Sick Pig :(

[Lattepiggo]

Hello everyone, my female 4 year old Guinea pig seems to be very sick. We took her to the vet today, but apparently there was nothing wrong with her except slight weight loss. This behavior started about 16 hours ago. We got some antibiotics to give her daily. Her fur is puffed up, she sits in her house all day and does not eat nor drink. Her dropping look abnormal and her eyes have been looking thin. We are hoping that she still has a few years left in her. Any tips? Thanks.

A while ago she was also making this strange screaming noise when I was near her. I hope she’s not in pain.
Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sorry to hear your piggy isn’t well.

How experienced is the vet with guinea pigs? I really think you need to see another vet with experience. She does not sound like she is very well at all.

Being puffed up can be a sign of pain. Not eating or drinking is a very serious situation, I’m afraid. When did she last eat?

Please immediately step in with syringe feeding her every few hours to prevent her system from shutting down.
She will also need to be weighed daily to ensure you are getting enough syringe feeds into her for her to maintain her weight.
please try to find a different vet

The guides below will help with the syringe feeding

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Wiebke]

Hello everyone, my female 4 year old Guinea pig seems to be very sick. We took her to the vet today, but apparently there was nothing wrong with her. We got some antibiotics to give her daily. Her fur is puffed up, she sits in her house all day and does not eat nor drink. Her dropping look abnormal and her eyes have been looking thin. We are hoping that she still has a few years left in her. Any tips? Thanks.

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry. She is clearly in pain if her fur is puffed up.

Please step in with syringe feeding and water in support (in a pinch with mushed up pellets as long as you cut off the syringe tip as shown in the syringe feeding guide). Switch from the normal weekly weigh-in to weighing daily at the same time in order to monitor and manage the feeding support.

You can find lots of helpful practical advice in these links here:
- Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment (includes tips for what you can do with what you have at home or easily available to get your piggy through a life-threatening crisis to how to recognise and support your piggy when you reach the end of the road)
- Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre (Why feeding support is so important)
- Complete Syringe Feeding Guide (Takes you through everything to do with feeding support in practical step-by-step detail for people who have never had to do it)

Fingers very firmly crossed!

 

[Lattepiggo]

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I will try the syringe method as soon as possible! She last ate two hours ago, but that was one straw of hay. I have also gotten her to take at least a sip of water per hour, though it takes effort to get her to drink. I put a bowl of water, just incase she would prefer that. Her last real meal was about 17 hours ago. I am hoping she has been consuming little amounts of food though though. I put a hefty amount of food in her cage hoping she will snack on it slowly. Are there any fast alternatives for the syringe? I am looking for one...
thanks

 

[VickiA]

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I will try the syringe method as soon as possible! She last ate two hours ago, but that was one straw of hay. I have also gotten her to take at least a sip of water per hour, though it takes effort to get her to drink. I put a bowl of water, just incase she would prefer that. Her last real meal was about 17 hours ago. I am hoping she has been consuming little amounts of food though though. I put a hefty amount of food in her cage hoping she will snack on it slowly. Are there any fast alternatives for the syringe? I am looking for one...
thanks

There is no real substitute for syringe feeding if your piggy isn’t eating or drinking. If she hasn’t eaten properly in 17 hours then you need to syringe feed her to keep her guts moving, otherwise you risk losing her.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I will try the syringe method as soon as possible! She last ate two hours ago, but that was one straw of hay. I have also gotten her to take at least a sip of water per hour, though it takes effort to get her to drink. I put a bowl of water, just incase she would prefer that. Her last real meal was about 17 hours ago. I am hoping she has been consuming little amounts of food though though. I put a hefty amount of food in her cage hoping she will snack on it slowly. Are there any fast alternatives for the syringe? I am looking for one...
thanks

Hi! Syringe feeding is the best method, especially with a piggy off their food; you can use the antibiotic syringe if you cut off the tip in a wait that still stops the plunger but allows any fibre to pass through.
More tips and alternatives in the emergency care guide. PLEASE take the time to read our advice in the green links - it can really make the difference between life and death!
We simple can't repeat the full advice that covers all angles in a fight for life in just two sentences and easy tips.

Please make sure that you weigh daily with your kitchen scale. Around 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, which you cannot control by eye. Watching her nibbling on a stalk is not enough - a piggy can lose a lot of weight very quickly without you noticing. I would estimate that your girl is currently eating less than 5% of what she should eat in a day. That is not enough to survive.

 

[Lattepiggo]

Thank you guys so much for your care! We managed to syringe feed her, and give her the prescribed antibiotics. She would eat very little before scratching and getting restless, but it is a start. Her fur seemed to puff down significantly, but she is still hiding in her house and not eating or drinking on her own. Thanks for the literally life saving advice! I will weigh her again tomorrow at the same time. Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you guys so much for your care! We managed to syringe feed her, and give her antibiotics. She would eat very little before scratching, but it is a start. Her fur seemed to puff down significantly, but she is still hiding in her house and not eating or drinking on her own. Thanks for the literally life saving advice!

Please keep going every two hours around the clock to get at least 40 ml into her in 24 hours; ideally 60 ml - the more often the less you can get in; ideally you aim for at least 5 ml in each feeding session.
It is going to be tough and a real fight with a severely ill piggy. But you can hopefully get her through this until the antibiotic can kick in in a day or two and she will hopefully start feeling better in herself!

 

[Lattepiggo]

Thanks, we will do so. Hope it works too!

 

[Lattepiggo]

Update: I moved her water bottle close to her and she drank a decent amount! Hopefully we can get her eating naturally soon. She still stays in her house all the time, so I had to remove it from her cage to encourage her to drink. I pu tit back in, of course. She is also beginning to purr again when I stroke her. Hopefully things are working!