My Poorly Guinea Pig Please Help!

[Marvyguineapig]

My guinea pig,Marvy, got ill about two weeks ago when i noticed he had a wheezing chest and weight loss, he also had a huge compacted poop the size of a golf ball (sorry for the details)... I took him to the vets and they put him on a course of antibiotics. The after the course finished, he seemed worse with a runny nose, gunky eyes and wheezing yet again, he also seemed to be finding it difficult to eat. So i took him back to the vets they sorted out his poopy bottom yet again and prescribed a different set of antibiotics for a week and some fibreplex to help with his digestion. He doesn't seem anybetter if anything he seems worse, his chest isn't wheezing as much but he seems to be continually loosing wieght and he is really struggling to eat, he tries to and then almost chokes on it and has to spit it back out, i have cut the food up very small and this seems to help but it takes him ages to eat one tiny piece. He looks really downhearted and his poop is still bad i clean his bottom every day, to attempt to ease his uncomfortableness(if thats a word) . I don't know what else to do! Please help!

 

[helen105281]

Oh he does sound poorly. Can you list the names of the antibiotics he has been given please and coud you also post your location as this will affect what advice we give you. It sounds like he may be full of gunk, is he snotty at all? What is his breathing like as it is possible that his chest is also affected and he may need diuretic such as Frusemide to get rid of any fluid. If he is mucousy Bisolvon would also help from the vets and using a steam inhaler with 2 drops of Olbas oil in it too. Just hold it over his nose in 5 second bursts. If you don't have an inhaler you can put it in a bowl next to his cage.

I really do think he needs to be seen by a vet again as soon as possible if he is struggling to swallow as there could be more going on than the infection especially if he is not eating as it does not take long for the teeth to start to overgrow.

Also if he has an upset digestion it would be wise to stay off the veg for a few days though I know you need to actually get him to eat here.

Have you tried syringe feeding?

Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[Pebble]

Hi - sorry to hear Marvy is not well.

When a guinea pig gets poorly (often with a respiratory infection which it sounds like Marvy got) they can stop eating properly . This is what we call a "secondary complication" to the initial problem which is the respiratory infection.

If piggies don;t eat enough, the gut movement that pushes the food through to the other end slows down (and can stop altogether) which could be why his poos are getting "stuck". It can also mean that they are not eating enough to keep their teeth ground down so the molars will get too long, trap the tongue and they find eating difficult. Another reason why piggies may find it difficult to eat is because either the infection has also caused an abcess in the throat area or the antibiotics have caused a fungal infection to develop.

Sadly it is very common for this "chain of events" to develop from an initial respiratory infection, especially if the vet is not very guinea pig savvy and being "pro-active" about medications/actions to minimise the possible complications that can develop.
Also, sadly, the antibiotic baytril (most commonly prescribed for pigs) is often unfairly blamed for causing gut issues which actually were already "in progress" before the piggie got to see the vet.



What can you do?
It's a positive thing that his wheezing isn;t so bad so the most important thing at the moment is to get his eating sorted. A good guinea pig vet is needed to do a full examination of his mouth/throat and teeth, preferably without anaesthetic AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. The best one I know is Simon Maddock at Cat and Rabbit Clinic Northampton.

Whereabouts in the country are you please?

He will also need more than just fibreplex to keep his gut going (although it does contain probioitics so will help counter the effects of the antibiotic on his gut). Motility drugs such as Emeprid/metoclopromide and zantac can be prescribed by the vet to help keep the gut moving BUT just as importantly you also have to get food into him which will involve syringe feeding small amounts of critical care/Recovery or mushed pellets using a 1ml syringe. He will need 15-20ml every 4 hours day and night until he can eat for himself. Hopefully he should be able to swallow this "mush" but if not then he needs urgent attention from a skilled vet.

I'm sure other posters will be along shortly to advise on how to syringe feed.

It would also help if you could provide the following information in order to help advise you further.
a) How old is Marvy and how long have you had him?
b) What antibiotic was he given originally and what antibiotic is he on now?
c) Is he neutered and does he live with any other piggies?
d) What is his current weight and what is it normally?
e) Request for your location - county/country will do without disclosing any personal details.

