My Little Piggy Mr Knight...sick In A Matter Of Days

[kmg1947]

My handsome little 2.5 year old guinea pig "Mr Knight" just stopped eating within the last 24-48hours.
Sunday night I had to get a different guinea pig food as his regular brand was out. I figured
I grab a brand I had him on a little while back before. Well the pellets are bigger and he just
picked at the food Sunday and Monday. I still offered celery and cabbage which he ate. Well
Monday evening rolls around and my 2 middle school age kids noticed no poop and water barely
touched. I refilled the water added vitamin C drops which he did drink that and ate a piece of
green bell pepper for me. That was it. Yesterday morning he ate a little cabbage, and a carrot
I left in his cage last night over his pellets I woke up to that being gone. When I tried to feed him
a little more carrot he would not take it. Fast forward through today.. I get home and he still hasn't
touched his hay, carrots I left over his pellets or water. I got nervous made a vet appt for Friday
which was the soonest this place could get me in. It's called Banfield animal hospital affiliated with
pet smart here in Mississippi. I checked his teeth and they look like they may need to be cut down.
I made a pellet mush for him this evening and he ate it down pretty well. I am getting ready to give
him some water in a min through the other syringe. They say if syringe feeding it is best to feed them
at least 4xs a day within a 24 hour, and the amount should be any where between 12-15cc(ML) As I fed
him and he wanted more. I just keep holding him and he appears to be moving up and down his cage here
and there. He normally lays on his little level floor in his cage, but the past 2 days he is just laying on the
bottom in his bedding. I just cleaned his cage again and I continuously keep holding him...uuug i hate this.
He has never been sick since I have had him for 2.5 years. What else can I do?

Any responses are most appreciated

 

[kmg1947]

I understand that my cleaning products used can also make your guinea pig sick. Is any one educated in this area to assist me.
I been using some fabulouso just a cap full diluted in warm water. I scrub his cage down rinse out at least 2 times and towel
dry the cage. His utensils I just clean with regular soap and water. He has never had a problem. I than mop the floor with a little
fabulouso That's it! I don't put him back in the cage for about 25mins after cleaning. He loves me and my kids to hold him and when
he is ready to get back in his cage, he let's us know that as well. He is so smart and loving...uuggg I am just in stiches about this.
I love my little furry baby.

 

[7squeakers.]

Tagging @Wiebke and @helen105281 @furryfriends (TEAS) who can help you better than me.

 

[kmg1947]

Thank you so much for giving me information I can use. I am just down about this. My baby has never been sick. He goes to the Vet tomorrow. His hair coat is beautiful as ever. His eyes have no crust or anything around them. He is moaning instead of tweeking. I am just fit to be tide. He goes to the Vet tomorrow at 2pm. He did eat pellet mush for me this morning and last night. I have gotten about 24mls in him between yesterday late afternoon, midnight and again at 6am this morning.He still wants something to eat and has the urge, but just cant do it on his own. He took about 8mls of water.....I wonder what the vet will say. I am just on pins and needles.

 

[Wiebke]

My handsome little 2.5 year old guinea pig "Mr Knight" just stopped eating within the last 24-48hours.
Sunday night I had to get a different guinea pig food as his regular brand was out. I figured
I grab a brand I had him on a little while back before. Well the pellets are bigger and he just
picked at the food Sunday and Monday. I still offered celery and cabbage which he ate. Well
Monday evening rolls around and my 2 middle school age kids noticed no poop and water barely
touched. I refilled the water added vitamin C drops which he did drink that and ate a piece of
green bell pepper for me. That was it. Yesterday morning he ate a little cabbage, and a carrot
I left in his cage last night over his pellets I woke up to that being gone. When I tried to feed him
a little more carrot he would not take it. Fast forward through today.. I get home and he still hasn't
touched his hay, carrots I left over his pellets or water. I got nervous made a vet appt for Friday
which was the soonest this place could get me in. It's called Banfield animal hospital affiliated with
pet smart here in Mississippi. I checked his teeth and they look like they may need to be cut down.
I made a pellet mush for him this evening and he ate it down pretty well. I am getting ready to give
him some water in a min through the other syringe. They say if syringe feeding it is best to feed them
at least 4xs a day within a 24 hour, and the amount should be any where between 12-15cc(ML) As I fed
him and he wanted more. I just keep holding him and he appears to be moving up and down his cage here
and there. He normally lays on his little level floor in his cage, but the past 2 days he is just laying on the
bottom in his bedding. I just cleaned his cage again and I continuously keep holding him...uuug i hate this.
He has never been sick since I have had him for 2.5 years. What else can I do?

