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Pip Not Eating

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Leigh P

Junior Guinea Pig
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My 3.5 year old boar pig, Pip, is not eating very well. I will give a brief history before I ask any questions.

His cage mate, Eddie, passed away 3 weeks ago. Pip was quiet for a few days but we gave him a lot of attention and he seemed to come around after about a week. He started to eat well and was very perky. However, over the last couple of days he seems to have lost interest in food again. I had put a small cuddly toy of a guinea pig in his hutch with him (he is kept indoors in a large indoor hutch) but he doesn't seem to like it very much! I took this out yesterday and he came straight out and had a drink, so maybe this was scaring him a bit.

I took Pip to the vets yesterday and he had a full MOT, she listened to his chest - all normal, took his temperature (he didn't like that one bit!) but it was normal, checked his teeth - nothing wrong there, gave him a good feel all over and couldn't find anything wrong (although she did say that one of his kidneys felt and little bit different to the other one, but that she wasn't duly worried). She gave him a painkiller and antibiotic shot "just in case" and asked me to bring him back in today for her colleague to check (to see if we need a course of antibiotics)... however, I don't feel that he's actually ill, just quiet.

Has anyone else had this happen after the death of a cage mate? Pip is generally quiet anyway and very tame, but its just the eating that is worrying me. I am holding his water bottle up for him to have a drink before I go out anywhere, and he has a good drink of that. I am also feeding him some Recovery Advanced food to make sure he is getting some goodness. I put his normal fresh food in this morning and there was no interest at all, but when I gave him a couple of french beans, he seemed to want to eat those.

The only other thing that I can see is that Pip has a bit of dried poo around two of his front claws... I tried to get them off but they are stuck fast (I think that when Eddie was on his last legs, his poo was very soft so Pip probably stepped in it)... I was thinking of soaking his feet to soften it up but don't want to muck him around too much if he's not feeling well. Could this be causing him discomfort and putting him off moving around? I did put him on the floor this morning to watch if he was limping, and he didn't seem to be.

Any ideas please? I really don't want to lose another piggie.

Thanks
Leigh and Pip
 
When piggies are left alone they do tend to eat less because the competition to get the food has gone. I would consider getting a new friend for Pip.

If Pip needs to go on a course of antibiotics then please ask your vet for some probiotic such as Bio-Lapis or Avipro Plus. It is also a good idea to get some Fibreplex, just 1ml a day is generally OK while on meds.
 
Thanks for the help. I will write down the probiotic information and take it with me.

I won't be getting Pip a new friend if I can keep him happy (have been doing this for about 10 years now), the kids have grown up and aren't that interested any more, and I really want Pip to be the last one. He gets tons of attention - he is just under our stairs so we walk past all the time making an effort to talk to him each time, and he comes out for about 2 hours worth of cuddles every day, if not more (hubby is home all day).

Its a shame that there aren't any "piggie dating places" close to us as I felt this would be an option, but there is nothing less than 30 miles away.
 
Pip was put onto 0.3ml baytril twice a day, but I really don't think he's ill. He is quite quiet anyway, but I just think that he doesn't have any natural stimulus as he is now going solo. I got him out onto the carpet today for about 20 mins and he walked about and seemed very happy, so I will do this on a daily basis. Also my hubby sits with Pip on his lap for at least an hour every evening.

I have ordered some Fibreplex and will give him a couple of doses when I get it. Pip still isn't eating very well but I will continue to hand feed until he does.
 
Have you tried feeding Pip some freshly cut grass. I hand feed mine when they are on my lap. Its a bit of interaction. they also like a bit of tug of war with the grass. Mine also like a change in their hay occasionally as sometimes their hay seems to be left untouched.
 
I have had some success with Metatone, which it a vitamin tonic recommended by Peter Gurney. The dose is 0.5ml daily for the first week, then down 0.3 ml for a further week or until the piggie has regained it's appetite. It seems to work when they're off their food, but not necessarily ill.
 
Elwickcavies said:
I have had some success with Metatone, which it a vitamin tonic recommended by Peter Gurney. The dose is 0.5ml daily for the first week, then down 0.3 ml for a further week or until the piggie has regained it's appetite. It seems to work when they're off their food, but not necessarily ill.
Click to expand...

Our vet has mentioned this at times too. Need to get some in for the piggie 1st aid draw
 
Pip is now totally off his food (was eating a bit of grass and the odd dandelion) and I am now having to hand feed him Recovery and water. I am at a crossroads with what to do for the best. I really don't want to get another guinea pig but Pip is only 3.5, so should really be with us for a while - at the rate he is going I don't think he will last that long and I can't just sit around and watch him starve himself. I need to research some rehoming places in the area and if they would allow me to return the piggie if they don't get on.

