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Poor Barney is really poorly :(:(

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GuineaRanger

GuineaRanger

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone Barney, the white pigwig on my profile pic has been poorly the last 2 days. I don't know what's wrong with him, I had him at the vets yday and they have given me some stuff for a bladder problem? Yet they couldn't feel anything. I had him at the vets last year sometime, I did a post about it, he seemed like he was in pain when weeing and i don't think it was sorted properly, do * think it could be that?

I noticed he was lightet, he is very inactive, can't really move, doesn't get up to eat but happily eats cucumber and lettuce, I syringe feed him water and his Burgess pellets mushed up. Sometimes when I syringe feed him water he starts sneezing and it comes outta his nose. He hasn't pooed all day yday, tonight or today :(:(

They said if he hasn't perked up bring him back but could this be old age? They said they will give him an xray and all that but would it be better to be pts? Hate that but I want to do what's best :( he is 4 and a half or so.

Thanks guys.
 
Sorry to hear Barney isn't very well.
Its concerning that he hasn't pooed in such a long time.

Can you see if he is bloat at all? Usually they do look pretty rounded and if you gently tap their side you should hear a hollow noise if it is in fact bloat.

Please refer to this..
http://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html

If he is bloated then please get him back to the vets, but if the mean time try to massage his sides to see if you can help relieve any.

What did they give you for his bladder problem? Baytril? That can be very upsetting on their tummies.

I'd take him off the veg.
 
Hey, actually yeh it does sound a bit hollow when I just tapped his side. Although I haven't noticed any difference in shape he's always been a big piggy. The vets isnt open till 3pm now. They gave me marbocyl and metacam.

them
 
mmm he could have a blockage if he hasn't pooed in over 24 hours, try and massage his sides, see if that helps. Do you have a vibration pad or anything? If not, what Sky bloated I had him on me and vibrated on my whole body, was tiring after a while but he did poo in the end.
Can you not call emergency vets? Bloat is very concerning and not to worry you but my last three pigs died of bloat, even after having vet visits!
How much food are you syringe feeding him?
 
No I don't have one of them. I've just been lightly massaging him since ** post. I have only given him a tiny bit today but yesterday I gave him a few full syringes, the syringe is one I got with some metacam for my other pig last year, its about as long and thick as my index finger (it doesn't hav a ml amount on it!)
 
It is incredibly concerning that he hasn't pooed in so long. Guinea pigs need to keep eating and pooing pretty much constantly so that their stomachs keep moving. If they stop then they can very quickly develop gut stasis which leads to a build up of gases, and subsequently bloat. This is very painful, and can prove fatal if left untreated.

He needs to see a vet today. I really can't stress this enough. He needs gut stimulants (usually Emeprid and/or Zantac) to get his stomach moving again. You will then need to syringe feed him if he's not eating on his own to get things moving through his system.
 
This is a vet emergency situation. Did you look at the guinealynx link about bloat? You need an exotics vet with small animal experience & you need to see them straight away to give him a chance to get over this.

Hope Barney will be ok x
 
Don't give up on him just yet. While he's still eating there's still hope. Is he looking like he's in pain when he wees now? If he is an xray would be a good idea to check for bladder stones, it could be a urinary tract infection which is easily treated but the antibiotics can upset their tummies so get a probiotic like Fibreplex as well.
More concerning is the inability to move and no poos. No poos probably means he isn't getting enough syringe food but I would imagine he's bloated as well even if you can't see it, the most important thing is to get his gut moving again, bloat is a very painful condition and fatal if not treated quickly. Can he move but just doesn't want to? If he can try and get him moving, you need to get the gas moving. My vet says start chasing them round at the first sign of bloat and start tummy massaging.
He needs to get back to the vets a.s.a.p. he will be in pain. If bloat is diagnosed then Emeprid and Zantac twice a day is what he needs. Good luck keep us posted.
 
It is possible that he has reacted badly to the antibiotics. Sometimes this can lead to runny poos (this sometimes happens with 'harsh' ABs such as Baytril) or sometimes they can have an intolerance to it and they stop eating altogether.

