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URGENT Scurvy!

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lily_n_dori

lily_n_dori

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hello all, my poor guinea pigs ( due to my stupidity) have got scurvy, lost the 2 babies yesterday and rushed off to vet this morning with my other 2. Vet doesnt have any vit c injection in stock and has prescribed the tablet form which they also dont have in. They are going to call back later once they have it in but what can i do in the meantime? is there anything i can buy from pets at home or something? i dont want to loose them all. Please help :(
 
can you get a liquid vitamin c from a health store? had you not being feeding them veg and pellets?
 
we have been feeding them pellet but when we looked no added vit c, i feel like such an idiot! i didnt know you could buy it from health store? one has eaten some carrot but not much else and the other one just doesnt seem interested? should i soak some pellet in water and try syringe feeding? obviously not the one they have been eating one WITH vit c
 
if their not eating yes i would syringe feed them pellets - what pellets are you feeding them?

The pellets didnt have vitamin c in them do you mean? was it rabbit food?
 
we are going to run to pets at home to get the pellet food they used to have, we bought a large bag of the recent stuff from a different place and said it was for both, didnt look close enough at pacaging said no added vit c :( I'm such an idiot i feel awful my poor pigs are suffering now :(
 
You can get normal vit C tablets, supermarket/ healthstore/ etc and crush them between two spoons, add a little water and syringe it in. Cranberry juice has loads in so may be see if they like it, red peppers are a great source too.

HTH

Suzy x
 
ok great fingers crossed i can get them to take something, thanks for your help
 
yes red peppers are a good source! def syringe feed them the food in their not eating it.
 
ok thanks for your help everyone. does it matter what vit c tablets? or just any? i know it has to be just vit c and not a multivit
 
I use effervescent Vit C ablets for humans (Asda's own brand) 1000mg in an orange tube but most supermarkets sell their own. Dissolve 1/2 tablet in a 250ml water bottle and mine cant drink it quick enough but you might be best to syringe it in as they're poorly - to make sure they get it.

I'm surprised they've got scurvy even if you've not been feeding the correct pellets as I do know of people who dont use pellets at all and just make sure their guineas have a good variety of fresh fruit, veg and salad daily with as much hay as they can eat and they've never had problems of this sort......

Guineas do need loads of fresh food - at least coffee mug per pig per day even if they're being fed good quality dry food.................the above mentioned peppers, brocolli etc are particularly high in Vit C :)

Teresa xx
 
Just Vit C tablets - I use 60mg ones but you can get higher dosage tablets, though I don't know if they would be of any benefit as the pigs will just excrete any excess.

Suzy x
 
Get some veg in to feed them too - spring greens, carrots, brocolli etc x
 
hello all, ive managed to get both to have some cranberry juice and maisie has eaten some red pepper but evie hasnt. Mushed some pellet with water and gave from a spoon, maisie ate loads even climbed in the bowl but evie had very small amount.

Vet just called cant get the vit c but have somthing they want them to have over weekend? dont know what until i go there.

Also bought effervescent vit c tablets. but they are 1000mg not 100mg how much should i give to each of them?

thanks again for all your help
 
mixed half a tablet with some water for each pig but neither liked it at all. HArdly got them to take any they dont stand a chance with me i am useless at syringe feeding scared of them breathing it in etc, just dont know what to do
 
thnak you so much il give it a go, it so hard because i know its my fault they are the way they are and i dont feel like I'm doing them any good :(
 
managed to get maisie to take the vit c but no luck with evie for anything, have called vet and am going back later this afternoon, i cant see her improving at all she is giving up and i cannot help her :(
 
i should of read it properly, to be honest i knew they couldnt make their own vit c but NEVER realised it was this serious.

they had veg but obviously not enough, i just dont know what to do? maisie is eating some bits but evie wont take nothing. I'm scared of giving them to much fluid with syringe as could only get a 2.5ml one so obviously hard to give little ammounts.

Evie is lethargic and every no and them makes a groan noise, should i let her go? is she in pain? i just dont know what to do
 
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