Mocha fell and broke tooth, hunched back?

[Lindsey7618]

Hi, I know a vet is the best option and I'm going to take him however it's a bit of a wait (I've called all the vets and emergency vets in the area- there aren't a lot that treat exotics here) so I wanted to ask for help here in addition.

My guinea pig jumped out of my brother's arms a few days ago trying to jump on the table and fell to the floor. He broke his front incisor tooth. I don't think there's an infection inside his mouth but it's hard to keep his mouth open to check. I wasn't home at the time but called the vet later and they said he seemed okay and to keep an eye on him. In addition to this as my brother was closing his cage door yesterday he lept out and fell again. Ever since the fall he hasn't been himself. He's quiet and he doesn't move much. Normally he's zooming around the cage 24/7 but now he just sits in the corner. Sometimes he'll climb the corner and bite on the bars pretty hard- not sure if that's related to pain? He's always been an escape artist ever since I got him so that's nothing new. I've been holding him and he just cuddles into me which is NOT normal. He's a big fan of my brother and will climb onto him and cuddle with him but he isn't usually still when I hold him. I ordered critical care bc he can't eat food until I cut it up small and in the meantime I made my own with pellets, banana, and blueberries. He won't eat from the bowl or spoon but if I hand feed him with a syringe he'll eat it all up until he decides he had enough and then he refuses it. Today (I'm at work) my brother texted me a picture of Mocha and said it looks like he has a humo on his back. After looking at it it seems like he's hunched over. He doesn't look like that normally. I'm really worried. Any input until i can get to a vet would be appreciated. I'm worried he has a spinal injury.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m afraid he needs to see a vet urgently if he is now hunched up and having behavioural changes. He is possibly experiencing some pain and possible injuries. Please call the vet and explain that he now seems to have been more serious problems.

Ensure you switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily so you can make sure he is eating enough pellet slurry from the syringe to keep his weight stable in each 24 hours - that is around 60ml+ of slurry in each 24 hours. If he isn’t eating any hay for himself, then he needs to be syringe fed every two hours throughout the day. The guides below explain.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

As prey animals, blind jumps can occur so it’s best that they are always handled on the floor and not put on tables.

 

[weepweeps]

I hope you can get him into the vets soon and he’s feeling better.

 

[VickiA]

He really does need to see a vet as a matter of urgency. Good luck finding a vet appointment for him.

 

[Lindsey7618]

I’m afraid he needs to see a vet urgently if he is now hunched up and having behavioural changes. He is possibly experiencing some pain and possible injuries. Please call the vet and explain that he now seems to have been more serious problems.

Ensure you switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily so you can make sure he is eating enough pellet slurry from the syringe to keep his weight stable in each 24 hours - that is around 60ml+ of slurry in each 24 hours. If he isn’t eating any hay for himself, then he needs to be syringe fed every two hours throughout the day. The guides below explain.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

As prey animals, blind jumps can occur so it’s best that they are always handled on the floor and not put on tables.

Thanks! I have been feeding him homemade critical care through a syringe because I'm waiting for critical care to arrive. He is eating hay but he's not eating enough so I hand feed him.

He didn't fall from the table, my brother was holding him and he jumped out of nowhere. I will weigh him daily, thank you so much! It's midnight here so in the morning I'm going to call the vet and see if they can get me an earlier appt but if not I'll call the other vet and ask if I can change my appt for my other pig (to cut his nails- his are black and he's difficult to cut) to his.

 

[Lindsey7618]

I’m afraid he needs to see a vet urgently if he is now hunched up and having behavioural changes. He is possibly experiencing some pain and possible injuries. Please call the vet and explain that he now seems to have been more serious problems.

Ensure you switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily so you can make sure he is eating enough pellet slurry from the syringe to keep his weight stable in each 24 hours - that is around 60ml+ of slurry in each 24 hours. If he isn’t eating any hay for himself, then he needs to be syringe fed every two hours throughout the day. The guides below explain.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

As prey animals, blind jumps can occur so it’s best that they are always handled on the floor and not put on tables.

An update, he is now not pooping. He was yesterday but it was wet and smushy, which I told the vet. Today he doesn't seem to poop at all. Is there anything I can do while I wait for the vet?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Poop output is a day or so behind food intake, so no poop today can mean he hasn’t had enough food (in the last 1-2 days). This is why switching from the routine weekly weight checks to daily weight checks is so important as it’s the only way to know you are definitely getting enough syringe feed into him (the syringe feeding replacing his hay intake).
How much critical care (in ml) are you syringe feeding him in each 24 hour period?
Wet, soft poops can mean gut and digestive problems. Removing veg from the diet and ensuring he gets enough fibre (in the form of syringe feed and as much hay as he can manage) to help stabilise the gut.

The green links in my first reply explain all the emergency care you can do at home but really the essential thing, aside from getting to a vet, is syringe feed enough to keep gut function.

 

[Lindsey7618]

Poop output is a day or so behind food intake, so no poop today can mean he hasn’t had enough food (in the last 1-2 days). This is why switching from the routine weekly weight checks to daily weight checks is so important as it’s the only way to know you are definitely getting enough syringe feed into him (the syringe feeding replacing his hay intake).
How much critical care (in ml) are you syringe feeding him in each 24 hour period?
Wet, soft poops can mean gut and digestive problems. Removing veg from the diet and ensuring he gets enough fibre (in the form of syringe feed and as much hay as he can manage) to help stabilise the gut.

The green links in my first reply explain all the emergency care you can do at home but really the essential thing, aside from getting to a vet, is syringe feed enough to keep gut function.

