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Piggy with eye infection and great weight loss

Stockyanna

Stockyanna

Junior Guinea Pig
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I didn't think I would be back here so soon. This year seems like a year for piggy problems. I noticed my 4.5 year old piggy with a watery/gunky eye. I took her to the vet and have been given eye drops. Can't say they are helping much and it's been 4.5 days. However, she seems to have gone off all the food I give her. In the last month she has gone down 200 grams. Don't get me wrong she needed to lose some weight as was eating for two when my last piggy Candy was poorly a few months ago. I assumed at the start it was because she is now in with two youngsters and they hoover the greens up as soon as they go in and Flossy is a plodder eater. But now she goes to get the food out of the bowl but then puts it down straight away like she doesn't want any of what I offer. And I do give them lots of options every meal time with lots of choices. I'm getting really worried about the dramatic weight loss though. Could the eye issue be linked to her teeth? I have been giving her pain relief for the last few days as well as Zantac to keep her insides moving and she seems fine in herself, albeit a little quiet at times. She has a little nibble of things but nothing major and I can't help but think it's due to her teeth. The vet couldn't see any issues but she is booked in for thurs morning for a sedative so he can have a good look round and also do an X-ray. Just really worried about her. Has anybody else had anything similar? I'm just scared I'm going to get told the worst on Thursday. I go on holiday in 9 days and very anxious to leave her
 
Stockyanna said:
I didn't think I would be back here so soon. This year seems like a year for piggy problems. I noticed my 4.5 year old piggy with a watery/gunky eye. I took her to the vet and have been given eye drops. Can't say they are helping much and it's been 4.5 days. However, she seems to have gone off all the food I give her. In the last month she has gone down 200 grams. Don't get me wrong she needed to lose some weight as was eating for two when my last piggy Candy was poorly a few months ago. I assumed at the start it was because she is now in with two youngsters and they hoover the greens up as soon as they go in and Flossy is a plodder eater. But now she goes to get the food out of the bowl but then puts it down straight away like she doesn't want any of what I offer. And I do give them lots of options every meal time with lots of choices. I'm getting really worried about the dramatic weight loss though. Could the eye issue be linked to her teeth? I have been giving her pain relief for the last few days as well as Zantac to keep her insides moving and she seems fine in herself, albeit a little quiet at times. She has a little nibble of things but nothing major and I can't help but think it's due to her teeth. The vet couldn't see any issues but she is booked in for thurs morning for a sedative so he can have a good look round and also do an X-ray. Just really worried about her. Has anybody else had anything similar? I'm just scared I'm going to get told the worst on Thursday. I go on holiday in 9 days and very anxious to leave her
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Please have your girl checked for overgrown teeth; it could also be the cause of the eye issue.
Step in with syringe feeding asap and be prepared to continue after teatment if your vets are not dental savvy.

This guide here contains all the crisis care advice bundled together: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
 
Hiya. Yes he is going to check that. Also an X-ray. She is eating something and drinking and eating hay. She refused the critical care yesterday. I haven't pushed that because she is still nibbling. Just not as much. I will try her on some now. I just feel like I'm making her life hell at times by keep forcing her with syringes
 
Stockyanna said:
Hiya. Yes he is going to check that. Also an X-ray. She is eating something and drinking and eating hay. She refused the critical care yesterday. I haven't pushed that because she is still nibbling. Just not as much. I will try her on some now. I just feel like I'm making her life hell at times by keep forcing her with syringes
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I am very sorry, but keep pushing food as much as she will accept. Nibbling is not enough.
 
Wiebke said:
I am very sorry, but keep pushing food as much as she will accept. Nibbling is not enough.
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Wiebke said:
I am very sorry, but keep pushing food as much as she will accept. Nibbling is not enough.
Click to expand...
She has just had half a syringe of critical care and a few bits of veg. I am still convinced it's her teeth because she seems to want to eat. I will keep pushing
 
Stockyanna said:
She has just had half a syringe of critical care and a few bits of veg. I am still convinced it's her teeth because she seems to want to eat. I will keep pushing
Click to expand...

Keep weighing her daily to monitor her food intake and use that as how much/how often you have to support feed. Usually you aim for at least 5-10 ml every 2 hours (3 hours at night) in a piggy that is not eating or eating very little on its own. Your aim is 40-60 ml or the equivalent in 24 hours to keep your piggy alive and the guts going. Getting food into an uncooperative piggy is very hard and time consuming.

Please follow the advice in the emergency and crisis support guide (which I have linked in above) and the syringe feeding link, which is included in the first link.
 
I too am just offering moral support and healing vibes for your girl. Syringe feeding is exhausting, but every ml of food helps.
 
Posyrose said:
I too am just offering moral support and healing vibes for your girl. Syringe feeding is exhausting, but every ml of food helps.
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Thank you. It is very difficult. I love my piggies to bits and would go to the ends of the earth for them but feeding every two hours just isn't possible when you are out at work all day. I'm trying absolutely everything I can. All my spare time infact. She is pooing so I know she's eating. But they are small compared to normal. But thank you for your support
 
Stockyanna said:
but feeding every two hours just isn't possible when you are out at work all day.
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When I've not been able to feed around the clock (it just doesn't work around a busy job) I've boarded my pigs (best to have a companion there too) at the vets and had them do the night time feeds. It obviously incurs a cost, but I treated it like respite care when I was no longer able to feed them 24/7
 
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