Post treatment behaviour? Behaviour of other guineas when cage mate is ill

[purplepiggies5]

Hello all,

One of my piggies (boar, 3yrs but 4 in june) has been unwell recently, originally thought it was a bladder stone/uti. It came on very suddenly and we got a vets appointment for the same day when he drew our attention to him and we noticed blood in his wee.

Treated with enrocare and metacam which cleared up all the symptoms but this led to minimal food intake and I hadn't seen him drink in a week. He started to pick at bits of food and then obsessively started eating all the poos in sight. Trip back to the vets on the thought process that the meds were causing side effects and has ended up with fibreplex? Which he has had for about 24 hours now. Last night he perked up a bit and I saw him drink from the water bottle for the first time in over a week! But this morning he just seems so lethargic again and doesn't want to eat still. However is pooing again, but I haven't seen him wee. I was syringing some extra water with his meds but the vet said to leave it and see how he gets on because he one thing he's still eating is grass and occasionally will pick at lettuce and they have moisture in. This morning he is being picky about grass, but so is the other one.
The other one has now started following him around and whining, will not leave his side. Also not eating all the food I put down. These are guineas who have never been the type to huddle together but I've caught the other one lying right up against him. Is this a protection behaviour of the ill one? He's also been rumble strutting a lot so I wondered if he was using the opportunity to challenge dominance? Or my biggest worry, that he can sense the worst and is trying to be with my other piggies for comfort

Not really sure where to go from here, am I being a very anxious piggie parent?
Not sure whether to try syringing water again even if only a small bit?
And what to do about the other who literally whimpers and does not leave him alone when they're together. (Currently got my poorly one on my lap to try and give some grass and the other one isn't making a sound)

Any help really appreciated!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear he is unwell

Please step in with syringe feeding a recovery feed (or mushed pellets if you don’t have recovery feed). This is essential when a piggy is unwell and their hay intake drops.
You also need to switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him each morning so you can be sure you are getting enough syringe feed into him to keep his weight stable each day.

He is eating his poops to get extra nutrition and fibre though his system.

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency

The cagemate knows he is unwell. It is possible he is challenging dominance (if it is the dominant who is unwell)

 

[purplepiggies5]

Hi thank you so much. I'm glad to hear that some of what I had been thinking makes sense.

I'll take a look at the pages, can you recommend a recovery feed? He could not tolerate the science selective one that the vets gave me!

 

[Piggies&buns]

You can use his normal pellets and mush them (as per the ‘how to improvise in a emergency’ guide I linked in) they are often liked as the taste is familiar but the fibre content is lower.

Critical care or emeraid are two others which are usually well liked

 

[purplepiggies5]

You can use his normal pellets and mush them (as per the ‘how to improvise in a emergency’ guide I linked in) they are often liked as the taste is familiar but the fibre content is lower.

Critical care or emeraid are two others which are usually well liked

Thank you so much for your help! Here's hoping my lil dude will be feeling better soon!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you so much for your help! Here's hoping my lil dude will be feeling better soon!

Fingers crossed. Keep us posted on how he is

 

[purplepiggies5]

Fingers crossed. Keep us posted on how he is

Thank you for your help, we returned to the vets for concern about gut stasis and he was prescribed emeprid and some more pain relief (I think he wasn't eating because he was in pain)

And I'm pleased to share that he is eating and drinking again and much brighter and almost back to his usual self!

He is still whining when pooping which I don't know if this could be because of the emeprid making him suddenly poo a lot more? We have another vet appointment to get some more pain relief until he finishes the emeprid (tomorrow I believe) so I am hopeful that this is the end of it. Any further advice on what to look out for while he gets back to normal would be much appreciated!

But for now, here is a picture of him and his buddy munching on some grass yesterday now that he is feeling better! He even grew more accepting of the syringe feeds!

Thank you