• 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

Guinea Pig ill

Status
Not open for further replies.
amd1985

amd1985

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
124
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Location
Nottinghamshire
Hi all,

I rescued three lovely little ladies several years ago...

So, my poor little Biscuit had to have her eye removed due to an abscess behind it and a trip to the vets today has found that her sister has a similar issue and her eye needs to be removed also.

My problem is that my little Bon Bon was born blind in one eye so this means she will lose all sight altogether which terrifies me.

She is also not eating, the vet seems to think that this is because of the pain her eye is causing her.

I am so worried about her because she is such an old girl and I do not want anything bad to happen to her and I am worried sick that under the anesthetic she may pass!

Please, please someone comfort me, I know my other pulled through and all is now fine, however Bon Bon is completely different and is losing energy due to not eating. She is drinking A LOT, in fact never seen her drink so much.

I am so hopeful my little lady pulls through, she is still pottering around and up to mischief when her sister is eating by pushing her out of the way to then not eat ha!

The vets cannot do the operation until Tuesday due to bank holiday which also worries me as no food is surely going to take its toll.

I NEED HER TO BE OK :-( I LOVE MY GIRLS SO MUCH AND AFTER LOSING THEIR OTHER SISTER OF NATURAL CAUSES EARLIER IN THE YEAR I DON'T WANT HER TO SUFFER xx
 
Have a huge hug. Has the vet gave you some painkillers to give in the meantime? This would be a good idea as pain stops them from eating. You need to syringe feed your little girl over the next few days to get her strength up. Have you done this before? You will need to get some syringe feed like Critical Care in. Have you tried her with grated carrot also?

Hoping all goes well for Bon Bon and sending her lots of healing vibes. Please make sure you have during feed, pain killer and antibiotics from the vets for post operative care.
 
I agree with sport_billy, Bon Bon will definitely need some pain relief so if she's not on any, please contact your vet. She'll most likely be given Metacam which is best given in 2ml doses twice a day rather than 1 4ml dose once but check with your vet first. With pain relief she's more likely to eat but you may need to build her up before an op so if she's not eating then critical care or mashed up pellets syringe fed using a 1ml syringe with end cut down so if flows out easier. You can also give her water by syringe.

Get well soon Bon Bon. xx
 
I have never syringe fed before so this is new to me, when Biscuit had her op she still ate fine (greedy girl just like her mummy, nothing stops us from eating.)

Bon Bon however has reacted differently, I cannot believe that I am going through this with her, I am sure the chances should be slim at it happening to two, but here we are and they deserve the best care possible.

Well, I have just spent the last fifteen minutes soaking pellets of food and trying to syringe it to her, she didn't like the syringe and kept pulling away from me, however she is eating the mushy brown gunk off of my finger (pleased to say without nipping me). She only ate about 3 teaspoons and then wouldn't take anymore so I haven't pushed her (I thought perhaps little and often may be the best for her at the moment and she can let me know when she has had enough by turning away?)

My little lady had an injection this morning for pain relief and has got Metacam to be put on her food from tomorrow morning.

I have got carrots down on the list and will 100% be trying it shredded for her,I tried cucumber but she just couldn't chew it, must be so painful.

I was worried about getting her strength up because she needs to stay as strong as possible ready for Tuesday morning.

The vets were excellent with her and have advised me on the anesthetic etc, but I have to try! She is otherwise fit and usually extremely healthy, I keep wondering if I have made the right choice but I am happier knowing I can at least try for her!

Thank you so much, I love this website because unlike my friends in person who do not seem to 'get it', my friends on here understand that they are not just guinea pigs, they are our pets - our family and I care for them so much!xx
 
Oh best of luck with all this - what a tough situation you are in and you clearly love your girls very much indeed.

I hope it all works out okay for your girl and I'm sure she will adjust to being blind.

Still tough though - big hugs x
 
She is a comical little lass and the vet said this morning she has no vision at all so to get to her water she walks all the way stuck to the edge of the hutch and then drinks, walks all the way back stuck to the hutch edge! She seems to be fine when her sister is giving her snuggles too which warms me inside and makes me feel like I am doing the right thing for her. xx
 
Oh you poor thing having your little ones poorly. I hope bonbons operation goes well.
 
Hi! I have to agree with the other posters - please get her on pain relief and hand feeding. Any piggy that is not eating for more than 24 hours can develop gut stasis. I would also like to ask whether your vet has checked her molars? Has your vet considered using a stronger antibiotic instead?

You can syringe mushed up pellets if you cut off the tip of a 1ml syringe. She needs about 120ml over the course of 24 hours in several small round the clock feedings. Chewing will be very painful right now. it is a good sign that she is still drinking; it means that is not dehydrated and still willing to eat if it comes into a form that doesn;t cause her extra pain.
Here is information about hand feeding: http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

On the positive side, piggies adapt quite well to loss of sight. It is not their strongest sense and they learn to compensate with their other senses. You will have to be careful of not changing the layout of your cage or hutch much and give vocal cues as soon as you get in the room. You will also have to weigh her more often and make sure that she gets enough food; if necessary feed her separately. I have currently a group with three cataract ladies, one of whom is very severely affected - she still roams the floor with my other piggies and goes out the lawn. She can also navigate a shallow ramp with an solid edge to guide her. The worst time is the transition period. The more you challenge her (and priase her lavishly), the more she will dare.

