kidney disease? organ failure? diabetes?

[cococookie]

hey guys,
i was just wondering if anyone could help me. my friends piggy has recently lost lots of weight and seems to be becoming weaker. this is the same way my piggy was before she passed. if i gave you some symptoms my friends piggy has could you maybe tell me what u think it is? she took her to the vet and the vet said that other than her dental problems she was fine?
- hunched back
-drinking lots of water
-weight loss (dental?)
-bum seems to be soggy (she had a tumour removed from here but the fur is still not right?)
-almost shut eyes (she thinks it’s from where the piggy has been huddling with the other)
-piggy is hungry but when offered food, won’t eat it? maybe she’s fussy?
-very weak and frail lookiing(bony)
-seems to have dry poo
-struggling to reach water bottle

 

[Siikibam]

The shut eyes - have they been checked and are okay? Hay poke or some kind of injury? Snuggling up to another won’t lead to shut eyes.

Looking bony & weight loss - likely because she’s not eating enough hay. If that’s the case your friend needs to urgently step in with syringe feeding her minimum 60-90ml in 24 hours. That equates to minimum 5ml every two hours. She also needs to weigh her every day at the same time (preferably in the morning) and adjust syringing accordingly. If she’s losing weight every day she has to increase the amount. It also helps with keeping the guys going as they need fibre. But if she’s not eating hay then her teeth won’t wear down. Kind of a vicious cycle. How much weight has she lost and over what time period?

Dry poo - not sure on that. But poo output is 1-2 days behind.

Not eating - may be a teeth issue. She can perhaps try her on grass if she can get some.

Wet bottom - something to do with urinary tract? Was that checked out? Is she squeaking when toileting?

I think she needs checking out by the vet again. Is the vet experienced in treating guinea pigs? And was the piggy prescribed any pain medication?

If she can’t reach the water bottle is it possible to lower it, or put a bowl in the cage? But how can she drink a lot if she can’t reach it?

Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[cococookie]

The shut eyes - have they been checked and are okay? Hay poke or some kind of injury? Snuggling up to another won’t lead to shut eyes.

Looking bony & weight loss - likely because she’s not eating enough hay. If that’s the case your friend needs to urgently step in with syringe feeding her minimum 60-90ml in 24 hours. That equates to minimum 5ml every two hours. She also needs to weigh her every day at the same time (preferably in the morning) and adjust syringing accordingly. If she’s losing weight every day she has to increase the amount.

Dry poo - not sure on that. But poo output is 1-2 days behind.

Not eating - may be a teeth issue. She can perhaps try her on grass if she can get some.

Wet bottom - something to do with urinary tract? Was that checked out? Is she squeaking when toileting?

I think she needs checking out by the vet again. Is the vet experienced in treating guinea pigs? And was the piggy prescribed any pain medication?

Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

thank you so much for your reply,
her eyes aren’t rly shut but her fur is almost covering one of them

she has only got one front tooth left,
so she has been blitzing up and grating food for her but sometimes she is squeaking because she is hungry but wont eat the food?

she’s not squeeking when toileting

my friend tried syringe feeding her the critical care vitamin c boost powder packs, but she hates it and will sniff it and run. so she watered down some spinach and had to force feed her some of that the other day. however the poor piggy got really stressed and buried her head in a towel so she stopped

the vet is relatively experienced but maybe it’s an underlying issue? no medication was prescribed

 

[Siikibam]

Puréed veg isn’t suitable, she needs something with fibre for the guts. Have her read the guides I’ve linked above and perhaps try syringe feeding her mushed pellets, something she’s used to. If it’s too thick then cut off the tip and add a little more water so it can pass through. She can perhaps try one of the other types of syringe feeding foods.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for your friend to join the forum. But we can’t replace vet care.

