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not eating, drinking, lethargic, applied xeno450 yesterday

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susiewoosie

susiewoosie

Junior Guinea Pig
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hi

I came home from work tonight and maxi, who is usually up at the cage has been very introverted. she is not eating, drinking and generally looking sickly. She is moving about a wee bit. Yesterday, she was fine, i applied xeno 450 to both piggies. She ate well, probably too much veggie, she can be very greedy. the cage is full of soft mashed poo!

has she just eaten far too much veg yesterday? or could this be due to xeno 450? or anything else.. she is usually ful of life and very friendly. any advice please...

thanks s
 
I agree with the others, you need to see the emergency vet tonight for assessment, fluids and supportive care. It is possible that it could be a reaction to the spot on, I have heard of this happening.
 
her bowels are still moving.. last time i took her to the emergency place in glasgow, the young vet had no clue whatsoever..i came away none the wiser...he had no experience of guinea pigs. she last had something to eat this morning about 7.30...she is whimpering a bit when i massaged her tummy...? also, have to pick up mum coming from england to night at train station at 8.30, drop her off.. if still no better by 10.00pm i will take her to vet..any advice..i am worried, other half thinks i'm insane!
 
If she hasn't ate for sometime there is very possibility she has bloat a very painful condition, a gut stimulant injection show help get the guts moving and release some gas. I almost lost my Wilma two weeks ago to bloat it's a very painful and deadly condition.

How does her tummy feel, does it feel like a balloon to touch? Please don't leave it to late, pigs really can go downhill very quickly. Are you feeding her?
 
yes, she does feel like a balloon.. she is not interested at all in food, nothing hay absolutely nothing...i'm taking her tonight after i pick my mother up....my poor wee soul.. she usually hates you touching her but wasn't really minding when i was gently massaging her tummy, when i went a wee bit harder she whimpered... oh dear,
 
I echo all the above advice.

Obviously only a vet can confirm, but it sounds like bloat. As Flintstones said, it can be fatal.

She needs a gut stimulant and a vet trip straight away. In the meantime, keep gently massaging her stomach. A vibrating pad, or something similar can also help. Some have advised that the vibrations of gentle car journey can also do the same job.
 
Any chance you can go before your mum comes in? She really needs gut stimulants urgently and you need to start syringe feeding her once she has stimulants.

More info on bloat.. .

http://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html#anorexia

Have you ever syringe fed before?

Make sure and ask that she is given a gut stimulant either by injection or to be given orally and ask for some for you to give at home.
 
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I find guinealynx pretty good on bloat http://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html#bloat it's worth a look. My experience of a guinea with bloat was that it was extremely painful. You need to be careful whether it is a gas or liquid bloat if it is in fact bloat, I understand there is a difference in the treatment & force-feeding is not recommended with the liquid sort.

Very best wishes for your piggie & please let us know what the vet says. I would try for an exotics vet if possible, they are far more likely to have an understanding of it.

ETA sorry, just seen that Flinstones has linked to guinealynx too, did my post before I realised.
 
need have biolapis and 1ml syringe ready.if stops eating syringe biolapis 4-5 syringes 2-3 times in 24 hour.We also give pineapple juice and activated charcoal.Squeezed Fresh pineapple with mashed tablet of charcoal do the job.Also Recovery mix and weight 2-3 times a day.Need start giving something within 24 hours of problem or it could be worst...My wife already master getting pigs from another side of rainbow bridge.Last time one of own sow stops eating on 5th day of baytrill.
 
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Hi thats us back.. young vet, didn't know what bloat was and i couldn't tel the medical term! anyway, she explained that she was very distended didnt know whether it was gas in teh intestines or the abdominal sack? there was a little sound from her bowels but she also said it could be tumours..she offered an x-ray which i declined as it wouldn't make much difference tonight and the treatment she was going to recommend and i would also prefer to take her to my own vet who is a small furry expert, if there is one! so first line of treatment was EMPERID 5MG, 10ML VIAL VETERGESIC INJECTION and sachet of recovery. she did explain that she has probably been unwell for while and its fingers crossed..so we're home, she ate some of the recovery and i just held her for a couple of hours. its only water coming away from her? she's now back in cage very quiet.. oh my wee love...thank you all for your good wishes, it is very appreciated. thank you so much.. can't believe this is happening.. she had 3 syringes worth of recovery, when will i give her more? realise its very late, gonna get up about 3am and give her more..

thanks everyone..
sx
 
how is she this morning? I know a very good guinea pig vet in Denny if you don't already have one. Distended tummy generally means she has a lot of gas in her stomach, how is the syringe feeding getting on? Poorly guinea pig's are so stressful, good she got Emeprid last night. I have everything crossed.

Glenn at Apex vets Denny is very good.
 
well, she is better this morning, eating little bits, the swelling is down, she's pooping, but slighty traumatised. she nibbled some plain lettuce, not too much and she has plenty hay n pellets. the syringe the vet gave me last was rubbish! doesn't draw up anything.. going to take her to my own vet hopefully today or tomorrow... I go to anna in bishopbriggs vet centre. trying to make decision on whether to go to work or not! i don't want to, but demanding job in NHS..i am still aware she maybe masking a lot of how she feels as that has been made clear.. what a terrible downturn..will she need to continue with emperid?

sx
 
susiewoosie said:
well, she is better this morning, eating little bits, the swelling is down, she's pooping, but slighty traumatised. she nibbled some plain lettuce, not too much and she has plenty hay n pellets. the syringe the vet gave me last was rubbish! doesn't draw up anything.. going to take her to my own vet hopefully today or tomorrow... I go to anna in bishopbriggs vet centre. trying to make decision on whether to go to work or not! i don't want to, but demanding job in NHS..i am still aware she maybe masking a lot of how she feels as that has been made clear.. what a terrible downturn..will she need to continue with emperid?

sx
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sometimes I find it easier to cut the end off the syringe. Poor's are a very good sign just keep up with the syringe feeding.
 
