My Little Patrick Is Rapidly Losing Weight

[Holis]

He's not been himself for over a week now. I first noticed that he wasn't eating properly and I hadn't seen him drink in a while. I took him to the vets and they told me that he was de-hydrated and to feed him water and vegetable baby food through a syringe, which I then did. After a few days he started drinking by himself and eating small amounts. His poos are not normal either, they are irregular shapes and very soft. Some days he's miserable and doesn't move much but others he is more himself. He is very skinny and is now 680g when he used to be over 1,000g and although eating he still appears to still be loosing weight. I will be taking him to the vets again as soon as possible but I'm not sure what to. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with him?

 

[eileen]

need to get advise from health and illness team.maybe consider handfeeding oxbow critical care,and seeking a cavy savvy vet in your area?maybe suggest putting your country/county of where you live to get appropriate care for your part of the world.I'm very sorry your piggy is poorly it is a very distraught time.welcome to the friendly forum.i hope you get the support you need for your little man.weikebe is a very knowledgeable forum leader.i cannot unfortunatley advise you what is wrong with your cavy.thinking of vyou both.Eileen

 

[biscandmatt]

without further tests, it would be impossible to say. did they do a thorough check, including teeth? first thing to check with any type of weight loss.

did they inject fluids for the dehydration? just syringing water and food won't be enough in the case of dehydration. did they recommend any further tests to find out what is wrong? it also sounds like his guts have slowed down aswell so meds alongside syringe feeding would probably also be needed at this stage.

there is a vet locator at the top to help you find your nearest cavy-savvy vet. sadly alot of vets are not great when it comes to guinea pigs. if you say where you are aswell, perhaps someone can recommend a piggy vet for you aswell

 

[Kerrie74]

Best thing to do is get your piggie to a vet I hope it's nothing serious!

 

[Holis]

without further tests, it would be impossible to say. did they do a thorough check, including teeth? first thing to check with any type of weight loss.

did they inject fluids for the dehydration? just syringing water and food won't be enough in the case of dehydration. did they recommend any further tests to find out what is wrong? it also sounds like his guts have slowed down aswell so meds alongside syringe feeding would probably also be needed at this stage.

there is a vet locator at the top to help you find your nearest cavy-savvy vet. sadly alot of vets are not great when it comes to guinea pigs. if you say where you are aswell, perhaps someone can recommend a piggy vet for you aswell

Thank you for help I have found my nearest cavy-savvy vet and am hoping to take him there today.
The previous vet that I went to did do all necessary checks, she had a feel around, looked at his teeth and yes I forgot to mentioned also injected him with a hydration fluid. She thought that it would sort him out so did not recommend any further tests. He doesn't seem dehydrated any more and appears to drink enough, but is still not himself and very picky on food.

 

[Wiebke]

He's not been himself for over a week now. I first noticed that he wasn't eating properly and I hadn't seen him drink in a while. I took him to the vets and they told me that he was de-hydrated and to feed him water and vegetable baby food through a syringe, which I then did. After a few days he started drinking by himself and eating small amounts. His poos are not normal either, they are irregular shapes and very soft. Some days he's miserable and doesn't move much but others he is more himself. He is very skinny and is now 680g when he used to be over 1,000g and although eating he still appears to still be loosing weight. I will be taking him to the vets again as soon as possible but I'm not sure what to. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with him?

Please have him seen by a vet ASAP; any weight loss over 50g/2 oz should be seen by a vet. Any weight loss over 100g/3 oz as promptly as possible. Massive weight loss is either illness or pain-related; very often the second. Your boy is getting dangerously low in weight now, so you haven't got much time left to act!
Recommended UK vets: Guinea Pig Vet Locator
Recommended vets in other countries (with permission of Guinea Lynx): Veterinarians - The GLX-Files

Also start syringe feeding and watering ASAP; if he goes for too long without food and water, his gut can start closing down.
Here is our step-by-step guide with tips on how you can make the best of what you have got at home until you can get the proper stuff online or from your vets. Weigh him daily at the same time to make sure that he is at least keeping his current weight until he can get treatment. The changed poos reflect his diminished food intake and the slowed down guts.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

We have got members from all over the world and find it therefore very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and doable where you are (as well as take your climate into account if necessary) instead of keeping things general. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[Holis]

Please have him seen by a vet ASAP; any weight loss over 50g/2 oz should be seen by a vet. Any weight loss over 100g/3 oz as promptly as possible. Massive weight loss is either illness or pain-related; very often the second. Your boy is getting dangerously low in weight now, so you haven't got much time left to act!
Recommended UK vets: Guinea Pig Vet Locator
Recommended vets in other countries (with permission of Guinea Lynx): Veterinarians - The GLX-Files

Also start syringe feeding and watering ASAP; if he goes for too long without food and water, his gut can start closing down.
Here is our step-by-step guide with tips on how you can make the best of what you have got at home until you can get the proper stuff online or from your vets. Weigh him daily at the same time to make sure that he is at least keeping his current weight until he can get treatment. The changed poos reflect his diminished food intake and the slowed down guts.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

