My guinea pig wont eat

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Hi I'm new to this I'm not too sure how it works but i really need some help I'm not sure whats going on with one of my piggies oreo. For over 2 weeks now he hasn’t been really eating on his own just the odd nibble of veg and the odd couple of pellets and no hay at all that ive seen. He has had Medication for his gut which he is still on now and painkillers which have now stopped in case that was making it worse. He also last week had an operation to file down his back teeth and was put under Anesthia which really weakened him but he just still won’t eat much. He seems so tired which is probably from the lack of food but it really worries me my mum has been syringe feeding him every 3-4 hours which he takes okay. Earlier we took him for a check up and the vet said nothing seems wrong with him so the vet isn’t sure why he won’t eat on his own anymore and they recommend going to another vet but it’s an hour away and I don’t want to stress out Oreo by taking him that long in the car. If anyone may know why please help me out cause I don’t know what else we could do to help him eat again I don’t know if he just needs to recover more after the operation or if there is something else going on with my poor oreo. He also doenst really squeak much anymore and he makes weezing sounds and he coughed a few times in a row last night but the vet said his chest and lungs are clear so I don’t know what it causing that.

 

[Truffolo]

Sending wishes for strength . More expert advice should be along soon. Your mom is a hero If you can get some Fibreplex into him, I recommend it. It's a probiotic and helps the good bacteria to develop in the gut. My piggy was wheezing also with a clear chest, but the wheezing stopped when he was on antibiotics. He's on Baytril at the moment. If the wheezing gets worse it might be worth asking if he can be started on an antibiotic. I hope Oreo starts eating again and his wheezing gets better soon

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this

Please do have him checked by a knowledgeable vet. I know an hours journey sounds like a lot, but you need to find out what is going on with him.
There could be many reasons why he is still not eating - from being in pain to there still being something wrong in his mouth, or something else going on entirely.

Being on painkillers would not make him worse.
Not being given painkillers if he is in pain, would make him worse - a piggy in pain will not want to eat.

Make sure he is being weighed every morning so you can be sure he is getting enough food to keep his weight stable each day. He needs at least 60ml of syringe feed each day.

I’ve added guides below to explain everything further

I hope he is ok

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry Oreo is still having trouble eating after his dental. I recently had a piggy whose tongue was trapped by his over grown molars. He had a dental and it took him about 2 weeks to start eating again for himself. I feel he got worse before he got better.

Please start the pain medication again. Pebble had to have two types of painkillers afterwards as he looked so poorly. He also had a gut stimulant which I definitely think helped too.

I tried him with a bit of redigrass, some grass (but only if his tummy is used to grass), is he still in with a friend? If so I found taking him out for his own time eating veggies as he was so much slower than his buddy. Also I upped his pellet intake while he wasn’t eating well.

Lots of critical care too and I cut his veggies smaller too and some into strips.

I hope this helps. Good luck I hope he’s eating for himself very soon.

Here is his thread if you’d like to read it.
Pebble is off to the vets

 

[Merab]

Just offering support for you.
Welcome to the forum

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Sending wishes for strength . More expert advice shoulbe along soon. Your mom is a hero If you can get some Fibreplex into him, I recommend it. It's a probiotic and helps the good bacteria to develop in the gut. My piggy was wheezing also with a clear chest, but the wheezing stopped when he was on antibiotics. He's on Baytril at the moment. If the wheezing gets worse it might be worth asking if he can be started on an antibiotic. I hope Oreo starts eating again and

Sending wishes for strength . More expert advice should be along soon. Your mom is a hero If you can get some Fibreplex into him, I recommend it. It's a probiotic and helps the good bacteria to develop in the gut. My piggy was wheezing also with a clear chest, but the wheezing stopped when he was on antibiotics. He's on Baytril at the moment. If the wheezing gets worse it might be worth asking if he can be started on an antibiotic. I hope Oreo starts eating again and his wheezing gets better soon

Thanks so much and I appreciate her so much she is doing so much for oreo I don’t know what I would do without her. And I will definitely look into getting some fibreplex thanks so much. And aw I hope your piggy is okay and isn’t weezing anymore Oreo has stopped weezing now but he is still refusing to eat sadly

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

I’m sorry to hear this

Please do have him checked by a knowledgeable vet. I know an hours journey sounds like a lot, but you need to find out what is going on with him.
There could be many reasons why he is still not eating - from being in pain to there still being something wrong in his mouth, or something else going on entirely.

