Larissa98
New Born Pup
Hello! Last week I posted about my male, neutered guinea pig, Jos Louis's weight loss and lack of appetite. I took him to the vet, and he was prescribed metacam and trimebutine to get his gut moving. I was very optimistic the first couple of days. I was feeding him Critical Care every 2-3 hours (totalling about 40mL a day) and he was slowly gaining weight, and after two days, began pooping again. He began showing interest in food again, and has nibbled on a couple of veggies.
I thought that maybe his issues could have been set off by the fact that I changed my piggies pellets (from Oxbow Essentials to their Garden Select) even though I did transition them slowly. I purchased the Essentials again, and he seemed very excited when I placed it in his temporary sick cage. I believe he ate a few pellets, but that was pretty much the end of it. He wont eat lettuce, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, arugula or spinach. He will lick the juices from tomato and consumed nearly half a collard green yesterday (a family member gave it to him- it makes him bloat so I dont usually give it to him).
He has lost all that he gained back in the first two days (we're on day 5 now) and I am at a loss. I did reduce his feedings, hoping his hunger might drive him to eat a bit more, but am back to feedings every two hours now. He is still pooping, and although he wont eat or drink from a bottle, his avidly drinks from a water dish. He doesn't seem very dehydrated when I pull the skin on his neck and let it fall (it bounces back quickly) but I am concerned that he hasn't peed on me once during a feeding (It used to be a miracle if I could take him out and not have him pee on me in the first 5 minutes).
I plan to take him to the vet again on Monday (my exotics vet isn't available on weekends). She discussed what the 'next steps' would be if he didn't begin eating again, which were x-rays, blood work and an in-depth look at his mouth requiring sedation.
My gut tells me there is something wrong with his teeth. He shows interest in food but just doesn't seem comfortable biting or chewing it. This may also be why he doesn't feel comfortable wrapping his mouth around the water bottle. His front teeth are very angled, and I mentioned this to my vet and she didn't seem very concerns (I'll attach a picture). He also chews at a strange angle, which I understand could be caused by issues in his back molars.
If I can save a couple hundreds in vet bills, I will. I'm hoping to get some of your opinions on what tests you think I should opt for first- xrays, blood work or sedation examination?
He has a good amount of energy and is always down to snuggle. I try to give him time with his girls (he has two roommates) every day in my living room, so he doesn't get too lonely. My vet and I have agreed to keep him separate so I can keep an eye on his poo and track his food consumption, but he is a very social boy and I feel bad having to keep him apart.
Thank you in advance for your help!
-Larissa
I thought that maybe his issues could have been set off by the fact that I changed my piggies pellets (from Oxbow Essentials to their Garden Select) even though I did transition them slowly. I purchased the Essentials again, and he seemed very excited when I placed it in his temporary sick cage. I believe he ate a few pellets, but that was pretty much the end of it. He wont eat lettuce, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, arugula or spinach. He will lick the juices from tomato and consumed nearly half a collard green yesterday (a family member gave it to him- it makes him bloat so I dont usually give it to him).
He has lost all that he gained back in the first two days (we're on day 5 now) and I am at a loss. I did reduce his feedings, hoping his hunger might drive him to eat a bit more, but am back to feedings every two hours now. He is still pooping, and although he wont eat or drink from a bottle, his avidly drinks from a water dish. He doesn't seem very dehydrated when I pull the skin on his neck and let it fall (it bounces back quickly) but I am concerned that he hasn't peed on me once during a feeding (It used to be a miracle if I could take him out and not have him pee on me in the first 5 minutes).
I plan to take him to the vet again on Monday (my exotics vet isn't available on weekends). She discussed what the 'next steps' would be if he didn't begin eating again, which were x-rays, blood work and an in-depth look at his mouth requiring sedation.
My gut tells me there is something wrong with his teeth. He shows interest in food but just doesn't seem comfortable biting or chewing it. This may also be why he doesn't feel comfortable wrapping his mouth around the water bottle. His front teeth are very angled, and I mentioned this to my vet and she didn't seem very concerns (I'll attach a picture). He also chews at a strange angle, which I understand could be caused by issues in his back molars.
If I can save a couple hundreds in vet bills, I will. I'm hoping to get some of your opinions on what tests you think I should opt for first- xrays, blood work or sedation examination?
He has a good amount of energy and is always down to snuggle. I try to give him time with his girls (he has two roommates) every day in my living room, so he doesn't get too lonely. My vet and I have agreed to keep him separate so I can keep an eye on his poo and track his food consumption, but he is a very social boy and I feel bad having to keep him apart.
Thank you in advance for your help!
-Larissa
