Smartie pig + 'loose' motions

[Woodchip]

Hi - I'm looking for some advice and hopefully reassurance from some more experienced guinea pig lovers please

My 11 week old female piggie Smartie was poorly yesterday with loose motions. She had wet faeces around her 'bits' and along her tummy. I gently bathed it all away but an hour or so later it was the same. i repeated this a couple more times.

I phoned the vet and discussed it with the vet nurse and we decided it was possibly due to having had considerably more fresh veg over the weekend than she's been used to. I was advised to give plenty of hay, dry pellets and keep her off the grass for 24 hours. In addition I've kept her in her indoor accommodation while she was damp from bathing.

This morning she is out in the run with her sister, but I've moved it onto the patio where I can watch carefully from my office window. Smartie still has some evidence of faeces on her 'bits' but she is eating hay normally. I notice she is a little more 'hunched' than usual though, as if she is tucking her bottom in underneath herself and less active than her sister. I just moved her gently away from where she's sitting and she has done a couple of 'normal' pellets, they just look slightly wetter than usual.

Does she sound as if she's on the mend? or should she be on her way to the vet? I'm so sorry to go on and on but I'm not experienced with poorly piggies and I need advice from those that know. I feel like a new mother, wanting to rush to the doctor every time the baby sniffles!

Thanks for reading

 

[Wiebke]

I would see the vet if there is no improvement with the loose poo and the discomfort within 24 hours after discovery or if it comes back. You could ask your vet for some probiotic to help stabilize the guts. Make sure that your girl is drinking plenty - dehydration can be a problem.

The nurse has told you the right things - take her off any fresh stuff for a few days until she is well back to normal and then only introduce it slowly, one by one in small quantities at first. I could be either the quantity of veg or a veg she has problems with; that's where the eliminitation during reintroductions can help.

PS: If you ever come across diarrhea that is pure, dark, smelly fluid, you need to see a vet asap!

Here is more info on diarrhea:
http://www.guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html

 

[Woodchip]

Thank you Wiebke.

I've made an appointment to see the vet - we're off there in a minute. I've also worried myself silly reading things on the internet!

I'll update after we've seen the vet.

 

[Woodchip]

OK, seen the vet :...

He says it's a problem linked to the protozoa coccidia and could have been triggered by the dietary change or even just the relatively sudden change in the temperature. He gave Smartie an anti-biotic injection and wants to see her back tomorrow morning. If no improvement then he will keep her in for fluids etc

He said she's quite bright and alert so could already be on the mend, and I must keep her warm and on dry food and water. I've moved her into my office where i can watch her carefully and she'll be snug.

I'm so worried about her

 

[Suzygpr]

I would advise giving her a probiotic too - to help the gut function. As you've already mentioned - dry food and hay, no veg until it has well and truly cleared up and then in very small amounts to start with.

Suzy x

 

[Woodchip]

Thanks Suzy. What sort of probiotic? Where can I get it and how do I give it to her please?

 

[Suzygpr]

There's a variety available - I use Avipro plus or Pro C - both are available from large pet stores or country suppliers normally. You can add to food or water or syringe in to them directly - the pot will tell you how much.

Suzy x

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks Suzy. What sort of probiotic? Where can I get it and how do I give it to her please?

You can also ask your vet to give her some probiotic to tidy her over - it comes in powder form. Make sure that you get some in case he prescribes an antibiotic!

 

[angel1]

Poor little girl, hope she gets better soon. love the name!

 

[Pebble]

OK, seen the vet :...

He says it's a problem linked to the protozoa coccidia and could have been triggered by the dietary change or even just the relatively sudden change in the temperature. He gave Smartie an anti-biotic injection and wants to see her back tomorrow morning. If no improvement then he will keep her in for fluids etc

He said she's quite bright and alert so could already be on the mend, and I must keep her warm and on dry food and water. I've moved her into my office where i can watch her carefully and she'll be snug.

I'm so worried about her

I'm sorry but as a fully qualified microbiologist (PhD) and long term piggie owner i would have to question how the vet can know possibly diagnose this as a coccidia infection (very rare in piggies in the UK) unless a poo culture has been done and the disease confirmed.

Coccidia is normally only contracted by piggies who have been in contact with infected rabbits...or chickens.....certainly not by a change in temperature or diet...my second warning bell in terms of what you have been told by your vet.

The advice to keep her on dry food and water is fine - withdrawing veggies for piggies with runny poops is standard advice.....but you [*]must[/*] also give unlimited hay.....(third warning bell if vet didnt mention this) ....guineas should always have access to unlimited hay no matter how poorly........

What antibioitic was given? Coccidia is a protozoal parasite - not a bacterium.....so an antibioitic such as baytril or setprin would not be the first choice of treatment for coccidia....fourth warning sign....


My take on this for what its worth is that your very young piggie has had a surfeit of greens which she is not used to being so young..... and has developed runny poos. Your vet is trying to sound knowledgable but not doing very well in my opinion. However the advice - to withdraw greens - is sound. Just keep your piggie on dry foods, unlimited hay and water for a few days and then gradually introduce small quantities of greens back into her diet.

Of course I realise that you may not have posted all the info from your vet - I can only comment on what you have said so far so please post back if there is additional info you haven;t referred to as this may change my comments and will hlep anyone reading this in the future....


It IS however important to find out the antibiotiic given - if it was the wrong one this could add to your piggies problems rather than solve them.....please post back on the antibioitic given so we can advise further.......or at least set your mind at rest

There is a list on safe antiobiotiics for piggies here...altough it si not necessarily epxlicit enough or up to date on some types of antibioitics and their route of administration

http://www.guinealynx.info/antibiotics.html



HTH

x

 

[Woodchip]

Smartie update!

Smartie was eating and drinking reasonably normally yesterday afternoon although maybe was still a little quiet. This morning the poos are normal and I've seen her eating hay and drink a little. She's snuggled up with her sister in the hidey box but is less bunched up than yesterday.

Thanks for the info Pebble.
I feel I may have misrepresented my vet a little. He never said it WAS a coccidia infection, just that it COULD be. Other very knowledgeable (by which I mean more so than me!) long term guinea owners have told me that the symptoms she's showing are common in pet shop animals (which she is).

The injection she was given was Baytril.

Pebble, I hope hope HOPE you're right and this is just runny poos caused by too much fresh stuff - still the most likely cause in my opinion too.

I will defend my vet and say that he really is not the sort of vet who diagnoses things that aren't actually there in order to charge customers huge amounts of money. He doesn't add on things that are unnecessary either unlike the most popular vet around here. There are many occasions when I've taken my pets to him and he has given advice and check ups without charge. I know this doesn't make him fool proof but I do trust him and feel guilty that I may have misrepresented him.

Anyway, I'm off there now for the follow up visit.

 

[Pebble]

Hi woodchip

Thanx for posting the extra info - its sometimes difficult sometimes for vets to diagnose piggies as testing can be extremely expensive so as you say they will often suggest what it could be and provide a treatment which in this case your vet has done.

Pleased to hear she seems to be improving and the baytril should fend off any brewing infections which can occur in pet shop guineas and suddenly manifest themselves once they reach their forever home...


x

 

[Woodchip]

|) I have two piggies munching hay like there's no tomorrow, drinking and pooping normally, wheeking and squeaking and generally behaving in a way that says "We're fine! What were you so worried about?" rolleyes

What relief!