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Old age or health issue

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Jebebr

Jebebr

Junior Guinea Pig
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Nr Stirling, Scotland
I have a four and a half year old boar. He lost a bit of weight last year due to sand in his bladder and a UTI. We use the C:pa ratio which appears to be working for him. He is now fussy with some veg tho. He is fit, fast and chatty. Drinks plenty of water daily (we live in a soft water area) he has plently of Timothy Hay available to him and nuggets. Not sure how much of this he is eating although he is eating pellets and hay. Over the past two days I've notice his majority of his dropping are half the size. Should I be worried? He never did put the weight back on that he lost. He's about 940g ish. He's always been a slim slender pig tho! Any advice
Thanks
 
If in doubt speak to a vet!
In my experience small poop are from sick pigs with a low intake.Have you been weighing him?

Isn't Timothy hay high in calcium?
 
We were advised to switch to Timothey. I was under the impression its low. Alfalfa is high I think.

His droppings have been smaller since his ill health last year. I know he is alway going to have bladder issues. We keep at bay with the C:pa ratio and Cranbery juice when necessary. I have critical care there which I'll try and feed him (he doesn't like it) I'll monitor over the weekend and if nothing changes by Monday I'll take him to the Vets.

Thanks
 
If he doesn't like critical care you could try recovery plus? You could also try mashed up nuggets, just by adding warm water and mashing. He may eat on his own, if not you could try giving them on a small plastic spoon. If not you can add some more water and syringe feed them. Do you weigh the pellets to see how much he is eating?
 
Haven't given him critical care yet. Since I posted my original post I have been watching him like a hawk. He has been eating nuggets and hay regularly over the past 24hrs. And his dropping are gradually increasing to size, but still slightly on the small side.
He never has had a big appetite for nuggets but loves hay, fresh veg and grass!
If it isn't food intake could it be something else that causing it. I have a probiotic I'll add some of that to his water.

Thanks
 
Yeah, I'd definitely take him to the vets if he has a history of being ill. Don't want him to be ill again :(
 
Given him the probiotic in his water the past two days and droppings are back to normal. I have weighed his nuggets (gave him 40g) and in the last 24hrs he's only eaten 10g of that. I know he's never been a big eater of nuggets. He is going into the vets tomorrow. Water, hay, veg and grass all been consumed normally.

Thanks
 
Jebebr said:
Given him the probiotic in his water the past two days and droppings are back to normal. I have weighed his nuggets (gave him 40g) and in the last 24hrs he's only eaten 10g of that. I know he's never been a big eater of nuggets. He is going into the vets tomorrow. Water, hay, veg and grass all been consumed normally.

Thanks
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That's good that he's going to the vets. Be on the safe side :)
 
Please weigh an ill or questionable guinea pig daily and a healthy piggy weekly. If in doubt, see the vet.

Timothy is the hay lowest in calcium. Alfalfa (or lucerne) is a legume high in calcium and protein that should only be fed to pregnant and nursing sows and very young guinea pigs.

Please check your water as to calcium content (if necessary filter) and also check the calcium level in your pellets.

Best of luck that it is nothing serious!
 
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Wiebke said:
Please weigh an ill or questionable guinea pig daily and a healthy piggy weekly. If in doubt, see the vet.

Timothy is the hay lowest in calcium. Alfalfa (or lucerne) is a legume high in calcium and protein that should only be fed to pregnant and nursing sows and very young guinea pigs.

Please check your water as to calcium content (if necessary filter) and also check the calcium level in your pellets.
Click to expand...

Yep! Totally agree with Wiebke! She/He knows what they're talking about! :)p
 
Wiebke and iluvguineapigs4, thanks guys. I have tired to weigh Jeery at home before I not to convinced whether it was accurrate or not. However I will start doing it regardless. Going to start keep a wee note in each 24hr period of food consumption water intake etc.
I was reading other post too. About nuggets and people using and preferring Burgess nuggets. We (I know what your going to say!) use Pets at Home nuggets, so with out pointing out the obvious Burgess is better?!?!?!
Also we live in Central Scotland which I think is a soft water area. Would I still need to check and would this be done with a dip stick?

Thanks guys :)
 
Jebebr said:
Wiebke and iluvguineapigs4, thanks guys. I have tired to weigh Jeery at home before I not to convinced whether it was accurrate or not. However I will start doing it regardless. Going to start keep a wee note in each 24hr period of food consumption water intake etc.
I was reading other post too. About nuggets and people using and preferring Burgess nuggets. We (I know what your going to say!) use Pets at Home nuggets, so with out pointing out the obvious Burgess is better?!?!?!
Also we live in Central Scotland which I think is a soft water area. Would I still need to check and would this be done with a dip stick?

Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...

Your welcome! I use Burgess Excel Nuggets and my piggies love them. A lot better than Pets At Home as I had them before the nuggets. Not sure abut the soft water bit though :)
 
iluvguineapigs4 said:
Your welcome! I use Burgess Excel Nuggets and my piggies love them. A lot better than Pets At Home as I had them before the nuggets. Not sure abut the soft water bit though :)
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What I have came to notice about Jerry is that he is very fussy and is not shy in telling you what he wants and doesn't want. The pickiness came from the bladder sand/grit. Which I reckon was caused by our ignorance of high calcium foods. Dandelions, parsley, mint, chard, spinach etc. All these fresh products are readily available to us in the garden and he loves it. So we feed him then until the weight loss and going off food stuff happen. Dealt with it quickly and is kinda back on track. However I have noticed that when we do give him calcium enriched foods he tends to slowly eat it, leaves bits of it or doesn't eat it at all. So knowing this I am thinking he is fussy knowing this I think the Pets at Home nuggets maybe high in calcium and for this reason he is only eating them on "I need to but don't really want too basis"

(sorry for the story) So I would be happy to eliminate the calcium element first then taking him to the vets if it doesn't work.

I hope all this makes sense. :)

Thanks again. Sometimes its good to like minded people than go to the Vets but I know this isn't a replacement. But we know our piggies better!
 
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