New to the forum and trying see to work out what's wrong with our piggie

[Piggypen]

Hi! I have inherited 4 Guinea pigs from my, now teenage and distracted, children. They live indoors and I like to think they are well looked after... However, one is now unwell and we have an appointment with the vet later today. In the meantime, I came across this forum after googling about Guinea pigs and thought it worth posting my Guinea pig's symptoms, in case anyone has experienced similar or has any advice generally.

I took Mia out of their cage because she has two small round bald patches which appeared on her lower back and she had been squeaking quite a bit overnight (and she's not usually that squeaky!). However, when I checked her over and had her on my lap for a while I noticed some more worrying problems. I realised that her tummy is periodically moving/pulsating (almost as if her tummy has hiccups?) and after it moves she squeaks (I guess in pain) and passes gas. So my totally amateur diagnosis is that she has a gassy tummy.

As already mentioned we are going to the first vet appointment we could get later today, but I have had mixed experiences of taking small animals to the vets, so wanted to see if anyone has experienced the same with their pigs?

Aside from all of the above, she is currently still surprisingly spritely, eating and drinking.

Sorry this is long winded and Thanks for reading

 

[Minnieandpebbs]

I am not really sure but it sounds like bloat.

Hope he gets better!

 

[Piggypen]

I am not really sure but it sounds like bloat.

Hope he gets better!

Thank you for taking the time to reply.. we will see what the vet says now

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! I have inherited 4 Guinea pigs from my, now teenage and distracted, children. They live indoors and I like to think they are well looked after... However, one is now unwell and we have an appointment with the vet later today. In the meantime, I came across this forum after googling about Guinea pigs and thought it worth posting my Guinea pig's symptoms, in case anyone has experienced similar or has any advice generally.

I took Mia out of their cage because she has two small round bald patches which appeared on her lower back and she had been squeaking quite a bit overnight (and she's not usually that squeaky!). However, when I checked her over and had her on my lap for a while I noticed some more worrying problems. I realised that her tummy is periodically moving/pulsating (almost as if her tummy has hiccups?) and after it moves she squeaks (I guess in pain) and passes gas. So my totally amateur diagnosis is that she has a gassy tummy.

As already mentioned we are going to the first vet appointment we could get later today, but I have had mixed experiences of taking small animals to the vets, so wanted to see if anyone has experienced the same with their pigs?

Aside from all of the above, she is currently still surprisingly spritely, eating and drinking.

Sorry this is long winded and Thanks for reading

Hi!

Please have Mia checked for ringworm or mites (mange or hay).
You can find information on typical new piggy health problems, including on your customer rights if she is a shop bought piggy in this guide here: What to check for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites, ringworm&URI)
Tips For Vet Visits

The noticeable breathing is very likely stress-related if she is not used to a home environment and human interaction. I am sure that your vet will check heart and airways as a routine anyway; otherwise ask them for it.

Here are tips to understand what new piggies are dealing with and how you can best work winning their trust by avoiding behaviours that could trigger their prey instincts and communicate in their own body language, which is making instant sense to them instead of expecting them to figure out humans first!
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely
Tips For Vet Visits

All these guides are part of our very practical and helpful New Owners guide collection, which is worth bookmarking and using as a reference. We are specifically all those areas we get the most questions and concerns about as well as the ones where you can run into trouble in the longer term if you are not aware of certain pitfalls.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

All the best with your vet check!

 

[Tangle]

Thank you for taking the time to reply.. we will see what the vet says now

How did it go with the vet?

And welcome to the forum

 

[Piggypen]

Thank you for the warm welcome and showing interest in how our vet visit went..

Update from visit - the vet felt her bladder and could sense that she flinched and felt pain. Therefore the vet took a urine sample and the results showed quite a lot of blood in the urine, white blood cells and nitrate. As a result she is now on antiflammatory medicine and antibiotics. If she hasn’t improved in a week we need to go back so that the vet can review and probably test for bladder stones and crystals. So we are crossing our fingers the medicines work their magic, but Mia is starting to look tired and fed up, which is worrying.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for the warm welcome and showing interest in how our vet visit went..

Update from visit - the vet felt her bladder and could sense that she flinched and felt pain. Therefore the vet took a urine sample and the results showed quite a lot of blood in the urine, white blood cells and nitrate. As a result she is now on antiflammatory medicine and antibiotics. If she hasn’t improved in a week we need to go back so that the vet can review and probably test for bladder stones and crystals. So we are crossing our fingers the medicines work their magic, but Mia is starting to look tired and fed up, which is worrying.

Hi!

Have you been seen by a general vet?

Please switch to weighing daily and if necessary step in with syringe feeding top up. Hopefully the the analgesic and the antibiotic will kick in within 2-3 days and Mia will start to feel better in herself.

Can you please give us Mia's weight and the dosages/frequency of the medication. In case of the metacam (the anti-inflammory-cum-painkiller, which is being sold under a range of brand names), it is also important to check whether you have been given cat or dog strength.