We have got members from all over the world and find it therefore very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and doable where you are (as well as take your climate into account if necessary) instead of keeping things general. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

Thank you very much for the help I have read the syringe feeding guide. I have also taken him to the vets, they have given him an anti-biotic injection as they think it might be a bacterial infection in the digestive system. I will also be giving him anti-biotic medication through a syringe for the next 7 days and if it works he should be gaining weight within 5 days. They have also suggested putting vitamin C in his water. Another thing that the vets provided me with was oxbow critical care food which he seems to like.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you very much for the help I have read the syringe feeding guide. I have also taken him to the vets, they have given him an anti-biotic injection as they think it might be a bacterial infection in the digestive system. I will also be giving him anti-biotic medication through a syringe for the next 7 days and if it works he should be gaining weight within 5 days. They have also suggested putting vitamin C in his water. Another thing that the vets provided me with was oxbow critical care food which he seems to like.

Please do not put any vitamin C in drinking water; guinea pigs don't like additives and will drink noticeably less. It is much better to syringe the necessary amount of vitamin C dissolved in 1-2 ml of water, so you can be sure that all goes in fresh.

It would also be good if you added a pinch of probiotics to his food in order to counter the appetite dampening effect of the antibiotic. it not only kills the bad, but also the good bacteria in the guts, which are central for a good digestion.
If Holis has got a healthy companion, you can also soak some fresh poos in fresh water and syringe the water; it contains all the good stuff to restock the guts, even if it is a bit gross.

fingers very firmly crossed!

 

[Holis]

There has not been much luck so far, he is losing further weight and is now down to 630g, I'm doing everything that I can to keep him eating. He is quite happy to drink however. Today I noticed a pinky/red stain in the sawdust in his cage. Is this likely to mean that he has some kind of bladder infection?

 

[helen105281]

It could be a sign of a UTI but it is a very dramatic weight loss. Have you noticed him squeaking when peeing? I think he needs to be checked for stones and or bladder sludge too, would your vet consider either a conscious xray or an ultrasound?

 

[Wiebke]

There has not been much luck so far, he is losing further weight and is now down to 630g, I'm doing everything that I can to keep him eating. He is quite happy to drink however. Today I noticed a pinky/red stain in the sawdust in his cage. Is this likely to mean that he has some kind of bladder infection?

Please keep going with syringe feeding and have him seen again tomorrow.

Blood in the urine is worrying; it may be good if he could have an x-ray or scan to check for a bladder stone/sludge and see whether there is something obvious going on inside his body. The antibiotic is obviously not the solution.

 

[Holis]

No he does not squeak while peeing. He hasn't lost much more weight since yeasersay, he seems much more energetic and himself today. Today he pooed around 10x more than he has been and they are all The shape they should be (but a little more soft). The vets referred us to an exotic pets vet today. She based his dramatic weight loss and large amounts of water that he has been drinking to conclude rather quickly that he had either coushing or kidney problems. She said that there was not much point doing further tests as neither of the problems are curable. She also said that she didn't expect him to last longer than a few days. I find this odd however as today he has seemed much better and is voluntarily eating lots more than he has in the last week or so. He has also been eating the nuggets for the first time in over a week. Is it possible that she is wrong?

 

[Wiebke]

No he does not squeak while peeing. He hasn't lost much more weight since yeasersay, he seems much more energetic and himself today. Today he pooed around 10x more than he has been and they are all The shape they should be (but a little more soft). The vets referred us to an exotic pets vet today. She based his dramatic weight loss and large amounts of water that he has been drinking to conclude rather quickly that he had either coushing or kidney problems. She said that there was not much point doing further tests as neither of the problems are curable. She also said that she didn't expect him to last longer than a few days. I find this odd however as today he has seemed much better and is voluntarily eating lots more than he has in the last week or so. He has also been eating the nuggets for the first time in over a week. Is it possible that she is wrong?

I am ever so sorry for the bad news!
Unfortunately, only time will tell. Enjoy your boy perking up and take it day by day for the moment.

The only other option with drinking lots and major weight loss is diabetes, but if the vet is aware of Cushings (which is very rare in guinea pigs and pretty unknown to most general vets), then she will have likely excluded that based on the findings her examination.

 

[Holis]

I am ever so sorry for the bad news!
Unfortunately, only time will tell. Enjoy your boy perking up and take it day by day for the moment.

The only other option with drinking lots and major weight loss is diabetes, but if the vet is aware of Cushings (which is very rare in guinea pigs and pretty unknown to most general vets), then she will have likely excluded that based on the findings her examination.

Thank you for your help and support through all of this I am hoping for the best.

 

[flintstones]

Cushings is a very common illness in dogs perhaps also cats. Can I ask has the vet did a Urine test? This can be done by using a simple test strip.

Yes water consumption can indicate kidney problems, I have recently had my Penfold Xrayed which confirmed kidney stones. He also had bloodwork done to which confirmed his Kidneys are compromised. I would definitely recommend an Xray as he could have bladder stones which are removable.

