep at the right length against each other if the back teeth are working properly with the right food.
You can check whether the teeth are working with a quick check. It is not 100% surefire but it can help you when you need to see a vet.
- If one side is higher than the other, you are looking at a guinea pig that is chewing mainly on one side; usually because of a pain problem either at the root of an incisor or with one of the back teet and the back teeth starting to overgrow on the unused side.
- If the edge of the incisors is uneven or jagged, this points to uneven chewing for some reason.
- If you have a v shaped dip in the middle of your incisors, then your piggy has reduced jaw movement, potentially because of overgrowing back teeth on both sides.
- If the front teeth do no longer meet and are pointing inward, then the back teeth are overgrown. The teeth also tend to discolour and often go yellowish. Only then should they be burred gently, as well as the back teeth checked and treated.

Note that the back teeth are pointing inwards and are not horizontal like human molars.

 

[mousetribe]

Hi! Here's an update:

There's a vet who can help! My parents said he gave her antibiotics and some NaCl because she was dehydrated, he gave her some Degan too and said we should mix some pellets with water to syringe feed her. He put one of those mini cameras in her mouth and found her right molars to be very long. He also mentioned that her diarrhea could be from anti-parasitic paste that she was given 2 weeks ago. (at least that's what I understood)

Tomorrow she's going to be put under anesthetisia and have her molars shortened, but there's a chance she won't wake up, which is a risk with humans too. I hope for the best. My friend who also had a guinea pig put under anesthetisia said he always woke up, so I hope that's the case for my piggy too.

Thank you all! I'll keep you updated tomorrow too.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Here's an update:

There's a vet who can help! My parents said he gave her antibiotics and some NaCl because she was dehydrated, he gave her some Degan too and said we should mix some pellets with water to syringe feed her. He put one of those mini cameras in her mouth and found her right molars to be very long. He also mentioned that her diarrhea could be from anti-parasitic paste that she was given 2 weeks ago. (at least that's what I understood)

Tomorrow she's going to be put under anesthetisia and have her molars shortened, but there's a chance she won't wake up, which is a risk with humans too. I hope for the best. My friend who also had a guinea pig put under anesthetisia said he always woke up, so I hope that's the case for my piggy too.

Thank you all! I'll keep you updated tomorrow too.

Good that you finally know what is going on.

Here are our care tips for freshly operated guinea pigs: Tips For Post-operative Care

Please be aware that guinea pigs very often won't eat on their own after a dental procedure so you need to feed your guinea pig, at least 40-60 ml of any mix over 24 hours; little but often, as much as they will take. Plus extra water to drink from the syringe. Your care at home is as important as the procedure.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Please make sure that you get a painkiller for the sore mouth and ask how soon you can give how much.

Fingers firmly crossed that all goes well.

 

[mousetribe]

Hi,

She didn't have her procedure done today because of her diarrhea, she will stay in the clinic until Friday.

Again, it's not sure if she's gonna wake up after the anesthesia, but I hope she does. I can't see her until Friday.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

She didn't have her procedure done today because of her diarrhea, she will stay in the clinic until Friday.

Again, it's not sure if she's gonna wake up after the anesthesia, but I hope she does. I can't see her until Friday.

Are they feeding her formula at the clinic since the diarrhea is likely the result of her not eating any hay fibre and only veg in the last days? She cannot fast.

Fingers firmly crossed.

 

[mousetribe]

I'm not sure, but I suppose so. I wasn't there today either because I was busy with a project, but my parents said they took some blood for tests and that she has an IV, so she is either fed though the IV or fed with a syringe. Either way, she is being fed.

Tomorrow is our National holiday so the operation will most likely be on Wednesday or Thursday. The vet of course will feed and give medication to all the animals in the clinic, even if it's not a working day.

 

[Wiebke]

I'm not sure, but I suppose so. I wasn't there today either because I was busy with a project, but my parents said they took some blood for tests and that she has an IV, so she is either fed though the IV or fed with a syringe. Either way, she is being fed.

Tomorrow is our National holiday so the operation will most likely be on Wednesday or Thursday. The vet of course will feed and give medication to all the animals in the clinic, even if it's not a working day.

I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed for her.

It is such an anxious time for you.

 

[mousetribe]

Hello! I have good news!

My guinea pig had her operation today and she woke up! She doesn't have diarrhea anymore, tomorrow she is going to be monitored so the vet can see how she eats and on Friday we are going to go and take her back home!

Thank you so much for keeping up and helping me figure out it's a deeper problem. You've really helped me. ❤

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! I have good news!

My guinea pig had her operation today and she woke up! She doesn't have diarrhea anymore, tomorrow she is going to be monitored so the vet can see how she eats and on Friday we are going to go and take her back home!

Thank you so much for keeping up and helping me figure out it's a deeper problem. You've really helped me. ❤

That is great news. Fingers crossed that she will start to eat soon once her mouth stops being very sore.

 

[mousetribe]

Hello! Sorry I haven't updated you for a while, I was busy with school.

We finally got my guinea pig back yesterday! The plan was on Friday but she got diarrhea again. Now she is better and home!

She is eating special recovery food made out of rice flakes (or something like that). It's soaked in water so we can feed her with a syringe but it's not needed because she eats from a little spoon just fine (and she has an appetite)! She was given some meds for at least 5 days too so we can take care of her at home. We also need to wait before we give her any veggies as the diarrhea may occur again.

Also, she is apparently a male, so maybe a castration would be needed because our other guinea pig is a female. She is still a girl in my heart!

Anyway, thank you for keeping up! Here's a photo of when I fed her some minutes ago!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! Sorry I haven't updated you for a while, I was busy with school.

We finally got my guinea pig back yesterday! The plan was on Friday but she got diarrhea again. Now she is better and home!

She is eating special recovery food made out of rice flakes (or something like that). It's soaked in water so we can feed her with a syringe but it's not needed because she eats from a little spoon just fine (and she has an appetite)! She was given some meds for at least 5 days too so we can take care of her at home. We also need to wait before we give her any veggies as the diarrhea may occur again.

Also, she is apparently a male, so maybe a castration would be needed because our other guinea pig is a female. She is still a girl in my heart!

Anyway, thank you for keeping up! Here's a photo of when I fed her some minutes ago!

View attachment 281962

Hi

That is great news. Please be aware that what girl really needs to eat and what makes over three quarters of the daily diet is hay - not just to stabilise the gut but also to grind down the all important back teeth. Cereal based food is OK for a short term emergency but it is entirely wrong for the digestive system for the longer term.

Since she has an appetite again, she should show an interest in hay, too.

Please weigh her on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning so you know how much hay she is eating every day since you cannot control that by eye.

 

[mousetribe]

We are only feeding her the flakes for less than a week so we are sure her gut is okay.

They have hay in the cage and yesterday I saw her eating some which relieved me.

I forgot to weigh her today, I overslept a little and I only had time to feed her and give her the meds. Tomorrow I'll weigh her! She seems heavier than when we brought her to the vet so it's a good sign! She's also much more active than before!

 

[Posyrose]

I'm glad that you're seeing signs of improvement. I hope it continues.