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Help ;( Gi Stasis

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Kirsty

Kirsty

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some of you may have seen my older post about all my pigs. So although vet says he has put on slightly bit of weight it's not a lot and all 3 of my pigs are on the start stages of GI stasis although I think speckles is more into it! He's so skinny :( there all on soooo much medication at the moment and I have been given a critical care that starts with M? But my pigs hate it! It stresses them out so much trying to give them some. What should I do?!
 
What exactly do mean by "GI stasis"? Are they not eating? Are they eating but losing weight? Are they bloated?

If something isn't right then the best, and quickest course of action is to take your pig to the vet.
 
I already have, I came back from the vets today and that's what he has said.. I'll take a pic of all the medications I have!
they are eating but barely, and their all completely out of character and feel skinny :( poos are irregular also!

I have Metoclpramide, loxicom, septrim and emeraid herbivore critical care.

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Kirsty said:
some of you may have seen my older post about all my pigs. So although vet says he has put on slightly bit of weight it's not a lot and all 3 of my pigs are on the start stages of GI stasis although I think speckles is more into it! He's so skinny :( there all on soooo much medication at the moment and I have been given a critical care that starts with M? But my pigs hate it! It stresses them out so much trying to give them some. What should I do?!
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Hi! You need to keep feeding your guinea pigs to keep and to get the guts going. Try mixing the formula with mushed up pellets or give just mushed up pellets - whatever is going down best at this crucial stage. Any guinea pig that is not eating at all or not eating properly for a longer term will go into partial or full gut stasis. The less they eat, the worse it gets.

At this stage you have to be tough in order to save lives. It is not pleasant for you and not pleasant for the guinea pigs. It is always very draining for you, physically and emotionally.
If you can get only a little in at a time (1-5 ml), then you need to feed every 2-3 hours around the clock; 5-10 ml you can feed every 4-6 hours with one feed in the middle of the night, and if they eat over 10-15 ml in one go, you can go down to 3-4 feeds a day and sleep through the night; that is the stage you can also try to slowly introduce solid food again.
A guinea pig completely off its food needs between 40-60 ml in syringe feed over the course of 24 to keep the guts going and to stay alive. A healthy adult guinea pig eats about the equivalent of 120 ml in 24 hours.
Please take the time to read all our tips on how to prep the syringe, prep the feed, how to best hold uncooperative guinea pigs (with pictures) etc. It gets easier once they realise they can't wiggle out and once you are a bit more practised. This guide here is going to help you: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
What do I do, I'm back at work tomorrow and I woke school hours.. how can I feed every 3 hours :( argh this is so difficult. It's for 3 guinea pigs too!

I have no idea what even caused all of this :( there on lots of medication (see above)
 
Ditto to Wiebke, if they're not eating then you have to handfeed them.

Any ideas what had caused it as it's strange that 3 pigs have issues all at once? Have they eaten anything different lately?

The Septrin suggests that they have an infection, are any of them sneezing, or anything like that?

Normally, if my pigs have gut issues then it's only one of them.
 
If you can't do it yourself you need to ask family or friends to help.

Or, if there is no one then they need to spend the day at the vet so they can feed them. If they're not eating then their gut will slow down more and will eventually stop working.
 
It's all three, I can't help but think maybe I over fed them on veg.. they just love it! Well I think he prescribed the septrim because they all looked abit crusty round the eyes and nose, which could mean respitory problem..

they are eating, but not huge amounts.. it's more a few nibbles here and there
 
You need to weigh them regularly. At the same time each day so you can see if they are losing or gaining weight.
 
Okay, is there anything I can mix with the critical care emeraid, to make it more tasty?
 
Wiebke suggested mixing in some ground up pellets of their food. This normally masks the taste.

Or you could try getting a different syringe food, like Critical Care, my boys like the Fine Grind version of it.

As they may be ill from too much food I wouldn't recommend mixing any juice into the food.
 
I just have them a small bit of spring greens, as they have had barely any veg in the last two days because of this.. and they are munching away! This is speckles munching at the moment :( hope I'm doing the right things..Thanks everyone

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Them eating on their own is exactly what you want. Keep an eye on their poops. If they're not right then they could have a bit of an upset stomach and need to come off veg for a while. If they're not pooping then they're not eating enough.

Also, make sure you weigh them. Do it now so you have a base weight, then again later tonight, then at the same time tomorrow. The best way to see if anything is wrong is monitoring weight.

Good luck, hope they get better soon
 
That's the only bit of veg I'm going to give them today because they are barely pooing! I just hate seeing them not constantly eating :(

The vet weighed them this morning, I'll weigh them again later when they have their next dose of medications!

Thank you x
 
I've taken a couple of pictures of their poo To hopefully monitor it daily and see a difference..