Any responses are most appreciated

Please start syringe feeding your boy asap. He needs at least 40 ml in order to prevent the guts from closing down; ideally more. A healthy adult needs the equivalent of 120 ml per day to keep their weight.
In an acute illness, you feed the more often, the less you can get in per session; if necessary throughout the night. Sometimes, that can be noticeably less than 10 ml. Please keep on watering him, too!

Please keep weighing him daily at the same time in the feeding cycle instead of the regular once a week weigh-in, so you can keep an eye on his food intake.
You will find the tips on our illustrated step-by-step guide helpful. Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Good that you have booked him in for tomorrow and that the clinic has told you to syringe feed already.
Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours. That is why it is so important to have them seen promptly and why it can be vital to step in with syringe feeding as soon as you notice a diminished appetite.

 

[kmg1947]

Thanks again for your advice. I have been getting some nutrients in him. I am going to get him another helping of pellet mush ready again and continue this process til
we get to the vet. I pray it isn't anything serious.

 

[helen105281]

I hope he gets on ok at the vets, I don't really have anything else to add until you know what you are dealing with. By his behaviour I would think here may be some kind of pain issue though.

 

[kmg1947]

Well just an update on Mr Knight. He is hanging in there and certainly knows that momma and
his siblings love him unconditional, and because of that he has been a soldier through all of this.
I fed him again his pellet mush last night at 9:30pm and again 5.:30am. I skipped the 3:00am feeding,
as he was just so worked up his breathing became more labored, so I just was able to get some
water in him. He ate about 6mls though this morning and 5mls of water. His last night feeding he ate
8mls and 3mls of water. I will feed him again around 11ish, and his vet appt is at 2pm today. I am going
to get there early. Every time he eats he perks up and listens to me sing to him. I wiped his eyes out
and brushed his coat. His coat is so beautiful. I will post a picture a little later of my baby. He so handsome.
After wiping him his mouth and face with a warm dry towel. He was ready to cuddle, so we did and watched
more Heat of the Night. That is our favorite show. Well I am going to get myself together for the day and will talk to you all a little later after Mr knights vet appt.

Take care and thank you all for the support.

 

[Wiebke]

Well just an update on Mr Knight. He is hanging in there and certainly knows that momma and
his siblings love him unconditional, and because of that he has been a soldier through all of this.
I fed him again his pellet mush last night at 9:30pm and again 5.:30am. I skipped the 3:00am feeding,
as he was just so worked up his breathing became more labored, so I just was able to get some
water in him. He ate about 6mls though this morning and 5mls of water. His last night feeding he ate
8mls and 3mls of water. I will feed him again around 11ish, and his vet appt is at 2pm today. I am going
to get there early. Every time he eats he perks up and listens to me sing to him. I wiped his eyes out
and brushed his coat. His coat is so beautiful. I will post a picture a little later of my baby. He so handsome.
After wiping him his mouth and face with a warm dry towel. He was ready to cuddle, so we did and watched
more Heat of the Night. That is our favorite show. Well I am going to get myself together for the day and will talk to you all a little later after Mr knights vet appt.

Take care and thank you all for the support.

Please try to feed him every 2-3 hours at the rate he is getting things down. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. it sounds like he has got URI (respiratory infection) or pneumonia.

Please ask the vets for a diuretic in addition to the antibiotic. It his airways are full of mucus, a product that will make the mucus more fluid, so it can clear off, is also helpful. Here in the UK, bisolvon powder is the appropriate brand.
The sooner you can clear the lungs and ease his breathing, the more chance he has of pulling through and be able to take on food. It is VERY important that you can get the 40 ml into him, as difficult as it is. Your care is vital, as much as the medication is going to be. Keep on syringe feeding him/topping him up with syringe feed until the weight is stable with

Also syringe him about 1/4 of a human vitamin C tablet, which you have dissolved in 1 ml of water (or 1/8 tablet twice daily) to help boost his immune system. Once he is on the antibiotic, also supplement him with 1 pinch of a probiotic (you can get that from a pet shop) to help bolster the guts additionally, as antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria, but also the good ones.

Please a bowl of steaming water next to his cage to help ease his breathing. Replace it regularly.