Being on painkillers would not make him worse.
Not being given painkillers if he is in pain, would make him worse - a piggy in pain will not want to eat.

Make sure he is being weighed every morning so you can be sure he is getting enough food to keep his weight stable each day. He needs at least 60ml of syringe feed each day.

I’ve added guides below to explain everything further

I hope he is ok

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

I have luckily found a really good vet around 30 mins away and it’s meant to have one of the best guinea pig vets in the country so I'm trying to get my mum to take him there tomorrow as he improved but has now gone downhill again by not wanting to swallow his food. Thanks so much though and I’ve made sure hes having painkillers again and he is being weighed daily and being syringe fed still too however he keeps refusing the syringe and not swallowing it properly but we are doing everything we can to get him to take it until we can get him into the vets again tomorrow. Thanks so so so much hes so strong and he has eaten little bits on his own and was more active until today I hope whatever it is this other vet can figure it out

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

I’m so sorry Oreo is still having trouble eating after his dental. I recently had a piggy whose tongue was trapped by his over grown molars. He had a dental and it took him about 2 weeks to start eating again for himself. I feel he got worse before he got better.

Please start the pain medication again. Pebble had to have two types of painkillers afterwards as he looked so poorly. He also had a gut stimulant which I definitely think helped too.

I tried him with a bit of redigrass, some grass (but only if his tummy is used to grass), is he still in with a friend? If so I found taking him out for his own time eating veggies as he was so much slower than his buddy. Also I upped his pellet intake while he wasn’t eating well.

Lots of critical care too and I cut his veggies smaller too and some into strips.

I hope this helps. Good luck I hope he’s eating for himself very soon.

Here is his thread if you’d like to read it.
Pebble is off to the vets

Thanks so much and awhhh I'm so sorry I'm so glad hes eating again now! And dont worry i have started giving him the pain killers again and hes still taking the gut medication.

Oreo loves grass usally but will only eat the smallest bits of it and he’s separated from his friend as his friend is very donimant. And I have been offering him more pellets than usual but he only eats a few a day.

But thanks so so much he’s is eating little bits and is still beng syringe fed it’s just so hard to get him to take it and swallow it but we are trying our very best and trying to get him back into the vet again tomorrow

 

[Piggies&buns]

Not being able to swallow suggests there is something wrong in the mouth.
Please ensure you are getting at least 60ml of syringe feed into him each day.

When you say he is separated from his friend - do you mean he already was separated from him as their bond ended a long time ago or have you separated them now only because he is unwell?
Do note that separating due a medical reason does have the potential to mean they refuse to go back together.

I hope you can get him into a vet

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Not being able to swallow suggests there is something wrong in the mouth.
Please ensure you are getting at least 60ml of syringe feed into him each day.

When you say he is separated from his friend - do you mean he already was separated from him as their bond ended a long time ago or have you separated them now only because he is unwell?
Do note that separating due a medical reason does have the potential to mean they refuse to go back together.

I hope you can get him into a vet

Aww my poor pig and He wont take that much but we are giving him as much as we possibly can. They was separated a long time ago when we first got them in 2022.

Thanks so much we called and they said we can have an appointment on Tuesday

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do make sure you keep up with the weight checks.
40ml is the minimum to keep a piggy’s gut functioning when they are not eating hay for themselves so definitely try to get that amount in

If he is not swallowing anything then it will be an emergency situation unfortunately

 

[AnxiousPigOwner]

Good you managed to get an appointment with a better vet, as it is a few days away, I personally would recommend fibreplex and/or some bio lapis (might want to check with your vet first) - you can get them both on Amazon Prime.

Fibreplex is a high-fiber, carrot-flavored probiotic and prebiotic paste designed to support digestive health and restart gut motility. It is used to treat gut stasis, restore gut flora during antibiotic use, or support a reduced appetite following illness, surgery, or stress.

Bio Lapis is a dandelion-flavored powder designed to support gut health and hydration It combines probiotics to populate the gut, prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria, and electrolytes/vitamins for rehydration, commonly used during illness, stress, diarrhea, or after surgery. It acts as a critical care supplement.

