Piggy losing weight and digestion issues

[Rikka]

Hi all, around a week ago (30 October) I noticed my 4 years 7 months old boar Sparkles was spinning circles to his right, his usual vet gave him a prescription of 0.25ml enrofloxaxin (10 days) and meloxicam 0.2ml (7 days) twice a day.

After 3 days of medication, I realised he dropped weight, from 1040 grams to 990 grams. I told this to the vet and they advised me to start force feeding him. They also told me to give another 4 days of meloxicam for him. It seems to only maintain his weight but his appetite didn’t improve. At this time, I noticed he was constantly eating his poop but didn’t think much of it.

This Wednesday night (5 November), his appetite was very bad and he seems lethargic so I brought him into an emergency vet. They gave him injections of Vitamin B complex, Ranitidine and Metoclopromide. He was doing better after the injection, being more active and eating hay. He still has some occasional tilting but I didn’t see spinning anymore at this point.

6 November, Sparkles’s bloat came back so I bring him back to his usual vet but it seems like they don’t really have a solution for his condition. They said mostly only can do symptomatic treatment as it’s probably an issue with the brain or neurological. The vet sort of implied Sparkles might not make it. That day, I got an oral Metoclopromide medication to help with his bloating.

After that, I’ve contacted another experienced exotic vet for a second opinion. From Sparkles’s Xray dated back from August, the vet noticed he has some spine issues and thinks that’s what contributed to his occasional body tilting to one side. This vet advised me to stop all his current medications and the force feeding as it stresses him out. They also gave him tramedol. The vet’s advice did helped with the bloat, somehow. He’s eating more currently and he finally stop constantly eating every single poop he sees. But he’s still not gaining back his weight, in fact he’s losing weight (961 grams currently).

And today I made a mistake of introducing lettuce to him thinking it will give him more nutrients, because after that I noticed his poop are small and pointy. I’ve already contacted the vet and they recommend me to do poo test, xray and possibly a blood test, but it’s a Sunday so they’re not open. Is there anything I can do to help my pig in the meantime? I’ve already gave him probiotics and he seems to still have great appetite. His constant weight loss is making me so worried.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please restart syringe feeding immediately. It can be literally life saving. He may seem to have a good appetite but the fact he is losing weight signifies he is not eating enough hay.
If he does not eat enough hay, loses weight, his gut shuts down then he has no chance of survival. I am surprised that you’ve been told to stop feeding a poorly piggy.
A piggy who is not eating enough hay and is losing weight needs in excess of 60ml of syringe feed per 24 hours

The point of syringe feeding is to stop the weight loss - it is not meant to make the gain weight.
Regaining lost weight doesn’t happen until after they are past the illness and even then we are talking weeks to months afterwards to regain weight. And to add, in an older piggy, weight gain (ie going to back to pre-illness weight) doesn’t always happen anyway and instead they maintain at a lower weight which becomes their normal.

Your primary goal at this point is to stop the weight loss by syringe feeding him and to get on top of any of his symptoms. Ie if he has spinal issues then to ensure any pain is managed properly.

Eating poop is a sign he was feeling unwell and his gut was struggling due to lack of fibre (and lack of fibre can caused bloating).

Definitely don’t give veg until his weight is stabilized and his hay intake / fibre intake has improved. If his veg intake is too high vs his fibre ratio then it can set the bloating off again.

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Rikka]

Please restart syringe feeding immediately. It can be literally life saving. He may seem to have a good appetite but the fact he is losing weight signifies he is not eating enough hay.
If he does not eat enough hay, loses weight, his gut shuts down then he has no chance of survival. I am surprised that you’ve been told to stop feeding a poorly piggy.
A piggy who is not eating enough hay and is losing weight needs in excess of 60ml of syringe feed per 24 hours

The point of syringe feeding is to stop the weight loss - it is not meant to make the gain weight.
Regaining lost weight doesn’t happen until after they are past the illness and even then we are talking weeks to months afterwards to regain weight. And to add, in an older piggy, weight gain (ie going to back to pre-illness weight) doesn’t always happen anyway and instead they maintain at a lower weight which becomes their normal.

Your primary goal at this point is to stop the weight loss by syringe feeding him and to get on top of any of his symptoms. Ie if he has spinal issues then to ensure any pain is managed properly.

Eating poop is a sign he was feeling unwell and his gut was struggling due to lack of fibre (and lack of fibre can caused bloating).

Definitely don’t give veg until his weight is stabilized and his hay intake / fibre intake has improved. If his veg intake is too high vs his fibre ratio then it can set the bloating off again.

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Thank you for the in-depth reply.

