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Need some advice

dannif_piggies

dannif_piggies

Adult Guinea Pig
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Laine this morning just doesn't seem herself.
She didn't rush over to the fresh hay like she usually does, however she was taking treats. Her weight is as it should be. There doesn't seem anything apparent that's wrong. Obviously with all that's going on, I don't want to bother the vets unnecessarily, if I called I'd feel a bit silly just saying "she's not quite right"

I did mush up some pellets and syringed her 10ml just to make sure her guts keep moving if she isn't eating as much (I'm still assessing this)
Basically just looking for some advice please.

My room was rather cold and so I have put the electric heater on in my room, and given a blanket for her to snuggle. Could it just been she was feeling a little off because she got cold?
 
Its such a worry isnt it right now if piggies are a bit "off" but there's nothing you can pinpoint to say its urgent... my big pig Clover was a bit "off" yesterday, she ate breakfast but I had to wake her up and encourage her out, and she spent all playpen floortime sleeping! Luckily after much panic and worry a quick home health check could see her old broken leg injury was bothering her (she'd chewed at her knee fur a bit) so I gave her some of the loxicom she'd been prescribed earlier this month and she perked up a lot...
All you can do really is give her a home health check- eyes, ears, nose, mouth, feet, bum and lady bits, is her tummy soft and is she ok with you feeling it, does her breathing sound ok, is she walking ok, pooping and peeing ok... and if all these look fine then weigh her daily and maybe see how she looks after the weekend?
Sending hugs! I am always straight at the vets with any minor health concern and its a tricky balance right now deciding what is urgent and what isnt, plus the stress for the piggies if you cant hold their paw at the vets like usual! X
 
dannif_piggies said:
Laine this morning just doesn't seem herself.
She didn't rush over to the fresh hay like she usually does, however she was taking treats. Her weight is as it should be. There doesn't seem anything apparent that's wrong. Obviously with all that's going on, I don't want to bother the vets unnecessarily, if I called I'd feel a bit silly just saying "she's not quite right"

I did mush up some pellets and syringed her 10ml just to make sure her guts keep moving if she isn't eating as much (I'm still assessing this)
Basically just looking for some advice please.

My room was rather cold and so I have put the electric heater on in my room, and given a blanket for her to snuggle. Could it just been she was feeling a little off because she got cold?
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Hi!

All you can do at this stage is to keep a bit of a closer eye on her in case it is just an 'off' day or whether it develops into something more significant.

Please don't start fretting or hovering over her obsessively though; that won't change anything for her but only serve to make you feel even more anxious and stressed. it is normal that we are more jittery in situations when vet access and life is not quite as easily accessible. Right now, you vet can't likely find anything obvious amiss, either, anyway!
 
PigglePuggle said:
Its such a worry isnt it right now if piggies are a bit "off" but there's nothing you can pinpoint to say its urgent... my big pig Clover was a bit "off" yesterday, she ate breakfast but I had to wake her up and encourage her out, and she spent all playpen floortime sleeping! Luckily after much panic and worry a quick home health check could see her old broken leg injury was bothering her (she'd chewed at her knee fur a bit) so I gave her some of the loxicom she'd been prescribed earlier this month and she perked up a lot...
All you can do really is give her a home health check- eyes, ears, nose, mouth, feet, bum and lady bits, is her tummy soft and is she ok with you feeling it, does her breathing sound ok, is she walking ok, pooping and peeing ok... and if all these look fine then weigh her daily and maybe see how she looks after the weekend?
Sending hugs! I am always straight at the vets with any minor health concern and its a tricky balance right now deciding what is urgent and what isnt, plus the stress for the piggies if you cant hold their paw at the vets like usual! X
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I've just checked her again after some time of leaving her be. She ate a few pellets (I wanted to see if she's be excited by getting them out), then went to lay by herself. Her belly seems a little tubby and she wheeks when I touch it, I'm wondering if she's got a bit of bloat? I bought the soft Timothy hay and it's very green, although I've been giving this with their other (more bland) Timothy too, I'm wondering could the greenness and freshness of the hay have caused bloat? Is there a way I can tell?
 
dannif_piggies said:
I've just checked her again after some time of leaving her be. She ate a few pellets (I wanted to see if she's be excited by getting them out), then went to lay by herself. Her belly seems a little tubby and she wheeks when I touch it, I'm wondering if she's got a bit of bloat? I bought the soft Timothy hay and it's very green, although I've been giving this with their other (more bland) Timothy too, I'm wondering could the greenness and freshness of the hay have caused bloat? Is there a way I can tell?
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Timothy shouldn't cause bloat as it is a dry food. Most piggies don't like have their belly touched.

Keep an eye on her and see whether something develops or not. Right now is there isn't anything tangible. As hard as it is BE PATIENT and DON'T FRET YOURSELF.
 
As Wiebke says, please dont fret- if this was bloat you would definitely know about it, and it wouldnt be caused by hay! Most piggies have tubby tummies, only if the tummy is hard and obviously causing severe pain would you worry about bloat- thats an emergency, but you just sound to have a piggy who is a bit off colour today, a good sleep may well fix things for her so let her sleep and check she's pooping and eating a bit and see how she is tomorrow X
 
@Wiebke @PigglePuggle thank you both, I've never dealt with bloat, so I guess I don't really know what to expect, but sounds like it's something you don't second guess. I'm giving her some lone floor time to check her poops, I'm sure you can appreciate it can be hard to tell when there's a pair or more in the cage.

Shes started responding to me again now so maybe she just wanted a lay in this morning 🤣
Thanks again
 
dannif_piggies said:
@Wiebke @PigglePuggle thank you both, I've never dealt with bloat, so I guess I don't really know what to expect, but sounds like it's something you don't second guess. I'm giving her some lone floor time to check her poops, I'm sure you can appreciate it can be hard to tell when there's a pair or more in the cage.

Shes started responding to me again now so maybe she just wanted a lay in this morning 🤣
Thanks again
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Hope Laine is back to her normal self soon x
 
Little update, Laine seems so be doing fine again, jumping into the fresh hay etc again. Still going to keep an eye on her the next few days, just to be sure but I'm not as concerned now 😊 Thank you everyone
 
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