baby skinny pig hunched posture

[babypete]

hi so my skinny pig pete hasn't been doing the greatest the last couple weeks hes only 6 months we have only had him for almost 2 months

last thursday he went to the vet because he was coughing and sneezing he got prescribed antibiotics but we stopped those on sunday because he wasn't eating or drinking but was still active

this week i noticed his back is very hunched
his spine, hips and shoulders are showing but hes doing everything normally even pooping and peeing and doesnt seem in pain when hes doing so

my first guinea pig pumpkin passed away three years ago and his urine smelled kind of sour pete's smells the exact same except theres no blood in it, its just kind of rusty and yellowish clear

i know that once theyre on antibiotics their tummies dont feel good but hes been off it for almost a week now so I'm worrying

my mom called the emergency vet and they said something along the lines of how this sometimes just happens with guinea pigs but that doesnt seem very normal or okay to me

like i said other than these issues he seems great and very happy! our other guinea pig rico (hes 3) and him seem to get along even tho they don't currently live in the same cage

anyone have any advice? if so thank you!

 

[weepweeps]

I’m sorry Pete isn’t feeling well.

I would take him back to the vets for another checkup. If he’s sitting hunched up then that could be because of pain.

Are you weighing him daily? As soon as a piggy shows signs of illness it’s a good idea to weigh them so you can monitor their food intake. If his spine and hips are showing then maybe he’s losing weight.

Did you stop the antibiotics early? Maybe they didn’t clear up all of the infection. You’re right antibiotics can upset their tummies. It’s a good idea to give them a probiotic as this will give them some good bacteria.

Also have your two piggies been separated or have they never lived together?

Good luck I hope Pete is soon feeling better.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do take him back to the vet.

It’s a very good question that has been asked - did you complete the course of antibiotics? It is so important that you did.
Not all antibiotics upset their tummies, some are very well tolerated, I’ve only had one ever be upset by antibiotics (baytril) but everyone else has always been fine.

It’s also a good question about whether the piggies were previously living together but whether you have separated them due to this illness?
If they’ve never lived together that is fine but do note separating bonded piggies on medical grounds is never advised - it can mean they refuse to go back together

 

[babypete]

I’m sorry Pete isn’t feeling well.

I would take him back to the vets for another checkup. If he’s sitting hunched up then that could be because of pain.

Are you weighing him daily? As soon as a piggy shows signs of illness it’s a good idea to weigh them so you can monitor their food intake. If his spine and hips are showing then maybe he’s losing weight.

Did you stop the antibiotics early? Maybe they didn’t clear up all of the infection. You’re right antibiotics can upset their tummies. It’s a good idea to give them a probiotic as this will give them some good bacteria.

Also have your two piggies been separated or have they never lived together?

Good luck I hope Pete is soon feeling better.

hi there! no, we haven't been weighing him but we can for sure start asap! and by the time we had adopted rico, pumpkin was already 3, i did realize that pumpkin should've had a friend from the beginning tho, the vet advised us to stop the antibiotics early if he wasnt eating, he would nibble at his pellets, hay, and veggies but he wouldn't get any water and his droppings were very hard and light brown almost tan, we started syringe feeding him greens mixed with pellets but he didnt seem to enjoy it, thank you for your advice and kind words

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do ensure you weigh your piggies weekly as part of lifelong care. You then switch to daily weight checks when they are unwell.
This is because you cannot know a piggy is eating enough hay through watching them. Hay is 75% of their daily food intake so even a small drop in intake would cause weight loss.

Syringe feeding is with either a proper recovery feed such as oxbow critical care or with mushed pellets. You don’t add greens into it.
When on antibiotics you may need to syringe feed to top up and sometimes some antibiotics do cause more issues than others but stopping them entirely without a replacement can mean the bacteria just takes right back off again. Not completing a course can also lead to resistance.

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[babypete]

Please do take him back to the vet.

It’s a very good question that has been asked - did you complete the course of antibiotics? It is so important that you did.
Not all antibiotics upset their tummies, some are very well tolerated, I’ve only had one ever be upset by antibiotics (baytril) but everyone else has always been fine.

It’s also a good question about whether the piggies were previously living together but whether you have separated them due to this illness?
If they’ve never lived together that is fine but do note separating bonded piggies on medical grounds is never advised - it can mean they refuse to go back together

i think the antibiotics was azithromycin but I'm not exactly sure i'll have to double check, like i said in the other reply the vet advised us to stop the antibiotics as soon as he stopped eating and no rico and pete hadn't lived together we were worried rico might be territorial towards him since pete's a baby, hes not aggressive towards us tho. but him and pete seem like each other when we have them out together which everyday for an 30 mins/hour throughout the day. i dont really know whats up with pete and why he seems not to tolerate these antibiotics maybe its too strong? since hes so little? I'm not sure, i'll have either myself or my mom make a vet appointment asap but if we cant get one we'll go to the emergency vet if they'll even take us

 

[Piggies&buns]

Youngsters are rather easily accepted. He would not have been territorial towards him had you bonded them properly on neutral territory as soon as you brought Pete home.
It could have been easier to have bonded them when he was younger even though he was at the start of his teens then. Now he is 6 months old he is at the height of teenage hormones it can sometimes make bonding harder. If he hadn’t been with another piggy during his ‘school weeks’ then he may not have learnt social behaviours.

Please do not allow them to have floor time together if you do not intend to bond them properly. Piggies who do not share a cage should be kept totally separate at all times.
Each time you put them together and then separate them it is seen as a full on bonding session which is aborted every time. This is highly stressful for them.
Boars can only ever be put together one time for bonding and if successful they need to be kept together permanently. Piggies who can’t/wont be bonded cannot have these kinds of playtimes together.