I was skeptical about the advice of stopping force feeding as well, but I decided to try and if it worked since the vet mentioned something about his front part of the stomach is working too fast (from the Metoclopromide) and the back part is not working fast enough? So I was assuming the reasoning behind it is to let the back part of the stomach process whatever is clogging in front before stuffing more. But since he’s still dropping weight, I’ll start on the force feeding again in small frequent portions.

I also noticed him grinding his teeth while trying to poop. Definitely not good and will bring it up to the vet.

 

[Rikka]

Update :
The vet advised me to give Sparkles some cucumber, they think he lacks hydration. I’m not sure if I should do it since I don’t want to further upset his gut.

Would like to ask if there’s any thing I can feed him for his joints or bone density? The vet mentioned his bone density is bad.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You can very carefully syringe some water to him if he is dehydrated.

The food you are using to syringe feed him (we do not call it force feeding as you should not be forcing food into him at all) is usually made up using water so he will be getting some water via the critical care feed.

The guide below explains syringe feeding recovery feed and water further

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Bone density is usually maintained by a good balanced diet, and getting sunlight, and exercise. However if Your piggy is having issues then he may need vitamin d medications/supplements but you are going to need to speak to your vet about why he has bone density issues and what is best for him.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Rikka]

You can very carefully syringe some water to him if he is dehydrated.

The food you are using to syringe feed him (we do not call it force feeding as you should not be forcing food into him at all) is usually made up using water so he will be getting some water via the critical care feed.

The guide below explains syringe feeding recovery feed and water further

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Bone density is usually maintained by a good balanced diet, and getting sunlight, and exercise. However if Your piggy is having issues then he may need vitamin d medications/supplements but you are going to need to speak to your vet about why he has bone density issues and what is best for him.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Sorry for the misuse of word, will correct myself to use syringe feed in the future!

The vet mentioned the diet I gave him is imbalanced (I was focusing too much on providing vitamin c only and avoiding any higher calcium veggies), I will try to change up his veggies after his gut gets better.

There’s not much cavy savvy vet in my country so the info and advices I’ve got from this forum has been very helpful.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sorry for the misuse of word, will correct myself to use syringe feed in the future!

The vet mentioned the diet I gave him is imbalanced (I was focusing too much on providing vitamin c only and avoiding any higher calcium veggies), I will try to change up his veggies after his gut gets better.

There’s not much cavy savvy vet in my country so the info and advices I’ve got from this forum has been very helpful.

We recommend a low calcium diet due to the risk of them developing bladder stones. However they do still need calcium so you cannot end should not totally limit calcium - they can have high calcium veggies once a week.
If they eat pellets then they are high in calcium in comparison so they will still be getting calcium regardless

Perhaps if you can tell us their diet then we can help you further

 

[Rikka]

We recommend a low calcium diet due to the risk of them developing bladder stones. However they do still need calcium so you cannot end should not totally limit calcium - they can have high calcium veggies once a week.
If they eat pellets then they are high in calcium in comparison so they will still be getting calcium regardless

Perhaps if you can tell us their diet then we can help you further

Veggie/Fruit:
I feed them a quarter of a green bell pepper ( or half depending on the size of the pepper) everyday. They also get 1 cherry tomato 1-2 times in a week.

Occasionally, I will give corn leaves and the silk.

Herbs:
dried dandelion leaves 3 times a week, mixed in their hay.

Pellets:
I had been giving them Oxbow Essentials for Adult Guinea Pig daily, but my vet recommended me another brand which I’ll show in the picture.

Supplement:
I give them 1 tab of oxbow multivitamin cookie each daily.
Occasionally I’ll give them critical care or probiotic to boost their gut.


And unlimited Timothy hay, filtered water

 

[Piggies&buns]

It doesn’t look to me like you have an unbalanced diet at all.
Your piggies are actually getting calcium mostly from the pellets but the dried dandelion also contains calcium.

The oxbow essentials pellets you currently feed are absolutely fine for you to continue to use.
The pellets you have added a picture of, I would not feed to your piggies. They are alfalfa based and piggies should not eat alfalfa.

The only thing I would say about the diet is that it isn’t very varied but it depends on what you have available to you routinely.
They can have lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander/ cilantro every day. This diet provides plenty of variety and a balance of nutrients.
Tomatoes are a fruit and should not be fed more than once a week.
Corn stalks are fine to be given occasionally.

They do not need to be given any vitamin c treats or cookies at all. A good varied diet provides them with their vitamin c needs, the oxbow essentials pellets are also fortified. We do not recommend any kind of vitamin c supplementation above their veg needs as supplementation can be detrimental.

