• 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

Back arching

Lisanjake

Lisanjake

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
300
Reaction score
143
Points
355
Location
Saffron walden
Hi all

I noticed a over the weekend my girl Ellie was wincing / back arching i think when she was pooping.
she has very soft misshapen poops and didnt seem too happy in herself (not eating as much but nibbling on veg and hay now and then)
Yesterday i gave her 25ml of critical care over the course of the day and today she seemed to have perked up a bit but still wincing now and then..

i popped her to the vet and he had a feel of her tum and said she doesnt seem to be in pain when touching her, but theres a bit of a lump in her belly which could just be poop working its way down?
He prescribed 0.5ml Emeprid 3x a day and Metacam 0.5ml, he said once a day but I'm pretty sure it should be given twice to keep the pain away?
Then to keep giving critical care and pro c to keep her topped up.

Does it seem like this is all it could be or has any one got an experience of anything similar? she was wincing up a few times and has been eating her poops quite a bit more often than usual.
 
Please remove veg from the diet while she is having soft poops. Don’t reintroduce it until poops normalise
Step in with daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor hay intake. If she is not eating enough hay, then you will see this on the scales and you can increase the amount of syringe feed you are giving.

Twice a day pain meds is best with piggies due to how quickly they metabolise it. Have you been given cat (0.5mg/ml) or dog metacam (three times stronger at 1.5mg/ml)?
 
Piggies&buns said:
Please remove veg from the diet while she is having soft poops. Don’t reintroduce it until poops normalise
Step in with daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor hay intake. If she is not eating enough hay, then you will see this on the scales and you can increase the amount of syringe feed you are giving.

Twice a day pain meds is best with piggies due to how quickly they metabolise it. Have you been given cat (0.5mg/ml) or dog metacam (three times stronger at 1.5mg/ml)?
Click to expand...
He didn’t xray her - to be honest I’m not sure how piggy savvy he was!
There don’t seem to be any guinea pig vets near me so I might have to bite the bullet and go back to Northampton to have her properly examined then.

I will stop veggies for now too.
I’ve been given only 3ml of the cat metacam so that won’t last me long then 🥲
 
I’m still a little lost with my Ellie at the moment.

Recently she started slowly going off her hay and sleeping alot more.
Took her to a different vets and they said her cecum feels sensitive to touch, and I’m currently trying pain killers and emerprid x2 a day and fibreplex but I’m not seeing a huge difference.

She seems happy enough to get up and eat a little veg but only seems to come out in the evenings for hay!
Has a walk about and a eats hay for a while and back to bed.

She hates hates hates the meds and being force fed. I’m giving very little CC as the vet said don’t give too much as it may put her off eating for herself.

Could this be something more sinister?

Vets didn’t seem keen on doing a scan as apparently it doesn’t show much as they are so small, and an X-ray would be last resort.

I live 1.5 hours each way from this vets as they are the only one near me with any good guinea pig knowledge. I just can’t keeep travelling back and forth or afford to keep paying £150 a time for Any answers. (That was just for the appt and meds!)

Any advice please? 😞 Teeth seem to be fine too.

Just to note I’ve not seen her cry / arch her back recently.
Poops firmed up slightly but she seems to be eating most of them.
 
Are you weighing her daily? This is important to know how much syringe feed to give her.
If she is not eating enough hay, you absolutely must syringe feed her plenty of critical care - 40-60ml as a minimum depending on independent hay intake (which you can only tell through the weight checks).
Being syringe fed does not put a piggy off eating hay (they will eat more hay and refuse syringe feeds) but not being syringe fed enough when they aren’t eating enough hay makes for a poorly piggy.

What dosage of painkiller is she on?
Is it cat or dog metacam?
 
I agree, syringe feeding CC to a poorly pig will not put them off eating for themself. A healthy piggy spends many hours a day eating (mostly hay) so it is not possible to syringe feed an amount that would stop that desire. If she is not eating much on her own it is because she is unwell. Feeding sufficient CC will help keep her strength up, her guts moving and her hydrated.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Are you weighing her daily? This is important to know how much syringe feed to give her.
If she is not eating enough hay, you absolutely must syringe feed her plenty of critical care - 40-60ml as a minimum depending on independent hay intake (which you can only tell through the weight checks).
Being syringe fed does not put a piggy off eating hay (they will eat more hay and refuse syringe feeds) but not being syringe fed enough when they aren’t eating enough hay makes for a poorly piggy.

