• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Please send good thoughts for my sick boar

Status
Not open for further replies.
TinyDancer

TinyDancer

Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I've taken him to the vet this morning as he just suddenly stopped eating yesterday. His housemate just wouldn't stop squeaking as soon as I walked in the door. I know he was telling me something was wrong with Del.

Last night I stayed up with Del, put water and blended veg down him with a syringe because he wouldn't eat. He's so quiet. It maes me so sad to see him so subdued.

Vet gave him antibiotic injection, and I have recovery food and more antibiotics to give him. They don't seem to know exactly what's wrong with him, so I've had to separate Mal from him too in case of contagion.

I wish I could do more for him. Please send good thoughts?
 
Oh no, so sorry to hear this, it was really great that you took him to the vets, is there any other symptoms? Is he producing normal poo's, is he drinking? Has he lost any weight, are is eyes and nose clear, no runny bottom or rattly breathing or anything?

Poor fella, just want to send some love and healing vibes.

I and many others on here and experiences in syringe feeding med's and food so any probelms or questions just ask.

I think it would be better for Del to be with Mal as he might stimulate him, being separated might cause more stress for him.

xx
 
Ohhhh no. :( 101 little prayers from Nickel, Machu, and Gizzy- cat.

I hope the vet checked his ears and teeth and listened to his chest? If you're happy to say whereabouts you're located, lots of people here can provide good vet recommendations if you want someone to have a second look.
 
Toffeewoffee said:
I and many others on here and experiences in syringe feeding med's and food so any probelms or questions just ask.

xx
Click to expand...

Thankyou. None of my boys have ever been sick before, I;ve been so lucky. I just don't know what to do for the best.

Is there a good way to stop him getting so wet when trying to syringe the liquids into him? I have towels but loads always seems to dribble out.
 
SpinningNickel said:
Ohhhh no. :( 101 little prayers from Nickel, Machu, and Gizzy- cat.

I hope the vet checked his ears and teeth and listened to his chest? If you're happy to say whereabouts you're located, lots of people here can provide good vet recommendations if you want someone to have a second look.
Click to expand...

Thankyou. Yes, my vet is really really good. He looked all round his teeth (even the back ones) down his throat, had a listen to both sides of his chest. The only thing he said was that his chest sounded a bit "dull".
 
When I was syringe feeding my Picchu and he didn't want to eat, I'd give him a tiny bit at a time, the pop my fingernail in his mouth between his front teeth and just sort of force his jaw open a little. That seemed to prompt him to actually chew, which helped. I always kept non-fragranced baby wipes on hand to wipe his chin, too. (Usually the cheapest store-brand ones are fragrance free, fancier ones often aren't.)
 
Unfortunately there is little ou can do if they dribble it out, especially without experience as syrnging is risky in itself, as they can inhale what you are giving them, just take time and do little bits at a time, just a couple of drops, wait a minute, then another couple and so on. That way with it being such a small amount he wont be able to dribble it out, the same with the recovery food, just a little at a time and wash it down with some water.

If he refuses to take it, you need to step up your game and be forceful with him, my boy put up such a fight, i had him on my lap against the arm so he couldn't move back and i had to literally force his mouth open with one hand and syringe with the other, i think he soon learnt i was bigger and stronger and he did co-operate.

What med's is he on that you need to give?

xx
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hear Del is poorly, Syrigne feed him slowly, so he can chew the food and less will drop out. Critical care is an excellent syrigne feed for piggies and can be made up with water.

Here is an excellent factsheet produce by Laura who runs The Guinea pig Helpline Website http://www.guineapighelpline.com/SyringeFeedingFactsheet.pdf

Please weigh him daily so you can see how much food he is getting into his system. It is important to keep his guts moving. If he doesn't improve with the Antibiotics, please get him to the vets again for further investigation. The vet can also give him a gut stimulant to encourage him to eat. If you let us know where you are located someone may know a Guinea pig experienced vet in your area.

Hope Del gets well soon
 
sport_billy said:
Sorry to hear Del is poorly, Syrigne feed him slowly, so he can chew the food and less will drop out. Critical care is an excellent syrigne feed for piggies and can be made up with water.

Here is an excellent factsheet produce by Laura who runs The Guinea pig Helpline Website http://www.guineapighelpline.com/SyringeFeedingFactsheet.pdf

Please weigh him daily so you can see how much food he is getting into his system. It is important to keep his guts moving. If he doesn't improve with the Antibiotics, please get him to the vets again for further investigation. The vet can also give him a gut stimulant to encourage him to eat. If you let us know where you are located someone may know a Guinea pig experienced vet in your area.

Hope Del gets well soon
Click to expand...

Thankyou so much. The vet did give him a gut stimulant (well, he said "injection for his guts" so I'm thinking that's what it was) as well as the antibiotics. He is underweight, it's scary how much weight he managed to lose in just a day.
 
I really hope he gets better soon. As others have said syringe feeding can be very hard and at times it may feel like you're not getting anywhere but just persevere. I really hope your boy recovers soon.
 
Did the vet give you any probiotics to give him while he is on the baytril? It can be very harsh on the guts and cause them to go off food, which is obviously the last thing you need, pro-biotics will help the gut, i usually give mine the Johnston ones available from pets at home, Jolleys, the Range:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/proc-probiotic-100gm-by-vetark-15796

Otherwise something we call poop soup will do the job just aswell and doesn't cost anything, its were you collect poo's from a healthy piggy and mash them into a paste with a little water and syringe to him, its gross but they love it.