My piggies have never liked fibreplex so I often struggle to give it, but they love Biolapis so I sway towards that, its also a bit of an appetite stimulant.

I mix bio lapis in with water and syringe some in, I dont have to do much work as the piggies have always lunged forward for it.

As everyone as has said, keep up with the support feeds and daily weight checks, I would also monitor poop output (dont forget poops are 2 days behind). Make sure he is getting his pain relief on time. Is he one 1 dose a day or 2?

Hope he feels better soon.

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Good you managed to get an appointment with a better vet, as it is a few days away, I personally would recommend fibreplex and/or some bio lapis (might want to check with your vet first) - you can get them both on Amazon Prime.

Fibreplex is a high-fiber, carrot-flavored probiotic and prebiotic paste designed to support digestive health and restart gut motility. It is used to treat gut stasis, restore gut flora during antibiotic use, or support a reduced appetite following illness, surgery, or stress.

Bio Lapis is a dandelion-flavored powder designed to support gut health and hydration It combines probiotics to populate the gut, prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria, and electrolytes/vitamins for rehydration, commonly used during illness, stress, diarrhea, or after surgery. It acts as a critical care supplement.

My piggies have never liked fibreplex so I often struggle to give it, but they love Biolapis so I sway towards that, its also a bit of an appetite stimulant.

I mix bio lapis in with water and syringe some in, I dont have to do much work as the piggies have always lunged forward for it.

As everyone as has said, keep up with the support feeds and daily weight checks, I would also monitor poop output (dont forget poops are 2 days behind). Make sure he is getting his pain relief on time. Is he one 1 dose a day or 2?

Hope he feels better soon.

Thanks so much I'm going to the vets tomorrow so I will ask the vet about those two things to see if it would be suitable for him.

And thanks he is still getting syringe fed and weighed daily and he seems to be enjoying the syringe feeding a lot which is great because a couple of days ago he wouldn’t even swallow it. And he hasn’t been pooping much at all and thanks I never knew they was 2 days behind that’s interesting to know! And he is on 2 doses a day and my mum makes sure it’s always on time

Thanks so much for your help hopefully tomorrow the vet can figure out what’s wrong with my poor piggy

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m glad he is eating better.

You can give a probiotic and you don’t need to speak to the vet about it. It isn’t a medication, it is a food supplement and helps balance the gut so can be very beneficial for them if they have a digestive upset.
Poop soup made from the very fresh poops of a healthy companion is also very good. It’s live microbiome transfer and can be more helpful than commercial probiotics

Yes poop output is 1-2 days behind so you won’t see poop come back until 1-2 days after enough food has started going in. That’s why you sent rely on poop output for relevant food intake information (weight checks are the only way to know they are getting enough food)

Let us know how you get on at the vet

Probiotics & Live Gut Microbiome Transfer ('Poo Soup'); Recovery Formula Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links and Transfer Recipe

 

[Merab]

Hope all goes well tomorrow.
Holding you in my thoughts

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck at the vets

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

I’m glad he is eating better.

You can give a probiotic and you don’t need to speak to the vet about it. It isn’t a medication, it is a food supplement and helps balance the gut so can be very beneficial for them if they have a digestive upset.
Poop soup made from the very fresh poops of a healthy companion is also very good. It’s live microbiome transfer and can be more helpful than commercial probiotics

Yes poop output is 1-2 days behind so you won’t see poop come back until 1-2 days after enough food has started going in. That’s why you sent rely on poop output for relevant food intake information (weight checks are the only way to know they are getting enough food)

Let us know how you get on at the vet

Probiotics & Live Gut Microbiome Transfer ('Poo Soup'); Recovery Formula Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links and Transfer Recipe

Okay thanks I’ve ordered him some fibreplex. And that sounds amazing too thanks.

I haven’t seen any poop in his cage for a few days now but he’s still being syringe fed but he definitely isn’t getting enough food it’s just really hard cause he won’t eat anything on his own.

We just got back from the vet and she has filed his teeth down again and said he has thrush in his mouth so he’s been given some medication to help him and more painkillers.

