If it's not one it's the other 🙄

LondonLady

LondonLady

Forum Donator 2025/26
Joined
Sep 14, 2020
Messages
530
Reaction score
2,045
Points
825
Location
London, UK
It's usually Toffee I worry about, but just when I was relaxing and feeling happy that he seems to be doing well again, Treacle is giving cause for concern.

Treacle is a tiny girl. When I brought her home last September she weighed 815g. Over the following weeks she gained weight and since then has averaged between 830-845g. Then suddenly this Saturday at the weekly weigh-in she was only 785g. I hoped it was just a blip but when I weighed her again a couple of days later she'd dropped to 739g. Panic! The thing is, I have no idea why. She's eating hay, is eager for her morning veggies and still wheeks loudly for dinner time veggies (she might be small but she has the loudest wheek of all my guinea pigs!) Her poops are normal and as far as I can tell she has no lumps or any sign that she's in pain.

I've booked her in with my lovely exotic vet for Friday (earliest I could get) and I've been trying to syringe feed her. Unfortunately I'm pretty hopeless at using the syringe. I've also been offering it to her on a spoon and she's been taking it but probably not enough. Hope she'll be ok until Friday 😢
 
I'm sorry, what a worry for you. I hope Treacle will take more recovery food as she gets used to it. If mine are a bit reluctant to take it at first I mix some dissolved pellet mix to make the recovery food taste a bit more familiar. Sometimes they will eat it from a bowl in the cage.
I hope Treacle gets well very soon.
 
I hope lovely Treacle starts eating well soon and that her vet appointment goes well 🙏❤️
 
Hope Treacle gains weight quickly. I have added a few oats and either a bit of grated carrot, apple or sweet potato in with the syringe feed. A bit of mashed banana goes down well too. You could try any one of those to see what she prefers. Each piggy likes different things she may prefer one to the other. The oats help with the weight gain as it's only a temporary measure it's OK to feed them in the syringe food. Mystery weight loss is not fun. Let us know what the vet says.
 
I'm feeling a bit shocked. Treacle continued to lose weight this week and yesterday she was only 702g on my scales, 697g on the vet's!

After a thorough examination and an x-ray it turns out that Treacle has a stone in her ureter. This was absolutely not what I expected and is not good news.

I've got pain meds and antibiotics for her and we're going to wait and see if the stone moves into the bladder. I've got an appointment for 2 weeks time but the vet said bring her in earlier if she becomes more unwell.

The only good news is that today she hasn't lost any more weight, she's actually gained a couple of grams. (Yeah I know that's nothing but at least it's the right direction) Presumably the pain from the stone is what has stopped her eating and I feel awful for not realising she was in pain and also for not realising that when she was burying herself in the hay pile and chewing, she probably wasn't actually eating.

So I'm just waiting and hoping but I don't think it's looking good :(
 
I'm very worried about her. I can't get any recovery food into her, but she's very happy to eat veggies. She looks as if she's eating hay, but obviously not because she's lost even more weight over the weekend. She seems to be reluctant to move and cries when i pick her up. I phoned the vets first thing and I'm taking her back in half an hour.
 
LondonLady said:
I'm very worried about her. I can't get any recovery food into her, but she's very happy to eat veggies. She looks as if she's eating hay, but obviously not because she's lost even more weight over the weekend. She seems to be reluctant to move and cries when i pick her up. I phoned the vets first thing and I'm taking her back in half an hour.
Click to expand...
It sounds like the stone has become more complicated 🙁 She needs more imaging urgently and possibly an operation depending on where it is. Piggies are so small. The things you can do with cats and dogs must be very difficult for a piggy. Lithotripsy and stents can't be possible for guinea pigs, I think. Poor girl, I hope she can be helped. Wishing you strength and comfort 🙏❤️
 
Thank you all for your support ❤️

Just a quick update. I left Treacle at the vets yesterday. I'd got myself in a bit of a state and was saying stupid things like, if she dies it will be my fault because I can't look after her properly. (I feel really embarrassed now). Anyway, they said they'd keep her in overnight for observation (Toffee stayed with her). I don't know what magic they did but they are obviously better at getting recovery food into her than I am because when I collected her this morning she'd put back a bit of weight. And one of the nurses helped me to syringe feed her. It was so much easier with her there. and now I'm less panicky I'm confident I can do it at home. They scanned her again and the stone has apparently moved a bit and the vet thinks it best to remove it as soon as possible, so Treacle is booked in for surgery on Thursday.

I'm feeling more positive but still finding it hard to get my head round it all. It still takes me by surprise how things move so fast with guinea pigs.
 
LondonLady said:
Thank you all for your support ❤️

Just a quick update. I left Treacle at the vets yesterday. I'd got myself in a bit of a state and was saying stupid things like, if she dies it will be my fault because I can't look after her properly. (I feel really embarrassed now). Anyway, they said they'd keep her in overnight for observation (Toffee stayed with her). I don't know what magic they did but they are obviously better at getting recovery food into her than I am because when I collected her this morning she'd put back a bit of weight. And one of the nurses helped me to syringe feed her. It was so much easier with her there. and now I'm less panicky I'm confident I can do it at home. They scanned her again and the stone has apparently moved a bit and the vet thinks it best to remove it as soon as possible, so Treacle is booked in for surgery on Thursday.

I'm feeling more positive but still finding it hard to get my head round it all. It still takes me by surprise how things move so fast with guinea pigs.
Click to expand...
Aw, poor you. Don't worry, vets and vet nurses are used to owners who are worried about their pets. They would rather see owners worried than owners who don't care. I'm glad you are confident about feeding Treacle now. Also that the stone is hopefully more accessible and plans have been made to get it out. I hope lovely Treacle will be OK. Let us know how things are going 🥰🙏❤️
 
LondonLady said:
Thank you all for your support ❤️

Just a quick update. I left Treacle at the vets yesterday. I'd got myself in a bit of a state and was saying stupid things like, if she dies it will be my fault because I can't look after her properly. (I feel really embarrassed now). Anyway, they said they'd keep her in overnight for observation (Toffee stayed with her). I don't know what magic they did but they are obviously better at getting recovery food into her than I am because when I collected her this morning she'd put back a bit of weight. And one of the nurses helped me to syringe feed her. It was so much easier with her there. and now I'm less panicky I'm confident I can do it at home. They scanned her again and the stone has apparently moved a bit and the vet thinks it best to remove it as soon as possible, so Treacle is booked in for surgery on Thursday.

I'm feeling more positive but still finding it hard to get my head round it all. It still takes me by surprise how things move so fast with guinea pigs.
Click to expand...
It can be so overwhelming for us sometimes. The need for us to make them better is great and can be so stressful at times. Sending you hugs. You are doing absolutely your best.

Sending healing vibes to Treacle for Thursday ❤️
 
You sound like a really good pet owner to me. I think youre being really hard on yourself. Id wager most owners dont regularly weigh their piggies or dash them to the vet. I hope Treacle - and you - are ok
 
Hope all goes well on Tuesday.
You’re doing a good job of caring for Treacle but it is an anxious time dealing with a sick pet.
Look after yourself.
 
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It is so sad. She was so sweet and she and Toffee were so perfect together. Wishing you comfort 😔 Rest peacefully at the bridge little Treacle 🌈
 
So very sorry to hear this sad news.
You filled Treacle’s life with so much love and care.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
Holding you in my heart ♥️
 
I’m sorry to read this
Treacle had a wonderful home with you and your family and best friend with Treacle
Popcorn freely lovely Treacle at RB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top