Is this what has happened? You mention that you have been syringe feeding him - is this because he hasn't been eating on his own?

NB. I don't see 4 and half as being old for a guinea pig and would be hesitant to put any symptoms down to 'old age'. My Jerry is nearly four and has the most energy out of all my boys.
 
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Hi jerrybelly, yes, but wouldn't there have been a reason why he stopped eating in the first place if thats the case? I am taking him to the vet when it opens at 3
 
Id personally call the emergency vet, 3pm is a long time for him to wait without having done any poos. He could have a serious blockage.
 
Hi all.

I starred syringe feeding him because he didn't want to eat his pellets or anything himself, and I know that if they don't eat the gut stops and all that so I thought it be best to syringe feed him, I took him to the vets and she had a feel a feel of his stomach and said she couldnt feel anything.

I haven't seen him wee, I know he has but I haven't noticed if he's in pain with that so I don't think he is.

I dont drive, none of my family drives nor do I have any friends that drive either so I'm limited to the local vets :(

Today he was more reluctant than yesterday when I gave him the syringe food, and because you guys have said it food be bloat i haven't given him anymore, I don't want to make it worse?

He can move, I just put him in the middle of the cage but looks in pain when he paddled slowly and unbalanced into the corner :(
 
emmyk89 said:
Hi jerrybelly, yes, but wouldn't there have been a reason why he stopped eating in the first place if thats the case? I am taking him to the vet when it opens at 3
Click to expand...

He may have stopped eating because of the original 'problem', particularly if he was in pain. Or he may have an intolerance to the antibiotic, and has stopped eating because of that. It does seem that you are now dealing with gut stasis/bloat, but only a vet can confirm this. If he was eating before the AB was given, but stopped eating a few hours afterwards then I would be inclined to say that it is the AB, but it really is difficult to say.

You are doing the right thing by taking him to the vets. He really does need some medication, and I think it is beyond anything that you can do yourself.

If gut stasis/bloat is diagnosed then gut stimulants will be prescribed. These may be as an injection initially, then you should be given some to take away with you to keep giving for the next few days.

I would also speak to the vet about changing the antibiotic. Septrin is known to work well for UTIs and it far less harsh on their guts. You also need to give a probiotic (speak to the vet about this too).

Until 3pm, try to get him moving around. As others have said, massaging the tummy can also work. Also, it may sound silly, but a ride in the car has also been known to help.
 
I hope he will be ok, I must stress that this far down the line of not eating / not pooing I personally would not leave it until 3pm & I would see a specialist exotics vet.
 
Can you call the vet out to you? Or at least ask for advice from them over the phone until you can get him there at 3pm?
 
Can only echo Jerrybelly's very wise advice. My concern too is the syringed feed coming from his nose - you can aspirate a piggy easily if the food is going into the lungs hence the sneezing etc.
You really must get your piggy to a vet asap - try walking around in the mean time rocking him very gently to allow any gas to disperse.
Please keep us posted on Barney - we are here to help although you really do need a good vet to see him.
Can you call your practise, they all have emergency details recorded for you.
 
It concerns me though because the vets never actually found anything wrong with his bladder last time. They took a wee sample and gave him ultrasound and didn't find anything. It was me that said to them in the first place "he looks like he is in pain when he wees or poos" and I don't think they ever checked his gut.

Yesterday she felt his belly, dint feel anything. He's got the same symptoms as yday and hasnt changed since yday, before ge was even given any antibiotics.

It wasn't syringed feed that he sneezed up it was just water and some medication. I am syringing it into his mouth slowly aswell
 
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When my guinea Willow was very ill with bloat, he could not take water in just as you describe.
 
Unfortunately this can be a problem with vets that are not specialised in exotics, or used to treating guinea pigs :(

It sounds like the antibiotic was given as a 'just in case' because they were unsure what the problem was. Pain when weeing/pooing can be an indicator of a UTI, which the vet wouldn't be able to feel with an examination (the pig may show signs of discomfort when being examined, but not always) Painful weeing/pooing can also be a sign of a bladder stone (which the vet may or may not be able to feel) and this would need an x-ray to confirm - I may be wrong, but I don't think stones show up on ultrasound scans.

