When does gradual weight loss become concerning?

JaseChase

JaseChase

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I’m still a bit worried about Tofu - he has threads in the main illness section but this isn’t really an emergency & is more about long term weight management

Quick history: he’s 4 and a half, diagnosed arthritis & impaction, and he recently had a UTI. Two weeks of baytril cleared it up but he dropped from his usual weight (1250g) down to around 1100g

It’s been a couple of weeks since we stopped the baytril and while he’s a lot better in himself, the gradual weight loss has continued and this morning he was down to 1048g. I’m topping him up with critical care & readigrass, he takes both happily and he’s got an appetite still, plus lots of popcorning and chasing Eddie round the cage

The only other symptom he has is very occasional pain squeaking. It’s on and off, only a couple of tiny quiet squeaks at a time. He’s on 0.3ml metacam and 0.1ml gabapentin twice a day

I’m at a bit of a loss if this is something that needs another vet trip/treatment, or if it’s more about monitoring and management as he’s getting older. Vet trips are stressful so I don’t want to put him through one unless he needs it. Plus he & Eddie are going away for a week on Monday (to get Eddie neutered using an experienced rescue vet) and I’m a bit anxious about that anyway 😅 don’t want to make a big deal out of something that might not be concerning
 
This is concerning weight loss and particularly now it has continued beyond his treatment.

How much critical care are you getting into him each day?
I would suggest that top up feeds are no longer enough and he needs more feeds to stop continued weight loss.

A vet trip would be needed if this weight loss continues
 
Thank you, I am quite worried about him. I’ve only been doing top-up feeds so getting about 10-20ml critical care into him a day. Happy to switch to proper syringe feeding based off this morning’s weight (aiming for 60ml I believe?)

I could get him into the vet before he goes away, but it wouldn’t be with our usual experienced one. Would you say that’s a good idea anyway? Otherwise he’d be waiting a couple of weeks and I’m not super keen on that idea

The weight loss is very up and down - some days he’ll maintain or go up a bit, other days it’s a drop, usually about 20-30g difference. But he is down more than I’d like this morning
 
I would definitely be aiming closer to 60ml if the weight loss is continuing - your daily weight checks are your guide as to when you have found the amount he needs

I would think getting him seen before he goes away is a good idea.
Make sure, which I’m sure you will, that the rescue he is going to know you are worried about his weight loss.

I hope he is ok
 
I've booked him in for Thursday - the next most experienced vet is in then, she's seen him before. Thank you, I'm glad to know I wasn't worrying over nothing. Should I hop back to his other thread in the health section if I need more advice? I don't want to clutter up the forum 😅 but I didn't want to post in that busy section if it wasn't an emergency. Now I'm thinking I should have just updated there instead, sorry
 
Maybe naughty little Eddie shouldn't eat so much of Tofu's critical care?
I'm sorry to hear that Tofu has gradual weight loss - always worrying till you know why or can end it.
 
Eddie is the worst thief 😂 I took Tofu out of the cage for a proper feed and got 17 into him without much of a battle. He did have a bunch of poops backed up, I wonder if it’s related to his impaction maybe? He also drank a LOT (1-2 syringes of water for every 3 syringes of CC, ish)

Eddie got one syringe because he wheeked in despair and starvation while Tofu was getting fed

Thank you for the well wishes 🥰 Tofu is a very special piggie to me so I get extra worked up when he’s unwell


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Having spent more time with him today I am growing quite concerned - he’s drinking a lot more than normal, he’s gassy, he’s squeaking in pain when I touch his tummy, his breathing looks a little laboured. I have got about 25ml critical care into him so far, with another feed due before bed. He’s had some extra in a bowl in the cage as well (but I think Eddie stole most of that!)

