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Urgent Help Needed: My 7-Year-Old Guinea Pig CC is in Poor Health, No Vet and Limited Funds - Need Advice!

S

Sosohu

New Born Pup
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Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Hey,

I'm really worried about my guinea pig, CC, who is 7 years old. He's breathing a bit noisily, and while his Bumblefoot on his back feet is getting better (no more white sores), his front feet are now showing symptoms like redness and swelling. His back legs are weak as well. Unfortunately, there's a two-month wait for a vet appointment near me.

Here's what I've been doing: I've been giving him 15mg of enrofloxacin (tablets from eBay) daily, and also feeding him a spoonful of Critical Care herbivore with a syringe. I soak his feet in epsom salt water for about 10 minutes while feeding him, then wash him with warm water and dry him off. I disinfect the wound with Betadine spray and wrap his back foot with gauze after.

I'm thinking his current breathing issues might be because I fed him herbivore too quickly with a new syringe yesterday. Now, I'm unsure if I should continue the enrofloxacin, as his poop has decreased in those three days of medication. He's also really resistant to poo-poo soup from other guinea pigs. I'm debating whether to continue bandaging his front paws, and whether to switch from epsom salts to Betadine for his foot soaks.

I'm stressed out daily about his health with no nearby vet and not enough funds for an emergency visit.

Background: I have two other healthy guinea pigs and a year of experience in raising them. I recently adopted CC from my uncle. CC was living in a 50 square foot cage in the backyard with rabbits during last twp months(previously lived indoors with cats). When I got him, he was in bad shape, breathing rapidly, and desperate for food and water.

After I took him back, I've been feeding him Critical Care herbivore in my apartment, and he was improving until one day I noticed him lying on his side, unable to stand to eat, with a pit on his right rear foot making walking hard. That's when I started the above treatment. I didn't use the enrofloxacin in the start of the treatment until three days ago.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
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Here is some photos of him. This wound photo is his right back feet three days ago. Now it changes better, I will try to take a new one tomorrow.
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

His feet do look sore and noisy breathing is concerning. However, I'm afraid all we can advise is for you to follow emergency care - switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily, syringe feed as necessary to stop weight loss, keep his bedding clean and dry and see a vet. I know that is not easy in the US but as a UK based forum we have to follow UK law and only a vet can diagnose following an hands on check and prescribe appropriate treatments.
Are you able to travel to find a vet elsewhere who can see your piggy?

Reduction in poop output is an indication a piggy is not eating enough. Given poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake, then using poop output is not a reliable way to gauging a piggy is getting enough to eat - by the time you see less poop piggy already hasn’t eaten enough for a couple of days. It’s the daily weight checks which are essential here.

Antibiotics are prescription only in this country so we cannot advise about their unprescribed use - we have no way of knowing if the amount you are giving is appropriate or the right antibiotic to help, and couldn’t advise in any way.

I hope you can get him some help

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
It looks like you've got him on puppy pads. Are you using anything on top of that, such as fleece, as a dry surface? Fleece wicks urine through it to an underlying absorptive layer (such as puppy pads), so the surface of the fleece stays dry.

Have you expressed to the vet that you are not requesting a normal visit and are concerned about an illness? There's often a much longer wait for healthy visits than illness visits. It can be worth calling in the morning to see if there have been any cancellations, if they have an emergency slot open, or if they might be able to squeeze CC in between other patients. It's unlikely that a vet would be willing to treat without seeing him in person, but you could ask if they'd look at your picture anyways; the worst they can say is no.
You don't specify where in Pennsylvania you are or how far you are able to travel, so it's hard to give much advice on possible veterinarian options. (It's over 6 hours between Philly and Erie, and depending on where in the state you are, you may want to look in a neighboring state, too. )

I cannot speak to the use of Baytril pills ... my piggies have always been prescribed a suspension form. I also cannot condone obtaining pills from eBay. There's no way of knowing how those pills have been handled/stored or how old they are. (Antibiotics lose potency over time.) Furthermore, without a diagnosis, I couldn't tell you what the correct dosage would be for treatment ... 15mg/day shouldn't be a dangerous dose for most adult piggies, but that's about all I can say about that. Baytril can affect appetite, so he may be eating less on his own while on it. This could be the reason you're seeing less poo.

