Help, guinea pig with grim diagnosis

[RAWguineapig]

Hi there, We have an almost 4 year old male guinea pig that has lost a ton of weight but is eating well still. The background is that 6 weeks ago we noticed a significant head tilt and the vet said it was an inner ear infection, we did 10 days of antibiotics, seemed to help a little but we noticed some weight loss. Took him back to vet where they said the weight loss was significant, they heard a heart murmur and suspected something if wrong with his kidney. They basically said there is not much to be done and that he will continue to go down hill. He still has a head tilt and they said we could do more antibiotics but it would not help the other issues. We have not started them for fear it's somehow making him worse.
He seemed to be loosing more weight by the day, but is still very hungry and eating.

Please let us know if you have any ideas/suggestions. Another vet? bad diagnosis?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Has the vet confirmed kidney issues? If you aren’t sure, then you are within your rights to see a different vet.

Some medical issues can cause them to not be able to maintain their weight even if they are eating well. More commonly, the amount they appear to be eating simply not what it should be even though it looks like they are eating - hay makes up the biggest proportion of their diet and you can’t judge sufficient intake by eye. Its only eating hay which will help keep the weight on (veg and pellets are merely snacks and only jointly make up 20% of the diet, so eating those is deceptive as it does mean they aren’t eating enough despite looking like they are).
In a piggy who is continuously losing weight it is important that you step in a syringe feed. I will add in the syringe feeding guides to help you. You need to syringe feed as much as is needed for him to maintain his weight. This means you will need to weigh him daily and adjust your syringe feed amounts/frequency accordingly. You could be needing to syringe feed around the clock.

Please do start giving him the prescribed antibiotics. Some antibiotics do upset the gut balance and cause them to lose appetite. You can counteract this by giving probiotics alongside the antibiotics.
If he is having a severe reaction to antibiotics then that is a different matter and you should consult your vet

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there, We have an almost 4 year old male guinea pig that has lost a ton of weight but is eating well still. The background is that 6 weeks ago we noticed a significant head tilt and the vet said it was an inner ear infection, we did 10 days of antibiotics, seemed to help a little but we noticed some weight loss. Took him back to vet where they said the weight loss was significant, they heard a heart murmur and suspected something if wrong with his kidney. They basically said there is not much to be done and that he will continue to go down hill. He still has a head tilt and they said we could do more antibiotics but it would not help the other issues. We have not started them for fear it's somehow making him worse.
He seemed to be loosing more weight by the day, but is still very hungry and eating.

Please let us know if you have any ideas/suggestions. Another vet? bad diagnosis?

Hi!

Do you have rabbits yourself or rabbits close by?

You are always within your rights to seek a second opinion. We have several members with guinea pigs on heart medication.
Here is our recommended vets locator: Vet Locator

 

[Merab]

Sorry you are having a rough time with your boy.
I can only echo what has been said and assure you of my support