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What's in the water bottle? If it's got anything added to it they might not drink enough either. Emeraid is very good, very high calorie & generally doesn't need to be given in the same quantity as Critical Care etc. Do you use Burgess pellets? At the moment I am syringe feeding my terminally ill piggy with Blackcurrant & Oregano ones, I have a cheap coffee grinder which whizzes them up really fine, then I put that in a small bowl & add water to it until it resembles thick custard. You could do the same & add a little bit to the Emeraid. You could get 4 feeds in a day, I work until four so I do one in the morning, one as soon as I get home from work, then again about 8pm then again about 11pm before bed. You will soon get it down to a fine art :)
 
That's a good idea, in their bottle is just water and probiotic, I've seen speckles drink from it, but haven't seen buttons drink from it, he must be though as he doesn't look dehydrated Buttons has perked up loads, but speckles is still miserable :( sleeping loads, I tried watered down burgess pellets earlier and managed to get 10ml down him I'm hoping that's good, how many ml a day do you give?
I've noticed speckles is teeth grinding a lot too.. he's on pain killer so I'm not sure whether it's that he's just agitated because I keep pestering him with food!

You work the same as me, I finish at four as well.. I think I'm going to be off tomorrow (all this stress has made me feel poorly myself!) but Wednesday I'll be back and will do the same routine as you xx
 
Awwww poor boy :( Yes I sprinkle a little probiotic into one of the syringe feeds, just add a little to the mush when you make it up. I use the pellets, grind them down, then add about 4 teaspoons to the dish & add a little water at a time, so it will go up the syringe but not too runny. I use 1ml syringes with the ends cut off, the rubber removed & filed down smooth. I get about 1/3 of the syringe in each mouthful, usually about 10-15ml easily each sitting. I don't wrap them, I just sit them on my lap & stroke them from the head down their backs & have never had trouble syringing piggies doing it like that. Just make sure you angle the syringe towards the inside of the cheek, don't aim it straight down the back of the throat.
 
Is it ok for me to leave the probiotic in their drinking water? My speckles is a right pain in the bum with medication! Doesn't even like septrim and that's banana flavour!

I've been on poo watch, not many poo's being produced, :( i no it's only day 1 but I worry myself sick lol although I am happy to see speckles has now burrowed himself in some hay!

Hating the fact biscuit (my 3rd guinea pig) is in the shed outside on his own :( as these 2 have come inside as speckles needs close watching I feel xx

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Hi all,
Quick update, I have been syringe feeding the pigs, my two younger pigs biscuit and buttons seem to be doing better. Speckles is still out of character and really miserably :( it's breaking my heart. He's old so I'm wondering whether that's why the meds don't seem to be doing anything just yet..

Maybe I'm just being impatient, it's only day 2 but argh :( is there anything I can do to bring a little more life to him?
 
Have a word with your vet to see if they suggest anything.

How's he doing eating wise? Is he pooping and peeing much?
 
I've seen him munch a few times today on hay, and I got about 15ml of emeraid mixed with few nuggets this morning into him.. He's now sleeping! I gave him a small amount of spring green, he munched that in one! I'm wondering if it's because he's so skinny at the moment he feels lethargic, he's 1lb 12 ounces, and he was 2lb 3 ounces! I'm going to weigh him again later to see any difference from yesturday x
 
Hi all, please help should I call the vets tomorrow morning again? Yesturday speckles was 1lb 12.5 ounces, yesturday I fed him critical care every 3 hours until 12pm, and today I have fed him in all about 30ml in critical care, he is very reluctant. I just weight him and he is lb 11.9 ounces?!?!?! That means he is loosing weight right? What is going on I'm so scared ;( someone help
 
Guys I really need some advice,
Speckles is point blank refusing critical care, although I managed about 30ml yesturday in 3 sittings and 3 sittings again today, I just weight him and yesturday on the day he started his treatments for GI stasis, he was 1lb 12.5 ounces, today after all his critical care etc he is only 1lb 11.9 ounces he should be putting on weight with all the medication he is on, I feel like he is giving up :( I can't let him die
 
Sorry I am manic at work at the mo so can't be on as much as normal. Is he still on pain relief? Is he eating at all for himself and is he pooing?
 
Yeah he's on loxicam, I see him munch now and again on some hay and I get all excited, he is so angry and depressed with me literally force feeding him it's stressing him so much But I keep doing it, but nothing made me sadder than just weighing him thinking he will weight even just a mini ounce more, and no he is less .. he is pooing-but barely! Like probably 1 poo in an hour, and there not formed more tear shaped..
 
Have you tried gentle tummy massage or sitting him on something that vibrates? I would try to get him seen again tomorrow if you can. He may need further investigation. What dose of Loxicom is he on and is it once or twice a day?
 
0.27 ml of loxicom once a day, the vet said he doesn't think he is bloated.. I can't even explain how out of character he is, he was so full of life running into me and now he hates me ;(
 
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