• 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

Poorly Piggy - old age problems building up

Allie0078

Allie0078

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
245
Reaction score
310
Points
345
Location
Worksop
I’m so worried. My beautiful piggie Tallulah is poorly. I thought she looked a bit fluffed up yesterday but otherwise seemed herself. Got home from work tonight and she was sleeping in a spot that she doesn’t usually sleep it; her fur was all fuzzy; and she was eating little bits but not really interested. I got her out of the cage and noticed she was working hard to breath.

So we’ve been to the vets tonight, but I feel terrible. Wish I’d taken her to the vets yesterday. So I’ve got sulfatrim (antibiotic), loxicam (anti-inflammatory) and ranitidine to prevent gut stasis. Vet says I might have to buy some critical care tomorrow if she’s still not eating much. I’ve never done critical care before so it’ll be a learning curve.

Poor piggy. I hope she improves, she’s gone downhill so fast. It’s lower respiratory tract infection which I suspect will be more difficult to recover from 😢 Does anyone know when I might start to see an improvement in her? I know that there’s a chance she might not 😢 🤞
 
Poor girl, paws crossed she will be ok- they can go downhill so fast, so please dont blame yourself, she's seen the vet now and got the correct treatment. It can take 4 or 5 days for the antibiotics to start noticeably reducing the respiratory symptoms, but if her gut function is poor then the ranitidine and some supplementary syringe feeding should hopefully help support her- hopefully someone can link in the syringe feeding guide for you (or you can find it at the top of the health and illness section) because I cant copy links on my phone x
 
PigglePuggle said:
Poor girl, paws crossed she will be ok- they can go downhill so fast, so please dont blame yourself, she's seen the vet now and got the correct treatment. It can take 4 or 5 days for the antibiotics to start noticeably reducing the respiratory symptoms, but if her gut function is poor then the ranitidine and some supplementary syringe feeding should hopefully help support her- hopefully someone can link in the syringe feeding guide for you (or you can find it at the top of the health and illness section) because I cant copy links on my phone x
Click to expand...
Ahhh thank you for this. I will find the syringe feeding thread so don’t worry. Just needed some hope. She’s really struggling and looks so tired 😢
 
piggieminder said:
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Sending your girl healing vibes and hugs to you. I've got everything crossed that you can beat this. It's so hard to spot these things and they take hold so quickly, don't blame yourself.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I’ve just got back from work. Been worrying all day. She’s still with us. She won’t come out of her bed but she’s nibbling on hay and had a few mouthfuls of veg. But I think I’ll still have to get some critical care tonight As there’s not many poos in her bed. I just wanted to see what she’d have on her own first as it’s hard enough syringing the meds in she gets so distressed. Don’t want to upset her unnecessarily xx
 
So sorry that you are in this situation- piggies hide illness well and can go downhill fast.

You can use mushed up pellets if you don’t have any critical care in.
When little Micah was recovering from his surgery and needed support for eating I added a bit of mashed banana in with his critical care - he loved it.
I was also advised to try offering grated sweet potato with oats. That went down well too.

I use cucumber a a bribe when medicating a piggy.
Phoebe is currently on antibiotics for a respiratory infection so when she’s had half the meds she gets a piece of cucumber then the rest of the meds and the rest of the cucumber.

Hope your girl does recover well
 
Merab's Slave said:
So sorry that you are in this situation- piggies hide illness well and can go downhill fast.

You can use mushed up pellets if you don’t have any critical care in.
When little Micah was recovering from his surgery and needed support for eating I added a bit of mashed banana in with his critical care - he loved it.
I was also advised to try offering grated sweet potato with oats. That went down well too.

I use cucumber a a bribe when medicating a piggy.
Phoebe is currently on antibiotics for a respiratory infection so when she’s had half the meds she gets a piece of cucumber then the rest of the meds and the rest of the cucumber.

