Need Advice! 7 Yo Pig Not Himself

[Merry2018]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping someone will have some ideas on what to do because my guinea pig has just not been himself the past few days.

He has lost interest in his Oxbow Vitamin C cookie that he usually begs me for and is no longer coming to me when I call him. He will still eat just not with the passion he used to (if that makes any sense) and he seems more lethargic.

He is a male 7 Yo short hair guinea pig. He is a solo pig due to temperament and has been solo for over 5 years.

I took him to the vet a few days ago and they did a full blood panel on him, checked his teeth, and checked his bladder. Everything came back normal except that it seemed that he had a mild infection (suspect UTI). He has been on the antibiotics for quite a few days and just isn't getting back to himself. The blood work showed that all his vital organs are doing great, but I just don't understand why the sudden change in his behavior.

He is also an asthmatic and we did just do some car travel to our new place, so I think his recent wheeze is a result of stress as it has been in the past. I forgot his humidifier at our old place, so I am ordering him a new one and it'll hopefully be here soon. He also already has an air purifier next to his house.

I just am looking for any suggestions to help him feel more like his old self.

Sorry for so much information, but he is my best little buddy and I just am looking for anything to help him feel more like himself.

Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear that.

Please make sure you have switched from the routine weekly weight checks and are instead weighing him daily (each morning). Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are essential to know whether he is eating enough hay. Hay is usually the first thing they stop or reduce eating when they are feeling unwell. If he is losing weight (more than 50g) then he needs to be syringe fed a recovery feed.

If he isn’t getting enough fibre/hay, then that can make him lethargic (hence the importance of syringe feeding).

Antibiotics can take a few days to start working but can take the entire course before they are back to normal. If he isn’t feeling better by the r end of the course please do return to the vet. If you become concerned about him and his lethargy before the end of the course, then return to the ver as an emergency.
Antibiotics can also upset their digestion so we would also recommend that he is given a probiotic while he is on antibiotics to help settle his gut.

I’ve added some guides below to help further

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
Weight-monitoring-and-management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
Probiotics & Live Gut Microbiome Transfer ('Poo Soup'); Recovery Formula Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links and Transfer Recipe

 

[Merab]

Sorry your boy is unwell.
Good advice given by @Piggies&buns .
Holding you in my thoughts