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Poorly Piggy... Not Eating... Should I Pts? :-(

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CPHill

CPHill

Junior Guinea Pig
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I think Blacky has dental problems and has now stopped eating. I have researched this and not sure there's much a vet can do. He has been in the same spot all night. I have tried banana which he had a tiny nibble of last night but nothing else has been eaten. He looks poorly and sad.

I am wondering if it would be kinder to have him pts. What are your thoughts please?

If this were to happen I'm worried about the others not been able to say bye to him and know what has happened to him, I think they know he is poorly as one spent all night snuggled up to him which is unusual. I read somewhere that it's good for piggies to see him passed so they know, so should I have him pts and then bring him home and put him in the cage for them to see? (2 others) or am I over thinking this?

Any advice welcome please as I haven't slept a wink! Thanks
 
I have had several guinea pigs who have had dental problems which have been treated by a vet and recovered well. Where abouts are you, we can recommend a good piggy vet?

In the meantime it's important to give him the best possible chance, I would suggest hand feeding him to keep his strength up and guts going. Guinea pigs stop eating for many reasons and although they seem
to be struggling to eat they can always surprise you when it turns out to be something completely different. I'm on my phone just now but if you search the forum there is a hand feeding post.

Good luck, hope your little one gets better soon.
 
treating dental issues in pigs is possible. My guinea pig Muffin goes the vets once a month now to have his teeth filed down, as he gets problems with them. have you tried grating up some carrots? I find cucumber slices cut in half are good, as it is quite soft, the piggles find it easier to eat.

hope Blacky gets better soon
 
I'm sorry that you're in this difficult situation. My favourite piggie Theo suddenly stopped eating; he would mouth food but not able to chew or eat. Vet couldn't find anything wrong with his teeth and advised us to have a series of procedures done that would have cost £1000+. As a student with absolutely no disposable income and parents that were unwilling to help out, I took him home and decided that after the weekend I would take him to my local vets to be PTS, as he was getting weaker by the hour, despite all the pain meds and syringe feeding. Fortunately for him that night he passed away in my arms, but I had no qualms about ending his suffering rather than putting him through a series of risky and potentially unnecessary procedures.
 
I'm in bridgwater, somerset.
Ok thanks, I'll take a look at that post as not sure where to start with that.
 
I gave tried cucumber which is usually a favourite but no interest. I will grate some carrots now. He's not looking good. Not interested in hay either.
 
No interest in the carrot either. I'm going to ring the vet now.
 
i wouldn't be considering pts at this stage. many dental problems can be managed with good vet care. see what your exotics vet says and then take things from there. :) x
 
Please hand feed asap (@Elwickcavies has given you our detailed how-to guide, which also includes the amounts to feed to a dental piggy). This is very important to keep the guts from closing down.

It would be good if you contacted The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary in Northampton; this sanctuary specialises in caring temporarily or permanently for dental piggies in conjunction with a vet that specialises in dental treatment of guinea pigs.
Elwickcavies has already tagged her, but here is the website with contact details: https://www.facebook.com/teasnorthampton or http://www.teasnorthampton.co.uk/
 
Please give me a call, my number is on the website. You can check out what we do on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/teasnorthampton and the website which is www.teasnorthampton.co.uk I offer temporary and permanent places for guinea pigs with dental problems and the results we have had are fantastic. Many have fully recovered, and those that haven't have had their dental issues managed, by regular dental work.
 
What makes you think it is dental? Has Blackie had an official diagnosis? As others have said, dental issues can (in most cases) be treated. I am currently syringe-feeding my own piggy around the clock due to a mystery illness that has meant that he has also completed stopped eating. I intend to continue for as long as he wants to keep fighting x
 
If he does need specialist treatment at Northampton, a piggy train could be organised to help you get him there. Please pm me if you want further info.
 
Thank you all very much for your advice. Much appreciated. I tried to syringe feed him but he wasn't interested at all. I took him to the vet and he couldn't find anything wrong and his teeth looked ok, so not dental related. He had lost a lot of weight though and obviously a very unwell piggy, so the advice was to put him to sleep as it seemed unlikely he'd make it through another night so kinder to him as he seemed so unhappy, which sadly has happened. :-( :-( :-(

I've bought him home and put him back in the cage for the others to say goodbye to him so they don't wonder where he's gone, is this the right thing to do? Left him for about 15 minutes.
 
Oh I'm so sorry you've had to make this choice. It is heartbreaking but sometimes they just don't respond :(
It is important for the others to say goodbye, as it will help with their grieving process and they will understand that Blacky sadly isn't coming back to play again. Please keep a close eye on your other guineas to make sure they are coping alright - guineas often grieve quite hard :(
 
Thank you. Is 15 minutes enough or should I leave him a few hours?

We lost his mum 6 weeks ago so to lose another one so soon is heart breaking, particularly as he was my baby as I hand reared him and saw him being born :-(
 
I know of one rescue who leaves the piggie in for a couple of hours, but it's personal choice. If all in your group have investigated, then I think it's safe to take him out. If he had a particular fleecy item etc. that he liked then maybe you could keep that in; it will keep his scent for a little bit. It's so sad when we lose them, it's no easier no matter how many go to the bridge. x
Remember to take care of yourself too - please feel welcome, when you are ready, to post a tribute to Blacky in our Rainbow Bridge. I joined this forum when I lost my first guinea and didn't know what to do to take care of myself. The Rainbow Bridge section really helped x
 
Yes, I was hoping nature would sort it out and it's so much worse having to sign the form to make that decision for him. I keep wondering what would have been and did I do enough. The vet is a good one though and said it would be kinder, which is important.
 
CPHill said:
Thank you all very much for your advice. Much appreciated. I tried to syringe feed him but he wasn't interested at all. I took him to the vet and he couldn't find anything wrong and his teeth looked ok, so not dental related. He had lost a lot of weight though and obviously a very unwell piggy, so the advice was to put him to sleep as it seemed unlikely he'd make it through another night so kinder to him as he seemed so unhappy, which sadly has happened. :-( :-( :-(

I've bought him home and put him back in the cage for the others to say goodbye to him so they don't wonder where he's gone, is this the right thing to do? Left him for about 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

I am ever so sorry for your loss. A very ill piggy loses it appetite and you have to rather make it eat and drink through the crisis, but sometimes the body can just close down and there is nothing you can do about that. All you can do is weigh your piggies weekly, see a vet promptly and hand feed as soon as there is a dip in weight over 50g - and then hope for the best. Pts is always very gutting, but if there is no hope for him to get healthy again and have a good quality of life, then you have made the right decision. HUGS! :(

You have done right by letting the companion say good bye. Here are more tips on what you can do for his friend: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/looking-after-a-bereaved-piggy.110463/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/
We may be able to help you with recommendations if you wish to.

You are also very welcome to post a tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section whenever it feels right for you.
 
We are also very sorry to hear this. Such beautiful gentle little animals I wish they had the lifespan of a tortoise.
 
Sorry you had to make this heartbreaking decision. Huge hugs x
 
I'm sorry for your loss. It's a rotten decision to have to make. ((HUGS)) to you.
 
I'm really sorry for your loss & my thoughts are with you at this sad time. R.I.P. Blacky xx
 
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