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Jimmy has bloat 😥

Livia Rabideau

Livia Rabideau

Adult Guinea Pig
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Feb 14, 2018
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I am a wreck. My Jimmy has been treated for a uti for the last 2 weeks. We did an ultrasound to rule out stones.. He was put on baytril. It killed his appetite. He has been losing weight. I took him to my vet yesterday for a recheck because he wasn't eating much and was losing weight. We did another urinalysis and it still showed bacteria, so my vet gave me another week of antibiotics. This time bactrim since he hated the baytril. My vet didn't seem concerned about his weight loss. I was afraid he was going into statis. My vet said no and I left with antibiotics and pain meds this time. I started syringe feeding him critical care yesterday because I wasn't convinced he was ok. Today he was lethargic, just sat there all puffed up with his eyes squinted not eating. I rushed him to the er vet. They did x-rays to make sure there was not a urethral stone or kidney stone. There were no stones thankfully, but he has bloat. Just what I feared. I have never dealt with this before. They gave him fluids and a metaclopramide injection as well as more to give at home. I am to give him that with pain meds and syringe feed every 4 hours. Please tell me there is a chance. He is just over a year old. I just want to make sure I do this right. I want to give him the best chance. He already seems more comfortable. Thank you in advance.
 
Hi. The bloat is most likely due to the antibiotics and you have seen a vet and started treatment promptly so I would say he has a very good chance. If you have concerns about the speed of his recovery speak to your vet again about the frequency the drugs can be given and the dosage as there may be room to increase these, depending what he is already on and if the vet says it is safe to do so. They may also want to repeat his fluids.
 
Sorry your boy is unwell. But you were on top of it by getting him seen quickly. Healing wheeks and everything crossed that he makes a good recovery.
 
Sorry to hear the Jimmy is unwell. I am sure one of the health experts will be along soon with some advice. Sending healing vibes from me and the piggies. xx
 
When Betsy had bloat I massaged her tummy. She didn't like it but it helped. I massaged her tum 3 times a day for a week and in the end her tummy went down. Sending healing vibes to Jimmy. Have you thought of putting him on top of a spinning washing machine?
 
I’m so sorry to hear that.
You absolutely did not fail. Bloat can be a horrible thing to deal with and you absolutely did your best for him.
 
So sorry to hear that Livia. You did not fail. You did everything you could for Jimmy. Sometimes the call of the Rainbow Bridge is just so very strong they have to go. It's human nature to think that you could have done more and blame yourself but you really shouldn't (I know it's easier said than done). It's all part of the grieving process. My thoughts are with you. It really hurts I know that. The more we grieve the more we have loved and grief is love with nowhere to go.
 
What do I do with his cage mate? I have Jimmy in there so he can process. So far his friend is scared. Do I clean the cage right away
 
When Dennis died 4 weeks ago I left him in the hutch for around an hour so Betsy understood what had happened then I removed him and he is now buried in the garden. I cleaned the hutch out the following day but kept the hidey that Dennis was in for another few days as I felt that it would be a comfort for Betsy as it smelled of Dennis.
 
Betsy said:
When Dennis died 4 weeks ago I left him in the hutch for around an hour so Betsy understood what had happened then I removed him and he is now buried in the garden. I cleaned the hutch out the following day but kept the hidey that Dennis was in for another few days as I felt that it would be a comfort for Betsy as it smelled of Dennis.
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I am sorry for your loss 😔..
 
Sorry for your loss Livia, but you did not fail at all! In Fact you gave your little piggy the best chance you could possibly give him. Sadly some piggies just aren't strong enough to defeat their illnesses. We have lost 9 this year, 3 this week. 7 out of the 9 were due to some sort of a horrible URI, and no matter what I did, or what the vets did, the illness was stronger. Be kind to your self, and give yourself time to grieve! With Jimmy's cage mate, lots of hugs, and attention.
If you are able to, try to bond him with another male, but if this fails try giving him a soft toy he can cuddle upto. We have a boy who has just lost his dad, well 5 days ago now, he has been quite sad since, and hasn't really shown much interest in his food, but since giving him a teddy, after he got used to it, he has started to eat a bit more, and is more chirpier now. We tried him with another of our boys, but it didn't go well! He is currently residing in a cage next to my old lady pigs, and his cousin Hunca Munca. Hugs to you!
 
I’m so sorry, you could never have failed Jimmy, please don’t think that. He was very loved and cared for and he will have know that x
Sleep tight little man 🌈
 
I'm so sorry you lost Jimmy. You did not fail him in any way, sometimes they just can't be saved. Be kind to yourself. Hugs
 
I am so sorry that he didn’t make it. That is NO reflection on you at all. You did not fail him. Go gently. You are grieving, big hugs.
 
Thank you everyone for your kind words. Nobody understands. They all think it's just a guinea pig. He was only a year old. His cage mate is eating and drinking, but he is very scared. He is only staying on one side of the cage. I have moved everything to him. He eventually sniffed Jimmy's body, but that was it. I hope he will be ok.
 
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