Help Please

[Stitchy]

I've have had 4 GPiggies In the past 15 years. My 4th one who Ive had is 2 years old. Her name is Penny. Recently (the last week) she has been "tiny pooping" ( smaller and less poops) Ive changed her water everyday and cleaned the bottle and spicket. I know she attempts to drink.. (that is a noisey bottle btw) She still has her energy, but the last 2 days she has been sleeping more. and she still eats both her food and hay. yesterday i gave her more lettuce to help her drink if she isnt. she sat and ate it but it took her forever which us so weird.

I'm just concerned. the only vet around where i live now will cost me more than i make in my paycheck. so i dont want to take her until I'm sure she needs a doctor. and that doctor isnt the best with small animals but its all we got to work with around here. he is great with our dog. just not with fuzzies around a bunnies and smaller.
is there anything else i should do? before i take her to the vet? i need to try everything before i switch all my shifts at work around.

 

[7squeakers.]

Hello and to the forum. Sorry its under such sad circumstances. Smaller pops than normal and less of them can mean that Penny is eating less than she should. She may have a problem with her teeth that is making it painful for her to eat, or it may be a rear-end problem like Cystitis. Does she show any signs of pain when wee-ing or pooping? You really should take her to see a Vet and get a reliable diagnosis. Fingers and paws crossed for Penny!

Have a look at the Vet locator at the top of the page. You may have a good piggie-savvy vet near you.

 

[Caron's Cavies]

Hello and

Have you tried using a bowl with water to see if she will drink from that instead of the bottle?

Have you had a look at her teeth and mouth to see if there may be problems there which is causing pain and therefore she is not wanting to use the bottle?

Can you also please add your location to your profile as there are members from all over the world and obviously it helps tailor any advice members may give to the country you live in.

To do this go into your profile and then personal and then into location and add your location and save.

Obviously while we may try to give you some advice based on our experiences if you really believe your piggy is ill then you should seek veterinary assistance as a matter of urgency.

Guinea pigs tend to hide symptoms of illness for as long as they can due to their survival instinct and therefore the sooner you get Penny proper medical help the better chance of being able to deal with any illness or problem she may have.

 

[Stitchy]

Hello and to the forum. Sorry its under such sad circumstances. Smaller pops than normal and less of them can mean that Penny is eating less than she should. She may have a problem with her teeth that is making it painful for her to eat, or it may be a rear-end problem like Cystitis. Does she show any signs of pain when wee-ing or pooping? You really should take her to see a Vet and get a reliable diagnosis. Fingers and paws crossed for Penny!

Have a look at the Vet locator at the top of the page. You may have a good piggie-savvy vet near you.

Penny eats more than she should. She was squealing a few mins when i put lettuce on top of her cage "GIMMIE THAT LETTUCE" lol. Her teeth are fine. She doesnt have hair loss. She was in heat last week. She just has small poops and isnt drinking.

 

[Stitchy]

Hello and

Have you tried using a bowl with water to see if she will drink from that instead of the bottle?

Have you had a look at her teeth and mouth to see if there may be problems there which is causing pain and therefore she is not wanting to use the bottle?

Can you also please add your location to your profile as there are members from all over the world and obviously it helps tailor any advice members may give to the country you live in.

To do this go into your profile and then personal and then into location and add your location and save.

Obviously while we may try to give you some advice based on our experiences if you really believe your piggy is ill then you should seek veterinary assistance as a matter of urgency.

Guinea pigs tend to hide symptoms of illness for as long as they can due to their survival instinct and therefore the sooner you get Penny proper medical help the better chance of being able to deal with any illness or problem she may have.

I appreciate the help. But If I do have to take her to a vet, then I'm gonna have to request off or switch with a co worker and drive back to my old home where there is a vet I trust with small animals. She has done this before just not as long. I'm hoping that the lettuce will trigger her to drink. She wont drink from a bowl. None of My piggies ever do. She was following me around the room a few mins ago like a puppy. ( one of her tricks since she was 12 weeks old) so she still has energy. and she definitely is eating her normal food.

other notes
I'm from a small beach town in Maryland, USA.
i cant update my profile very much on my phone. sorry.

 

[helen105281]

Small poos can be a sign of dehydration, which would fit with her not drinking enough. Could you try to syringe some water into her? just take it slowly and put the syringe in the side of the mouth behind the front teeth and give 0.5ml at a time. If you could get her seen by a vet it would help to rule out anything else as we aren't able to diagnose over the internet.