Will be keen for the vet to check him over on Thursday. He’s spooked me before and bounced back, hopefully this will be another of those times. His heart and lungs and everything were fine when he was vet checked for the UTI a few weeks ago, but I do worry

He’s happy in himself at least. Climbed the bars for veggies and headbutted me when I didn’t give him his Metacam fast enough 😂
 
Thank you all ☺️ his weight was the same today as yesterday, which was a relief he hadn’t lost more. He’s taking his critical care pretty well today too

Got everything crossed the vet can get to the bottom of it tomorrow
 
JaseChase said:
I’m still a bit worried about Tofu - he has threads in the main illness section but this isn’t really an emergency & is more about long term weight management

Quick history: he’s 4 and a half, diagnosed arthritis & impaction, and he recently had a UTI. Two weeks of baytril cleared it up but he dropped from his usual weight (1250g) down to around 1100g

It’s been a couple of weeks since we stopped the baytril and while he’s a lot better in himself, the gradual weight loss has continued and this morning he was down to 1048g. I’m topping him up with critical care & readigrass, he takes both happily and he’s got an appetite still, plus lots of popcorning and chasing Eddie round the cage

The only other symptom he has is very occasional pain squeaking. It’s on and off, only a couple of tiny quiet squeaks at a time. He’s on 0.3ml metacam and 0.1ml gabapentin twice a day

I’m at a bit of a loss if this is something that needs another vet trip/treatment, or if it’s more about monitoring and management as he’s getting older. Vet trips are stressful so I don’t want to put him through one unless he needs it. Plus he & Eddie are going away for a week on Monday (to get Eddie neutered using an experienced rescue vet) and I’m a bit anxious about that anyway 😅 don’t want to make a big deal out of something that might not be concerning
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Weight loss becomes concerning if a piggy loses 10% or more of their body weight. By 20% or more, you should see a vet urgently.
Always feel around the ribcage to judge whether your piggy is still in the normal weight range or is now underweight.

This guide here helps you to assess just how much the weight loss is impacting on an individual guinea pig and helps you work out where your specific piggy stands beyond the general numbers.
Unlike general advice, these guidelines work for all sizes and ages: Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

All the best for the upcoming vet trip.
 
Back from the vets with Emeprid for a week to see if that helps clear things up. The vet couldn’t see anything obviously wrong except Tofu squeaks in pain when pressing around his intestines. His bladder is absolutely fine and not tender which is a relief

If he doesn’t get better she wants to bring him back in for a scan in case there’s something nasty going on internally. He maintained his weight again this morning even though I only got 27ml critical care into him yesterday, so he must be eating for himself at least a bit. He’s at about 15% loss of his total body weight by my maths

He and Eddie are munching on some readigrass now as a reward for being so good for the vet trip
 
JaseChase said:
Back from the vets with Emeprid for a week to see if that helps clear things up. The vet couldn’t see anything obviously wrong except Tofu squeaks in pain when pressing around his intestines. His bladder is absolutely fine and not tender which is a relief

If he doesn’t get better she wants to bring him back in for a scan in case there’s something nasty going on internally. He maintained his weight again this morning even though I only got 27ml critical care into him yesterday, so he must be eating for himself at least a bit. He’s at about 15% loss of his total body weight by my maths

He and Eddie are munching on some readigrass now as a reward for being so good for the vet trip
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I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed. Have you got any painkiller from your vet?
 
Wiebke said:
I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed. Have you got any painkiller from your vet?
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He’s on 0.3ml meloxaid and 0.1ml gabapentin twice a day for his arthritis anyway, she said to stick with that for now and see how he gets on

I might regret asking lol, but do you have any idea what might be going on if he doesn’t get better on the emeprid? I know he would need a scan to confirm and we can only speculate until then. Just trying to be prepared at what the worst case scenario might be

He’s still bright and happy in himself - comes running for veggies, popcorns with Eddie - but I do worry about him, he’s never been the most robust piggie. He isn’t too bony at the moment, I can feel his hips but not individual ribs - and his hips have been like that since he turned four anyway tbh
 
JaseChase said:
He’s on 0.3ml meloxaid and 0.1ml gabapentin twice a day for his arthritis anyway, she said to stick with that for now and see how he gets on

I might regret asking lol, but do you have any idea what might be going on if he doesn’t get better on the emeprid? I know he would need a scan to confirm and we can only speculate until then. Just trying to be prepared at what the worst case scenario might be

He’s still bright and happy in himself - comes running for veggies, popcorns with Eddie - but I do worry about him, he’s never been the most robust piggie. He isn’t too bony at the moment, I can feel his hips but not individual ribs - and his hips have been like that since he turned four anyway tbh
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Hi

Thank you for clearing up the painkiller point. It just puzzled me since your vet mentioned a painful/tender/sore response.