Here is our map of recommended vets if you would like to get a second opinion: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=204458758673513849635.0004e111354a528da0dbb&msa=0
 
Last edited:
She has had her pain relief injection this morning and she took that very well with only a slight squeak.
My vet did check over her molars and was very good with her. Thank you for the hand feeding link, it I have had a read and the information is great and has made me feel much more confident about feeding her. I am off work until September 3rd (would rather use my holiday time to keep a close eye on her so can support her)

I have tried to syringe it but she is fussy and wont let me put it near her (senses working fine other than sight) so she has decided to take it out of my hand, yes time consuming but if she is happy eating that way then I am happy to feed her this way.

Their hutch has always been laid out the same due to her suffering with blindness in one eye and my other lady having her eye removed. Have to keep it familiar for them.

I will make sure I weigh her often and keep a check on this.

Thank you very much Wiebke. Your advice has been great.
 
Have tried a second time to syringe feed her, she wont eat it so I tried on my hand again and no joy! What shall I do? PLEASE HELP.
She just huddles in the corner, I know she is unwell and this is probably natural but I am one stressed mummy x
 
HUGS

PLEASE persist. You can also try juiced up veg - anything that goes in helps!

I am very sorry, but not eating is really a life and death matter; guinea pigs simply don't have the body mass or the digestion that can cope with fasting, unlike predators like cats or dogs who are designed for irregular meals. Vets are often not quite aware how vital food intake is. It is no joy whatsoever trying to get food into a poorly piggy that is not cooperating; we are all feeling for you, but it is as important as any vet treatment.

Try little but often. Part of it is being firm and persisting, even if it is only 3-5 ml in one go and half of that is ending up on you. Many piggies will be a bit better once they realise they are not getting away with it and they are actually feeling a bit better afterwards. First time is usually not so bad; second and third time are often worst because the piggies know what is coming up...

Please also weigh daily so you can monitor the real food intake.
 
Are you giving the metacam via syringe or directly on the food? By syringe will allow you to get some into her if she isn't eating. It may be that she is in pain so won't eat tbe softened food.At least by syringe you kniw how much she is getting.

Please perservere with the syringe feeding, I know how stressful it is as my Esme had to be syringe fed for almost a week a few weeks ago and it was very stressful, I found the wrapping her in a towel and standing her up with her back against my stomach, holding her head with one hand and syringing with the other was the only way I could manage. I was really worried she wouldn't make it as she was so reluctant to be syribge fed
If she is in pain round the eye/ face area she may find it uncomfortable to be held like this, you may have to alter it to suit you and her but getting food into her is your priority and sometimes you have to be creul to be kind.
 
I agree with Wiebke & klee, you must persevere with syringe feeding her. It might seem cruel to force her to eat but it's for her own good even though she might not see it that way. If you've got some carrots try finely grating one & add it to the pellet mush. Try up to 20 ml about every 2 hours. Also see if you can get some Critical Care from your vets in the morning.
 
Last edited:
Thankyou all. I am going to persist and she managed a few mouthfuls earlier. Better than nothing is how I'm looking at it at the moment. I'll try every 2 hours and then little and often might help. Thank you everyone and I'm sorry for the stress/meltdown xx
 
amd1985 said:
Thankyou all. I am going to persist and she managed a few mouthfuls earlier. Better than nothing is how I'm looking at it at the moment. I'll try every 2 hours and then little and often might help. Thank you everyone and I'm sorry for the stress/meltdown xx
Click to expand...

Don't worry, it is oh so stressful, there were tears and tantrums a plenty fro m both me and the guinea pig when it came to syringe feeding.
A few mls is better than nothing, some times i managed to give her about 10ml in one sitting ( about hour or two) and others I was lucky to get more than 1ml in at a time. You just have to keep going, I found if I gave Esme metacam by syringe ( 0.2ml) is what the vet prescribed before starting syringe feeding, obviously you can't do this before each feed but i found that she would eat a little more once it started to work, as she did get a bit gassy from not eating.
Has she been weeing or pooing at all?
 