Please reply to the questions and hopefully we can give you further advice.

HTH
x

 

[GPTV]

oh dear hope he soon picks up, sounds like it could be a respiratory infection. he may need his teeth kept an eye on too if he's finding it difficult to eat.
there are some medications that can be given to get rid of excess fluid on the lungs & some that help to keep his guts moving to prevent gut stasis, although i'm afraid i cant think what theyre called at the moment
Hopefully someone with more experience can give some more detailed advice.

would try him on just hay & critical care food if you can get cc, or if not some mushed up pellets in warm water, then cooled before feeding. have you tried syringe feeding before?

Would definitely get another vet visit in & have you seen the recommended vet locator at the top on the toolbar, which makes it easier to find piggy savvy vets in your area, if you need a second opinion or alternative.

Good luck lil Marvy fingers & paws all crossed from the girls & i.
xx

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Thankyou for your replies!

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Hi - sorry to hear Marvy is not well.

When a guinea pig gets poorly (often with a respiratory infection which it sounds like Marvy got) they can stop eating properly . This is what we call a "secondary complication" to the initial problem which is the respiratory infection.

If piggies don;t eat enough, the gut movement that pushes the food through to the other end slows down (and can stop altogether) which could be why his poos are getting "stuck". It can also mean that they are not eating enough to keep their teeth ground down so the molars will get too long, trap the tongue and they find eating difficult. Another reason why piggies may find it difficult to eat is because either the infection has also caused an abcess in the throat area or the antibiotics have caused a fungal infection to develop.

Sadly it is very common for this "chain of events" to develop from an initial respiratory infection, especially if the vet is not very guinea pig savvy and being "pro-active" about medications/actions to minimise the possible complications that can develop.
Also, sadly, the antibiotic baytril (most commonly prescribed for pigs) is often unfairly blamed for causing gut issues which actually were already "in progress" before the piggie got to see the vet.



What can you do?
It's a positive thing that his wheezing isn;t so bad so the most important thing at the moment is to get his eating sorted. A good guinea pig vet is needed to do a full examination of his mouth/throat and teeth, preferably without anaesthetic AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. The best one I know is Simon Maddock at Cat and Rabbit Clinic Northampton.

Whereabouts in the country are you please?

He will also need more than just fibreplex to keep his gut going (although it does contain probioitics so will help counter the effects of the antibiotic on his gut). Motility drugs such as Emeprid/metoclopromide and zantac can be prescribed by the vet to help keep the gut moving BUT just as importantly you also have to get food into him which will involve syringe feeding small amounts of critical care/Recovery or mushed pellets using a 1ml syringe. He will need 15-20ml every 4 hours day and night until he can eat for himself. Hopefully he should be able to swallow this "mush" but if not then he needs urgent attention from a skilled vet.

I'm sure other posters will be along shortly to advise on how to syringe feed.

It would also help if you could provide the following information in order to help advise you further.
a) How old is Marvy and how long have you had him?
b) What antibiotic was he given originally and what antibiotic is he on now?
c) Is he neutered and does he live with any other piggies?
d) What is his current weight and what is it normally?
e) Request for your location - county/country will do without disclosing any personal details.

Please reply to the questions and hopefully we can give you further advice.

HTH
x

Marvy is about 3 and 1/2 years old and i have had him for 2 years,

He is now on septric peadiatric suspension, he has 0.5ml twice a day,

He does live with another guinea called bobby, they are brothers,

I am not too sure of his weight the vets have it on record,

I live in manchester, england.

It was bobby who used to get poorly he has a skin problem which is now under control and marvy was always the healthy guinea pig

Thankyou for your responses! I will try syringe feeding! Do you think it is a good idea to try to syringe water for him to drink?

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Oh he does sound poorly. Can you list the names of the antibiotics he has been given please and coud you also post your location as this will affect what advice we give you. It sounds like he may be full of gunk, is he snotty at all? What is his breathing like as it is possible that his chest is also affected and he may need diuretic such as Frusemide to get rid of any fluid. If he is mucousy Bisolvon would also help from the vets and using a steam inhaler with 2 drops of Olbas oil in it too. Just hold it over his nose in 5 second bursts. If you don't have an inhaler you can put it in a bowl next to his cage.