I feed him Recovery Advanced 3-4 times a day and ensure he is having water (but I am at work for some of the day, so can't keep an eye on him all the time). He won't even eat grass now. He did perk up for a while but seems to have gone really quiet again.

As I was looking into some piggie info, someone mentioned giving a bit of cranberry juice. I did this and it seemed to "clear him through". He had the runs for a couple of days but this has now stopped (3 baths in total to keep him clean). He is on 0.3 baytril twice a day, so I will keep this up just in case he is harbouring a virus. I have some Metatone so will give him this on a daily basis and keep hand feeding. I also gave him 0.5 dose of Fibreplex for 2 days. He was 1.01kg last week but was 942g this morning... quite a loss in a few days but not surprising if he isn't eating.

I am nearly giving in to getting him an older cage mate (around 4 yrs) but am worried that I am just going to go through the same thing again once one of them passes away. We also have some money issues (which we didn't have when we first got the piggies all those years ago) so really can't keep going to the vets (although I do if necessary).

Fingers crossed that he perks up soon.
 
Elwickcavies said:
I have had some success with Metatone, which it a vitamin tonic recommended by Peter Gurney. The dose is 0.5ml daily for the first week, then down 0.3 ml for a further week or until the piggie has regained it's appetite. It seems to work when they're off their food, but not necessarily ill.
Click to expand...
I have found it works well with oldies who are just slowing up and losing appetite a bit, but it doesn't necessarily work for a piggy who is ill. Always worth a go though I think x
 
It could be the Baytril upsetting his tummy :( I've never been prescribed it for mine but from reading on here, it seems to either put them off food or give them the runs. Try to give him a probiotic too. It does sound like he needs a companion, if you aren't able to get him a friend then it might be worth talking to a reputable Rescue (Check our list) to see if they have a boy you could foster so that he has a companion to see out his days, then the foster piggy could be paired up at the Rescue for it's own companion maybe? Don't give up hope of finding an older boy as a friend, I think they do come into Rescues occasionally :)
 
Thanks everyone. Which probiotic is good for piggies? I really want him back on his feet again. Unfortunately when I give him floor time (when the cats are out!) he just waddles around quite stiffly, I think that his legs probably ache from all the sitting around - I do love this piggie so much, he's such a tame, friendly and quiet boy... really don't want to lose him
 
At a pinch, Pets at Home sell some Pro C Probiotic, around £5 a big tub that will last ages, best to give a little sprinkle on a slice of pepper or something once a day, unless the vet gave you Fibreplex, which is also a probiotic :)
 
I do have Fibreplex but thought that it was only for 2 days max....? I don't think that Pip will eat anything off a piece of pepper as he's just not interested in food at all

Also, is it OK to give him Metatone when he is also on Baytril? I don't want to load him up with too much at once
 
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Did you have a tube of Fibreplex? You usually have to wind down the tube one section & give it once a day, so the tube should last about a week? If he won't eat it off veggies then you can sprinkle a little into one of his syringe feeds instead, or mix in a tiny bit of water & syringe it slowly into the side of his mouth :)
 
Yes he can have the Metatone at the same time as the Baytril. The probiotic needs to be given at least an hour apart from the Baytril.

I think Poppy's Mum's idea of seeing if there is a baby boar you could foster is a good idea.
 
thanks again for all your help. I do like the idea of fostering a baby boar but I probably wouldn't want to give it back again! (especially if Pip lasts a few more years - I would be too fond of it)... I will try to look around for an older one that needs a home I think... still really want to try to get Pip back on his feet first though, just in case it is an illness of some sort.

Someone on here said to give Fibreplex for 2 days... but is it OK to give it for longer?

If I go ahead with all the wonderful advice given, I would be doing the following:

2 x 0.3 baytril per day
1 x 0.5 Fibreplex (1 hr before Baytril) per day for up to a week
1 x 0.5 Metatone per day

Is this OK all at once? I normally give the Baytril in the morning (breakfast time) and evening (dinner time) when I am going to give Pip some Recovery... is this a good or bad idea?
 
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That seems ok to me except I would give the Fibreplex an hour after the Baytril if you can. He needs to be on it for the whole course of Baytril and preferably 2 weeks after. You could always switch to another probiotic if needed.
 
Found a way of getting pip to eat... he needs to be outside of his cage and we sit talking to him! Not so bad in the afternoon but not great first thing in the morning as he takes his time! We are actively looking for an older piggie for him to have as a cage mate as he obviously needs company.​
 
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