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Not Wanting Food Or Water, Listless, Diarrhoea, Facing Corner

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Fingers and paws firmly crossed!

My Frankie had a mystery illness just a few weeks ago. He just suddenly stopped eating, pooing or drinking. He sat in the corner fluffed up and refused to move. It took three days of round the clock feeding, and at times he seemed like he had just given up. I kept persevering with the gut stimulants (he didn't have diarrhoea, as in your piggy's case, he just wasn't pooing at all), medicines, and feeding and he eventually turned the corner. It was exhausting and I felt so cruel feeding him, when he seemed entirely uninterested. I'm so pleased I did though, as he's still with me now.

Piggies may seem like fragile animals, and they do go downhill incredibly quickly, but they can also be very stubborn and resilient too. With the right support, they can really bounce back.
 
Thanks to all of u for your kind messages. I picked florrie up this afternoon, the vet said we should give her 24 hours. Unfortunately she deteriorated fairly rapidly. She was unable tlto swallow the food and was completely limp and listless, she just couldn't hold herself up and her eyes were closing. My little girl just didn't have any fight left and I couldn't bear to watch her struggling. I took her back to the vets and she helped her go to forever sleep, we are all absolutely devastated, she's left a huge hole in our family and poor Winston is looking all over for her, my poor boy doesn't cope well on his own :(
 
Oh I'm so so sorry. Poor you and poor Winston. You did absolutely everything you could and she would have felt very very loved. X
 
I think the fact she was so poorly at the end made it easier to let her go. I have no doubts that we did the right thing. I'm worried about Winston, what should I do? Is he ok on his own or does he need another mate? How soon? Girl or boy? Baby or adult? Arghhh I don't know what to do :( it feels wrong thinking about it so soon
 
Very sorry to hear that your poor Florrie didn't make it.My heart goes out to you at this time. I know the pain of losing a pet and it is horrible, as we love them they become one of the family and when they pass the pain is huge. Enjoy your memories of her and give Winston extra cuddles. Best wishes Xx
 
kaja979 said:
Thanks to all of you for your kind messages. I picked florrie up this afternoon, the vet said we should give her 24 hours. Unfortunately she deteriorated fairly rapidly. She was unable tlto swallow the food and was completely limp and listless, she just couldn't hold herself up and her eyes were closing. My little girl just didn't have any fight left and I couldn't bear to watch her struggling. I took her back to the vets and she helped her go to forever sleep, we are all absolutely devastated, she's left a huge hole in our family and poor Winston is looking all over for her, my poor boy doesn't cope well on his own :(
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ohhhh I'm so sorry for your loss and for Winston's! My thoughts are with you both
 
I'm so sorry. When I get home I can post some more about how to help Winston. X
 
I'm so sorry for your loss :( It sounds like you did the kindest thing. Thinking of you and Winston x
 
MerryPip said:
I'm so sorry. When I get home I can post some more about how to help Winston. X
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That would be very much appreciated, he's still not himself healthwise but he is really depressed now and that won't help. He really worshipped her, was an odd partnership as she was really bossy and he followed her around ! My poor little man
 
I'm so sorry, hope you and little Winston are ok.
 
I'm so sorry Florrie lost her fight :( I know exactly how you feel as we lost our beautiful Suilven in the same circumstnaces in January and we still miss him awfully despite having new piggies since.

Here's our reference thread on how to help WInston as he grieves for Florrie
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/looking-after-a-bereaved-piggy.109674/

It's so hard to have to consider a new piggy immediately after the loss of a much loved one but sometimes it is exactly what the remaining piggy needs. Piggies do grieve and they can grieve deeply after the loss of a cagemate. It's important to support them even though we feel just as bad. A new piggy will never replace Florrie but can help Winston to feel more like his old self.

It's hard to consider a new piggy but it can help to think of it less like 'replacing' Florrie and more about giving another piggy a new start in life, which I'm sure she'd approve of...... and for that I would highly recommend going to a good quality recommended rescue to find Winston a new friend that suits him. Piggies like to be able to choose who they spend their life with and it might not be the first pig they meet. A good rescue will be able to let him 'date' some candidates and see who suits him. If he's neutered then a new wifey pig is probably the best option for him. A boar is also an option but if he's always lived with a female then he'd probably be better with another girl and mixed pairs are by far the most stable in terms of successful bonding. Age is less important to piggies than compatibility so keep an open mind. A good rescue will make sure they are a good match and rthat any pig you meet is happy, healthy and looking for a fabulous new home where they will be loved and cared for.