Hope your girl does recover well
Click to expand...
Ah thank you for this. I will try anything! She’s not even interested in cucumber (her favourite normally) - she’ll have a nibble but then seems to get too breathless and loses interest. I can nip to the pet shop tonight for the critical care - is it better than mushed up pellets or do they do the same thing?

Thank goodness for you all on here. So nice to have people to share experience with x
 
You will probably have to get Critical Care from the vets or on line, I don't think pet shops sell it. I get mine from vetuk, a lot cheaper than the vet, but will take a few days to get to you now. I use Science Recovery food as none of mine have liked Critical Care. You can also give some baby food as long as it's a food suitable for piggies (veg/fruit) that seems to go down well mixed in the mush. I've just had a piggie with similar problems to your girl and found the main thing he would eat for himself was grass, but only if sitting on my lap!
 
I don’t recall ever having seen critical care in pet shops.
As advised above though, mushed up pellets work just as well - and as a benefit, given the taste is familiar to the piggy, it is often taken to better than critical care. It is essentially a fibre rich recovery food so pellets will do the same thing in the absence of critical care. Mix pellets with boiling water until they are soft, ensure they cool a little before feeding.
 
Ah thank you both! I went to pets at home before I read your messages - and you are quite right, they don’t sell it in store (just online). It was the vet who told me to go to pets at home!

They were so lovely though - and keep it in for their own animals. So they’ve given me some with instructions and boxed it up in this little box. I walked across the car park feeling like I’d bought myself a Syrian hamster :xd:

I think I’ll try the mushed pellets first though as you’ve suggested. She’s a bit fed up with being force fed strange things - so yes maybe familiar pellets are the better place to start x
 

Attachments

  • 5C26122C-F2D0-4C6B-B5CD-54F2A02D3EBD.webp
    5C26122C-F2D0-4C6B-B5CD-54F2A02D3EBD.webp
    43.5 KB · Views: 6
piggieminder said:
How kind of them. I do find when syringe feeding a variety helps, they seem to get fed up with just one taste. I think you are right though, if she's fed up with strange foods try what she's used to first.
Click to expand...
Thanks I will try a variety. I only managed to get about 5ml of mushy pellets into her (1x1ml syringe at a time). Took about 15 minutes of trying to persuade her. She wasn’t happy and got stressed so her breathing got worse. I might leave her for tonight now and try again in the morning. I’ve stuffed her hidey with hay and she does seem to keep having a nibble on that. She’s also eaten 3 lettuce leaves (with me protecting her from theft by her cage mate!) I might give her some cucumber shortly to get some more moisture into her.

No idea if I’m doing any of this right. I’m just winging it! x
 
Merab's Slave said:
Just keep on doing what you’re doing.
Don’t forget to look after yourself- dealing with a sick piggy is physically and emotionally tiring
Click to expand...
Thank you. I’m starting to realise that! Nearly burst into tears at the pet shop when they gave me some of their critical care to tide me over. Nothing like a bit of kindness to set an emotionally drained woman off :xd:

She looks so ill, poor puffed up pig 😥
 

Attachments

  • 281AC758-656F-42FA-8432-A0C0F56B089D.webp
    281AC758-656F-42FA-8432-A0C0F56B089D.webp
    46.3 KB · Views: 5
piggieminder said:
You're doing great. I kept refering back to the guide the first time I syringe fed to make sure I was getting it right. Having a sick piggie takes it's toll, I hope you can get some sleep tonight. Take care. X
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind support. I’m off to bed. I’m going to leave her to get some sleep and hope she munches in some hay occasionally. Start again in the morning x
 
I’m afraid my beautiful Tallulah was no better today. I took her back to the vet because her lips were blue and she was so cold.
They injected her with a diuretic and tried to warm her up in an oxygen tank - but they rang to say she made no improvement. They decided euthanasia was the best option.

I don’t know why I get pets as I am heartbroken. I think the vet thought I was insane.