Thank you! I couldn't remember how much my vet told me to give the last time I had to do this and I was worried so I fed him until he wouldn't eat any more and then a few hours later fed again and repeat. It wasn't a ton, just until he refused more, but it's more than one syringe (it's actually not a syringe, mine are too small to suck up the mix so I used a pipette that I cut in half to make it bigger, it probably equates to a full syringe or two). Is that too much? Is it possible to feed too much critical care? He won't eat it from a bowl or spoon so I have to use the small pipette or my fingers, because he'll eat it from my hand. I'll stop all vegetables, thanks so much. You're a lifesaver. A lot of the vets around here aren't all the best trained for exotics so I have to do my own research a lot. My main vet is decent at least.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you! I couldn't remember how much my vet told me to give the last time I had to do this and I was worried so I fed him until he wouldn't eat any more and then a few hours later fed again and repeat. It wasn't a ton, just until he refused more, but it's more than one syringe (it's actually not a syringe, mine are too small to suck up the mix so I used a pipette that I cut in half to make it bigger, it probably equates to a full syringe or two). Is that too much? Is it possible to feed too much critical care? He won't eat it from a bowl or spoon so I have to use the small pipette or my fingers, because he'll eat it from my hand. I'll stop all vegetables, thanks so much. You're a lifesaver. A lot of the vets around here aren't all the best trained for exotics so I have to do my own research a lot. My main vet is decent at least.

No you can’t feed too much in an emergency situation, and the fact he isn’t pooping suggests he hasn’t had enough. If he doesn’t get enough food, the gut stops, and they are then in a life threatening situation.
Its those weight checks which are so important here - if he is losing any weight, then he needs to be fed more.
You need to get a minimum of 40ml, but Ideally 60ml of syringe feed into him in each 24 hour period. He may still need more than that, but it’s those weight checks which are your guide.
Aiming for 10ml at each feed means you need to feed around 6 times a day, but the less he takes at each sitting, the more sittings will be needed.

When using mushed pellets you need to cut the tapered end off a 1ml syringe to get the slurry to go through it. Pellet mush is thicker than actual critical care so its harder to get to go through a syringe without the end cut off.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Lindsey7618]

No you can’t feed too much in an emergency situation, and the fact he isn’t pooping suggests he hasn’t had enough. If he doesn’t get enough food, the gut stops, and they are then in a life threatening situation.
Its those weight checks which are so important here - if he is losing any weight, then he needs to be fed more.
You need to get a minimum of 40ml, but Ideally 60ml of syringe feed into him in each 24 hour period. He may still need more than that, but it’s those weight checks which are your guide.
Aiming for 10ml at each feed means you need to feed around 6 times a day, but the less he takes at each sitting, the more sittings will be needed.

When using mushed pellets you need to cut the tapered end off a 1ml syringe to get the slurry to go through it. Pellet mush is thicker than actual critical care so its harder to get to go through a syringe without the end cut off.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Thank you, I appreciate the information so much. I've been at work all day and my brother just told me there were a few poops in the cage today and while it was still soft it wasn't wet anymore so that's a good sign. He's still not pooping a normal amount though. I'm wondering if the reason he looks bigger is bloat from not pooping. I'll cut the tip off the syringe I have, thanks! I want to learn as much as possible about medical care because there are so few exotic vets. I've thought about going to vet school to be trained in this but that's a lot of money for a field I'm not going into.

The link you sent said "a very ill piggy that has removed itself from the company of their mates and is stationary and staring at the wall in a cage corner"- Mocha has been doing that, do you know if that's a Normal thing sick pigs do? I've been wondering why he does that. He's acting a bit more normal but still not himself so hopefully they can fit me in asap.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you, I appreciate the information so much. I've been at work all day and my brother just told me there were a few poops in the cage today and while it was still soft it wasn't wet anymore so that's a good sign. He's still not pooping a normal amount though. I'm wondering if the reason he looks bigger is bloat from not pooping. I'll cut the tip off the syringe I have, thanks! I want to learn as much as possible about medical care because there are so few exotic vets. I've thought about going to vet school to be trained in this but that's a lot of money for a field I'm not going into.

The link you sent said "a very ill piggy that has removed itself from the company of their mates and is stationary and staring at the wall in a cage corner"- Mocha has been doing that, do you know if that's a Normal thing sick pigs do? I've been wondering why he does that. He's acting a bit more normal but still not himself so hopefully they can fit me in asap.

Keep up with the syringe feeding every couple of hours. Some poops means there is still gut function but he needs enough food to keep his weight stable. Has he been weighed today?

The staring at the corner behaviour is concerning when combined with other symptoms.
Does he live with another piggy? Given what has happened to him, the medical side is the most important thing to check for isolating behaviour, but it can also be a sign of depression if a piggy is single

 

[Lindsey7618]

Keep up with the syringe feeding every couple of hours. Some poops means there is still gut function but he needs enough food to keep his weight stable. Has he been weighed today?

The staring at the corner behaviour is concerning when combined with other symptoms.
Does he live with another piggy? Given what has happened to him, the medical side is the most important thing to check for isolating behaviour, but it can also be a sign of depression if a piggy is single

He's single because he fights with all my pigs I've tried to bond him with. The closest he came was with Oreo. They both have a vet appointment in two days. Mocha seems to be doing better, acting more normal now but I'm still going to take him to be safe.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m glad he seems better but he definitely needs to see a vet. Have you been managing to keep his weight stable with each day weight check?

Is his cage next to the cage of another piggy (your reply above seems to suggest you have other piggies)? This enables interaction through the bars with another piggy. It’s the next best thing for companionship when a piggy is single