• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Very poorly pig :-(

Status
Not open for further replies.
MrsART

MrsART

New Born Pup
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
85
Location
Eden, Cumbria UK
I've found my way here trying to find out what to do to help my very poorly piggy.

We have 2 pigs, Peppa & Pig, Pig is the larger more dominant of the 2 sows, and it is Pig that is poorly.

It all started last weekend with a fluffed up sad little pig sitting very still in her house. She had a runny bum & I assumed she had overdone it on the cucumber, being a very greedy little piggy. I rang the vet who told me there wasn't a lot he could do, so not to bring her down, but limit her to dry food & give her 1ml of actimel. She stopped scouring tuesday, but has not picked up and has now completely gone off her food.

Last night I was searching for help and made the discovery that the green stalk bits of tomatoes are poisonous - They had tomatoes the day before she got ill & not knowing any better I'd left the stalks on. You can only imagine how bad I feel. :(

Anyway I took her to the vets this morning & he didn't really seem to know what was wrong with her. He gave her a painkiller & some fiberplex paste for me to continue giving her. Told me to separate her from Peppa & try & tempt her to eat.

Well, she's not touched anything all day & not passed anything either. I've just made a runny mash out of her nuggets & water & managed to get a bit of that into her, but I'm at a bit of a loss really. Any help/suggestions greatly appreciated!
 
I'm sorry that your vet hasn't been very helpful. I can't help but someone will be along soon to give advice. Best wishes to you. x
 
First of all I can pretty much guarantee that this isn't your fault fir the tomato stalks. They are unlikely to have eaten enough to be a problem.

Sadly piggies can get poorly and it is very difficult to work out what is going on. If she is not eating at all it may be an idea to syringe feed her small amounts of soaked pellets but take great care.

Personally I don't split up piggies as it is unlikely to be infectious, particularly if they have ha d no contact with other guineas.

Sorry I can't be a great deal more help.buoy could try a second opinion from a different vet as they are nit always that good with small animals.

Paula
 
Hi, sorry to welcome you to the forum under such worrying circumstances for you. Sadly I am not able to offer advice, but there are some very experienced 'health & illness' people on here usually, I'm sure someone will be along soon. In the meantime, perhaps you could post what area you are in and someone could maybe recommend a better vet in your area. Syringe feeding, if you are not used to it, or don't have a syringe on a Saturday night, isn't the easiest. Certainly though your piggy will need food/fluid, whilst you are trying to sort the problem. Perhaps you could mash up some guinea pig nuggets with a little water, and see if your piggy will take some off a teaspoon. Best of luck with your piggy. x
 
I would definitely get a 2nd opinion with a cavy savvy vet.

You will need to syringe feed her, i give mushed up pellets & add probiotic to it. You can buy probiotic from P@H (Vetark Pro-C) & this can help to restore the gut flora.

She's not pooping due to not eating & she may need a gut stimulant & possibly antibiotics depending on what caused her diarrhoea in the first place.

With any ill pig who isn't eating i give a Vit C tablet, either into their mouth for them to crunch or i crush it & add it to the pellet mix & syringe it.

You will also need to keep her fluid intake up by syringing water into her.

I also wouldn't separate her from Peppa as this could lead to both pigs becoming depressed.
 
Sorry that your piggie is feeling bad.

Where are you located? It may be worth getting a second opinion. There are a couple of threads that may give you details to vets local to you;
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1788
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38481

Or you might find some helpful info on this thread;
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=211

Like the earlier posters have said, I would try to syringe feed your piggie so ensure that they have had something in their system.
 
Thank you for your replies.

I've just given her another syringe feed & some more water & have put her back in with Peppa. I wasn't really happy about separating them tbh, and Peppa has been very quiet today without her. It did however show me that she wasn't passing anything, which was important to know.

I think that Pig is looking a tiny bit brighter for a little nourishment. How much & how often should I be feeding her/giving her water?

I'm between Appleby & Kirkby Stephen, so the only vets nearby are more agricultural, unless any one knows different?
 
I think you need to give her some dioralyte, as she is probably dehydrated. Make it up as for humans, and syringe in lots of 15ml (or as much as you can get her to take). If she does not co-operate, you need to syringe it in slowly to avoid any going down the wrong way. It's an 'on the shelf' med so is easy to obtain from a chemist or big supermarket.

A piggy needs 40ml of food and 40 ml of water per day, divided in as many feedings as you can manage (well, up to 4 - no need to go mad.)