Syringe feeding can be a challenge. One spoonful isn't very much critical care, though. Reduced poo is a sign of reduced intake, though it has a delay, so if there's less poo now, there wasn't enough food a few days ago. Weighing him daily is the only way of truly assessing whether he's getting enough to eat, though. Losing weight means more critical care is needed to support him.
 
I’m so sorry CC is unwell. You sound like a really caring owner and you are doing all you can. I hope you can get him in to the vets soon. He’s gorgeous 😍
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear this.

His feet do look sore and noisy breathing is concerning. However, I'm afraid all we can advise is for you to follow emergency care - switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily, syringe feed as necessary to stop weight loss, keep his bedding clean and dry and see a vet. I know that is not easy in the US but as a UK based forum we have to follow UK law and only a vet can diagnose following an hands on check and prescribe appropriate treatments.
Are you able to travel to find a vet elsewhere who can see your piggy?

Reduction in poop output is an indication a piggy is not eating enough. Given poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake, then using poop output is not a reliable way to gauging a piggy is getting enough to eat - by the time you see less poop piggy already hasn’t eaten enough for a couple of days. It’s the daily weight checks which are essential here.

Antibiotics are prescription only in this country so we cannot advise about their unprescribed use - we have no way of knowing if the amount you are giving is appropriate or the right antibiotic to help, and couldn’t advise in any way.

I hope you can get him some help

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I am planning to take him to see a vet next weekend, a place five hours away from where I am. They accept emergency appointments on Saturdays.
Now his right hind feet has improved, but the condition of his other legs is getting worse.
 
Sosohu said:
Thank you so much. I am planning to take him to see a vet next weekend, a place five hours away from where I am. They accept emergency appointments on Saturdays.
Now his right hind feet has improved, but the condition of his other legs is getting worse.
Click to expand...

I know it’s harder to get to a vet in the US.
Having to wait another week if he is having issues with breathing and his legs getting worse is a concern.
Is there definitely nowhere you can take him today?
 
Princess Dustmop said:
It looks like you've got him on puppy pads. Are you using anything on top of that, such as fleece, as a dry surface? Fleece wicks urine through it to an underlying absorptive layer (such as puppy pads), so the surface of the fleece stays dry.

Have you expressed to the vet that you are not requesting a normal visit and are concerned about an illness? There's often a much longer wait for healthy visits than illness visits. It can be worth calling in the morning to see if there have been any cancellations, if they have an emergency slot open, or if they might be able to squeeze CC in between other patients. It's unlikely that a vet would be willing to treat without seeing him in person, but you could ask if they'd look at your picture anyways; the worst they can say is no.
You don't specify where in Pennsylvania you are or how far you are able to travel, so it's hard to give much advice on possible veterinarian options. (It's over 6 hours between Philly and Erie, and depending on where in the state you are, you may want to look in a neighboring state, too. )

I cannot speak to the use of Baytril pills ... my piggies have always been prescribed a suspension form. I also cannot condone obtaining pills from eBay. There's no way of knowing how those pills have been handled/stored or how old they are. (Antibiotics lose potency over time.) Furthermore, without a diagnosis, I couldn't tell you what the correct dosage would be for treatment ... 15mg/day shouldn't be a dangerous dose for most adult piggies, but that's about all I can say about that. Baytril can affect appetite, so he may be eating less on his own while on it. This could be the reason you're seeing less poo.