I really do think he needs to be seen by a vet again as soon as possible if he is struggling to swallow as there could be more going on than the infection especially if he is not eating as it does not take long for the teeth to start to overgrow.

Also if he has an upset digestion it would be wise to stay off the veg for a few days though I know you need to actually get him to eat here.

Have you tried syringe feeding?

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Thankyou! Right okay, i think i will try to take him back to the vets tomorrow but they aren't the most experienced in the guinea pig area, they said there are only two antibiotics that they can put him on...which he has now tried.
So should i syringe feed vegetables or just leave it? He manages to eat small amounts :/

 

[Marvyguineapig]

oh dear hope he soon picks up, sounds like it could be a respiratory infection. he may need his teeth kept an eye on too if he's finding it difficult to eat.
there are some medications that can be given to get rid of excess fluid on the lungs & some that help to keep his guts moving to prevent gut stasis, although i'm afraid i cant think what theyre called at the moment
Hopefully someone with more experience can give some more detailed advice.

would try him on just hay & critical care food if you can get cc, or if not some mushed up pellets in warm water, then cooled before feeding. have you tried syringe feeding before?

Would definitely get another vet visit in & have you seen the recommended vet locator at the top on the toolbar, which makes it easier to find piggy savvy vets in your area, if you need a second opinion or alternative.

Good luck lil Marvy fingers & paws all crossed from the girls & i.
xx

Thankyou for your advice i will have a look at the recommended ones now!

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Thankyou! Right okay, i think i will try to take him back to the vets tomorrow but they aren't the most experienced in the guinea pig area, they said there are only two antibiotics that they can put him on...which he has now tried.
So should i syringe feed vegetables or just leave it? He manages to eat small amounts :/

Forgot to mention, his breathing seems shallow and faster than usual :/

 

[helen105281]

There are other antibiotics than can be used, ok they are not licensed for piggies but you could offer to sign a disclaimer. I had great success with Zithromax (Azithromycin) when my Buzz had pneumonia. Marbocyl is supposed to be good too. Some vets will carry out a culture to see what antibiotic is actually needed. If you are in Manchester I have heard Ashleigh vets mentioned a lot recently and think they may be in the area. They are on the vet locator.

You can syringe feed mushed pellets, mush them in warm water and leave to cool and aim to get in approximately 20ml every four hours. I also syringe 1ml of water for every 5ml of feed. You will need to use a 1ml syringe with the tip cut off but make sure that the plunger can't come out.

I am concerned about his breathing, to me that sounds like he may have fluid and need diuretic.

Could you smell his breath for me too please? does it smell of damp dishcloths at all? What was the skin condition his friend had?

 

[Marvyguineapig]

There are other antibiotics than can be used, ok they are not licensed for piggies but you could offer to sign a disclaimer. I had great success with Zithromax (Azithromycin) when my Buzz had pneumonia. Marbocyl is supposed to be good too. Some vets will carry out a culture to see what antibiotic is actually needed. If you are in Manchester I have heard Ashleigh vets mentioned a lot recently and think they may be in the area. They are on the vet locator.

You can syringe feed mushed pellets, mush them in warm water and leave to cool and aim to get in approximately 20ml every four hours. I also syringe 1ml of water for every 5ml of feed. You will need to use a 1ml syringe with the tip cut off but make sure that the plunger can't come out.

I am concerned about his breathing, to me that sounds like he may have fluid and need diuretic.

Could you smell his breath for me too please? does it smell of damp dishcloths at all? What was the skin condition his friend had?

His friend lost lots of his fur and had sores, but he had drops and he is fully better now with a shiny thick coat. His breath doesn't seem to smell like damp dishcloths... He bas managed to eat half a romaine lettuce stalk i gave him this morning, he is however very warm

 

[Pebble]

He's quite young to suffer from standard "impaction" so it does seem like his stuck poos are a result of gut motility issues as a result of his URI.
Septin is a piggie-friendly antibiotic but for a URI it might not "cut the mustard" - azithromycin or doxycycline might be a better alternative to baytril which is what I am assuming he was given first.

