Hi my little baby was so ill 4 weeks ago I thought she was going to die. She wasn't eating drinking or moving. Took her to vet and she gave her anti biotics and pain killers. I actually thought I was taken her to be put down she was so bad. After 3 days got her eating which was great. Now 4 weeks later she is still eating and she runs about when on grass but when back in cage she sits in same spot and never see her drinking, not eating pellets but is eating veg & hay. She dosnt go upstairs to bed any more and seems like she dosnt know where she is. Please can anyone help should it take this long to recover ? Definitely losing weight as well.
Guinea pig not moving a lot in cage after being ill 4 weeks ago
- Thread starter lozza
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I’m sorry to hear this.
What was the diagnosis of her illness?
If she is losing weight then she is not eating enough hay. You will need to support feed her.
Are you weighing her each morning?
Has she definitely got all the clear from the illness?
Does she have a companion?
Sorry for all the questions - it’s not possible for us to say how long a recovery take without having more of an idea what was actually wrong with her
What was the diagnosis of her illness?
If she is losing weight then she is not eating enough hay. You will need to support feed her.
Are you weighing her each morning?
Has she definitely got all the clear from the illness?
Does she have a companion?
Sorry for all the questions - it’s not possible for us to say how long a recovery take without having more of an idea what was actually wrong with her
Hi Thankyou for replying vet said it was the gut as she was walking high but her poos seemed normal. I have been on holiday for 2 weeks but weight has gone down dramatically. Eating loads of hay and grass and veg but no pellets. She's a bit unsteady on her feet bit delirious won't go upstairs anymore. Am so worried going back to vet tomorrow. She has a companion. I'm not sure it was the right diagnosis
If her weight is going down then she is likely not eating enough hay.
Not eating pellets doesn’t actually matter - they aren’t a main part of the diet and they actually can do without them entirely. What they cannot do without is hay
Please step in and syringe feed a recovery feed or mush pellets as the emergency alternative. You need to do this to stop any further weight loss. Any weight loss is 50g is when you get concerned. Anything more than that then it is a major issue.
Please read the guides I linked in my previous reply for how to deal with weight loss.
Definitely get her seen by the vet again.
She may have had gut issues but they can be secondary to another illness and not the main issue itself. The vet needs to find out if that is the case, and if so then to find the primary issue and address that.
What medications was she given?
Not eating pellets doesn’t actually matter - they aren’t a main part of the diet and they actually can do without them entirely. What they cannot do without is hay
Please step in and syringe feed a recovery feed or mush pellets as the emergency alternative. You need to do this to stop any further weight loss. Any weight loss is 50g is when you get concerned. Anything more than that then it is a major issue.
Please read the guides I linked in my previous reply for how to deal with weight loss.
Definitely get her seen by the vet again.
She may have had gut issues but they can be secondary to another illness and not the main issue itself. The vet needs to find out if that is the case, and if so then to find the primary issue and address that.
What medications was she given?
Thankyou she had metacam for pain and a gut medicine and injections to get gut moving can't remember name. It's like she's suddenly got dementia. Vet said she didn't have a stroke but she is so clumsy now and leaning sideways alot. Will take her back tomorrow. She has lost half her body weight you can see she is half the size of the other guinea now.
What is the actual amount of weight she had lost?
As I say, anything more than 50g of loss requires you to syringe feed her. If she has lost more and is still losing more then you need to make sure that is stopped.
Are you syringe feeding her?
She needs a minimum of 60ml of syringe feed in each 24 hour period and that may mean she needs feeding every 2 hours depending on how much she takes at each sitting.
You need to weigh her every morning to make sure she is getting enough food.
So now you’ve given a bit more information - leaning sideways - rather than it just being that she isn’t eating. It’s helpful if you could tell us everything that is happening.
Was she checked for an ear infection?
This guide relates to neurological issues and may also help
As I say, anything more than 50g of loss requires you to syringe feed her. If she has lost more and is still losing more then you need to make sure that is stopped.
Are you syringe feeding her?
She needs a minimum of 60ml of syringe feed in each 24 hour period and that may mean she needs feeding every 2 hours depending on how much she takes at each sitting.
You need to weigh her every morning to make sure she is getting enough food.
So now you’ve given a bit more information - leaning sideways - rather than it just being that she isn’t eating. It’s helpful if you could tell us everything that is happening.
Was she checked for an ear infection?
This guide relates to neurological issues and may also help
She has been to vet now on antibiotics in case of infection, she seems to have tilt as well. So could be a brain tumour but we are praying on the infection she is going back next Monday. She had lost 85g
It could be any number of infection or neurological issues. Further investigations would be needed. I hope you can get to the bottom of it
Is she on painkillers twice a day?
Are you syringe feeding recovery feed to stop the weight loss?
Is she on painkillers twice a day?
Are you syringe feeding recovery feed to stop the weight loss?
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Just offering support
Been on antibiotics now 2 weeks, head tilt gone but still deaf and wobbly we are assuming it's inner ear infection. She's on baytril but about to run out. Vet said come back in 3 weeks bit worried about stopping antibiotics