Signs of a dying guinea pig?

[Nikita Cowan]

Just need some advice my 5 year old male has lost his appetite over the past week he LOVES cucumber usually and never misses a chance to eat loads but recently he’s completely stopped eating the cucumber or any veg and has been sleepy but will still eat hay and drink water but within 2 days he’s more lively now and still eating hay and drinking and has a few bits of cucumber but leaves a lot uneaten he’s been at the vet they say he’s healthy just a little underweight he’s also pooing fine but won’t eat his nuggets either but has been loving apples does he possibly sound like he’s dying or am i just over worrying any help would be great thanks!

 

[Wiebke]

Just need some advice my 5 year old male has lost his appetite over the past week he LOVES cucumber usually and never misses a chance to eat loads but recently he’s completely stopped eating the cucumber or any veg and has been sleepy but will still eat hay and drink water but within 2 days he’s more lively now and still eating hay and drinking and has a few bits of cucumber but leaves a lot uneaten he’s been at the vet they say he’s healthy just a little underweight he’s also pooing fine but won’t eat his nuggets either but has been loving apples does he possibly sound like he’s dying or am i just over worrying any help would be great thanks!

Hi!

I am very sorry that your boy is not well.

How piggy savvy is your vet? An underweight piggy, i.e. one that is not eating enough and that is losing weight, is decidedly NOT a healthy piggy - but the cause may not necessarily be glaringly obvious!

Please read the advice in this link below about crisis care. It contains all the necessary information from syringe feeding support, weight monitoring, recognising emergency symptoms and yes, how to recognise and best look after a guinea pig in organ failure.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[Freela]

I agree with Wiebke above... a pig who is losing weight and not eating normally has an issue. It may not be apparent to a vet who isn't used to dealing with guinea pigs. Were his teeth checked by the vet (not just the front teeth- the molars at the back?) Tooth issues are pretty common and are treatable, but if that's the problem, you will need to find a vet who is used to doing dental work in animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. I'm not sure where you're located, but in North America a lot of vets class guinea pigs as 'exotic pets' and thus if you're in North America your best bet is to find a vet who treats small exotics and is familiar with guinea pigs, if you haven't done so already. Hope this helps!

 

[Wiebke]

Here is a link to a list of vets with guinea pig experience for several countries if you are not in the UK (in this case you can find a list of recommended UK vets via the top bar): Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List

We find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to location in your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar). This makes it appear with every post you make and allows us to tailor any advice and recommendations to what is available and relevant for you straight away. We have members and enquiries from all over the world, from very different backgrounds, climates, vet/rescue access and differing medical brand names. Lacking that, our advice is as general as possible and our default is UK based.
Please also keep in mind that we jump between lots of different threads in a day, not to mention over a number days.

 

[Nikita Cowan]

I’m in the uk and also researching places with small animal specialists I’ve also noticed when he’s breathing his head is bopping back and forth what could that mean?

 

[Wiebke]

I’m in the uk and also researching places with small animal specialists I’ve also noticed when he’s breathing his head is bopping back and forth what could that mean?

Please have your piggy vet checked asap, especially the heart!