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Post Op Piggy - not pooping

kuka90

kuka90

New Born Pup
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
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Location
Bedford, UK
Hello everyone!

I am new to this forum and the circumstances of me posting a new thread are unfortunately rather unpleasant.

My nearly 5 year old guinea pig Nutka had a serious surgery yesterday for a removal of a stone in her bladder. Poor baby was in immense pain prior to this, so me and my Husband decided to try and see if an p.o. would help.
Despite reading numerous threads beforehand, I don't think we both realized as to how really stressful and difficult it would be to look after a recovering piggy.
The p.o. took place yesterday around 2pm and we collected her around 7pm that same day. The vet nurse has given Nutka some critical care before we left (I think about 5ml) and told us to try and feed her once again at home.

Unfortunately after we were back at home, Nutka's condition has worsened a little and her head kept falling down. We thought that's due to the meds as the vet did say it would make her very lethargic as the painkillers work a bit like morphine.

She takes ages to chew and swallow, one leaf of lettuce and 1ml of Critical Care took about 40mins to give to her. She stops halfway through and starts chewing again after few seconds.

Today in the morning (around 7am) was a similar story. She ate about 6 Timothy hay based nuggets, a bit of veg and 1ml of Critical Care.

I just fed her again at 10.15. It took 45 mins to give her 4ml (massive achievement!) of Critical Care, tiny bit of Apple and a few basil leaves.

My worry is, is she eating enough? I am really trying to force the food into her, but don't want her to choke. I am also worried about the water intake (not drinking at all, just getting the fluids through Critical Care).
She has not pooped at all since we had her back and is still very lethargic, doesn't like to be picked up and doesn't move around the cage, just sits in one place in her house.

I am so worried we are going to loose her. What can we do to help her in this situation? :(

Please help!
 
Oh so sorry for the stressful time you are all having. If you are really worried about her recovery don’t hesitate to call the vets back and speak to vet. Has he given her a gut stimulant and pain killers?
It’s awful trying to get food into an unresponsive piggie. Please keep the syringe and hand feeding up, as much as you can get in until she starts gaining her appetite back. You don’t want her tummy to shut down through lack of food. Perhaps you should start weighing her too to make sure she isn’t loosing weight (my Ted lost 100gms between dental op and day after, so I had to work really hard to get more food down him)

I’m sure someone will come along soon who is far more experienced than me who can give you advice. Have you read the syringe feeding page on forum health section. it’s very helpful.

Hope your little Nutka starts to pick up soon, don’t hesitate to ring vets if you feel things are not right though x
 
My vets are now closed - they re-open on Monday.. The emergency line would transfer me to a standard vet practice and not sure they'd be able to help me. that's why I am panicking :(
 
She's not pooping because she's not eating enough. Let her pick at her food. The essential thing is to get that critical care inside her, as much as she'll take. I would take her to the other vet, say you need an injection to get her guts going. & also a pain killer that may be hindering her recovery. You can't wait until Monday. If you aim the critical care at the side of her month, she shouldn't choke then. Although I'm no expert.
 
Tiamolly123 said:
She's not pooping because she's not eating enough. Let her pick at her food. The essential thing is to get that critical care inside her, as much as she'll take. I would take her to the other vet, say you need an injection to get her guts going. & also a pain killer that may be hindering her recovery. You can't wait until Monday. If you aim the critical care at the side of her month, she shouldn't choke then. Although I'm no expert.
Click to expand...
Try for the food every couple of the hours. If she doesn't like critical care, try soaked pellets. Good luck.
 
kuka90 said:
Hello everyone!

I am new to this forum and the circumstances of me posting a new thread are unfortunately rather unpleasant.

My nearly 5 year old guinea pig Nutka had a serious surgery yesterday for a removal of a stone in her bladder. Poor baby was in immense pain prior to this, so me and my Husband decided to try and see if an p.o. would help.
Despite reading numerous threads beforehand, I don't think we both realized as to how really stressful and difficult it would be to look after a recovering piggy.
The p.o. took place yesterday around 2pm and we collected her around 7pm that same day. The vet nurse has given Nutka some critical care before we left (I think about 5ml) and told us to try and feed her once again at home.

Unfortunately after we were back at home, Nutka's condition has worsened a little and her head kept falling down. We thought that's due to the meds as the vet did say it would make her very lethargic as the painkillers work a bit like morphine.

She takes ages to chew and swallow, one leaf of lettuce and 1ml of Critical Care took about 40mins to give to her. She stops halfway through and starts chewing again after few seconds.

Today in the morning (around 7am) was a similar story. She ate about 6 Timothy hay based nuggets, a bit of veg and 1ml of Critical Care.

I just fed her again at 10.15. It took 45 mins to give her 4ml (massive achievement!) of Critical Care, tiny bit of Apple and a few basil leaves.

My worry is, is she eating enough? I am really trying to force the food into her, but don't want her to choke. I am also worried about the water intake (not drinking at all, just getting the fluids through Critical Care).
She has not pooped at all since we had her back and is still very lethargic, doesn't like to be picked up and doesn't move around the cage, just sits in one place in her house.

I am so worried we are going to loose her. What can we do to help her in this situation? :(

Please help!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Poo output runs about 1-2 days behind the input; in the day after an operation there is often a gap and then some very small and funny poos reflecting the operation and the time your piggy hasn't eaten.

However, a guinea pig should not come home if it is not able to hold up its head and has not eaten when it has come round from the GA.

