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3rd guinea pig possibly going to pass away with same unknown illness

D

den86

New Born Pup
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So basically we had 2 pigs die a year apart last year and year before, both recieved the same care before dying (syringe fed vets food, green fibre like stuff you add water and mush up)
Both passed away literally 24-48 hours after getting it.
Now another has it and it's bugging me trying to work out what it is, we have seen the vet and they said they are unsure, could be a bowell problem, I'm not so sure as they are not related each other at all and all eat the same nuggets, carrots, cabbage etc etc.

So symptoms are going off food, foul smell from mouth, wet mouth area, really fluffy fur almost sticking up on end and squinty eyes. No reaction to touch at all really

We had the exact same with our last 2, same symptoms and both died, both visited vets and were told they were unsure and expect the worse.

We live in Essex and have recently just brought them in (last weekend) to our study, not too hot not too cold etc etc. He started showing symptoms (fluffy hair) while still outside, so I'm sure it's not the sudden change of being brought inside for winter, coincidence is it happened both times before when we brought the deceased ones in around Oct November.

We've accepted he will pass now and have made him as comfortable as possible.

Any ideas what this is?! A common cold maybe?! An allergic reaction maybe?

We have 2 other pigs and they are separated from him anyway as they are both girls (un-neutered).
 
So very sorry to hear of your poor little one. Have your girls been brought inside too? Are they okay? Did your boy live alone outside? As the symptoms started before they were brought indoors, could it be they they get really cold outside? Especially if he lives alone without someone to cuddle next to. Was he on cold floor and grass?
Or perhaps severe stress induced from fireworks?
Unfortunately it's just guesswork but I'm so sorry you've lost two before and still no answers.
Is there any chance they can start living indoors and only go out in the garden for a while in nice weather?
Do things get worse quickly when the piggies are brought indoors? If so, does anyone smoke at all indoors or is there any scent (air freshener, plug in etc) in the room that could cause a piggy problems?
Had your vet checked back teeth? Perhaps overgrown molars or some sort of mouth infection?
My RB piggy Bear that I lost a month ago was a rescue and his previous people used to keep him alone outdoors and when they took him to the rescue one October, he was cold, wet, muddy and had bronchitis as well as other health issues. Bear was very ill and wouldn't have survived much longer living outdoors.
Perhaps try a second opinion at a different vets?
So sorry I can't offer you better advice or answers.
 
Hi, sorry for your losses and that you have a poorly piggy. Only a vet can give you a diagnosis so it might be worth getting a second opinion. Did your vet prescribe any medication?

Not eating, fluffed up fur and squinty eyes are all signs of a very poorly pig and are the result of an illness not the illness itself. They can be the result of any number of conditions. So just because different pigs have shown these same symptoms does not mean they are necessarily from the same cause.

A foul smelling mouth and wet mouth are suggestive of a dental issue or mouth infection of some kind. But pigs can also drool when they have bloat or a blockage somewhere in their GI tract, so again there are multiple possibilities.

Guinea pigs do not get common colds and viral respiratory illness is very rare. Allergies are also very rare.

You mention some of the foods you feed. Do your pigs also have access to unlimited hay? This is the most important part of their diet for optimum health and should make up at least 80% of their diet.

There are guides under the food section detailing type and quantities of best veg and nuggets which you may find useful. Sorry I am unable to link you to them.
 
