Old Boar With Many Health Problems

[4GorgeousGuineas]

Hi guys, I have a male guinea pig who is around 6 years and 3 months old, I got him from pets at home as a baby and now that he’s older he seems to have a variety of health problems. Firstly he has no hair on his front legs, belly and back legs but his back and head are completely fine. His skin isn’t dry, it isn’t bumpy or flaky and there’s no sign of irritation. Secondly he has had sniffles for probably the past 2 years or so, he sounds wheezy and has been on a variety of antibiotics multiple times but it hasn’t made much difference.

He waddles when he walks so is currently on pain medication. He also suffers from impaction so I have to clean his bottom daily; he also has a bad case of cauliflower willy, so much so that the excess skin sometimes rubs along the vetbed and gets dry so I put coconut oil on it daily to keep the skin nice and moisturised.

He isn’t eating anywhere near as much as he used to, he will nibble hay and eat some veggies so I have been topping him up with syringe feeds a few times a day for the past couple of months. Vets aren’t very helpful and he spends most of his time curled up in his snuggle sack, he takes syringe feed willingly so I don’t think he has quite given up on life yet but it’s becoming a struggle to keep weight on him. Does anyone have any suggestions? I think I’m currently doing hospice care as I know that I can’t cure him of old age. Any help is most appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi guys, I have a male guinea pig who is around 6 years and 3 months old, I got him from pets at home as a baby and now that he’s older he seems to have a variety of health problems. Firstly he has no hair on his front legs, belly and back legs but his back and head are completely fine. His skin isn’t dry, it isn’t bumpy or flaky and there’s no sign of irritation. Secondly he has had sniffles for probably the past 2 years or so, he sounds wheezy and has been on a variety of antibiotics multiple times but it hasn’t made much difference.

He waddles when he walks so is currently on pain medication. He also suffers from impaction so I have to clean his bottom daily; he also has a bad case of cauliflower willy, so much so that the excess skin sometimes rubs along the vetbed and gets dry so I put coconut oil on it daily to keep the skin nice and moisturised.

He isn’t eating anywhere near as much as he used to, he will nibble hay and eat some veggies so I have been topping him up with syringe feeds a few times a day for the past couple of months. Vets aren’t very helpful and he spends most of his time curled up in his snuggle sack, he takes syringe feed willingly so I don’t think he has quite given up on life yet but it’s becoming a struggle to keep weight on him. Does anyone have any suggestions? I think I’m currently doing hospice care as I know that I can’t cure him of old age. Any help is most appreciated. Thank you.

Hi!

Please have your boy checked for arthritis in all legs and probably the spine, too. The hair loss is likely caused by self barbering on the painfuly joints and by just plonking down (abrasion on the belly) to take the weight off the legs.
He will need painkillers (metacam) in higher dosages if that is the case; with severe arthritis tramadol can be prescribed. Unlike cats and dogs, guinea pigs deal much better with much higher dosages of metacam, up to 0.4 ml of dog strength/ 1.2 ml cat strength metacam twice daily for a 1kg piggy. The waddling (stiff legs/spine) is also connected to that.
Additionally please try and see whether glucosamine can help with coating the joints again and make a difference in the quality of life and hopefully improve the appetite as well. You can try Oxbow joint supplement, use cystease cat supplement capsule (mix the content with 1-2 ml of water daily) or get vegetarian human joint supplement tablets which you crush and syringe with water.
Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility
Weight Monitoring and Management (includes a chapter on underweight)
Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

 

[4GorgeousGuineas]

Hi Wiebke, he is on 0.4ml dog Loxicom once a day, would you recommend giving him some more? I was looking at vegan glucosamine but am unsure of dosage.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Wiebke, he is on 0.4ml dog Loxicom once a day, would you recommend giving him some more? I was looking at vegan glucosamine but am unsure of dosage.

How much is he weighing? Ideally you give the loxicom/metacam every 12 hours because of the fast metabolism that guinea pigs have, so you can give the same dose twice daily for a ca. 1 kg piggy. My severely arthritic old lady Hedydd was on 0.4 ml twice daily in the last weeks of her life even though by then she was just touching 700g, as prescribed by a piggy savvy vet.

1 portion is about 150mg of glucosamine, so when you crush up the tablet, which gives you roughly three portions out of a 500 mg tablet. Mix the ground up tablet with a respective multiple of water (i.e. 3-6 ml of water). In my experience the cystease capsule content tastes a lot nicer and is more easily accepted than a human tablet but it is more expensive. However, glucosamine can really make a difference in comfort.

 

[4GorgeousGuineas]

Glucosamine HCI Liquid Optiflex - 1000mg | Vegetarian Supplements | Healthspan

Hi I’ve just ordered vegan glucosamine in a liquid form, could you tell me how much to give please? And he’s hovering around 900g at the moment.

 

[Wiebke]

Glucosamine HCI Liquid Optiflex - 1000mg | Vegetarian Supplements | Healthspan

Hi I’ve just ordered vegan glucosamine in a liquid form, could you tell me how much to give please? And he’s hovering around 900g at the moment.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with this, but aim for a dosage that contains roughly 150 mg of glucosamine per day.
You can give 0.4 ml (or just below) of loxicom safely twice daily and see whether that is making a difference.

 

[4GorgeousGuineas]

The glucosamine I ordered says it’s 1000 mg per 10 mls so if my maths is correct it should make it 1.5 mls to equal the 150 mg dosage. In the meantime I will double his loxicom dosage. Thank you very much for your help Wiebke, you’re a fountain of piggy knowledge

 

[Wiebke]

The glucosamine I ordered says it’s 1000 mg per 10 mls so if my maths is correct it should make it 1.5 mls to equal the 150 mg dosage. In the meantime I will double his loxicom dosage. Thank you very much for your help Wiebke, you’re a fountain of piggy knowledge ☺

All the best!

 

[Black piggies]

When I got my guinea pigs the woman who runs the local piggy rescue said she gives pigs wheat bran powder from health food shops to get their weight up. No idea if that's recommended. I give it as a treat to my pigs and they go crazy for it.

 

[4GorgeousGuineas]

I have just bought Emeraid to give to my senior piggy who is struggling to hold his weight at the moment (I did do a thread on his health problems). Anywho I was wondering how much of the Emeraid should I feed in one sitting? At the moment I’m doing 1 scoop and a bit but it doesn’t seem to make up much food. I’m trying to get him to gain weight so need to know how much to feed at a time. Thanks.

 

[Wiebke]

I have just bought Emeraid to give to my senior piggy who is struggling to hold his weight at the moment (I did do a thread on his health problems). Anywho I was wondering how much of the Emeraid should I feed in one sitting? At the moment I’m doing 1 scoop and a bit but it doesn’t seem to make up much food. I’m trying to get him to gain weight so need to know how much to feed at a time. Thanks.

Hi!

You feed as much as your piggy will take in one session; that can be anything in 5-15 ml in my experience. Don't force any food down.
Please also be aware that older and frail piggies won't eat as much as a piggy in their prime.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

If you offer the feed from a bowl or a spoon as a supplement for piggies that still eat on their own, then it is basically as much as they want to eat. Please keep in mind that you want to encourage them to keep eating hay and keep eating a normal diet as much as possible.
Emeraid is quite highly calorific, so you don't need huge amounts.