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Guinea pig losing weight and not eating

J

jppigs25

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Hi, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place but my male guinea pig, Jack (age 5yrs 8 months) is losing weight really quickly. I had someone looking after him for the past week and picked him up for the first time today and he felt really light. I weighed him and he was 720g, and he looks visibly skinner. He’s normally a light piggy, he’s been around 890g his whole life, with no health problems. Especially since he’s old, I’m very worried about him. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain but he refuses to eat anything. He’s still fairly active but (I don’t know if I’m overthinking it) he could possibly be moving a bit slower.
I’m trying to get him to the vets this evening but if that’s not possible he’ll definitely get there tomorrow at least. is there anything I can do to help him eat whilst I wait?
Any advice would be appreciated
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

Please urgently step in with syringe feeding mushed pellets. A proper recovery feed is better as it’s higher fibre but mushed pellets is the emergency alternative.

Switch to weighing him each morning so you can monitor that he is getting enough syringe feed to stop the weight loss.
You are aiming for 60ml per day, in as many sittings as necessary ie the less he takes at each sitting, the more sittings you need to do.

You will not be able to get him to eat for himself until his medical issue is addressed so it is important that you syringe feed him.

Definitely get him seen by the vet urgently. 50g of weight loss is the point that you step in so his amount of weight loss in such a short space is time is an urgent issue.

The guides below explain everything further

I hope he is ok

Wiebke

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

1 Statement
2 Emergency assessment and accessing vets
- How urgent is my guinea pig's problem?
- Finding an emergency vet
- Seeing a vet not familiar with guinea pigs (including lists of safe and dangerous medications)
3 First Aid care and easily available products
- General 'always have at home' stuff and comfort measures for very ill guinea pigs
- Improvising support feed; recovery formulas...
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Wiebke

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

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
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  • Love
Wiebke

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

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...
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jppigs25 said:
Hi, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place but my male guinea pig, Jack (age 5yrs 8 months) is losing weight really quickly. I had someone looking after him for the past week and picked him up for the first time today and he felt really light. I weighed him and he was 720g, and he looks visibly skinner. He’s normally a light piggy, he’s been around 890g his whole life, with no health problems. Especially since he’s old, I’m very worried about him. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain but he refuses to eat anything. He’s still fairly active but (I don’t know if I’m overthinking it) he could possibly be moving a bit slower.
I’m trying to get him to the vets this evening but if that’s not possible he’ll definitely get there tomorrow at least. is there anything I can do to help him eat whilst I wait?
Any advice would be appreciated
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

HUGS

I am very sorry about your worries.

Please step in feeding with feeding and watering support asap, as much as he will take. This guide here has advice for what you can do with what you have got at home or easily available in an emergency:
Wiebke

Thread 'How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency'

1 Feed
- Important crisis management resources
- When is improvising necessary?
- Which food group am I replacing with my feeding support?
- How much and how often should I feed and water?
- What can I use that I have already got at home?
- Other possible easily available foods with their pros and cons
- How do I prep a syringe for rougher pellet fibre?
- What can I do without a syringe?
- The role of lukewarm water
2 Probiotics
- Probiotic products...
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Our regular guide contains all the how-to advice and tips, as well as a chapter on how to spot the point where your older gent has passed the line of no return if that is where he is heading. It is always a concern, especially with older piggies suddenly going downhill rather quickly when a major inner organ is going into failure. :(
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

My thoughts are with you, having been in that situation myself often enough, not rarely over a weekend...
Fingers crossed that you can get an appointment soon!
 
Good luck getting a vet appointment. I hope Jack is ok. 🤞🏻
 
jppigs25 said:
Thank you so much for the replies! We’ve fed him some mushed pellets by hand and he somehow ended up eating 3 teaspoons! Still not eating by himself though so hopefully we can get a vet appointment soon 🤞
Click to expand...

Keep on feeding, little but often about every 2-3 hours. Also offer a little water to ensure that he is not becoming dehydrated. The fact that he is still willing to take on food on his own (i.e. that he hasn't lost his appetite all together) is encouraging.

You will need to use your normal kitchen scales to monitor the food intake. At the moment your priority is to keep the gut going and getting as much into him in order to slow down the weight loss. Stabilising the weight on treatment is your next priority. Recovery (usually not to the old weight in older piggies) will only come later on.

All the best.
 
Thank you! We have a vet appointment at 5.30 today but I’m not sure he’s doing so well anymore. He won’t eat at all and I’ve been trying to feed him mushed pellet water with a syringe but it’s not really working. He kind of just sits there and something seems off about him. Hopefully he will get better soon
 
I’m getting a taxi to the vets at 5 but I really don’t want to wait that long. A friend is picking me up right after, but they can’t come any earlier. Would it be better to leave for the vets now but then have to wait with my piggy inside the vets for a few hours after, until I can get picked up?
 
Is it that he won’t or can’t swallow any more?

Are you thinking that he needs to be seen right now and it can’t wait until 5?
If so, then I would ring them and explain you are very worried rather than just turning up.
 
jppigs25 said:
Thank you! We have a vet appointment at 5.30 today but I’m not sure he’s doing so well anymore. He won’t eat at all and I’ve been trying to feed him mushed pellet water with a syringe but it’s not really working. He kind of just sits there and something seems off about him. Hopefully he will get better soon
Click to expand...

Have you cut off the tip of the syringe as shown? Is he unable or unwilling to eat?

I am very sorry that he continues to deteriorate quickly. All the best for the appointment.

As to your other question:
To be honest, your boy is happier in his familiar surroundings than with the stress of all the strange smells and sounds in the vets waiting room. I fully understand what a difficult and anxious time this is for you. If you feel tht he cannot wait until 5 pm, then please contact the clinic again.

You can find some practical tips in this guide here as to what you can do for yourself: Pet Owners Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters

Please keep your boy warm and comfy (but not hot) but in a way that allows him to move away from a source of warmth in the case he feels hot. A half heated snuggle safe can help with that. Reheat gently at need.

Please just be there for your boy and concentrate on the moment; be strong for him and be there for him. Don't overwhelm him with the strength of your fears as well as your love but send him gentle, soothing thoughts and focus on the green healing energy you divert his way. The wait is always the worst.

If your boy is going into multiple organ failure, then there is unfortunately nothing your vet can do but you being there with him and supporting his journey counts for a lot.


 
jppigs25 said:
hello, we’ve decided to go to the vets now and we have an uber there and back so he won’t have to wait in the vets. Thank you so much for your support, I will update later on how it goes x
Click to expand...

HUGS

Thinking of you.
 
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