Baytril tastes horrible so as he gets used to it, he will put up a fight, so follow it up with a green leafy treat if he will take one.

Something else which is good to give sick piggies to help them gain/miantain their weight is porrdige oats mixed with some water and syringe fed, though i had to mix a little banana with mine as that is the only way my boy would take it, but it did really help him, the mix of oats and banana being naturally high in calories gave him energy aswell as helped with his weight. xx
 
bessiehen said:
I really hope he gets better soon. As others have said syringe feeding can be very hard and at times it may feel like you're not getting anywhere but just persevere. I really hope your boy recovers soon.
Click to expand...

Thankyou. I won't give up. I want to do everything I can for him.
 
Toffeewoffee said:
Did the vet give you any probiotics to give him while he is on the baytril? It can be very harsh on the guts and cause them to go off food, which is obviously the last thing you need, pro-biotics will help the gut, i usually give mine the Johnston ones available from pets at home, Jolleys, the Range:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/proc-probiotic-100gm-by-vetark-15796

Otherwise something we call poop soup will do the job just aswell and doesn't cost anything, its were you collect poo's from a healthy piggy and mash them into a paste with a little water and syringe to him, its gross but they love it.

Baytril tastes horrible so as he gets used to it, he will put up a fight, so follow it up with a green leafy treat if he will take one.
Click to expand...

I will go out to the pet shop once I've done his next syringe and see if I can get some.

And he won't even eat cucumber, which he usually loves :(
 
Try him on a little banana and parsly, for about 2 weeks this was all my boy would eat, but the mian thing for them is the Critical care as they need the fibre to keep their guts going.

You could also mash some of his pellets with some water into a paste and feed this, i used the burgess excell backcurrent and oregano nuggets, put them in a bowl poured boiling water over them let it cool, then mashed it all, he took it so much better than he did the CC. xx
 
Sending lots and lots of love from me and mine xx

My Ant stopped eating a few months back and was given the same as yours. Apart from not eating he was fit and healthy, but it didnt work. He ended up having an op on his teeth, but that didnt help either. My vet recommended me to a piggie savy vet, but she said that my own vet had done everything. She then told me that a condition usually found in horses, but seems to affecting piggies now was probably the cause, Basically the nerve endings in the mouth stop working, making it impossible for the piggy to eat and there is nothing they can do to help. She prescribed him painkillers and antibi's and we had to take Ant back weekly. I was feeding him through a syringe for nearly 1 month at this point when she told me about this. I started massaging Ant's jaw line quite a few times through the day and night and low and behold he started eating a little on his own. Bit by bit he got better and today hes now back to his rowdy michievous self and his weight is back to normal. All this was made worse as 2 months prior to this, my eldest son Alex who was 16 and Ant & Dec's slave got a temperature 1 night and 2 days later was on life support as he had a brain tumor, with other complications. Luckily they removed the tumor but it has left him with slight brain damage and serious other complications which require him to be on meds for life, anyhow, when Alex came off life support, the only thing he recognised or remembered was Ant & Dec. He seemed to cling to Ant and the thought of him (i think) made Alex improve, so the fact that Ant fell so dreadfully ill so soon after was soul destroying. Both Alex and Ant is on the mend thankfully.
So try the jaw massaging, it wont hurt, but it may help. (sorry for the long winded reply) Nicola x
 
welshwonderful said:
Both Alex and Ant is on the mend thankfully.
So try the jaw massaging, it wont hurt, but it may help. (sorry for the long winded reply) Nicola x
Click to expand...

Oh my you and all your boys have been through so much, I'm so glad they're getting better. And thankyou. I will try anything that may help, poor Del.

Toffeewoffee said:
You could also mash some of his pellets with some water into a paste and feed this, i used the burgess excell backcurrent and oregano nuggets, put them in a bowl poured boiling water over them let it cool, then mashed it all, he took it so much better than he did the CC. xx
Click to expand...

Del loves his Burgess excell pellets, I'll have to do that.
 
Oh no. Healing vibes to you and Del. Please keep us updated!xxxxxxxxxx
-Sarah, Rusty and Lillith.
 
Is he taking the syringe feed ok?

Come on lil fella, were all rooting for you xx
 
Toffeewoffee said:
Is he taking the syringe feed ok?

Come on lil fella, were all rooting for you xx
Click to expand...

He's not very happy about it, but I guess some of it must be going down cos it isn't ALL dribbling out again.

I told him loads of people want him to get better :)
 
Yes we all do, what are you syringing him? The recovery or the mushed nuggets?

x
 
You could try mixing in some veggy juice or mashing some banana and mixing it in too, this will give it a more intreaguing flavour and hopefully keep him interested. xx
 
Whee want to send some healing vibes too

I used to puree up some veg with juice and that was always very popular :)

HEALING LOVES AND WHEEEEEEEEEEEEKS FOR YOU LITTLE DEL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Sadly Del hasn't improved any overnight. He's still with us - I stayed up again through the night to make sure he got his water and liquid foods every three-four hours. But he's still the same.

Gonna call the vet and make him another appointment for this afternoon.
 
Oh big hugs honey, this must be awful for you, you should try to aim to get 120mls into him every 24 hours if poss, though i know with un-co-operative piggies this is far easier said than done. Where abouts in the world are you? xx
 
Thinking of you and Del today, hope the vets can help get him better x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top