• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

It's All Going Wrong...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Lady Kelly

Lady Kelly

Senior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
18,588
Reaction score
36,903
Points
2,115
Location
Leicester
My poor piggies!

So after Jemima's recent visit to the vet about her weight loss she actually gained weight last weekend, albeit 30g but a start so I worried less.

This week and she's shot right down 100g and is just over 600g! Now she's always been tiny with a fluctuating fully grown weight of between 715g and 850g so although I appreciate she is underweight it's not as much a shock as my bigger pigs. Also her front teeth are now out of line and looking overgrown so I think it may be a dental issue after all. I can't remember if the vet checked her teeth two weeks ago but I will bypass my vets this time and go straight to Northampton seeing as I know the teeth are an issue (confirmed by putting in the end of romaine lettuce - she ate the two small leaves but left the hard stem). I decided to cook a tiny amount of carrot and much it up with some fresh herbs and a couple of handfuls of pellets and she gobbled up about 3 teaspoons so will keep going with that to keep some weight on her. While I had her out I saw a flaky patch on her skin, pulled her hair aside and there is this tiny white thing wriggling around like crazy... checked a few places on her and yep! That would be lice too! Oh and it does seem to be her that's drinking a hell of a lot of water too :(

So it's only been two weeks since my piggies were separated into two pairs so this now means I need to treat all 4 for lice, I will get rid of the logs and replace them but they live in a wooden hutch, I usually give it a good scrub with white vinegar but will the lice survive on the wood to pass back to the piggies?

Peter's losing weight and slowing down again though his weight loss is 20-30g per week and given his ailing health (and the fact that the vet thought the end was nigh in January) isn't too bad.

I don't know what to do with these guys, they break my heart at times!
 
I'm sorry I don't have any good advice except to see the vet. I hope things turn out ok for you and your pigs.
 
Sending hugs to you, sounds like you have a lot to cope with at the moment. Don't know about the vinegar but I think a scrub with F10 would deal with the hutch problem. You are such a knowledgeable and caring piggie slave I know you can take a deep breath go to the vet and cope with it all. Just try to deal with things a step at a time, I find if I do this I don't scare myself into a panic that makes everything seem impossible. Hope your piggies are better soon.
 
:agr: with @piggieminder F10 would be good to scrub hutch out.lice n easy {gorgeous guinea shampoo] or flea or die shampoo is good to use ,seven days apart.Simon is the best for dental work,i went with Jerry for nine months at regular intervals,maybe go to vet for a correct diagnosis of the parasite and treatment concern.Goodluck ,i hope it all gets better very soon.:hug:
 
eileen said:
:agr: with @piggieminder F10 would be good to scrub hutch out.lice n easy {gorgeous guinea shampoo] or flea or die shampoo is good to use ,seven days apart.Simon is the best for dental work,i went with Jerry for nine months at regular intervals,maybe go to vet for a correct diagnosis of the parasite and treatment concern.Goodluck ,i hope it all gets better very soon.:hug:
Click to expand...

Thanks, I think it doesn't help that madam Jemima has only had one health concern in the past 5.5 years (one stubborn uti) so she has lulled me into a false sense of security. she came out for another hour, not keen to eat by herself but that could be down to teeth on the spoon and she took syringe feeding well so should be able to supplement her until the appointment.

I was looking on guinea lynx for treatments but not 100% sure on what I'm handling so decided to wait and see the vet first, then when I know what I am dealing with I will treat them all.

I am now wondering if her teeth and the lice/mites have been causing trouble rather than the 4 of them just not settling and bonding. either way I can't cope with the stress of trying again just yet so they will have to wait until spring
 
So sorry you are having issues Kelly. I find F10 is the best for killing everything in the cages. Make sure the wood gets soaked in it. And I agree with your decision to bin the logs/arches as otherwise you'd have to soak those too. It certainly seems that we get hit with a whole pack of problems at once. But hopefully the vet can find out what is going on. Hugs. :hug:
 
Good luck with your piggies, hope they get better quickly, the stress and heartache, will make it all worthwhile when they get better and return your love xx
 
Don't have any further advise on parasites, not my forte I'm afraid as never had to deal with any yet. The excess drinking could just be a pain response if her mouth is sore so hopefully once you get rid of the lice and her teeth are sorted, you will start to see an improvement in her.

Good luck x
 
Lady Kelly said:
My poor piggies!

So after Jemima's recent visit to the vet about her weight loss she actually gained weight last weekend, albeit 30g but a start so I worried less.

