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Sudden Decline

CVO27

CVO27

New Born Pup
Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
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Location
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Hi all...I have a 5 year old boar who is an indoor piggy. He has lots of floor time on an evening and loves running around, behind the sofa's then jumping back into his cage for a nibble. He has a huge appetite, is usually very vocal and such a character. Over the past 10 days, I have noticed a decline in his health. I noticed he seemed to be breathing heavily abd his poop was getting stuck halfway out if his bottom. He still got out of his cage & ran around but only for about 5 minutes, then would just get back in. Hes not making any noises at all...still eating - not massive amounts but most of his food. Took him to vets..they said there was no sign of fecal impaction but he was breathing harder than he would like but after a thorough check of his chest, he couldn't hear any sign of infection. He couldn't see his teeth as he'd been nibbling hay on the way down so they were full of food. He prescribed loxicom for 5 days, but hes not improving. He just lays looking so pathetic. Its really upsetting and i don't know what to do. Does it sound like there us something wrong or is he just old and possibly just at the end of his natural life?
 
CVO27 said:
Hi all...I have a 5 year old boar who is an indoor piggy. He has lots of floor time on an evening and loves running around, behind the sofa's then jumping back into his cage for a nibble. He has a huge appetite, is usually very vocal and such a character. Over the past 10 days, I have noticed a decline in his health. I noticed he seemed to be breathing heavily abd his poop was getting stuck halfway out if his bottom. He still got out of his cage & ran around but only for about 5 minutes, then would just get back in. Hes not making any noises at all...still eating - not massive amounts but most of his food. Took him to vets..they said there was no sign of fecal impaction but he was breathing harder than he would like but after a thorough check of his chest, he couldn't hear any sign of infection. He couldn't see his teeth as he'd been nibbling hay on the way down so they were full of food. He prescribed loxicom for 5 days, but hes not improving. He just lays looking so pathetic. Its really upsetting and i don't know what to do. Does it sound like there us something wrong or is he just old and possibly just at the end of his natural life?
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Hi! I am very sorry. Please always step in with topping up with syringe feed as soon as a piggy is losing more than 50g in very short time span or 100g gradually over the long span. Just seeing a piggy nibble can be deceptive. Hay is making up to 80% of the daily diet, and you cannot control that.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Has your vet checked the heart and checked for heart failure or a fluid filled chest cavity or just checked the airways? A mass in the chest/body can also cause symptoms like that, as my Tegyd has shown. Perhaps a scan may help. Checking the back teeth is also always worth it.

Poos stuck halfway out are not uncommon and nothing to worry.

if you want to get a second opinion: Guinea Pig Vet Locator
 
I am really sorry to hear this. The Loxicam shoudl hep with any pain as it is a good pain reliever and anti inflamatory. Is he chewing okay?
 
sport_billy said:
I am really sorry to hear this. The Loxicam shoudl hep with any pain as it is a good pain reliever and anti inflamatory. Is he chewing okay?
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Hi..hes still eating although his appetite is certainly not what it was. He doesn't seem to be drinking much either so I'm syringe feeding water...its his breathing that is the most worrying, as though its a real struggle.
 
CVO27 said:
Hi..hes still eating although his appetite is certainly not what it was. He doesn't seem to be drinking much either so I'm syringe feeding water...its his breathing that is the most worrying, as though its a real struggle.
Click to expand...

Please syringe feed any guinea pig that is not eating enough. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. See a vet tonight or latest tomorrow re. potential heart failure or pneumonia that develops without a pre-existing URI.
 
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