I don't know where is closest to you rescue-wise but try using the locator at the top of the page for ideas and if transport is an issue, sometimes members on here can help get piggies to their dates :)

Huge hugs to you and Winston from me and my gang. x
 
Thanks so much for all of your help. I don't know what Florrie died from and Winston haa been sick too so I think it might be a casE of getting. him well and quarantine. He's not eating great since she passed, onlyp the hand feed, so it seems he has recessed in that way. He has lost weight but he is a lot stronger than she was, will see how he goes tonight
 
kaja979 said:
Thanks so much for all of your help. I don't know what Florrie died from and Winston haa been sick too so I think it might be a casE of getting. him well and quarantine. He's not eating great since she passed, onlyp the hand feed, so it seems he has recessed in that way. He has lost weight but he is a lot stronger than she was, will see how he goes tonight
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You are doing all the right things. Getting him well is the priority then you can think about the future. Hugs to you both. x
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. :( I've been in the position of having to have pets put to sleep, and although you are right when you say that you know in your heart when it's the best thing you can do for them, it's still such a painful thing to go through. Many ((HUGS)) to you. I hope Winston makes a full recovery.
 
Thanks, to be honest I'm really very worried about Winston now, he was turning a corner earlier and nibbled some hay, since Florrie has gone he isn't eating at all, he's become very difficult to hand feed, I don't know if it is the sickness or grief! But the vet said his gut was making good sounds today so didn't bother with the stimulant. He's staying in his house and is very sad looking, We are at the vets tomorrow night for a check up. I will keep hand feeding him every 3-4 hrs and make sure I get at least 5ml down him. He's also stopped pooping which is a worry. Arghhhhhh plllllllease don't let me lose my little man too, I'm so worried now I can't sleep. I'm just watching him.
 
kaja979 said:
Thanks, to be honest I'm really very worried about Winston now, he was turning a corner earlier and nibbled some hay, since Florrie has gone he isn't eating at all, he's become very difficult to hand feed, I don't know if it is the sickness or grief! But the vet said his gut was making good sounds today so didn't bother with the stimulant. He's staying in his house and is very sad looking, We are at the vets tomorrow night for a check up. I will keep hand feeding him every 3-4 hrs and make sure I get at least 5ml down him. He's also stopped pooping which is a worry. Arghhhhhh plllllllease don't let me lose my little man too, I'm so worried now I can't sleep. I'm just watching him.
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ohhh how awful! I will be thinking of you both tonight! so hope he improves!!
 
Hand feeding him has been really tough, he doesn't want it, he hasn't eaten on his own for almost 24 hrs and no poops in that time. He is clearly missing Florrie also, he's snuggling her blanket. I'm going to take him to vets this morning I'm so worried about him I feel I'll :(
 
My Gilbert is a lot like your Florrie not wanting to be syringe fed, I recently discovered that he had uri and he wouldn't eat so I had to syringe feed him and I was super worried I'd lose him to but it's been a couple of weeks and he's doing great, here's praying and hoping your lil girl feels and gets better.
 
Hoping things have gone ok for your little man overnight.... No poops is a worrying thing but if he's not eating much it's hard for anything to come through....

Paws crossed for your vet visit this morning. x
 
I'm so sorry to hear the trauma you've had to go through losing poor Florrie and now having to worry doubly about Winston. Fingers fornly crossed x
 
Just a little update. He's been at the vets today, he's not eating or drinking on his own, no poops, being hand fed. Antibiotics and gut stimulant. They don't bother with vit C or pro biotic and she looked at me like an idiot when I suggested it. They don't even stock it there. I don't know where to get hold of any. Is there any human alternative!?!? I have a bad feeling about this, I don't seem to have much success with hand feeding piggies :(
 
You an use human vitamin C. Soluble is easy to syringe. A healthy piggy needs about 50mg per day so about half or quarter of a human tablet but ill piggies can and do need a bit more. You can also use probiotics from the healthfood shop or order online. I have Avipro but there are other brands.

I hope that helps. Unfortunately not all vets know as much about piggies as we'd like and especially when your guy has been so sick it can be very difficult for them to diagnose and treat even if they were a very experienced specialist.

Paws crossed still. x
 
You can also get Pro C from Pets at Home which has both vitamin c and probiotic in it.
 
Also Metatone vitamin tonic can give a much needed boost and help stimulate the appetite. You can get it in the vitamin aisle in most supermarkets. Dose is 0.5ml once a day for a week and then 0.3ml for a second week.
 
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