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Heatwave and dehydration

Lymaine

Lymaine

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 4, 2017
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Location
Denbighshire
Hi all.
Branston has been having tear shaped poops for a few days now. They are getting smaller and smaller and more pointed. He has ice packs in his house (lives in his own house as didn’t get on with cagemate), will often have a cool damp towel which he lies on, the blinds are kept lowered in hottest part of day, water changed twice a day and oscillating fan but still getting this. He is eating his veg happily and I still eating hay but does seem to be eating it less. I think he has become dehydrated in this awful heat so today I have started giving him water in a 1ml syringe. I gave him 10ml in one sitting (slowly) and 10ml in another. He has definitely perked up and had a couple of good poops but unsure how much I should give him. Don’t want him to stop drinking by himself or to give him too much!

I read 40ml by syringe in 10ml increments..

His veg is provided watery and he has the pro c probiotic on his veg. I have ordered fibreplex too just to be safe.. just wondering if anyone has had experience with this and can tell me how much I need to provide?

Thanks
 
I’m sorry to hear this

Tear dropped shaped poops point towards a minor digestive upset, which can also link up with dehydration. So keeping a closer eye on hay intake is important - Switch to daily weight checks so you can monitor hay intake more closely. He will start to lose weight if he doesn’t eat enough hay.
Step in with syringe feeding mushed pellets as the alternative to critical care.

The need to drink comes before the need to eat
So if a piggy is still eating then they will still be drinking something, but you can offer water alongside syringe feeds. There is not a set amount of water to be giving because they will only drink what they want - make the offer and leave him to decide how much he wants.

If you are worried he is becoming dehydrated and/or is losing weight then please do have him seen by a vet.

I hope he is ok

All About Drinking, Bottles and Dehydration

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
Thank you. Each time after I have put him back after providing syringe water he’s gone straight to his hay which is encouraging. He also decided he’d had enough water after 9.9ml and fell asleep on me instead 🥰
 
Lymaine said:
Hi all.
Branston has been having tear shaped poops for a few days now. They are getting smaller and smaller and more pointed. He has ice packs in his house (lives in his own house as didn’t get on with cagemate), will often have a cool damp towel which he lies on, the blinds are kept lowered in hottest part of day, water changed twice a day and oscillating fan but still getting this. He is eating his veg happily and I still eating hay but does seem to be eating it less. I think he has become dehydrated in this awful heat so today I have started giving him water in a 1ml syringe. I gave him 10ml in one sitting (slowly) and 10ml in another. He has definitely perked up and had a couple of good poops but unsure how much I should give him. Don’t want him to stop drinking by himself or to give him too much!

I read 40ml by syringe in 10ml increments..

His veg is provided watery and he has the pro c probiotic on his veg. I have ordered fibreplex too just to be safe.. just wondering if anyone has had experience with this and can tell me how much I need to provide?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi

I am very sorry. Just offer him the syringe and letting him drink from it instead of just squeezing it into his mouth.

If he is still eating, offer him a larger piece of cucumber so he can eat his water but the core of a cucumber stays cooler for longer. Adding crushed ice to a bottle in the morning before you leave the house can also help to keep the water cooler for longer. Make sure that the sun is not getting on the bottle.

How hot is the room he is in?
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

I am very sorry. Just offer him the syringe and letting him drink from it instead of just squeezing it into his mouth.

If he is still eating, offer him a larger piece of cucumber so he can eat his water but the core of a cucumber stays cooler for longer. Adding crushed ice to a bottle in the morning before you leave the house can also help to keep the water cooler for longer. Make sure that the sun is not getting on the bottle.

How hot is the room he is in?
Click to expand...
It can get warm but we are on top of it with keeping him cool. I have been here for last few days so been able to change his ice packs and water but I am doing a 12 hour shift tomorrow and then a 24 hour shift (though my husband is usually no more than 10 hour days) so bit concerned as I won’t be here. I have a camera on him and I’ve been watching him go to his water bottle and eating hay and pellets since I put him home again. I’ve increased his veggies recently with the heat so maybe it’s that he’s full from them and not eating hay? It’s so hard to know! He’s never been greedy like my other piggies. He does tend to just stop when he’s happy but of course goes for veggies above all else.. I’m wondering if I need to cut the veggies for a couple of days? I don’t want to with this heat and if it is dehydration! He definitely seems perkier since his syringed water
 
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