Thank you all for your help and support. I’ve now got one lonely piggy who hasn’t quite realised yet what’s happened 😥
 
piggieminder said:
I'm so very sorry, you did all you could. I lost Spike on Monday (B&W Aby) to pneumonia, I know how much it hurts. He was my second loss this year. I am linking in the Bereavement guides for you and your lonely piggy they really do help.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Human Bereavement - Grieving, coping tips and support links for guinea pig owners and their children
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for you reply. I’m so sorry you lost spike. I’m a mess at the moment. I think people in the vets thought I was bonkers.
I love my pigs (or should I say pig) - but this has been emotionally destroying. I never realised how attached I was to her.
I’ve got to have a really good think about Sookie (my remaining pig). They were both lone rescue pigs and were were bonded at the cavy sanctuary that I adopted them from.
Tallulah was confident, happy and boisterous. She was very human-friendly. I don’t think Sookie had such a good life before her rescue; and has always been timid and shy. She always looks at me with great suspicion!
I want her to have a mate but don’t want to have guinea pigs forever. I will not let Sookie go as I love her to bits and think she deserves stability.
I’ll contact cavy corner where I got her from and see if I could perhaps foster a lone-piggie for the duration of Sookie’s life, either that or an elderly pig in need of company. I hope that doesn’t sound too mean. But animals just break my heart when they get ill and die 😢
 
Sending you big hugs. It was/is a little bit easier for me although I don't think I've completely taken in what happened yet. I had 3 pairs of boars, planning for Peanut Spike's cage mate has been keeping my mind busy. For now I've rebuilt one of my cages and put Peanut next to another pair so he has some company through the bars. I know what you mean about not having any more because losing them is so painful, I don't want any more. I'mhoping the present arrangement is enough to keep Peanut and me happy.
I wish you well in whatever you decide for Sookie.
 
piggieminder said:
Sending you big hugs. It was/is a little bit easier for me although I don't think I've completely taken in what happened yet. I had 3 pairs of boars, planning for Peanut Spike's cage mate has been keeping my mind busy. For now I've rebuilt one of my cages and put Peanut next to another pair so he has some company through the bars. I know what you mean about not having any more because losing them is so painful, I don't want any more. I'mhoping the present arrangement is enough to keep Peanut and me happy.
I wish you well in whatever you decide for Sookie.
Click to expand...
Oh well done - it sounds like you’ve come up with a good solution for now. I wish I could do something like this for my gorgeous (yet anti-social) Sookie-Sue!

Tallulah took herself off to the opposite side of the cage when she became ill. So they’ve not interacted much over the last few days. I’m not sure she’s noticed yet! Bless her.
Her cage is in my living room so she will see me a lot (when I’m in). But I’m out a lot as I work full time, so I worry about her then x
 
Bless her, she sounds lovely maybe Tallulah wasn't the best match for her, she may be best friends with another piggy. I'd see what Cavy Corner come up with, I have heard they are brilliant with character matching.
 
piggieminder said:
Bless her, she sounds lovely maybe Tallulah wasn't the best match for her, she may be best friends with another piggy. I'd see what Cavy Corner come up with, I have heard they are brilliant with character matching.
Click to expand...
Oh cavy corner are absolutely amazing. They are so dedicated and are absolute experts. Tallulah and Sookie back there for boarding when I go on holiday. I’d worry about them if they went anywhere else.
Although Sookie is much quieter than Tallulah was; she actually wore the trousers in their relationship oddly!

I’ll contact cavy corner when I’ve pulled myself together a bit x
 
Merab's Slave said:
So sorry that you lost Tallulah.
You did every possible for her and she was so well loved.
Grief is painful and it takes time to work out so be gentle with yourself
Click to expand...
Thank you. It was unexpected. I was devastated when I lost 2 elderly pigs years ago; but they were almost 9 years old so at least I was prepared for it. I really didn’t expect to loose Tallulah for at least another 2-3 years 😢x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top