You really do need to feed her, there is a chance her gut has already slowed down :( Please contact your vet as soon as you can, they may want to take her in & syringe feed her for you. It isn't easy, I can post this video of me syringing Petal earlier in the year after she developed bloat, unfortunately I had to hold the camera with one hand but I stroke her with my left hand at the same time as feeding her the syringe food, note how little I give at a time. The syringes are 1 ML, you need to cut the end of one of them for the food, remove the rubber bung & file the cut end smooth :

Food syringe
DSCF1504_zps92a4f072.jpg


Amount of pellets/Critical care or Recovery
DSCF1508_zpsf0f5a9c4.jpg


And the video: [video]http://s102.photobucket.com/user/Joan_039/media/DSCF1523_zps9376b646.mp4.html[/video]

I can't stress how important it is to get food in her, she probably needs gut motility drugs to help her gut move again, these are Emeprid & Zantac, you must get these from your vet urgently, if not tonight then tomorrow morning, the vet may give an injection as well. She also need Metacam for pain relief. Please get her back to the vets with this info as soon as you can; you cannot wait until Tuesday. Please let us know how you get on.
 
Last edited:
Well, Bon Bon has done me proud and managed her Metacam and then 4 yes that is right 4 teaspoons of her. I am holding her then she is turning her head to the side and eating it off of the teaspoon (she is still refusing to take it from the syringe).

This is a much more positive start to the day and I feel that my calm mood helped a lot because she knew I wasn't tense.

Next feed is at 9.15 as we are going every two hours. I have left her wandering around in the hutch so she has a bit of energy and has perked up a little.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME AND SUGGESTED DIFFERENT WAYS!

Mummy and Bon Bon are extremely happy (as is Biscuit who thinks it is great not being pushed out of the way by her sister to get to the food bowl... for now anyway ha!)

Seriously, thank you. I appreciate it as do my girls.

Lets hope that we can keep it up and get my girl some strength.

xx
 
amd1985 said:
Well, Bon Bon has done me proud and managed her Metacam and then 4 yes that is right 4 teaspoons of her. I am holding her then she is turning her head to the side and eating it off of the teaspoon (she is still refusing to take it from the syringe).

This is a much more positive start to the day and I feel that my calm mood helped a lot because she knew I wasn't tense.

Next feed is at 9.15 as we are going every two hours. I have left her wandering around in the hutch so she has a bit of energy and has perked up a little.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME AND SUGGESTED DIFFERENT WAYS!

Mummy and Bon Bon are extremely happy (as is Biscuit who thinks it is great not being pushed out of the way by her sister to get to the food bowl... for now anyway ha!)

Seriously, thank you. I appreciate it as do my girls.

Lets hope that we can keep it up and get my girl some strength.

xx
Click to expand...

Brilliant news, 4 teaspoons is about 20ml give or take, So that is really good. You may find she won't take as much the next feed. I think the aim is to get at least 120ml in 24 hours ( someone correct me if i have my numbers wrong) so you have done very well.

Fingers crossed she continues to improve xx
 
I also found that syringe feeding water also helped. I suppose it's like us going out for a meal & having a drink with it.
 
Thank you very much. I'm prepared for the ups and down but will aim to get 120ml to her.

I will keep you posted :-) x
 
So, she was stood dipping her head in the dish before the two hours was up (actually an hour earlier) so I have tried her again and she has managed some grated carrot and some pellet mush.

Will keep it up, nice to see that she is trying and hasn't given up like I feared!x
 
Just catching up on this thread, keep going you are doing well. Love to Bon Bon x
 
Thank you, am preparing the next feed now, now sure how we'll get on but will let you all know x
 
No joy this time, she only wanted a cuddle so I am going to try her again in an hour.
On the plus side she has at least got some food and water inside her.

LITTLE AND OFTEN, LITTLE AND OFTEN! This is our new moto :-) x
 
Aw, I'm so pleased Bon Bon is taking something - I could only ever get 10-15ml per feed with my piggies and they're here to tell the story :)
I do think if they take it from a spoon or even your finger, it is less stressful for you and your fur baby...
You're both doing an amazing job together and give yourself credit for what you are doing, it's a tiring task feeding every few hours especially overnight ( bit like having a new baby ;) ) but you'll both reap the rewards :))
Hugs x
 
I have been where you are now, so I feel for you! Just try your best to keep her going. Little but often indeed... whatever and any way it goes in!

It is a very tough time - but well worth it when you come out on the other side!
 
Have you tried popping a little of the mush into the pen as well. Sometimes a piggy will eat it voluntarily and if there are other piggies, need to pre occupy them so poorly one can have time to eat.
I always find it's good if all piggies have a little CC etc. on occasions as you never know if/when they'll require top up feeding. Good for a piggy that needs to put a little weight on too.
 
Well, we managed a little more grated carrot, a celery leave (only a little one but all counts) and the best thing... I put in some for her sister into the hutch and Bon Bon ran over and tucked into half of one on her own with no encouragement from me.

Mummy needs a bath now to relax a little but I am pleased she is eating a little more, but like you all say EVERY BIT COUNTS.

I have popped some of her mush in the hutch now too and hopefully she will dig in herself a little if she fancies it.

Thanks again everyone, I will keep you updated. I have a few pictures but can't post them as I don't know how :-( Will try and figure it out.

xx
 
All sounds extremely positive with her thanks to your hard work :)
The hand feeding has obviously kept her gut stimulated so you deserve a chill out...well done x>>
Are her poo's ok ?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top