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Scared there's something wrong with baby pig?

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CiaraPatricia

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So she's really noisy today, keeps making noise continually, but sometimes stops when I'm cuddling her and seems fine.

I'm scared that she could have aspirated milk :( She seems lively, but the way she's making noisy could be cos she's having trouble breathing? But when she goes quiet she doesn't seem to have trouble breathing.

Oh and she seemed to be hiccuping . . .

I'm going to stop syringe feeding her and try to make her drink it from a spoon. But she just bites the edge of the spoon and sucks up the milk anyway, but at least it's at her own pace.

Also, does anyone know if guinea pigs can have cleft palates, the way puppies or kittens or people can, I assume they can, and I was thinking something like that could be the reason she couldn't suckle from her mum anyway.

I really hope she'll be ok and I'm just being paranoid . . .

If anyone has any advice, please let me know. I can go to the vet today with her but just want to know what I should do, I don't want to put her on antibiotics or anything if it will harm her.
 
I'm so worried. My vet will be in work later, around 11 or so, but I don't know if there's anything she can do for her anyway :(
 
I would get her checked anyway. My friend's baby pig had a URI at a very early stage. She had a short dose of baytril which cleared it up. She still has a wheeze though, most noticeable when she's sleeping (she's a year old now). The vet said it was likely that she would always have it as she was so young when she had the infection.

Hope your girl's ok. x
 
I have absolutely no experience with mini pigs........but from what i've read and learnt over the years, you can't syringe feed them and from what you've described .... well yes maybe the little one has gulped in air or something? i'm just not sure at all i'm sorry :(
I agree tho i'd be offering food on a spoon only.

I would be off to the vets pronto.........this little one needs a good thorough check over. And nooooo i don't think you're paranoid i think you're being caring and trying to do your dam best :)

Wishing the little one lots of loves and healing wheeeeeeeeeeks from the girls and I xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
I had no other choice but to syringe feed because she couldn't eat, she was too weak too.

She is very quiet now so I'm going to take her to the vet now and see what the vet says to do . . . I have a horrible feeling she won't be able to do anything. :(
 
good luck.

I had a few sickly lambs that I had to stomach tube and one started to rattle in his lungs as he inhaled some milk (and I know how to stomach tube, it wasnt in his lungs) it was scarey for a while but he got over it.
 
I really hope she can, however if not, keep her quite warm, try the mushy food, bread soaked in milk, give anything a try, you need to keep her strength up. Is she in with mum between feeds?

I know you know you have to do the above, i'm not meaning to sound patronising.

Best of luck at the vets, i have my fingers crossed for the little one.
 
Fingers crossed for the little one!
 
I'm just waiting for my dad to be home in a few minutes to drive me to the vet.

I tried her on her favourite mushy banana, but she has no appetite. :(

I might ask the vet can I have some fluids to inject under her skin in case she won't eat or drink for a little while. I don't want to syringe feed her while she's weak already.

I do know how to syringe feed properly and did it very slowly but I do think she inhaled some cos she has those hiccups...
 
I have no experience in having to hand rear babies but I happened to be reading my piggie book written by Peter Gurney and read through the chapter on syringe feeding piggies. Unfortunately he did say that under no circumstances should babies be syringe fed as they can inhale it and end up with whatever it is your trying to syringe feed them in their lungs so this may be what has happened with your piggie so please don't try syringing anything further. Apparently food should be offered on a spoon and allow the baby to take it itself, slightly tilting the spoon if necessary but do not try to make the baby take the food.

I'm sorry I can't be of any more help. I hope the vet is able to help x
 
When a guinea pig hiccups it is trying to vomit as guinea pigs do not have a vomit reflex. If this has happened after feeding then it is more likely something stuck in her mouth or throat.

I prefer to spoon feed and have had more success with spoon feeding than a syringe. You can buy teeny feeding bottles too, but again, spoon feeding is more than adequate. Only put a tiny little amount of milk on the spoon as they will still snuffle it up their nose if they are very keen to eat.