No, I am not making any guesses as to what could be going on inside. That is like trying to throw darts blindfolded at a board. It can be something inside the gut or pushing on it but what it could be is anybody's guess.
Symptoms can be rather similarly vague for very different things happening inside the body, and some of them can be on the more unusual side. A scan would be the next step so we can hopefully at least remove the blindfold.

I fully appreciate your need to know but unfortunately this is not something you can just snap your fingers and pull out a diagnosis that even a vet would not dare to make without more data input. It is very hard on all of us when we do not know exactly what we are up against.

Concentrate on getting enough food into Tofu and on sending him healing green energy instead of wrapping him in your anxious thoughts. Focus on what you can positively do for him instead of on what could be the cause. In my own experience, it is usually not at all what you expect but also not anything you have the option to choose.

See my own example - nobody would have guessed at the specific cancer that caused my brain tumour but I had to wait for over a month before I got a diagnosis from my biopsy and for nearly 2 months after it caused the fall that broke my hip (when my brain tumour was discovered).
You focus on what you can positively do for yourself and/or for the ill one during that time and then you deal with the issue itself - whatever it turns out to be - when its own time has come. Try to live in the moment, like your piggies, and make the most of that and try not to waste any time you can fill with love instead of your own fears because your fears won't change the ultimate outcome but your love can make a big difference for Tofu right now. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Thank you for clearing up that point. It just puzzled me since your vet mentioned a painful/tender/sore response.

No, I am not making any guesses as to what could be going on inside. That is like trying to throw darts blindfolded at a board. It can be something inside the gut or pushing on it but what it could be is anybody's guess.
Symptoms can be rather similarly vague for very different things happening inside the body, and some of them can be on the more unusual side. A scan would be the next step so we can hopefully at least remove the blindfold.

I fully appreciate your need to know but unfortunately this is not something you can just snap your fingers and pull out a diagnosis that even a vet would not dare to make without more data input. It is very hard on all of us when we do not know exactly what we are up against.

Concentrate on getting enough food into Tofu and on sending him healing green energy instead of wrapping him in your anxious thoughts. Focus on what you can positively do for him instead of on what could be the cause. In my own experience, it is usually not at all what you expect but also not something you can choose.

See my own example - nobody would have guessed at the specific cancer that caused my brain tumour but I had to wait for over a month before I got a diagnosis and for nearly 2 months after it caused the fall that broke my hip when it was found.
You focus on what you can positively do for yourself and/or for the ill one during that time and then you deal with the issue itself - whatever it turns out to be - when its own time has come. Try to live in the moment, like your piggies, and make the most of that and try not to waste any time you can fill with love with your own fears because your fears won't change the ultimate outcome but your love can make a big difference for Tofu right now.
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That’s a really lovely response, thank you so much for your thoughtful input ☺️ I know anxiety often gets the better of me

One thing I like about syringe feeding is the extra time spent with an ill piggie. Especially as Tofu isn’t hard to feed at the moment, he likes it most of the time, so it’s basically a couple hours extra cuddle/interaction time each day. Reframing nice experiences helps a lot

I hope you are having one of your better days - reading about your cancer diagnosis and everything following is a true insight into how to deal with hard times. Your thread has helped me a lot with my own chronic illnesses, especially the days when my body is doing everything I don’t want it to! So thank you for sharing that as well ☺️
 
JaseChase said:
That’s a really lovely response, thank you so much for your thoughtful input ☺️ I know anxiety often gets the better of me

One thing I like about syringe feeding is the extra time spent with an ill piggie. Especially as Tofu isn’t hard to feed at the moment, he likes it most of the time, so it’s basically a couple hours extra cuddle/interaction time each day. Reframing nice experiences helps a lot

I hope you are having one of your better days - reading about your cancer diagnosis and everything following is a true insight into how to deal with hard times. Your thread has helped me a lot with my own chronic illnesses, especially the days when my body is doing everything I don’t want it to! So thank you for sharing that as well ☺️
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I am currently having a bit more anxious time myself as one of the liver enzymes is way to high and I was off my cancer tablets for just over a week. Weekly instead of monthly blood tests and my three monthly cancer scans coming up next week plus a major review with my oncologist afterwards so I am in the 'wait and see' stage for myself as well at the moment. :(
The worst symptoms have majorly settled down but I am still noticeably more tired despite being back on my cancer meds again.