Please take her to a better vet today. The injections she was given last night will only last 8 hours. She needs some more pain relief and gastroprokinetics, and some to take home for oral administration as well. Rehydrating piggy helps a lot with bloat, my vet also gives some subcut fluids which helps a lot.

I would also suggest contacting the practise manager or clinical director of the emergency clinic and pointing out how poor their exotics knowledge is. When you run an emergency service, you need a vet who can treat anything, not just cats and dogs!
 
Hi Amanda

After coming home with rescue remedy and 2 x 1ml syringe to feed with. I realised i had no mixing instruction for the feed, the syringe wouldn't draw up any liquid, so i was very frustated trying to get her to eat. Although, i believe they gave her the right medications, albeit guessing whether it was within the intestines or abdomen. When she came home, she did a helluva lot of weeing..at that point she was just cuddling with me and the wee was running away from her. i did not realise that i left without any homecare advice as too much in a flap, trying to be calm. Today, i nearly keeled over again when someone on here said she would still be in pain and go to vets again today, at that time, it was too late to go. I will have to call in the morning to go in the afternoon. At lunchtime, I had to go to another vet, get more rescue mix and bigger syringe. she is better, eating hay, moving about but not quite right. but after care instruction was hopeless, i wish i had taken her today to her own vet...there was no advice to attend own vet for ongoing treatment...sx
 
susiewoosie said:
Hi Amanda

After coming home with rescue remedy and 2 x 1ml syringe to feed with. I realised i had no mixing instruction for the feed, the syringe wouldn't draw up any liquid, so i was very frustated trying to get her to eat. Although, i believe they gave her the right medications, albeit guessing whether it was within the intestines or abdomen. When she came home, she did a helluva lot of weeing..at that point she was just cuddling with me and the wee was running away from her. i did not realise that i left without any homecare advice as too much in a flap, trying to be calm. Today, i nearly keeled over again when someone on here said she would still be in pain and go to vets again today, at that time, it was too late to go. I will have to call in the morning to go in the afternoon. At lunchtime, I had to go to another vet, get more rescue mix and bigger syringe. she is better, eating hay, moving about but not quite right. but after care instruction was hopeless, i wish i had taken her today to her own vet...there was no advice to attend own vet for ongoing treatment...sx
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I would definitely be contacting the emergency service provider...she should never have been sent home with no ongoing medication/advise for treating bloat...it's a serious, life threatening condition that requires a lot of intensive home care for them to overcome.

In terms of the recovery mix, mix it with water to make a thick-ish slurry. If you can't get it up the syringe, you can cut the end off - you will find that with the tiny opening, you just end up squeezing out water with the actual food staying in the syringe. Cutting the end off, you can get the much needed fibre out. You can store the made up mix in the fridge for up to 12 hours. It'll be a bit firm when you get it out, just add a bit of warm water to get it runnier again.

I'd suggest continuing to supportively feed her, and keep her hydrated until you can get to your vet.
 
don't forget weight her daily - make sure she not going down....
Order recovery mix from amazon - it is much cheaper and more quantity than pay 15 pounds per satchel at vet clinics.
If she will continue dropping weight you need syringe her to keep it on same level.Normally it around every 2 hours,in about minimum half glass a day(need make daily as became bad overnight).Don't forget about biolapis and charcoal.My wife said you can massage her belly.
I also suggest give 5-10gr fresh grass and parsley - but need wash it in hot and after cold water,as hot water is not clean.
 
Poor baby. I'm glad she seems better and hope she continues to improve.

I use Oxbow Critical Care for poorly chinchillas (which I realise are not the same as piggies, but it may help) and I mix it to a stiffish paste and they generally take it off the spoon quite happily. :)
 
Thank you everyone.. well last night, she began to squeek again..eating little, moving more.. i popped into local vet and got some rescue plus and big syringe, i continued to feed her last night and this morning. When i came home from work today, she bounced to the side of the cage.. Maxi is back!..went to my own vet, who gave a her thorough going over, they did receive the report from the hospital and vet said she had made a remarkable recovery from Monday night and according to her condition from report.. no swelling, lumps bumps or pain...teeth are fine...i'm so relieved,

is there a thread on home instruction for bloat on this forum, will need to gather small medical kit together, i am stunned at how quickly they can go down hill...i read on anothe search people give guinea pig gripe water? like you give the babies..?

thank you so much everyone, probably you all saved her wee precious life which is so special to me..sx
 
susiewoosie said:
Thank you everyone.. well last night, she began to squeek again..eating little, moving more.. i popped into local vet and got some rescue plus and big syringe, i continued to feed her last night and this morning. When i came home from work today, she bounced to the side of the cage.. Maxi is back!..went to my own vet, who gave a her thorough going over, they did receive the report from the hospital and vet said she had made a remarkable recovery from Monday night and according to her condition from report.. no swelling, lumps bumps or pain...teeth are fine...i'm so relieved,

is there a thread on home instruction for bloat on this forum, will need to gather small medical kit together, i am stunned at how quickly they can go down hill...i read on anothe search people give guinea pig gripe water? like you give the babies..?

thank you so much everyone, probably you all saved her wee precious life which is so special to me..sx
Click to expand...

Bloat needs treating by prescription only medication(s) so seeing a vet is the only real option.
 
Ditto Amanda's advice, Bloat is a very serious condition and be fatal if approriate treatment is not sought.

Very happy to hear your little one is doing so well, Guinea pig's really do go downhill very quickly but equally they do make remarkable recovery's when given the correct support and medications. :) x
 
I'm really happy that she's getting better.
 
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