Sick Piggy

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paddy&rog

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Hi, can anyone help? My lovely pig Roger is ill, he has stopped gaining weight even tho he's eating and has got very irritable. Have taken him to my local vets and she says he's got a chest infection and has given him antibiotics but they don't seem to be helping, plus it's a nightmare trying to get the medicine down him--- very stroppy pig .

Any ideas anyone? Is it really likely to be a chest infection? Plus does anyone know of a good vet for guinea pigs in South West Cornwall

Thanks
 
Sorry that your piggy is unwell :( Is he an indoor or outdoor pig? Also, how long has he been on antibiotics? They can take a good few days until they begin to work. Does he sound wheezy at all?
 
sorry to hear about your piggy. Make sure your piggy is getting lplenty of water and food. Syringe feed him if hes not eating/drinking. Critical care is good for sick piggies as it gives them their nutrients.
 
Hi paddy&rog ... welcome to the forum.
Sorry to hear that your piggy isn't well. Well done for taking him to the vet as guinea pigs can go down hill very rapidly, especially with chest infections.

You say he is eating, but wasn't gaining weight. Can I ask how old he is? Does his breathing sound different to normal? Also what antibiotics has the vet given him?

Just so that we can get a little background about him. Obviously, we aren't vets on here and can only help with supporting you to help him.
 
Thank you all for your replies. Rog is an indoor pig at the moment, he shares a cage with his very greedy brother Paddy and they are 7months old. I took him to the vets on Weds and she gave me the antibiotic in a measured syringe ---- however he's a total nightmare, it took the vet 40 mins to get the first dose in him and he bit us both several times .. bless. I've been putting it on a piece of apple but he's got wise to that so I tried to get it down him with the syringe and ended up with the lot down my skirt and none in Roger so will be back at the vets in the morning !. Think I will ask for some of those liquid feeds and see if I can get any of that into him and then go to Pets at Home for a hay bed and keep them apart so I can monitor what he eats. He doesn't sound wheezy to me but ever since we got him he's coughed occasionally
 
If might find it helpful to wrap Rog in a towel before administering the baytril. Wrap the towel around him so only his head it poking out the top, therefore his feet and body are enclosed and can't move. Obviously not too tight though! :))

If you put it on food, he will probably smell that and leave it and Paddy could eat it instead. I would not separate them if you can help it, as you may have trouble bonding them again.
 
PS. I guess the vet checked his chest and temperature and also weighed him?
 
Roger

Yes, the vet took his temp which was normal - thank you, will try the towel next time- am just a bit scared of hurting him. Will try not to part him from Paddy as they are very fond of each other and try him on my lap for several times a day with a dish of food.

They are technically my sons guinea pigs (his girlfriend gave them to him for his birthday-he's 24) but we have had several in the past - we both love them - such little animals but SO much personality. We had one called Patch when my son was at school and they borrowed him for a stud pig, he came back very thin and I sat up with for nights feeding him water with a tiny bit of honey it until he got better. After that the school sent him a lady friend home each weekend

Thank you
 
Hello. Carmina is being very awkward about taking her antibiotic and there's 0.4 ml to get into her twice a day. The only way we can do it is if she is swaddled first - then my husband holds her head still and I put the syringe in her mouth until she bites on it and slowly put the liquid in. I have to be slow or she dribbles it all out. She still struggles and throws her head around even when swaddled so now it takes two. It must taste awful!
Hope this helps, Sarah
 
Rog

Hi, have been managing finally to get his antibiotics in him by putting it on some grass and sitting him on my lap. Hopefully this is working, the food dish in their cage was emptier this morning and he's been poking his head out and taking parsley out of my hand so fingers crossed !

Hope your piggie better soon


Julie
 
i've had rabbits and horses on baytril at different times. horses are very very fussy eaters, and will notice a miniscule change in their feed. they HATE baytril and you usually have to disguise it with carrots and apples and other nice things, so i reckon it must def taste really very bad!! hope they all get better...
 
Rog

Hi, thanks re Baytril. Roger is much better and eating like a horse EXCEPT he's now got mites---- back to the vets today, think I'll reserve a seat lol
 
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