Nevertheless, I try to go out for my walk with the rollator as often as possible once the sun has gone down and I try to do my housework and my share of cooking as much as I can. And of course I come onto the forum and answer as many threads as I feel fit for. We had a little outing today (plenty of stairs in a historic house) - even if I ended up back in bed for a nap once we were back home.

You can drive yourself crazy with fears or you can go and try to make the best of the situation. At least if (and not when!) it comes to the worst, you know that you haven't frittered away valuable time you could have filled with positive things. See any waiting/not knowing time as as an empty glass - you cannot choose the shape and size of the glass but you can choose what you fill it with. :)
 
Wiebke said:
I am currently having a bit more anxious time myself as one of the liver enzymes is way to high and I was off my cancer tablets for just over a week. Weekly instead of monthly blood tests and my three monthly cancer scans coming up next week plus a major review with my oncologist afterwards so I am in the 'wait and see' stage for myself as well at the moment. :(
The worst symptoms have majorly settled down but I am still noticeably more tired despite being back on my cancer meds again.

Nevertheless, I try to go out for my walk with the rollator as often as possible once the sun has gone down and I try to do my housework and my share of cooking as much as I can. And of course come onto the forum and answer as many threads as I feel fit for. We had a little outing today (plenty of stairs in a historic house) - even if I ended up back in bed for a nap once we were back home.
You can drive yourself crazy with fears or you can go and try to make the best of the situation. At least if (and not when!) it comes to the worst, you know that you haven't frittered away valuable time you could have filled with positive things. See any waiting/not knowing time as as an empty glass - you cannot choose the shape and size of the glass but you can choose what you fill it with. :)
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I will be thinking of you in your own ‘wait and see’ period and keeping everything crossed 🤞
 
JaseChase said:
I will be thinking of you in your own ‘wait and see’ period and keeping everything crossed 🤞
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Thank you. It's not the kind of situation that anybody relishes but that we all end up in rather often. :(

Anyway, I've still managed to put another 3 km walk in as the evening is rather nice here and it's important for my physical and mental health to keep my endorphines and dopamines going as much as possible. I just try to live with my cancer and my broken hip as best as I can and keep working on my still ongoing recovery. :)
 
Tofu went back for scans today after I picked him up yesterday to find his tummy soaked in blood - a very dramatic way of him telling me something was wrong!

He has a 1cm bladder stone

I’m taking some time to think through what to do, after a long chat with the vet. Surgery to remove it is an option, of course - but I have to admit I’m hesitating. He’s not really old, but he’s not young either, and with his other health issues and not brilliant general condition I am nervous about his recovery. And there’s always the chance the stones could come back

He’s always been fed a low calcium diet, with very occasional treats like spinach or parsley or spring greens (no more than once a week). I’m cutting those out completely now. Filtered water, minimal pellets etc

For now, we’re upping his painkiller again and keeping a close eye on him. The vet said if we didn’t do the surgery (which she could understand my hesitation and said it’s not a clear cut decision with him) then he’d likely need antibiotics occasionally to keep it under control control

He is generally very happy - other than his weight, which he’s maintaining with top-up critical care, and an occasional bloody pee, I wouldn’t think anything was wrong. So I believe I have time to think through the decision while he isn’t in too much discomfort
 
Ah dear Tofu
I hope he recovers well after the anaesthetic wears off
Maybe you are able to keep his bladder stone and future uti under control ….
Sending love and healing vibes to lovely Tofu and sweet Ed 🥰
 
What a difficult decision you face.
I’m glad you have time to think through the pros and cons of surgery and talk options through with your OH.

My technique for such dilemmas is to make a decision and live with it for a few days.
If it still feels right then that’s what I do.
If it doesn’t feel right then I make a different decision.

Sometimes it’s about thinking about the possible consequences and knowing what you can live with.

Holding you and lovely Tofu in my heart ♥️
 
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