He’s really not doing well she said if this doesn’t work and he still wont eat on his own within the next 48 hours he will probably die because he’s so weak and his breathing has been really fast

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Hope all goes well tomorrow.
Holding you in my thoughts

Hope all goes well tomorrow.
Holding you in my thoughts

Thanks so much

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Good luck at the vets

Thanks so much

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear this

Oral thrush is not nice and will definitely put them off eating.
Keep going and try to get as much as you can possibly can into him - little and often (no poop does mean he isn’t getting enough food) - and keep up with daily weight checks also

Fingers firmly crossed the meds work

 

[weepweeps]

It’s so hard syringe feeding a piggy who is not eating for themselves. I’ve been there a few times unfortunately. Your mum is doing a great job. Do you know how much she is getting in him a day? Are you weighing him every morning? That’s how to gauge how much feed he needs a day. Also how much / and what pain medication is he on?

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Okay thanks I’ve ordered him some fibreplex. And that sounds amazing too thanks.

I haven’t seen any poop in his cage for a few days now but he’s still being syringe fed but he definitely isn’t getting enough food it’s just really hard cause he won’t eat anything on his own.

We just got back from the vet and she has filed his teeth down again and said he has thrush in his mouth so he’s been given some medication to help him and more painkillers.

He’s really not doing well she said if this doesn’t work and he still wont eat on his own within the next 48 hours he will probably die because he’s so weak and his breathing has been really fast

Sorry to hear that your piggy is very poorly, I'm sending him loads of healing vibes.
Was it Itrafungol he was given for the thrush? I was also prescribed that when my old boy was diagnosed with oral thrush - the good news is that after 2 doses, the next morning he sat on my lap and ate grass and soft hay for an hour - the effect was really that quick. I hope it is the same for your boy

Did you take him to the Cat & Rabbit clinic by any chance?

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

I’m so sorry to hear this

Oral thrush is not nice and will definitely put them off eating.
Keep going and try to get as much as you can possibly can into him - little and often (no poop does mean he isn’t getting enough food) - and keep up with daily weight checks also

Fingers firmly crossed the meds work

We will keep trying our best! And thanks so much

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

It’s so hard syringe feeding a piggy who is not eating for themselves. I’ve been there a few times unfortunately. Your mum is doing a great job. Do you know how much she is getting in him a day? Are you weighing him every morning? That’s how to gauge how much feed he needs a day. Also how much / and what pain medication is he on?

awww well done for the times u have had to do that. And thanks so much, I’m not sure exactly how much she is getting in him but she’s giving him as much as she can in one sitting and is doing it every 2-3 hours and she’s weighing him every morning he’s currently 890 grams. I'm not sure how much pain medication it is but I know it’s loxicom.

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

Sorry to hear that your piggy is very poorly, I'm sending him loads of healing vibes.
Was it Itrafungol he was given for the thrush? I was also prescribed that when my old boy was diagnosed with oral thrush - the good news is that after 2 doses, the next morning he sat on my lap and ate grass and soft hay for an hour - the effect was really that quick. I hope it is the same for your boy

Did you take him to the Cat & Rabbit clinic by any chance?

Thanks so much! And yes it was. And awwww that is great that gives me so much hope that it will be the same for my oreo let’s hope . If he doesn’t get eating on his own really soon he wont last much longer sadly cause of how weak he is.

And yeah I did they was absolutely amazing. I'm never going to my local vets again ill be sticking with Simon and Kim

 

[AidaB]

How is your piggy this morning?
Thinking of you at this tricky time.

We had a foster pig who had itrafungal for oral thrush too. Diagnosed by C&R in Northampton.(Which the local rescues vet didn’t/coudnt’t spot.) He recovered quite quickly.

We are also in MK & prefer to travel to Northampton for the vet.

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

How is your piggy this morning?
Thinking of you at this tricky time.

We had a foster pig who had itrafungal for oral thrush too. Diagnosed by C&R in Northampton.(Which the local rescues vet didn’t/coudnt’t spot.) He recovered quite quickly.

We are also in MK & prefer to travel to Northampton for the vet.

He’s still not eating and his breathing really heavy and weak

Awww I’m so glad he recovered quite quick how long did it take him

And that’s the best thing to do it’s so much better than the ones in mk

 

[AidaB]

I am sorry to hear your piggy is still struggling.
Sending healing vibes.

 

[weepweeps]

Sending healing vibes

 

[iloveoliviarodrigo]

I am sorry to hear your piggy is still struggling.
Sending healing vibes.

Thanks so much unfortunately he passed away this morning at 5:05am