 

[Rikka]

If the diet wasn’t the main issue then I’m not sure, maybe he’s not getting enough sun…

I just bought the new pellets three days ago, would it be okay to use it as a treat instead? I used a few pellets to bribe Sparkles to eat more syringe feed. He seems to like it a lot but if it’s bad for him I’ll stop giving him.

Also since he can’t have veggies currently, should I be giving him vitamin c supplement then? I know critical care contains vitamin c but I heard sick piggies require a higher dose of it.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You can use a few as a treat

They can have a two week course of a liquid vitamin c supplement during a period of illness but I honestly wouldn’t worry about it too much it given he is being syringe fed

 

[Rikka]

Update :

His poo is not as soft and pointy but I don’t see a lot of them. His weight currently is 944 grams. I’m thinking if I’m not syringe feeding him enough or is the painkiller not working well as the dosage is once a day.

Also I’m not really sure if I should send him in for a blood test as the vet told me need sedation.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Losing weight and lack of poops indicates he isn’t getting enough food.
How much syringe feed are you getting into him each day? - he needs at least 60ml per day but it could be up to 100ml which is needed to stabilise his weight.

Painkiller being once a day isn’t necessarily a problem if the dosage is high enough. If it is a low dose and once a day then it may not be enough.
I don’t have personal experience of tramadol though so I can’t help on that front

Yes they do often need sedation for blood to be taken. It’s usually only a light sedative so not usually an issue

 

[Rikka]

I gave around 20ml only as he didnt like eating the critical care. Also another update : today I went to another exotic vet and they too told me to stop syringe feed and even the painkiller…

As for medication they gave me some electrolytes powder to mix into water and syringe feed it to him. The vet stated Sparkles is blind on his right eye and that could affect him accessing food efficiently. I’m told to continue the probiotics.

The vet said it would be only a concern if their weight reaches 850 grams.

It’s quite stressful that the vets give completely different advice compared to what I’ve learnt from the forum. I’m not really sure how to proceed with this.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Being blind in one eye won’t stop him finding food. As long as you keep his hay in the same place but also in multiple places around the cage then he will find it wherever he is. Sight isn’t their strongest sense anyway so they manage very well if they go blind.

You have to follow what you feel most comfortable with.
All I can say is that we would not advise you to stop syringe feeding when he is still losing weight every day - he has lost 100g already and I wouldn’t want that to continue if he was my piggy. As I say 60ml is the amount to feed to go towards stopping weight loss. You don’t want his gut to slow down which is why syringe feeding is very important if they arent eating enough on their own

 

[Rikka]

I want to believe the vet since they should be the experts, but my gut instinct tells me I should continue syringe feeding him so I’ll continue to do that. Strangely, when I syringe fed him just now he seems to start liking the critical care. Usually he complains at 5ml but I managed to give around 8ml in one session. I’ll try to see if I can get more after he rests for a bit.

 

[Wheekallweek]

I wouldn't worry about his sight. I had a pig with an eye removed in the past who have managed just fine. We have a lethal white currently who is blind and mostly deaf and she has no problems finding her food
I definitely wouldn't stop pain relief, personally.

 

[Rikka]

I wouldn't worry about his sight. I had a pig with an eye removed in the past who have managed just fine. We have a lethal white currently who is blind and mostly deaf and she has no problems finding her food
I definitely wouldn't stop pain relief, personally.

Thanks for the reassurance I never realised he was blind since he acted like a normal piggie. The only thing that was strange to me was just that he loves pushing stuff away as he moves

 

[Rikka]

Update :

His weight is 956 grams today I managed to give him more critical care yesterday by adding his favourite probiotic into it.

Just now I tried interchanging between one syringe of electrolyte + water and one syringe of critical care, he tolerated that way better than just critical care and ate a lot of it.

 

[Rikka]

Hi all,

what do you think of removing his eye? He had this eye bulge for a long time (almost 2 years). I’ve got it checked by the vet when I first noticed it but they say there’s nothing much that can be done for this condition and just leave it be. Sometimes I notice the bulge gets bigger but sometimes it goes down. I wonder if it’s hurts him and cause head tilt.

The recent vet said this eye is blind now and gave me eye drops to regulate the pressure.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi all,

what do you think of removing his eye? He had this eye bulge for a long time (almost 2 years). I’ve got it checked by the vet when I first noticed it but they say there’s nothing much that can be done for this condition and just leave it be. Sometimes I notice the bulge gets bigger but sometimes it goes down. I wonder if it’s hurts him and cause head tilt.

The recent vet said this eye is blind now and gave me eye drops to regulate the pressure.

It’s something for you to discuss with your vet. Not really something we can comment on