Syringe feeding can be a challenge. One spoonful isn't very much critical care, though. Reduced poo is a sign of reduced intake, though it has a delay, so if there's less poo now, there wasn't enough food a few days ago. Weighing him daily is the only way of truly assessing whether he's getting enough to eat, though. Losing weight means more critical care is needed to support him.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your advice. I have now covered the puppy pads with a blanket, although I'm not sure if it can substitute for fleece. I have found a veterinary hospital in Philadelphia (Named 2nd Street Animal Hospital) and am trying to make an appointment for next Saturday.
 
Can you impress upon them the importance and see if he can be seen today. I know it’s a long drive but waiting a week if he is getting worse is risky. He could well be in pain with his feet.

If he absolutely has to wait another week, then all you can do is keep him clean and dry. Bedding needs to be changed several times a day.

It is also so important you weigh him daily and increase the amount of syringe feed he gets if he is losing weight - a minimum
of 40-60ml in a 24 hour period but it could be as much as 100ml. Feeding every two hours.
Using the weights as the only way to know whether you are feeding the right amount - your aim is to keep his weight stable each day
 
Piggies&buns said:
I know it’s harder to get to a vet in the US.
Having to wait another week if he is having issues with breathing and his legs getting worse is a concern.
Is there definitely nowhere you can take him today?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, most of the hospitals near me either refuse guinea pigs, or require a long time for an appointment. I can try calling the veterinary hospital in Philadelphia again tomorrow morning to inquire if they can do a diagnosis on the same day. But last time they told me that the earliest appointment would take a week.
 
I would I certainly try all the vets you can to get him seen asap.

As I said, weigh him daily and syringe feed him more. Change those blankets as soon as they come damp. Fleece needs to be properly wicking to keep them dry but those look quite thick and I’m not sure how well they will wick and stay dry.

I would also remove the hay from the rack and put it straight on the floor so he can eat freely
 
Piggies&buns said:
Can you impress upon them the importance and see if he can be seen today. I know it’s a long drive but waiting a week if he is getting worse is risky. He could well be in pain with his feet.

If he absolutely has to wait another week, then all you can do is keep him clean and dry. Bedding needs to be changed several times a day.

It is also so important you weigh him daily and increase the amount of syringe feed he gets if he is losing weight - a minimum
of 40-60ml in a 24 hour period but it could be as much as 100ml. Feeding every two hours.
Using the weights as the only way to know whether you are feeding the right amount - your aim is to keep his weight stable each day
Click to expand...
Got it. I just post his newest photo above. Thanks again for your adivce.
 
Big thanks to everyone in this post. I took him to a nearby emergency vet last night. After the examination, the doc told me that Coco was in a critically dangerous state and could pass away at any moment. They even brought up the possibility of euthanasia(pts). But I opted for meds and filled my uncle in on the situation. He's feeling super guilty about his past choices. The vet prescribed Meloxicam and SMZ TMP. Also, I've got an appointment set with a vet in Philly this Saturday for Coco, to check if Coco is getting better or keeping suffering.

Last night, I gave Coco a bunch of food and he was totally into it. This morning, I noticed a lot of poop from him, and it looked like it's back to its normal color and size. His weight's holding steady at 810g, same as last night. But he's still breathing kinda hard. I'm going to give him his second dose of medication now.

Sadly, the doc didn’t hand over any written diagnosis. She thinks Coco's main issue is respiratory-related. I was super overwhelmed in the moment, so I can't quite remember if she said it was pneumonia or URI.
 
I’m so glad you were able to get him seen.
Fingers crossed the meds help and he pulls through.

Keep up with the daily weight checks (it’s best to weigh first thing in the morning) and syringe feeding.

Keep us posted and best wishes
 
Glad to hear he’s perking up a bit now you’ve been able to see a vet.
Hope all goes well in Philly on Saturday.
 
Fingers very firmly crossed.

Glad that you could be seen sooner. You can always try to call the clinic for a confirmation of the diagnosis or medical doses. Treatment for pneumonia and URI is the same - both need an antibiotic.
 
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