Syringe feed him as much fluids and food as possible - anything he can take.

Can you get him to Aidan Rafferty at Ashleigh vets in the next 48 hours?
http://ashleigh-veterinary-centre.com/staff-by-departments/veterinary-surgeons/

x

 

[helen105281]

That sounds like mange mites? If it was fungal I had an idea but that is not relevant if it was mites.

Good that he ate the romaine.

 

[Marvyguineapig]

That sounds like mange mites? If it was fungal I had an idea but that is not relevant if it was mites.

Good that he ate the romaine.

Yeah it is it took him a while tho! The vets thought it was mites tho there was no sign of them :/

 

[helen105281]

It could have been mange mites as they can't be seen.

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Oh right, yes well he has made a full recovery from that. He has a mixed guinea pig food, would i be able to mush all of it or just the hard pellets in it? I am taking marvy too the vets tomorrow and i will mention your suggestions and get back to you! Thankyou so much for your advice, i wanted to see if anyone else could offer up any other ideas about it because i just feel like i didn't know what else to do for him! He is inseperable from his brother and so he seems to be looking after him aswell

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Oh right, yes well he has made a full recovery from that. He has a mixed guinea pig food, would i be able to mush all of it or just the hard pellets in it? I am taking marvy too the vets tomorrow and i will mention your suggestions and get back to you! Thankyou so much for your advice, i wanted to see if anyone else could offer up any other ideas about it because i just feel like i didn't know what else to do for him! He is inseperable from his brother and so he seems to be looking after him aswell

It could have been mange mites as they can't be seen.

Oh right, yes well he has made a full recovery from that. He has a mixed guinea pig food, would i be able to mush all of it or just the hard pellets in it? I am taking marvy too the vets tomorrow and i will mention your suggestions and get back to you! Thankyou so much for your advice, i wanted to see if anyone else could offer up any other ideas about it because i just feel like i didn't know what else to do for him! He is inseperable from his brother and so he seems to be looking after him aswell

 

[helen105281]

You can only mush pellets up not museli type mixes. Do you have a Tesco near you that is still open? am sure they may sell pellets. If not, your vet should be able to give you a special syringe feed either called Oxbow critical care or Supreme Recovery. You can also buy them on Vet Uk or Amazon but that does not help you tonight. Are there any Manchester members on here that could lend you some pellets or syringe feed? That wasn't aimed at you but at anyone reading this thread. The other alternative is baby food but that is a minefield due to all of the hidden ingredients in it.

 

[Marvyguineapig]

He's quite young to suffer from standard "impaction" so it does seem like his stuck poos are a result of gut motility issues as a result of his URI.
Septin is a piggie-friendly antibiotic but for a URI it might not "cut the mustard" - azithromycin or doxycycline might be a better alternative to baytril which is what I am assuming he was given first.

Syringe feed him as much fluids and food as possible - anything he can take.

Can you get him to Aidan Rafferty at Ashleigh vets in the next 48 hours?
http://ashleigh-veterinary-centre.com/staff-by-departments/veterinary-surgeons/

x

Thankyou for your help! Yes baytril is what he was originally given, though i don't think it worked, i am taking him to the vets tomorrow if they don't know what to do further, i will try to take him to the vet you suggested

 

[Marvyguineapig]

You can only mush pellets up not museli type mixes. Do you have a Tesco near you that is still open? am sure they may sell pellets. If not, your vet should be able to give you a special syringe feed either called Oxbow critical care or Supreme Recovery. You can also buy them on Vet Uk or Amazon but that does not help you tonight. Are there any Manchester members on here that could lend you some pellets or syringe feed? That wasn't aimed at you but at anyone reading this thread. The other alternative is baby food but that is a minefield due to all of the hidden ingredients in it.

Yes i'll go to tescos now! Thanks

 

[helen105281]

If they have no pellets get as natural a baby food as you can with just carrot and apple in it or something like that and make sure there is no dairy. I would not usually recommend baby food but needs must if there is nothing else.

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Right okay, i was going to mush up carrots by boiling them and then using a blender that should be fine shouldn't it?