 

[Holis]

Cushings is a very common illness in dogs perhaps also cats. Can I ask has the vet did a Urine test? This can be done by using a simple test strip.

Yes water consumption can indicate kidney problems, I have recently had my Penfold Xrayed which confirmed kidney stones. He also had bloodwork done to which confirmed his Kidneys are compromised. I would definitely recommend an Xray as he could have bladder stones which are removable.

No she did no urine tests and did not recommend any tests or x-Rays because she believed that all of the possible problems that he has are terminal

 

[biscandmatt]

i would still want the exotics vet to do further tests to find out exactly what is wrong. this will enable the best treatement/palliative care.

i've had these symptoms (urinating blood and losing huge amounts of weight) in three of my piggies. each was a different problem from the same symptoms - chronic cysitis, chronic cystitis and sludge, and kidney disease.

 

[Holis]

i would still want the exotics vet to do further tests to find out exactly what is wrong. this will enable the best treatement/palliative care.

i've had these symptoms (urinating blood and losing huge amounts of weight) in three of my piggies. each was a different problem from the same symptoms - chronic cysitis, chronic cystitis and sludge, and kidney disease.

I wanted to but the vet told me that even if we found out what was wrong with him it would not be curable. Oh very sorry to hear that did you manage to get your Piggys cured in the end?

 

[flintstones]

My Penfold is terminal but the diagnosis allowed us to manage his pain to allow him to have some quality of life. Is it worth seeing another vet? Massive amounts of weight loss generally indicates pain. Also diabetes causes huge thirst, and unexplained weight loss.

 

[Holis]

My Penfold is terminal but the diagnosis allowed us to manage his pain to allow him to have some quality of life. Is it worth seeing another vet? Massive amounts of weight loss generally indicates pain. Also diabetes causes huge thirst, and unexplained weight loss.

Oh sorry to hear that, he doesn't seem in pain and the vet didn't think he was either. I have looked at the symptoms of diabetes and he does have them all but one (cataracts), whereas he only has 2/8 symptoms of kidney failure.

 

[flintstones]

Unfortunately you will never know without further tests. To test for diabetes you do a Urine test and if glucoses are present you follow it with a pin prick test to check if glucose is also present in the blood.

 

[flintstones]

Unfortunately you will never know without further tests. To test for diabetes you do a Urine test and if glucoses are present you follow it with a pin prick test to check if glucose is also present in the blood.

 

[Holis]

Unfortunately you will never know without further tests. To test for diabetes you do a Urine test and if glucoses are present you follow it with a pin prick test to check if glucose is also present in the blood.

Thank you I will try to get him tested today

 

[biscandmatt]

I wanted to but the vet told me that even if we found out what was wrong with him it would not be curable. Oh very sorry to hear that did you manage to get your Piggys cured in the end?

i don't think they can say for sure it 100% wouldn't be curable without knowing exactly what the issue is. we were told maisie most probably had issues with her kidneys - she had pink/red urine and the initial urine test was very watery with lots of protein, suggesting that her kidneys were struggling. however further proper testing revealed that her kidneys were infact fine, but she did have a very chronic cysitis, and lots of protein in her urine. so had we not found out, we would have just assumed she had kidney issues and that she wouldn't beable to be cured. the issue was managed well, but she went on to get ovarian cysts aswell and passed away before her spay. so that complicated things in her case. she was older and her body just couldn't cope anymore.

chesney had his bladder flushed, pain relief and a course of antibiotics and completely recovered

eddie's kidney disease was advanced (showed on the proper testing) and despite being admitted for intenstive care, we sadly had to let him go.

it's only my opinion but i really would try and find out what the exact issue is, if he is strong enough for testing. you could always get another opinion and then decide what to do? not commit to anything, but it could help x

 

[Holis]

i don't think they can say for sure it 100% wouldn't be curable without knowing exactly what the issue is. we were told maisie most probably had issues with her kidneys - she had pink/red urine and the initial urine test was very watery with lots of protein, suggesting that her kidneys were struggling. however further proper testing revealed that her kidneys were infact fine, but she did have a very chronic cysitis, and lots of protein in her urine. so had we not found out, we would have just assumed she had kidney issues and that she wouldn't beable to be cured. the issue was managed well, but she went on to get ovarian cysts aswell and passed away before her spay. so that complicated things in her case. she was older and her body just couldn't cope anymore.

chesney had his bladder flushed, pain relief and a course of antibiotics and completely recovered

eddie's kidney disease was advanced (showed on the proper testing) and despite being admitted for intenstive care, we sadly had to let him go.

it's only my opinion but i really would try and find out what the exact issue is, if he is strong enough for testing. you could always get another opinion and then decide what to do? not commit to anything, but it could help x

Oh I'm very sorry to hear about Maisie and Eddie that's great news that chesney recovered. I did go back to the original vets today and they injected him with fluids to help him become more rehydrated. They also did a urine test for diabetes which it was not. They could not however do any further tests as they did not have the facilities to do so.