I can only recommend that you put them on neutral territory and carry out the bonding properly. If they are fine together after several hours then thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in together and move them to it, keeping them together permanently from then on. It will then take two weeks of constantly being together for their hierarchy to be formed.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?


Azithromycin is a rather strong antibiotic. Was he diagnosed with a URI or a UTI. It’s not normally a first line if antibiotic to be given - baytril is the most commonly prescribed one.

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck at the vets.

 

[babypete]

Youngsters are rather easily accepted. He would not have been territorial towards him had you bonded them properly on neutral territory as soon as you brought Pete home.
It could have been easier to have bonded them when he was younger even though he was at the start of his teens then. Now he is 6 months old he is at the height of teenage hormones it can sometimes make bonding harder. If he hadn’t been with another piggy during his ‘school weeks’ then he may not have learnt social behaviours.

Please do not allow them to have floor time together if you do not intend to bond them properly. Piggies who do not share a cage should be kept totally separate at all times.
Each time you put them together and then separate them it is seen as a full on bonding session which is aborted every time. This is highly stressful for them.
Boars can only ever be put together one time for bonding and if successful they need to be kept together permanently. Piggies who can’t/wont be bonded cannot have these kinds of playtimes together.

I can only recommend that you put them on neutral territory and carry out the bonding properly. If they are fine together after several hours then thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in together and move them to it, keeping them together permanently from then on. It will then take two weeks of constantly being together for their hierarchy to be formed.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?


Azithromycin is a rather strong antibiotic. Was he diagnosed with a URI or a UTI. It’s not normally a first line if antibiotic to be given - baytril is the most commonly prescribed one.

I'm honestly so stressed i apologize for my negligence i just want my piggie to be okay.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You have no need to apologise for anything. It’s difficult having a sick piggy. (We all know too well how hard it is - one of my 6 year olds has spent the last week unwell. I sadly lost him last night).

Make sure you keep up with daily weight checks. if he is losing weight then syringe feed him mushed pellets but ideally you get some critical care as it is higher in fibre.
Give him a probiotic - as you are in the US the one you are most likely to get is benebac - and/or make poop soup from your other piggy’s healthy poops. You can give both a commercial probiotic and poop soup at the same time.
Plus have him seen by the vet.

 

[babypete]

Youngsters are rather easily accepted. He would not have been territorial towards him had you bonded them properly on neutral territory as soon as you brought Pete home.
It could have been easier to have bonded them when he was younger even though he was at the start of his teens then. Now he is 6 months old he is at the height of teenage hormones it can sometimes make bonding harder. If he hadn’t been with another piggy during his ‘school weeks’ then he may not have learnt social behaviours.

Please do not allow them to have floor time together if you do not intend to bond them properly. Piggies who do not share a cage should be kept totally separate at all times.
Each time you put them together and then separate them it is seen as a full on bonding session which is aborted every time. This is highly stressful for them.
Boars can only ever be put together one time for bonding and if successful they need to be kept together permanently. Piggies who can’t/wont be bonded cannot have these kinds of playtimes together.

I can only recommend that you put them on neutral territory and carry out the bonding properly. If they are fine together after several hours then thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in together and move them to it, keeping them together permanently from then on. It will then take two weeks of constantly being together for their hierarchy to be formed.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?


Azithromycin is a rather strong antibiotic. Was he diagnosed with a URI or a UTI. It’s not normally a first line if antibiotic to be given - baytril is the most commonly prescribed one.

You have no need to apologise for anything. It’s difficult having a sick piggy. (We all know too well how hard it is - one of my 6 year olds has spent the last week unwell. I sadly lost him last night).

Make sure you keep up with daily weight checks. if he is losing weight then syringe feed him mushed pellets but ideally you get some critical care as it is higher in fibre.
Give him a probiotic - as you are in the US the one you are most likely to get is benebac - and/or make poop soup from your other piggy’s healthy poops. You can give both a commercial probiotic and poop soup at the same time.
Plus have him seen by the vet.

i saw your post i am so sorry for your loss its so so hard losing a pet i know exactly how you feel i hope your other piggie is doing well with the loss. this sounds like a great plan i'll be sure to mention it to the vet thank you for your reassurance and advice, sending so much love your way

 

[Merab]

Just offering support

 

[babypete]

hi so my skinny pig pete hasn't been doing the greatest the last couple weeks hes only 6 months we have only had him for almost 2 months

last thursday he went to the vet because he was coughing and sneezing he got prescribed antibiotics but we stopped those on sunday because he wasn't eating or drinking but was still active

this week i noticed his back is very hunched
his spine, hips and shoulders are showing but hes doing everything normally even pooping and peeing and doesnt seem in pain when hes doing so

my first guinea pig pumpkin passed away three years ago and his urine smelled kind of sour pete's smells the exact same except theres no blood in it, its just kind of rusty and yellowish clear

i know that once theyre on antibiotics their tummies dont feel good but hes been off it for almost a week now so I'm worrying

my mom called the emergency vet and they said something along the lines of how this sometimes just happens with guinea pigs but that doesnt seem very normal or okay to me

like i said other than these issues he seems great and very happy! our other guinea pig rico (hes 3) and him seem to get along even tho they don't currently live in the same cage

anyone have any advice? if so thank you!

Just offering support

thank you

 

[Wheekallweek]

How is Pete today, hope he's feeling better!