From my experience if a piggy has aspirated some milk then it will gasp not hiccup. Milk bubbles will come of out of its nose. Although this is obviously not a good thing to happen it is not neccessarily fatal as when it has happened to my greedy piggy he always managed to clear it out. Piggies should only hiccup for 5 or 6 times max so if yours is still going then you really have no choice but to take it to the vet :/
 
I have no experience in having to hand rear babies but I happened to be reading my piggie book written by Peter Gurney and read through the chapter on syringe feeding piggies. Unfortunately he did say that under no circumstances should babies be syringe fed as they can inhale it and end up with whatever it is your trying to syringe feed them in their lungs so this may be what has happened with your piggie so please don't try syringing anything further. Apparently food should be offered on a spoon and allow the baby to take it itself, slightly tilting the spoon if necessary but do not try to make the baby take the food.

I'm sorry I can't be of any more help. I hope the vet is able to help x

I know you're not meant to syringe feed them but this baby was too weak to drink food from the mother, from a spoon, or anything, she just couldn't do it. Syringe feeding was the best option
 
Oh and another thing, when my piggy stopped eating (after the first time he snuffled up some milk and after he had managed to clear his lungs) I dipped my finger in his milk and put my finger to his lips so that he tasted the milk. He was straight in there after that.

Are you stimulating poop? I was advised by my vet not to after about 7 days as mum would do it, I took his advise and my baby passed away 2 days later. I'm pretty sure if I had carried on as I was my little man would have survived. Keep stimulating poop!

Good luck, I really hope you win the fight xx>>>
 
Well the vet gave her baytril and gave me fluids to give her subcutaneously (I know how, don't worry) and gave me more baytril to give her if she survives. I have her in a warm room now. Her breathing has been quiet for a while now, it seems a bit easier. Her colour is ok I think. But she is weak :(

I hope the fluids will perk her up a bit now. I gave her 2mls cos that seemed like enough under her skin (warmed up of course) so will give her more in maybe 3 hours.

She said the most likely thing with little ones if that she aspirated some milk, but I had no other choice but to syringe feed her so that'd just how these things go. I was so careful too, syringing it so slowly and making sure he was sucking it up :(
 
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Oh and another thing, when my piggy stopped eating (after the first time he snuffled up some milk and after he had managed to clear his lungs) I dipped my finger in his milk and put my finger to his lips so that he tasted the milk. He was straight in there after that.

Are you stimulating poop? I was advised by my vet not to after about 7 days as mum would do it, I took his advise and my baby passed away 2 days later. I'm pretty sure if I had carried on as I was my little man would have survived. Keep stimulating poop!

Good luck, I really hope you win the fight xx>>>

Thanks :)

I will try her licking milk off my fingers later.

I do try to stimulate her poop (thought she nevers goes when I do!) but she goes on her own fine. Not today since she hasn't been eating really.

Oh and does anyone know if natural yoghurt or goat's yoghurt would be good for her? You know for the probiotics and just for energy too.
 
Oh and someone asked earlier, she isn't still with her mother, she wasn't able to suckle from her at all.
 
Well the vet gave her baytril and gave me fluids to give her subcutaneously (I know how, don't worry) and gave me more baytril to give her if she survives. I have her in a warm room now. Her breathing has been quiet for a while now, it seems a bit easier. Her colour is ok I think. But she is weak :(

I hope the fluids will perk her up a bit now.

She said the most likely thing with little ones if that she aspirated some milk, but I had no other choice but to syringe feed her so that'd just how these things go. I was so careful too, syringing it so slowly and making sure he was sucking it up :(

DONT BLAME YOURSELF! Youve done everything you can and the best that you can do! *hugs* have been in your shoes! Everyone will tell you that you are giving the little one love and theyre right. Sometimes nature just has other plans.

Sending good vibes and keeping everything crossed for you!
 
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