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Worried for my guinea pig

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emma.ablett

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My guinea pig, Teddy, won’t eat or drink and stays in his home hidden away in the same spot all day and won’t roam around his cage anymore. I’ve tried putting food close to his mouth but he just won’t eat it, I’ve tried putting his water bottle at his mouth and he just won’t have it - how can I get him to eat and drink again or how can I make sure he’s getting something into his system? I think he’s been urinating and pooping a lot less and I think there was some blood in his urine last night when I had him out his cage. I’m so worried about him and I just want to help him. Please can someone help me out.
 
Ok so the blood in his urine needs addressing, by a vet, he will most likely be given painkillers and antibiotics, but he will need to see a vet as soon as you possibly can to determine exactly what you're dealing with, UTI, bladder stone or something else. Pain is a big appetite suppressant, so he will not be eating due to pain from his urinary issues so it's important that is dealt with quite quickly. This means you will need to step in with syringe feeding as their guts will slow and stop without food constantly passing through. You can use a ready made recovery food if you have it available, if not you can soak some of his food pellets with warm water to create a paste to syringe him.
Heres some of the guides on the forum: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre

While he is unwell, keep him warm, but not hot. A bottle of warm water inside a sock for him to sit near if he chooses to may be a comfort to him and help with the pain.
 
emma.ablett said:
My guinea pig, Teddy, won’t eat or drink and stays in his home hidden away in the same spot all day and won’t roam around his cage anymore. I’ve tried putting food close to his mouth but he just won’t eat it, I’ve tried putting his water bottle at his mouth and he just won’t have it - how can I get him to eat and drink again or how can I make sure he’s getting something into his system? I think he’s been urinating and pooping a lot less and I think there was some blood in his urine last night when I had him out his cage. I’m so worried about him and I just want to help him. Please can someone help me out.
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Hi!

Please see a vet as soon as possible. Teddy sounds like he is very ill and will need a proper diagnosis and medication.

Blood in the urine is usually a sign of a urine infection or cystitis (in which case you need an antibiotic and analgesic (painkiller and anti-inflammatory), but it can also come from a bladder stone. A boar whose bladder stone has got stuck in the urethra (the pipe that leads from the bladder to the anus has got a very awkward inglenook in boars) and is blocking the urine flow will feel very ill indeed and urgently needs to see a vet. It is also extremely painful.

Small poos are always a sign that your piggy hasn't been eating and drinking properly for the last 1-2 days. It is absolutely vital that you support feed your guinea pigs in order to keep the guts going.

Bridging care (can help to keep your piggy alive until you can see a vet and until any medication kicks in but cannot heal):
- You need to switch from weighing once weekly as part of life long health monitoring to weighing daily at the same time. Normal kitchen scales will do. Over 80% of what a piggy eats in a day is hay. You can't control that by eye.
- Please step in with syringe feeding; the more often, the less a guinea pig is eating. You can use mushed up pellets in a pinch and should be able to get needle-free 1 ml syringes from any pharmacy or drugs store. Also offer as much water via syringe as you piggy will drink from it to prevent dehydration. Please DO NOT just squirt any feed or water in; give it in small amounts that Teddy can swallow and only give more once the previous lot has gone down. Teddy needs 40-60 ml of syringe feed in 24 hours in order to keep the gut going if he is not eating at all, plus additional water. You should feed ever 2 hours during the day and once or twice in the night with a guinea pig that has stopped eating.

Please follow the practical 'how to' advice in these guide links here:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

All the best for Teddy!
 
Welcome to the forum.
Holding you and Teddy in my thoughts.
Let us know what the vet says
 
How is Teddy? What did the vet say?
 
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