You need to try to get 40-60 ml in solids and recovery food into her over the course of 24 hours to keep the guts going. If a piggy is in as bad a state as yours, this can be a real fight of feeding a little every 2 hours round the clock. Try to see whether you can get the equivalent of about 5 ml in every 2 hours if your piggy is very ill, or as close as you can get to that. Also offer water via syringe into which you have mixed some electrolytes.

I am very sorry that you have been thrown in very much at the deep end; recovery is normally better than this; ideally a piggy should be much brighter. Please contact your vet clinic asap.

Also take the time to read these guides here. We have tried to make them as clear and comprehensive as we could to help inexperienced owners.
Tips For Post-operative Care
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Please check the gut for gurgling sounds. if there aren't any or only very few, your girl may have gone into GI stasis.
Bloat, GI Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Fingers VERY firmly crossed!
 
Hi Guys,

Thank you all for your kind words and advice, any healing thoughts and good eishes towards Nutka are hugely appreciated! xx

Latest news is, we took her out for feeding and found about 5-6 poops, she has done a few more during the feeding and she ate 3 - I just put them near her mouth and she grabbed them herself! I think that's a good sign. She also was better with syringe food this time round, had 5ml and a bit of apple.

Her body temperature seems better as well and her eyes looked a bit brighter. by no means we are out of the woods as she is still very very weak, but she did try to walk a little and I am glad her bowel movements are ok.

In the syringe feeding guide it says I should try to give her water as well - I am terrified I would hurt her by giving water. Would the water in CC not be enough?

So far she only had 10ml food today, I will try to give her at least another 20-25 if possible.

I will keep you posted. Hopefully she can make it x

I don't have a clinic to contact. I only trust Simon from Cat and Rabbit and they are currently closed. there are no good guinea pig vets in my town :(
 
That sounds better news than before, keep up the good work with feeding x
Sometimes it can be the anaesthetic that makes them drowsy for a while. If you can get her to take tiny little amounts of water that would help to flush it out of her system (tiny amounts mind at a time)
Get her through the weekend and then if she’s not made any more progress I’d get her back to vets swiftly.
It’s very frustrating to not have a piggie experienced vet near you, I know the feeling x
 
Hi, just wanted to send healing vibes and say well done for getting 10ml into her and glad that she seems to be feeling a bit better

Good luck. I know how much effort it is, you're doing a great job.
 
How’s she doing now? Keep offering her little and often food. Are you still getting some poos. Hopefully she’ll soon be feeling much better. Vetergesic does make them quite flat, but it’s also a good pain relief. When Moo had her bladder stones removed, Simon sent her home with more to have that evening. I had to inject it into muscle which wasn’t easy, but she needed it. Is she having metacam each end of the day? xx
 
Thank you so much everyone for your continued support xx

Poops are still present, so I hope that's a good sign. Not sure about her urinating today though but saw some stains on her bedding yesterday.

I forced down another 4ml syringe food and 1ml water. She nibbled on some hay, but did not eat a lot. I noticed when I stroke her and make a lot of fuss over her food, she's more encouraged to have a bit of it.

She's gonna have another two feeds today and I will get some more water in her as well (although not sure if this is needed since the Critical Care has already fluids in it?)

Yes she has got some painkillers which she takes twice daily (Loxicom 0.3ml each dose) and also antibiotics (1 tablet daily - it's called Marbocyl).

She is resting now, each feeding time seem to exhaust her, my poor little baby.

Hope I am doing what I am supposed to..
 
You are doing the right thing x Fingers and toes crossed for your little lady
 
Hang on in there. You are doing the right things. Hopefully she will continue to improve.
 
Nutka left us (*)

Despite all improvements and lots of food given to her before bedtime and even her eating all by herself, when we woke up at 4am, to give her her next feed, we found out Nutka has gone completely downhill. She looked completety exchausted, very lethargic and flat on the floor.
We knew this was it. I gave her some painkillers to make her as comfortable as possible and both me and my husband told her it was ok and she does not need to fight anymore if it's too difficult. We sat with her fir ages trying to comfort her.
I think she felt it, as we wrapped her up and placed her back in her house, our little baby crossed the rainbow bridge. In her own home, with the presence of the two people who loved her with all their hearts.
I just hope we did not fail her...

Today we lost our best friend and not quite sure how to get on with our lives. She gave us the most beautiful 5 years and we will never ever forget her. It's going to be extremely difficult and empty without her.

Make sure you give your furry ones a special cuddle and appreciate them for us.

Nutka (*)
 
You did everything you could for her. I am so sorry for your loss, she passed knowing she was loved. Sleep tight little Nutka x
 
I'm so sad to read your update! She was a beautiful little piggy and I really enjoyed having her here to stay, when you got married. She was such a character and would stand at the bars, shouting for food, every time she saw me!

Sleep tight, Nutka!

Hugs xx
 
Poor you and poor Nutka :(
She’s free now over the Rainbow Bridge, RIP little one.
And PLEASE, don’t ever think you failed her. You tried your absolute best to do what was right for your piggy, and I know she appreciated your love and support. You did more than many people would have done, unfortunately.
Love and hugs x
 
You didn't fail Nutka you did all that you could for her. She went knowing she was loved. She is now popcorning and playing zoomies at the Rainbow Bridge. She is in her prime eating her fave food and having as much hay and grass asshe can handle. She still loves you both very much. Have fun at the Rainbow Bridge little one!
 
So sorry to read all this.
It’s very hard to lose a beloved piggy when you have done so much.
Be kind and gentle with yourself now as you grieve.
 
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