This week and she's shot right down 100g and is just over 600g! Now she's always been tiny with a fluctuating fully grown weight of between 715g and 850g so although I appreciate she is underweight it's not as much a shock as my bigger pigs. Also her front teeth are now out of line and looking overgrown so I think it may be a dental issue after all. I can't remember if the vet checked her teeth two weeks ago but I will bypass my vets this time and go straight to Northampton seeing as I know the teeth are an issue (confirmed by putting in the end of romaine lettuce - she ate the two small leaves but left the hard stem). I decided to cook a tiny amount of carrot and much it up with some fresh herbs and a couple of handfuls of pellets and she gobbled up about 3 teaspoons so will keep going with that to keep some weight on her. While I had her out I saw a flaky patch on her skin, pulled her hair aside and there is this tiny white thing wriggling around like crazy... checked a few places on her and yep! That would be lice too! Oh and it does seem to be her that's drinking a hell of a lot of water too :(

So it's only been two weeks since my piggies were separated into two pairs so this now means I need to treat all 4 for lice, I will get rid of the logs and replace them but they live in a wooden hutch, I usually give it a good scrub with white vinegar but will the lice survive on the wood to pass back to the piggies?

Peter's losing weight and slowing down again though his weight loss is 20-30g per week and given his ailing health (and the fact that the vet thought the end was nigh in January) isn't too bad.

I don't know what to do with these guys, they break my heart at times!
Click to expand...

Sending hugs! Best go to see Simon over any potential dental issues. Start offering syringe feed or mushed pellets to make up for any hay that is not eaten, which is often the biggest problem with weight loss in dental guinea pigs and offer veg in small strips that you can place in the mouth if necessary. Hay makes up to 80% in the daily food intake and is impossible to control, but vital for gut health.

It all happens at once... I am very sorry that Peter has got big problems, too. He is the one that you adopted from the same place as Hywel at a similar time, isn't it? So he must be a good age. Hywel would be 7 years now. :(
 
Wiebke said:
Sending hugs! Best go to see Simon over any potential dental issues. Start offering syringe feed or mushed pellets to make up for any hay that is not eaten, which is often the biggest problem with weight loss in dental guinea pigs and offer veg in small strips that you can place in the mouth if necessary. Hay makes up to 80% in the daily food intake and is impossible to control, but vital for gut health.

It all happens at once... I am very sorry that Peter has got big problems, too. He is the one that you adopted from the same place as Hywel at a similar time, isn't it? So he must be a good age. Hywel would be 7 years now. :(
Click to expand...

I have an appointment on Friday at 4.10, that's the earliest they could do for Thurs or Fri (I'm working full days up til then). Jemima is being awesome at eating mush. she's up 37g today though that's weighing at different times of day. I am opting for softer veg chopped small so hopefully she's still able to get some. hoping to boost her weight a bit before Friday.

I can't remember which rescue Peter came from now. He had gone to a couple of homes and been bullied by other males. I think my ex met up with Abi nurse to collect him but yes he should be 6.5-7 years old now
 
Lady Kelly said:
I have an appointment on Friday at 4.10, that's the earliest they could do for Thurs or Fri (I'm working full days up til then). Jemima is being awesome at eating mush. she's up 37g today though that's weighing at different times of day. I am opting for softer veg chopped small so hopefully she's still able to get some. hoping to boost her weight a bit before Friday.

I can't remember which rescue Peter came from now. He had gone to a couple of homes and been bullied by other males. I think my ex met up with Abi nurse to collect him but yes he should be 6.5-7 years old now
Click to expand...

It was Cheylesmore Guinea Pig Rescue, very short-lived in Coventry. I remember Peter going South to another forum member. I had a soft spot for Peter, but Hywel (who'd bullied any boar he was introduced to, including Peter) was obviously more suited to leading a large group of sows.

All the best for your trip!
 
Well so much excitement. We were ready early and luckily the OH was coming with me to the vets as I got in to my car and nothing! It wouldn't start, battery is completely dead! So quickly jump into his and off we head, we saw the wonderful Simon Maddock and were very very impressed by his thoroughness and extensive knowledge. Miss Jemima's teeth were only ever so slightly overgrown so he believes that she probably chipped a front tooth and it stopped her from eating properly. She had them filed anyway to see if that makes a change and had her tooth ones levelled up. I've fed her again this evening in case she is sore but will see how she gets on
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top