Fingers very firmly crossed!
Guinea Lynx :: URI

 

[kmg1947]

Please try to feed him every 2-3 hours at the rate he is getting things down. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. it sounds like he has got URI (respiratory infection) or pneumonia.

Please ask the vets for a diuretic in addition to the antibiotic. It his airways are full of mucus, a product that will make the mucus more fluid, so it can clear off, is also helpful. Here in the UK, bisolvon powder is the appropriate brand.
The sooner you can clear the lungs and ease his breathing, the more chance he has of pulling through and be able to take on food. It is VERY important that you can get the 40 ml into him, as difficult as it is. Your care is vital, as much as the medication is going to be. Keep on syringe feeding him/topping him up with syringe feed until the weight is stable with

Also syringe him about 1/4 of a human vitamin C tablet, which you have dissolved in 1 ml of water (or 1/8 tablet twice daily) to help boost his immune system. Once he is on the antibiotic, also supplement him with 1 pinch of a probiotic (you can get that from a pet shop) to help bolster the guts additionally, as antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria, but also the good ones.

Please a bowl of steaming water next to his cage to help ease his breathing. Replace it regularly.

Fingers very firmly crossed!
Guinea Lynx :: URI

Hello...to you and everyone on teh guinea pig forum reading this. Well you were correct! My baby has pneumonia. Apparently where I have him there is a little draft. I have since moved his cage and put him up higher. Naturally I started crying because I feel it is my fault that he has this. The vet prescribed antibiotics one of the medicines is prednisolone, 15mg, theophyline, 100mg and enrofloxacin 11.4mg and critical care. He will be on 2 of the meds for a 7 days and the other for 9 days.Have any of you had experience with a guinea pig getting through pneumonia? Any other suggestions are welcomed. Please let me know of any other helpful pointers to get my baby through this. His breathing is still raspy. I already have a dose of medicine in him and will continue feeding every 2-3 hours even if it is just a little...Thanks again for all the knowledge and education from you all and this site.

KMG1947

 

[Wiebke]

Hello...to you and everyone on teh guinea pig forum reading this. Well you were correct! My baby has pneumonia. Apparently where I have him there is a little draft. I have since moved his cage and put him up higher. Naturally I started crying because I feel it is my fault that he has this. The vet prescribed antibiotics one of the medicines is prednisolone, 15mg, theophyline, 100mg and enrofloxacin 11.4mg and critical care. He will be on 2 of the meds for a 7 days and the other for 9 days.Have any of you had experience with a guinea pig getting through pneumonia? Any other suggestions are welcomed. Please let me know of any other helpful pointers to get my baby through this. His breathing is still raspy. I already have a dose of medicine in him and will continue feeding every 2-3 hours even if it is just a little...Thanks again for all the knowledge and education from you all and this site.

KMG1947

I am tagging @Abi_nurse for the medications for you.

Yes, we have had a number of guinea pigs that have recovered from pneumonia, so it is entirely possible. Don't panic and stop feeling guilty. Concentrate on sending your boy healing thoughts and love instead! If necessary, put a towel over his cage, especially to help with the steam, too.

Please keep syringe feeding him, little but often (about every two hours when you are at home and ideally once in the middle of the night). Try to get 40-60 ml into him if possible. Continue to also give him water. The more you can get in, the more strength he has to fight his illness.

Otherwise, please follow the tips in my previous post re. bowls with steaming water, extra vitamin C and probiotics. These are all support measures you can do at home in order to help ease his breathing, boost his immune system and his guts. Hopefully, he is going to pick up again over the next day or two. Until then, you have keep at it. You will know when he is picking up, as you can get more food into him in one go. That is when you can start to lower the feeding frequency a bit more. Get some fresh parsley or cilantro; it is often the first thing that a piggy off its food wants to eat.

 

[kmg1947]

Hello to you Wiebke,

Just wanted you to know my baby is doing really good on the critical care so far. The flavor is apple banana. He really didn't care for it, so my vet told me to add flavor with some baby food vegetable or a dash of orange juice or pedialyte. I took her advice and mixed the critical care
with a little extra vitamin c and baby food squash,. He took his time and got down 7.5mls of it and 3mls of water. I will just continue the process every 3 hours. My baby is worth it. I can tell that the medications are making a difference already. He still has a long way to go, but I truly feel that he is going to pull through. He is a real trooper and I love him so. Thanks so much for schooling me on this. I so appreciate it.

Kmg1947