But she may need medicine to restart her gut. If she shows any signs of bloat, don't syringe feed and get to the vet as soon as possible. (Bloat makes the gut area feel hard instead of squashable).
Ground up dry food is easiest on the stomach, but
 
Sorry to hear that Pig is unwell.

I'm afraid I don't have much medical knowledge but I can empathise. Another thing which I've seen suggested for piggies who won't eat or drink much/anything is Metatone. It's a "pick-me-up" tonic sold in chemists & larger supermarkets - it's marketed for humans but many people here also give it their guinea pigs, via syringe, as an appetite stimulant (up to 0.5ml daily). I'm sure some of the more experienced and knowledgeable people here will advise you further.

I really hope she picks up very soon. Good luck x
 
Whee are so so sorry to hear about little Pig 8...8...8...
RIP Pig run free at the bridge, have fun playing with the other piggies, popcorning and munching in the lush green meadows, you'll be so sadly missed by mummy and your mate Peppa but NEVER forgotten xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))) and lots of loves from us all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Another little star now twinkling in the sky ............... :(


I'm so sorry you tried so hard, it may be difficult to work out exactly what caused her death :(
I do hope little Peppa will be ok xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
I'm so sorry to hear that :(

You may never know what caused her to be unwell but can hopefully find consolation in knowing that she's no longer in pain, as you say. I believe that she'll be running freely again now and popcorning with other piggies who have passed.

Big hugs to you and Peppa at this sad time x
 
I am very sorry about your piggie, please don't blame yourself.

Can I make a suggestion and please don't be offended:) try to find a good guinea pig vet before you need them again, it will make it so much easier if you ever need one next time. When you feel ready give these a ring and they may be able to tell you of a good vet in your area.

http://rodentretreat.co.uk/cct.html

Once again sorry about your loss.
 
I'm sorry to read this :(

Please keep an eye on Peppa; some piggies grieve for a cagemate & some don't. Iif she shows signs of being depressed or isn't her usual self, isn't eating it may be an idea to get her a friend, however, i do understand that this has to be right for you too. I have had pigs (male & female) who have lived happily alone as it seemed the only pig for them was the one who left, others have needed a friend.
 
Thank you for all your replies. It doesn't matter how many times you lose pets, it never gets any easier.

My 3 year old daughter has taken the news far better than me (!) She helped us bury Pig this morning, under a honeysuckle by her playhouse.

I've cleaned the cage out for peppa & given her some tasty treats to munch on. She doesn't seem to have touched her hay today though, so I'll have to keep an eye on her.

I think we will try to get a friend for her asap.

Don't know if it will work, but below is a link to some pictures of my daughter pretending to be a guinea pig with Peppa & Pig, just a few weeks ago.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159347&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb
 
I'm very sorry that you lost your piggie. Sometimes by the time that they show symptoms they are very poorly indeed and there is little that can be done. That doesn't mean that I don't think that it is worth trying and you did the right thing getting her to the vet. But often gut or respiratory symptoms can be the first sign of something like a tumour or organ failure. You did everything that you could for her.

Paula.
 
MrsART said:
Thank you for all your replies. It doesn't matter how many times you lose pets, it never gets any easier.

My 3 year old daughter has taken the news far better than me (!) She helped us bury Pig this morning, under a honeysuckle by her playhouse.

I've cleaned the cage out for peppa & given her some tasty treats to munch on. She doesn't seem to have touched her hay today though, so I'll have to keep an eye on her.

I think we will try to get a friend for her asap.

Don't know if it will work, but below is a link to some pictures of my daughter pretending to be a guinea pig with Peppa & Pig, just a few weeks ago.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159347&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb
Click to expand...

I love the pics especially this one x)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?a...1&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb&fbid=366037646407
 
I'm very sorry you lost Pig, you did everything you could, it is a shame the vet could not help any further but sadly many vets just don't have the knowledge to actively deal with this sort of thing. Big hugs. xx
 
MrsART said:
Don't know if it will work, but below is a link to some pictures of my daughter pretending to be a guinea pig with Peppa & Pig, just a few weeks ago.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159347&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb
Click to expand...

Your pics are lovely! I love the puzzled looks they pull sometimes, like this one http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159347&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb#!/photo.php?pid=4048495&id=644026407&l=d744bc94fb&fbid=366037726407
I hope that you find a suitable friend for Peppa soon x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top