PerfectPiggyPaws said:
So very sorry to hear of your poor little one. Have your girls been brought inside too? Are they okay? Did your boy live alone outside? As the symptoms started before they were brought indoors, could it be they they get really cold outside? Especially if he lives alone without someone to cuddle next to. Was he on cold floor and grass?
Or perhaps severe stress induced from fireworks?
Unfortunately it's just guesswork but I'm so sorry you've lost two before and still no answers.
Is there any chance they can start living indoors and only go out in the garden for a while in nice weather?
Do things get worse quickly when the piggies are brought indoors? If so, does anyone smoke at all indoors or is there any scent (air freshener, plug in etc) in the room that could cause a piggy problems?
Had your vet checked back teeth? Perhaps overgrown molars or some sort of mouth infection?
My RB piggy Bear that I lost a month ago was a rescue and his previous people used to keep him alone outdoors and when they took him to the rescue one October, he was cold, wet, muddy and had bronchitis as well as other health issues. Bear was very ill and wouldn't have survived much longer living outdoors.
Perhaps try a second opinion at a different vets?
So sorry I can't offer you better advice or answers.
Click to expand...
Yes both girls are indoors now,both fine. And yes he's alone as George his mate died last year of the same thing/symptoms.
They check George's teeth and said they were fine so sure it's not teeth this time as it's come on so quickly
We are taking him to another vet for a 2nd opinion.
No smokers or air fresheners, we use the tumble dryer condenser and that's it in that room.
Hes not had any other problems till now
I've put a hot water bottle in his cage and some towels on top and placed him on it, he's mobile enough and will move if he gets too hot, I will check on him in an hour and take him off the hot water bottle (which is fake fur lined) so he will be warm and and cosy.
Thank you all for your help. It's very difficult to diagnose on the internet I know, but I will take what youve said onboard.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
Hi, sorry for your losses and that you have a poorly piggy. Only a vet can give you a diagnosis so it might be worth getting a second opinion. Did your vet prescribe any medication?

Not eating, fluffed up fur and squinty eyes are all signs of a very poorly pig and are the result of an illness not the illness itself. They can be the result of any number of conditions. So just because different pigs have shown these same symptoms does not mean they are necessarily from the same cause.

A foul smelling mouth and wet mouth are suggestive of a dental issue or mouth infection of some kind. But pigs can also drool when they have bloat or a blockage somewhere in their GI tract, so again there are multiple possibilities.

Guinea pigs do not get common colds and viral respiratory illness is very rare. Allergies are also very rare.

You mention some of the foods you feed. Do your pigs also have access to unlimited hay? This is the most important part of their diet for optimum health and should make up at least 80% of their diet.

There are guides under the food section detailing type and quantities of best veg and nuggets which you may find useful. Sorry I am unable to link you to them.
Click to expand...
We are taking him to a second vet for another opinion.
We were told last time it could be a intestine issue but it could be different this time.
Thank you for all of the help you've given.
Yes plenty of hay, they all squeek like crazy when they hear the rustling of the bag!
 
This is a really difficult one but as the previous poster said some of the symptoms are what poorly pigs look like generally so any illness can be the cause of sticking up fur and squinty eyes - these are signs of discomfort. Piggy sits hunched up and sometimes faces the corner or back wall. Likewise, syringe feeding isn't a cure-all (although it can pull them through Bloat) but it can help tide them over until the illness is identified and treated. But if the illness is only noticed when it is advanced (and they do deliberately hide their illness) and then they are rushed to the vet it can be too much of a battle for piggy at that point.

What is the poop like? Is it still firm pellets or mushy? Or are the poops smaller or thinner? Or have poops stopped completely. We have to try and treat piggy before they stop eating and pooping completely so as to avoid gut stasis. Vets offering the syringe food should ideally also offer something like Emeprid (in the UK) which stimulates the gut to keep moving, and maybe a painkiller called metacam or loxicom. These will keep piggy going but not cure disease.

What is his weight like - is he losing weight? Are his sides feeling soft like usual or hard and bloated like a barrel (Bloat can be a fatal issue).

If I had one with bad smelling breath and drooling from the mouth the first thing I would think is teeth. Maybe a direct tooth problem: it doesn't have to be overgrown molars, but maybe a spur causing pain or infection, or maybe an abscess. Do his lips look smooth and intact or is there scabbing and open sore areas? Be gentle examining him as he will be feeling very poorly at this point.What is his age and how old were the piggies that passed?

Take care x
 
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. A lot of the symptoms you describe (sitting fluffed up, hunched, not eating, narrowed eyes) are general signs of feeling unwell or having pain and can happen in a lot of illnesses. Drooling makes me wonder about something in the digestive tract, anything from overgrown teeth and dental pain to an intestinal blockage. It's worth getting a second opinion, as sometimes there are options to treat problems that a good vet can offer. All the best, I hope he recovers for you.
 
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