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Joining for help and support

Beautiful boys. Was the vet he saw cavy savvy?
 
I've popped your thread over to health and illness section. I didn't notice yesterday but it's likely to be seen more readily there for more input from members
 
I would work on the syringe feeding, I know it’s difficult when they don’t want to take it but you are bridging that need until he can start eating properly for himself so you must be firm and gentle but keep it up. You can used soaked mushed up pellets, you can add a bit of banana too if that helps him eat it but don’t loose heart x
Have you tried a gentle tummy massage, that might help release the wind and get this tummy moving again too x
Good luck, I would go back to the vets for some pain relief, it will help relax his tummy
 
I've popped your thread over to health and illness section. I didn't notice yesterday but it's likely to be seen more readily there for more input from members
Thanks. I wasn't expecting much response. After 4 years of guinea pigs this is the first time we've had to deal with health issues like this. With hindsight all owners should learn about first aid kit and syringe feeding. Most vets are not knowledgeable enough as they don't get the practise.
 
So 10ml feed plus 1ml Fibreplex and 2ml of water between 8.30 and 11am. Have given him a break but thinking should restart at 12, even if for a smaller session? Not too happy about the sounds he's making. I'll post a link to a video soon.
 
He suddenly developed diarrhoea on on Thursday and went off his food. No obvious cause. Went to the vets on Friday (we've had enough trauma and didn't want to waste any time). Given something to stop the diarrhoea but now may have gut stasis as the vet this morning said she couldn't hear gurgling. He now seems in pain hence back to emergency vet.

Hi!

Please follow our detailed advice for gut stasis care and treatment; gut stasis can develop as a secondary issue if there is another problem.
Any piggy that is no longer able to process food will be reluctant to accept any. With GI stasis it is very much a matter of persisting until your piggy is out of the woods, which can take a few days or even a full week.
it is a very encouraging sign that your boy has started to nibble food on his own; it means that the guts have started up again. Please persist with syringe feeding until his weight and poo output (which will initially reflect the gap) have normalised again.
Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Here is our emergency, crisis and bridging care link. I have bundled all the relevant information together in order to give anybody with a serious ill piggy as much help with the least amount of time wasted on research and not on their piggy.
It also makes a good resource to prepare for the case of an emergency. Sooner or later they will happen, but never in a form that you can anticipate. GI stasis always happens out of the blue. :(
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Here are our tips on what you can do for a bereaved piggy: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
And here is our support guide for human grieving: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Our Health/Illness is specially monitored by members whose knowledge we fully trust to make sure that you will get support as quickly as we can (being UK based).

All the best for this difficult time!
 
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Welcome to the forum and so sorry that you're having such a rough time.
I can't add to the advice but want to offer support
 
On the final 5-10ml of today's feed mix. He's up to 1.25kg (2lb 12oz) and more small poops. Still not really feeding himself so will set the alarm for tonight and back to the vet at 8.30am.
 
Hi!

Please follow our detailed advice for gut stasis care and treatment; gut stasis can develop as a secondary issue if there is another problem.
Any piggy that is no longer able to process food will be reluctant to accept any. With GI stasis it is very much a matter of persisting until your piggy is out of the woods, which can take a few days or even a full week.
it is a very encouraging sign that your boy has started to nibble food on his own; it means that the guts have started up again. Please persist with syringe feeding until his weight and poo output (which will initially reflect the gap) have normalised again.
Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Here is our emergency, crisis and bridging care link. I have bundled all the relevant information together in order to give anybody with a serious ill piggy as much help with the least amount of time wasted on research and not on their piggy.
It also makes a good resource to prepare for the case of an emergency. Sooner or later they will happen, but never in a form that you can anticipate. GI stasis always happens out of the blue. :(
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Here are our tips on what you can do for a bereaved piggy: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
And here is our support guide for human grieving: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Our Health/Illness is specially monitored by members whose knowledge we fully trust to make sure that you will get support as quickly as we can (being UK based).

All the best for this difficult time!
Thank you. I have been reading this over the last few days and it's incredibly helpful. We are lucky to have got this far without needing it over the years, but maybe we could have saved Snowball if we were better prepared. 😞
 
Question about night feeding. He's having a little bit of veg just now and his final Fibreplex. 36ml done and will have a couple more ml (quite watery now). So should we feed 3ml every 2 hours or 5 every 3 hours? (more sleep for us!)
 
Thank you. I have been reading this over the last few days and it's incredibly helpful. We are lucky to have got this far without needing it over the years, but maybe we could have saved Snowball if we were better prepared. 😞

It is always a tightrope walk with severe GI and underlying issues and very much a round the clock operation that can last two days or longer. With Pili Pala it took me a week and I was totally shattered by the end of it. It was a very close shave, which not everybody has the means (family commitment and job-wise) to pull off.

The feelings of guilt and self-examination are normal for this stage of the grieving process. all you can do is take it on board for the future and chalk it down to a learning process. Many of my own lessons have been learned the hard way. The battles you lose are always harder to digest but they can also be a great impetus to deeper understanding, learning more and doing better. For myself, I have made my peace as I have hopefully saved more piggy lives in the long term because of these much regretted losses.
You may find the grieving guide in my previous post helpful in this respect because a part of it deals with aspects like the ones mentioned and with the question of guilt and moving on from there.

The crucial thing is that doing your best with the knowledge and the support you have at the time is what makes you a caring owner; you DID see a vet promptly and followed their advice; you didn't neglect Snowball.
You are no less a good owner just because you lose a piggy that you love and you have cared for to the best of your and your treating vet's ability. Taking any lessons to be drawn on board and learning more doesn't mean that you have been a bad owner before but it gives you the incentive to become an even better one in the future. None of us will ever be perfect and get it right all the time. ;)
 
Back down to 1.196kg this morning despite feeding at midnight, 2.30am and 5am but he seems brighter this morning and had a little parsley and hay before the vets and we syringe fed him again afterwards. Hydration is fine and no obvious discomfort. They offered Metaclopramide but were 50:50 and I am not clear that he needs that. Said we'd see how he gets on and can go back later today. Appointment with the specialist is tomorrow late afternoon so still holding that.

One concern is the regular croaky noise he's been making. I've not been able to record it properly yet to post a link. His heart and lungs sound fine according to the vet.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :) I’m sorry that you’re going through this in which I’m afraid I can’t advise.

If his heart and lungs are clear, he shouldn’t have a uri. The noise could be coming from his nose? He could have a little dust irritating him
 
Good news is that Crumble is purring again and not croaking. More plopps too and some self feeding. Not sure if he's eating any pellets yet. Keeping on with the Fibreplex and syringe feeding and will weigh him in the morning . Will keep at it until he's back to normal. Better go to bed now as we'll be up again soon.
 
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