Hi,
I am the owner of a guinea pig aged 5 1/2 old. On may 16th he needed open abdominal surgery for splenectomy and removal of a very large chist or tumor.
I'm trying to follow the vet's recommendation the best I can but I am worried and I hope I can get some advice or reasurance from you guys.
Becasue the vet clinic has no overnight, he was released on 16th evening with recommendation to keep warm and re-hospitalized on 17th until in the evening. He had low temperature post surgery, but when he was finally released on 17th evening, the temperature was all right.
Now, after 72 hours, he still won't walk. He is able to move his head and legs, but wont support his weight. The surgery was quite extensive, with a very large incision (I think over 5 cm or even 10cm).
He's been on emeraid since 17th (ate 13 x 1ml syringes in the morning and then again about the same in the evening when we took him from the clinic) but generally we could not really give him the full recommended 15, four times a day.
Initially, on 17th evening he accepted food easily (about 15-17 x 1ml syringes) but in the end he refused swallowing and some was going out, so we started weighting him before and after.
He have been able to pee, and yesterday (18th) as well as today (19th, up to 3 pm) he had stool but very small and just a few pieces. We have been visiting the vet clinic for treatment on 18 (two times, morning and evening) and 19 (once, at noon) and they gave him subcutaneus metoclopramide, ranitidine and meloxicam. He had narcotic and slow-release antibiotic during surgery but no antibiotic afterwards.
His weight is about 900 g.
On 17th he was fed 13 syringes in the morning, additionally in the hospital and in the evening he ate 17 syringes.
On 18th he ate about 40/45 ml emeraid (in four meals, 15, 5 or 10, 15, 5) with no additional water but the vet hydrated him with 20 ml special solution, subcutaneous.
The morning meal was ok, but the next we had to force them on him and some of the food he would spit out and not swallow.
Out of 17 syringes, by weighting, he would het about 15 grams (some is spilled out).
Today morning he ate 17 syringes emeraid (17 ml) + 2 ml water, and gained from 896 to 910.
Today at 3 pm he ate 17 syringes emeraid, no extra warter, weight from 894 to 910. Up to this hour he pooped about 10 small little stools pieces, all day.
Since this moment, he did not pooped or peeded up to this evening (19th) at 10 pm. So 7 hours no pee or poop.
Because he was refusing food lately, we gave him at about 8 pm this evening a different brand, which is supposed to help transit and appetite, hoping he would like it better:
https://www.amazon. . . . co.uk/d/Pet-Health-Supplies/Alfavet-Rodicare-Instant-170-Pack/B007H9J6MK
He only ate 4 ml + 1 extra ml water (from 908 to 913).
I notice from after the previous feed (910g) to the start of this one (908g) his weight has not changed much.
So in total, today, he ate about 35 grams of syringe feeding (up to 10pm).
Sorry for the very long text but I want to give as much detail as I can. The vet clinic is open only day time so in the evening or night is hard to get advice. Other clinics we have in reach refuse to give advice on guinea pigs, 'cos they lack expretise.
So the main problems are:
1. today since 3pm to 10 pm he had no stool and no pee (and his weight was 910 after previous meal, 908 before the one at 10pm and 913 after); at noon we visited the vet and this was really stressful (3 subcutaneus injections) but he did poo there and afterwards during the 3 pm meal
2. after 72 hours since surgery, he wont walk; he can move his head and legs; the front legs seem to be swollen a little and for the last hours he kept them under his head and he is no longer raising the head so often;
3. initially he was silent after surgery but since yesterday evening, he is squeak a little when being petted. it does not seem to be out of disconfort so we thought it must be good.
4. yesterday and today up to 3pm he was interested in various leaves (eg. carrot tops), carrots, hay and ate small quantities; but since today 3pm he refused any of those.
Now (> 10pm) we should try to give him a last meal for today, we are switching back to emeraid but since he did not poo or peee at all in 7 hours we are afraid and don't know what to do. Any vet we asked until now about the little pig's status said it is vital to feed him and that there's nothing else we can do.
just a quick update, right now he did pee a little and we weighted him again before starting feeding - 904 g (quite a difference from the previous 913).
Please, any advice or opinion would be useful!
Thank you.
