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Sick Guinea pig- opinions

Y

Yuki and Bumble

New Born Pup
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Two days ago, Yuki started bullying Bumble and was excessively chasing and humping him… I mean this went on *all* day I also noticed him chasing him away from the food a few times, eventually Yuki stopped in the evening. Bumble is always submissive to Yuki but I could tell he was getting annoyed.

Yesterday Bumbles energy was off, I looked back at the pet camera footage for overnight and bumble didn’t drink any water, he also barely ate, if at all. I figured he was stressed from Yuki and separated them for the majority of the day. Bumble was pretty lethargic and eating small amounts but not really drinking still. I put him back in his cage in the evening in case it was due to loneliness, and he made no improvement.

Today, he’s extremely lethargic has crusty eyes, still barely eating anything and not taking any water (we have tried syringe feeding him some with probiotics mixed in) but he fights it entirely and gets more stressed. His breathing seems fine and he has pooped a few tiny (very skinny) drops. I took him to the vet and he found a scratch and small injury to his eyes, which he believes is what’s causing the change in behaviour.

Usually bumble is 1.4kg and he has dropped down to 1.2kg, the vet gave him eye drops and pain relief and suggested upping the veggies (which he is barely taking)

My concern is that it’s a URI but the vet seemed very dismissive of this because his breathing is fine.

I have ordered critical care that will arrive tomorrow so I’m hoping that’ll help keep his weight up and get something inside of him but I’d love to know your thoughts, can a piggie have a URI but their breathing be fine? Or can a small thing like a scratch to the eye cause such a change in behaviour?

Any help and advice is very appreciated!
 
The short answer is yes the scratch can cause this change. However that is only really if the piggy is in enough pain to put them off eating. From what you have said there is no evidence of a URI, so can I ask why you feel there may be one?

There could be an underlying cause here, sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint especially if your vet is not particularly experienced with guinea pigs. Did the vet tell you when to expect a change to appetite etc after having the medicines? When do they want to see you back?
 
I suspected a URI because I found this online and a lot of these resonated with Bumbles condition minus the breathing/wheezing, he has let out a few big coughs but this isn’t continuous.

Signs of a URI:

  • Refusal to eat or drink (anorexia)
  • No feces (as a result of not eating)
  • Labored breathing, wheezing
  • Sneezing, coughing
  • Crusty eyes, eyes that are almost sealed shut
  • Discharge from eyes or nose (read about normal
    Eyes)
  • Dull and/or receding eyes
  • Rough or puffed-up coat
  • Lethargy, hunched posture
He advised to try the drops for 7 days and the metacam in case there’s further discomfort and keep feeding him veggies until he perks up and contact them if his condition worsens. The place I go to specialises in exotic pets including Guinea pigs I’m not sure that particular vet did though.

I’ve just checked on him and he seems to be eating a pellet, my concern is that even with the small bites he does take he’s not taking any water at all
 
Yuki and Bumble said:
I suspected a URI because I found this online and a lot of these resonated with Bumbles condition minus the breathing/wheezing, he has let out a few big coughs but this isn’t continuous.

Signs of a URI:

  • Refusal to eat or drink (anorexia)
  • No feces (as a result of not eating)
  • Labored breathing, wheezing
  • Sneezing, coughing
  • Crusty eyes, eyes that are almost sealed shut
  • Discharge from eyes or nose (read about normal
    Eyes)
  • Dull and/or receding eyes
  • Rough or puffed-up coat
  • Lethargy, hunched posture
He advised to try the drops for 7 days and the metacam in case there’s further discomfort and keep feeding him veggies until he perks up and contact them if his condition worsens. The place I go to specialises in exotic pets including Guinea pigs I’m not sure that particular vet did though.

I’ve just checked on him and he seems to be eating a pellet, my concern is that even with the small bites he does take he’s not taking any water at all
Click to expand...

Sadly exotics specialists does not guarantee guinea pig specialists. It really depends on the training that they have done but it does not sound like they have looked at anything past the scratch.

Refusal to eat and the subsequent no faeces, crusty eyes, rough or puffed up coat, lethargy - these are all very generic symptoms of discomfort and a problem, not just URI. If you feel your vet was not particularly well versed in guinea pigs then my first port of call would be to speak to the vet practice and ascertain whether any of the vets there see guinea pigs routinely, have additional training in guinea pigs, or a specialist interest in guinea pigs/small animals. If not then I would look to find a new vet asap. Just to put it in context, my guinea pigs used to go to a general vets however, almost all the vets there had an interest in small animals and were very knowledgeable. They also dealt with a local rescue so were used to seeing guinea pigs. They were also very open and honest, and when something was out of their remit they were quick to refer to a local specialist who is absolutely amazing with guinea pigs (but charges a pretty penny more!).

In the meantime continue with syringe feeding, small and regularly as it's impossible to know how much they have eaten as hay makes up 80% of their diet. If you don't have critical care to hand you can mush up a few pellets in hot water and leave to cool.

This guide is really useful All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

At the end of the day, trust your gut instinct. If you feel that the vet hasn't been thorough or hasn't given you answers don't be afraid to question it with them, they will either give you clarity or you will find that you want to get a second opinion elsewhere.
 
:agr:
You must step in and syringe feed a recovery feed. Being told to keep giving veggies is not enough and will not sustain him - a knowledgable vet would be telling you the importance of constant fibre going through their system and the need to syringe feed critical care or mushed pellets. Your piggy has already lost 200g which is a huge amount (50g of loss is the point at which you need to get concerned) so you need to syringe feed regularly to replace hay intake and stop the weight loss.

I would definitely speak to another vet to get a diagnosis.

What pain relief, dosage etc have you been prescribed?

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
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