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iowa is losing weight

  • Thread starter Thread starter willowflower
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willowflower

hi sorry haven't been on in awhile been busy looking for a job but any way i'm worried sick iowa is losing weight at a rapid rate and my vet is at a loss he has carried out blood tests and x-rays but can't find anything wrong.
iowa will be 6 in september so i know it's about middle age for a guinea pig but he's the pig i've had the longest and i can't bear the thought of losing him vet said that older pigs do tend to lose weight for no apparent reason abit like human elderly is that right?
he's still eating like a horse and pooing and weeing but he's definitely losing weight what can i do? please help
 
it could have something to do with his kidneys, but i would PM maryh and see if her vet could email your vet. she did this for me and i'm in oz and zoe had her surgery and though she has soft poops she is well. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: really hoping you find out what is wrong with iowa perhaps syringe feed him as well mashed up pellets etc. keep us updated, girls send :-* :-* :-* perhaps glynis can help you too as her duke is 6 years old too. wishing you luck and will send a prayer and good vibes your way. has the vet looked at his teeth? just a thought. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
I'm sorry to hear about your guinea. I've got a guinea who is eight and has lost all in muscle/weight in her back legs but she still eats well. She just does things a bit slower. Hope you find out what is causing the problem x
 
Sorry to hear your piggie is loosing weight. :'(
My little piggie started loosing weight when she was 7, ate well and was active and she lived until she was 9, so hopping your little one will carry on for a few more years.
 
thanks so maybe my vet is right then he checked kidney function and x-rayed for blockages all negative and it does seem to be more the top side of his body rather than his belly if that makes sense
he's thin on top and tubby on bottom so i suppose it could be muscle loss he still seems happy with himself which makes me worry more
 
I would ask the vet to check the molars..... we have a problem with our 6yr old guy and he needs regular trims.
Does your piggie drool or have a smell coming from his mouth, that's a sure test to know that there's a toofie problem :(
It could be that he is slowing down... this does happen with our 'older' piggies bless them :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
You could supplement the feeds with some syringe feeding of mushed up pellets.
Another wonderful product is metatone many of the girls on here have used it when their piggies have been ill and need a 'pick me up'
We'll be thinking of you both :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
no drool or smell and when vet looked in his mouth he couldn't find any what he called burrs i'm assuming he might spikey bits
i will give the mushed up pellets ago but then he hasn't actually stopped eating his bowl is always empty and he eats all his veg i'm just stumped

where would i get metatone i'm willing to try anything he seem to be shrinking in size every time i look at him and it is so hutful because he's still his happy chirpy self but the weight or muscle or whatever he's losing just keeps disappearing :'(
 
Has he been checked for systemic fungal? Apparently weight loss can be a symptom I found out recently, but I don't know if that extreme a weight loss would apply, I just don't know enough about it sorry. I think this can be checked with a faecal test and should be easily treated.

It's awful when they just start deteriorating and you have no idea what's causing it as it means you can't fight it properly.

Hope you manage to get to the bottom of it soon.
 
he hasn't been checked for that he's due at vet again on monday i'll ask for them to check for that then my vet is clueless and i have complete faith in him normally he saved gideon when i thought there was no hope but he seems to be coming up short this time iowa has had bloods done for kidney function had his teeth checked under sedation (which i was terrified about as he is thin) and x-rays for stones and other blockages and various other tests that i cant remember and all clean and negative it is so frustrating i know i'll lose him at some point but you never realize how old they are until they start to deteriorate.

i mean you celebrate the gotcha day etc and you age along with them but 6 years seems such a short time to have him his got me through my depression and my diabetes and now i wish i could help him
 
really hope you find the cause for iowa's weight lost. sending you both hugs and cuddles and prayers :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: it is amazing how this little animals wiggle their ways into our lives and hearts and they just seem to mean the world to us. try having a look on the peter gurney website and see if there is anything on there or try
guinea lynx or guinea world. wishing you luck and know we're thinking of you both :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: and remeber iowa knows you love him and you just being there is helping him. O0 girls send iowa :-* :-* :-*
 
thanks i'm of to check those sites now i'm at my wits this might sound weird but all of my other piggies have went suddenly both nevada and dakota were fine one minute and gone the next iowa is the first pig i've seen deteriorate and it's horrible
 
Has your vet checked for worms? this is a possibility and may be worth giving pancur for, it wont do any harm :)
 
hasn't checked for worms thats another thing i'll get him to check i refuse to believe it's just old age there has to be something i can do i won't give up on him
 
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