 

[Marvyguineapig]

If they have no pellets get as natural a baby food as you can with just carrot and apple in it or something like that and make sure there is no dairy. I would not usually recommend baby food but needs must if there is nothing else.

Right okay, i was going to mush up carrots by boiling them and then using a blender that should be fine shouldn't it?

 

[helen105281]

Yes that would work for tonight until you can get some proper syringe feed or pellets. At the moment it is a case of get whatever you can down him.

 

[Pebble]

Thankyou! Right okay, i think i will try to take him back to the vets tomorrow but they aren't the most experienced in the guinea pig area, they said there are only two antibiotics that they can put him on...which he has now tried.
So should i syringe feed vegetables or just leave it? He manages to eat small amounts :/

As said before - syringe anything he will eat - but not veggies as it can exacerbate the problems he already has with his gut - try mushed pellets first.
Also - a small handful of picked grass can do wonders for a piggie who can;t eat....even if you need to feed it blade by blade.

I would suggest you look for an alternative vet unless you feel
a) you have a sufficiently established and mutually respectful relationship with your current vet that means they will listen to you and be willing to ring up other vets/prescribe medications off license accordingly and
b) they are very experienced in conducting proper guinea pig dental exams

As far as the changes to breathing are concerned, I too am worried...but they are a slightly lesser priority in my eyes than the current eating issues which now need to be addressed pronto by syringe feeding and an experienced guinea pig dentist. If he responds well to the syringe feeding tonight then respiratory issues and sorting them move back up to first place.

Going back the the URI : As Helen has said - other "off license" antibiotics can and have been given to many forum guinea pigs providing the owner signs a disclaimer and the vet concerned is willing to prescribe. I'm sightly concerned your vets are not "cavy savvy vets" given what they have said about the "only two they can put him on". So ref the respiratory: I don;t think Marbocyl is ideal as that is the same family as baytril. My own extremely experienced exotics vet would now be looking at doxy or azithromycin....or possibly a long-acting tetracycline. I also agree that an experienced cavy vet needs to determine whether this infection is now in the lungs and whether fluid is accumulating..... and time is now of the essence for your little boy.
NB It is pointless doing a culture at this stage - you need to get the pig off antibiotics for two weeks before you take a culture that can give any meaningful results.

The bottom line is as follows:
a) get food down him via syringe feeding tonight in a decent quantity - at least 50ml before tomorrow mnorning
b) if he can't take syringe food he needs a guinea pig dentists urgently - next day - and gut motility drugs
c) if he can take syringe food 20ml every 4hours then sort out the URI antibioitic
d) I have sorted out transport from Manchester Stockport to Northampton on wednesday to see Simon on thursday before he goes on holiday for 2 weeks and stay at TEAS til he's recovered. No guarantees, but this could be his best chance. PM me if you want to follow this up

Let me know what you wish via PM.

xxcx

 

[GPTV]

.......................
d) I have sorted out transport from Manchester Stockport to Northampton on wednesday to see Simon on thursday before he goes on holiday for 2 weeks and stay at TEAS til he's recovered. No guarantees, but this could be his best chance. PM me if you want to follow this up

Let me know what you wish via PM.

xxcx

Sounds like a fantastic offer & that is so thoughtful of you ...
but can Marvyguineapig PM you if they only joined today with at present only 14 messages?
not sure on this new forum provider, server or whatever it is.. but with the old one 50 messages had to be posted? or is it just to tag your name with an @ before it- sorry i'm no technohead, its just in case Marvyguineapig cant get hold of you to take you up on your offer if required.
xx

 

[helen105281]

That is a good offer, It would definitely be good if he could see Simon, my friend's pig is going to Debbie tonight too to see Simon. If anyone can help he can. All members can PM now I think @GPTV.

 

[Pebble]

The PM system in this case is active.

The arrangements theoretcally are in place

It's now up to the OP....we can do no more.


xx

 

[sport_billy]

Yes, you can pm now straight away when you join.

 

[Marvyguineapig]

Hiya

Thankyou so much for your kind offer and all of your advice. But as going to the vet causes Marvy much stress as it (we always take his brother with him) i think taking him away from home would be fatal at this point, I am going to the vets tomorrow, thankyou again