I am the owner of a guinea pig aged 5 1/2 old. On may 16th he needed open abdominal surgery for splenectomy and removal of a very large chist or tumor.
I'm trying to follow the vet's recommendation the best I can but I am worried and I hope I can get some advice or reasurance from you guys.
Becasue the vet clinic has no overnight, he was released on 16th evening with recommendation to keep warm and re-hospitalized on 17th until in the evening. He had low temperature post surgery, but when he was finally released on 17th evening, the temperature was all right.
Now, after 72 hours, he still won't walk. He is able to move his head and legs, but wont support his weight. The surgery was quite extensive, with a very large incision (I think over 5 cm or even 10cm).
He's been on emeraid since 17th (ate 13 x 1ml syringes in the morning and then again about the same in the evening when we took him from the clinic) but generally we could not really give him the full recommended 15, four times a day.
Initially, on 17th evening he accepted food easily (about 15-17 x 1ml syringes) but in the end he refused swallowing and some was going out, so we started weighting him before and after.
He have been able to pee, and yesterday (18th) as well as today (19th, up to 3 pm) he had stool but very small and just a few pieces. We have been visiting the vet clinic for treatment on 18 (two times, morning and evening) and 19 (once, at noon) and they gave him subcutaneus metoclopramide, ranitidine and meloxicam. He had narcotic and slow-release antibiotic during surgery but no antibiotic afterwards.
His weight is about 900 g.
On 17th he was fed 13 syringes in the morning, additionally in the hospital and in the evening he ate 17 syringes.
On 18th he ate about 40/45 ml emeraid (in four meals, 15, 5 or 10, 15, 5) with no additional water but the vet hydrated him with 20 ml special solution, subcutaneous.
The morning meal was ok, but the next we had to force them on him and some of the food he would spit out and not swallow.
Out of 17 syringes, by weighting, he would het about 15 grams (some is spilled out).
Today morning he ate 17 syringes emeraid (17 ml) + 2 ml water, and gained from 896 to 910.
Today at 3 pm he ate 17 syringes emeraid, no extra warter, weight from 894 to 910. Up to this hour he pooped about 10 small little stools pieces, all day.
Since this moment, he did not pooped or peeded up to this evening (19th) at 10 pm. So 7 hours no pee or poop.
Because he was refusing food lately, we gave him at about 8 pm this evening a different brand, which is supposed to help transit and appetite, hoping he would like it better:
https://www.amazon. . . . co.uk/d/Pet-Health-Supplies/Alfavet-Rodicare-Instant-170-Pack/B007H9J6MK
He only ate 4 ml + 1 extra ml water (from 908 to 913).
I notice from after the previous feed (910g) to the start of this one (908g) his weight has not changed much.
So in total, today, he ate about 35 grams of syringe feeding (up to 10pm).
Sorry for the very long text but I want to give as much detail as I can. The vet clinic is open only day time so in the evening or night is hard to get advice. Other clinics we have in reach refuse to give advice on guinea pigs, 'cos they lack expretise.
So the main problems are:
1. today since 3pm to 10 pm he had no stool and no pee (and his weight was 910 after previous meal, 908 before the one at 10pm and 913 after); at noon we visited the vet and this was really stressful (3 subcutaneus injections) but he did poo there and afterwards during the 3 pm meal
2. after 72 hours since surgery, he wont walk; he can move his head and legs; the front legs seem to be swollen a little and for the last hours he kept them under his head and he is no longer raising the head so often;
3. initially he was silent after surgery but since yesterday evening, he is squeak a little when being petted. it does not seem to be out of disconfort so we thought it must be good.
4. yesterday and today up to 3pm he was interested in various leaves (eg. carrot tops), carrots, hay and ate small quantities; but since today 3pm he refused any of those.
Now (> 10pm) we should try to give him a last meal for today, we are switching back to emeraid but since he did not poo or peee at all in 7 hours we are afraid and don't know what to do. Any vet we asked until now about the little pig's status said it is vital to feed him and that there's nothing else we can do.
just a quick update, right now he did pee a little and we weighted him again before starting feeding - 904 g (quite a difference from the previous 913).
Please, any advice or opinion would be useful!
Thank you.