 

[cococookie]

Puréed veg isn’t suitable, she needs something with fibre for the guts. Have her read the guides I’ve linked above and perhaps try syringe feeding her mushed pellets, something she’s used to. If it’s too thick then cut off the tip and add a little more water so it can pass through. She can perhaps try one of the other types of syringe feeding foods.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for your friend to join the forum. But we can’t replace vet care.

she seems to be drinking and eating pellets okay (even the vet noticed), i’m on a call with my friend and she keeps telling me that when she tried to syringe feed her piggy she just really didn’t like it (even with spinach which is her favourite). even though she is ill, the piggy has a lot of personality and will try and hide her face away from the syringe, is it right to force her? do you think it’s time to let her go peacefully? she is around 4/5 years old

 

[Siikibam]

I don’t think it’s time to let her go. She doesn’t know what exactly is wrong. As already said though, she needs either mushed pellets or another recovery food. Pellets aren’t enough to maintain her weight. They need to eat hay and more hay, and not eating enough will lead to weight loss.

She has to be more firm when syringe feeding. But she shouldn’t put in more than the piggy can hold in her mouth. So a little at a time. I would consider speaking to the vet about painkiller and also checking what else could be wrong aside from the teeth.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[cococookie]

she seems to be drinking and eating pellets okay (even the vet noticed), i’m on a call with my friend and she keeps telling me that when she tried to syringe feed her piggy she just really didn’t like it (even with spinach which is her favourite). even though she is ill, the piggy has a lot of personality and will try and hide her face away from the syringe, is it right to force her? do you think it’s time to let her go peacefully? she is around 4/5 years old

I don’t think it’s time to let her go. She doesn’t know what exactly is wrong. As already said though, she needs either mushed pellets or another recovery food. Pellets aren’t enough to maintain her weight. They need to eat hay and more hay, and not eating enough will lead to weight loss.

She has to be more firm when syringe feeding. But she shouldn’t put in more than the piggy can hold in her mouth. So a little at a time. I would consider speaking to the vet about painkiller and also checking what else could be wrong aside from the teeth.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

ok thank you so much, i’ll try to get her to syringe feed her again and i think she’s taking her to the vets later on today

 

[Swissgreys]

It is great she is seeing a vet - hopefully they can help - but it also sounds like she needs an experienced piggy vet.
Is your friend confident with the vet they are seeing?

It is also lovely of you to help them.
I hope you can come up with a plan to help this piggy who is clearly very loved.

 

[Wiebke]

hey guys,
i was just wondering if anyone could help me. my friends piggy has recently lost lots of weight and seems to be becoming weaker. this is the same way my piggy was before she passed. if i gave you some symptoms my friends piggy has could you maybe tell me what u think it is? she took her to the vet and the vet said that other than her dental problems she was fine?
- hunched back
-drinking lots of water
-weight loss (dental?)
-bum seems to be soggy (she had a tumour removed from here but the fur is still not right?)
-almost shut eyes (she thinks it’s from where the piggy has been huddling with the other)
-piggy is hungry but when offered food, won’t eat it? maybe she’s fussy?
-very weak and frail lookiing(bony)
-seems to have dry poo
-struggling to reach water bottle

Hi!

Please see another vet, preferably as an emergency. We cannot tell you what is going on without access to your piggy and any
veterinary qualification. All we can is guess through based on the filter of your own guesses - and that is not helpful at all.

Step in with syringe feeding and watering support asap; she sounds dehydrated and may need sub-cutaneous fluids (i.e fluid injection under the skin). You also need to switch from the life-long weekly weigh-in and body check to weighing daily in order to monitor the food intake/weight loss. Even more so in a piggy that is not now able to eat properly due to dental issues - and when those crucial back teeth are not constantly ground down by the abrasive silica in grass and hay against which they have evolved in, then they will overgrow again rather quickly and your piggy will starve.

If your piggy really refuses to take on feed well in excess of their apparent weakness, then it is unfortunately possible that their body has started to close down.

You may find these guides here helpful:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

All the best!