It sounds like you now have a very poorly piggy on your hands that desperately needs expert help. As guinea pig slave has said, all we can do is offer some advice - this should never replace the advice of a vet.
 
As an aside, and I'm sure you know already, syringes should be inserted into the side of the mouth in the gap between the incisors and molars. The pig will then usually instinctively bite down on the syringe - at this point you can slowly give the medication/food. Make sure that the pig is making a chewing motion as you depress the syringe. Never insert the syringe from the front as the liquid can cause them to choke.

I'm sure you know all this, but thought it was worth saying, just in case x
 
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Ok, what AB is Barney on and for how long has he been having it ? Sorry, just re read your first post.
Is he having a probiotic after to restore the good bacteria AB destroy ? Baytril is harsh for them and Septrin is the better one to use.
Marbocyl is great for soft tissue infections etc. but I've never had it prescribed for urinary issues although it is good for stubborn infections and used where other AB may be resistant.
Syringe feeds should be small and often, ideally 10-20 ml per feed every 2-3 hours as you can overfeed and this may be the issue and has created a build up of gas hence the bloat could have manifested itself. I had an extremely poorly boy last week on Recovery and with a lot of time and care, made a total turnaround. Definitely ask for Ranitidine (Zantac) or Metachlopramide to stimulate his gut.
 
Just caught up on this thread, let us know what the vet says, I hope Barney gets better :( It sounds a bit like the vet just prescribed the 'general' antibiotic as they didn't know what the problem was, I would research in to how many guinea pigs they treat and see which vets you can access is best for you. Perhaps note down some call out vet details too, in case. He needs the best vet care right now so it's better to be safe. Keep us posted.

Pro-C is a great probiotic, not too expensive and vet recommended. They can take it with food or with water. It looks after their belly and promotes good bacteria so I highly recommend getting him some, especially while he's on antibiotics x
 
Hi all,

She gave him 2 injections at the vets she said one was antibiotics, but didn't say what it was exactly and the other a pain relief thing. Yesterday she said "carry on syringe feeding him" so I did. Like I said it was about 3 full syringes full throughout the eve not just all in one go.

I took him because of the same symptoms he is having now and since the vet gave him the 2 injections and me giving him marbocyl and a bit of metacam today he is still the same as before I took him to the vets before any medication etc and before I started to syringe feed him. I only syringe fed a bit him once before I took him to the vets as i hadnt seen him eat all day.

Cheers for your advice guys
 
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Might be worth a second opinion from another vets, to see if there is something that your vet might be missing? I can't recommend Molly Varga at Holmes Chapel Cheshire pet vets or Aidan Raftery at Ashleigh Vets enough, both specialise in exotics and have treated my piggies before.

Ashleigh Veterinary Centre
221 Upper Chorlton Road
Manchester
M16 0DE
016 881 6868

and
Cheshire Pet
Holmes Chapel Clinic
Manor Lane
Holmes Chapel
Cheshire
CW4 8AB
01477 544554

Both are between 20 and 30 mins from Stockport, so hopefully not too far from you.

Hope things improve for your little lad x
 
I would attempt to get Barney to one of the vets funnehmare has posted - Exotics are specialist trained in small animals and will possibly be able to turn things around for you and Barney with a better diagnosis and treatment.
They are not much (if any) more expensive than a regular vet but well worth the effort. We used one last year who are a 20 mile round trip from us and would never go anywhere else now with a poorly piggy.
Really does sound as though Barney needs a more suitable AB for the problem as Marbocyl may not be suitable for a bladder problem opposed to Septrin.
Probiotics such as Fibreplex should be available at the surgery, we use this or Aviproplus.
Let us know how things evolve x>>
 
Maybe if the owner of the piggie doesn't drive is there someone on the forum who could take her to the vets, obviously please be aware of any owner under the age of 18yrs who should go with an adult for safety etc.
 
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