What dosage of painkiller is she on?
Is it cat or dog metacam?
Click to expand...
Thank you I will start syringe feeding more.
I tried weighing but she’s soooo wriggly I will try again this morning.
She is now on the dog loxicom 0.4ml twice a day. She was 940g on Thursday at the vets.
I can see on my motion camera she hasn’t moved all night to get food x
 
Piggies&buns said:
Are you weighing her daily? This is important to know how much syringe feed to give her.
If she is not eating enough hay, you absolutely must syringe feed her plenty of critical care - 40-60ml as a minimum depending on independent hay intake (which you can only tell through the weight checks).
Being syringe fed does not put a piggy off eating hay (they will eat more hay and refuse syringe feeds) but not being syringe fed enough when they aren’t eating enough hay makes for a poorly piggy.

What dosage of painkiller is she on?
Is it cat or dog metacam?
Click to expand...
She weighs 909 today.
She was 940 at the vets on Thursday
 
the video won’t upload as it’s too big. This happened half an hour after her eating.
She basically looked like she was trying to throw up, hunched and cried about 3 times now she looks very sad again :( do you reckon a blockage or something?
She tends to come out every night now
around 9/10 for food and straight to bed looking unhappy again.
 
Lisanjake said:
Why does she do this after eating anything?
Click to expand...

Hi, my piggie Delilah has done this two or three times in the past. It does really frighten you and I thought she was choking or going to have a seizure. Apart from this, she is fine. She eats plenty, poops lots and seems happy in herself. I still wonder what could cause this though. I hope your piggie is ok.
 
Piggies&buns said:
It would be a good idea to show this video to your vet
Click to expand...
I’m going to see another vet Monday as soon as I can.
If she gets worse today I’ll have to book her in at a emergancy place, just none of the emergancy vets I’ve been to have been guinea pig friendly so I always ended up paying hundreds of pounds to go back Monday anyway! Will see how she goes as not leaving her in pain.

I’m so disappointed no further tests / X-rays etc were given to her on Thursday now she’s gotten so much worse.
 
I hope Ellie starts to feel better soon. Good luck at the vets tomorrow.
 
Not much change.
I still don’t get how she is so up and down all the time.
Yesterday I can say I was very hopefully she was improving, she came out maybe 5 times for hay / veggies and seemed a lot more active.

Today complete opposite, won’t eat ANY hay or move from her bed.
This evening she came out for veg, then when I got home I usually give a little treat which she happily came out for, looked bright again munching some lettuce. 2 mins later back to bed hunched up?

Literally makes no sense.
Vets wants £350-400 for an X-ray then more if they find anything wrong.

No pain when weeing so I’m not convinced it’s stones.
She can eat lettuce and peppers fine and she was eating hay earlier in the week so it can’t be teeth I don’t think?

I’m not sure i can afford the X-ray as sad as that is, I’ve already spent £300 last week 😭
 
So she’s literally came out. Eaten one big strand of hay and gone straight back to hunched.
It’s either hurting her to eat or swallow or something? 😩
 
It does sound like she is in pain if she is hunched up and not eating 😢
Maybe have a chat with your vet, explain the situation? Maybe you could pay in instalments? X
 
Wheekallweek said:
It does sound like she is in pain if she is hunched up and not eating 😢
Maybe have a chat with your vet, explain the situation? Maybe you could pay in instalments? X
Click to expand...
I asked about instalments and she said they used too but no longer do this! :/
She also said her kidney was extremely sensitive to feel this time around compared to last time.
So suspects stones :( but can’t confirm without the X-ray!
I’m going to have a call around and see what another place can offer.
They basically said if you can’t afford potential removal then strong pain meds until she gets worse then pts :(
So young too, she’s only about 1! X
 
Practices have stopped offering instalments as they would then sell this debt to special credit companies, who would set up the interest free payments. Too many clients failed to pay the instalments, resulting in fines being incurred by the veterinary practices. Sadly, some people have spoilt it for all!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Practices have stopped offering instalments as they would then sell this debt to special credit companies, who would set up the interest free payments. Too many clients failed to pay the instalments, resulting in fines being incurred by the veterinary practices. Sadly, some people have spoilt it for all!
Click to expand...
Not fair at all to us genuine people who would pay it back fairly.
And not the vets fault at all. I don’t blame them tbh.
Just can’t do it all in 1 month :(
 
Yes, definitely have a call round, see if any other vets can help you. I understand vets need to make money but it seems so sad to me they can turn an animal away like that 😢
 
Wheekallweek said:
Yes, definitely have a call round, see if any other vets can help you. I understand vets need to make money but it seems so sad to me they can turn an animal away like that 😢
Click to expand...
I'm calling a local one in the morning and seeing what their thoughts are. i cant keep dragging her on 3 hour journeys every week.
they are quite good with guinea pigs from what i remember, then go from there.
Yes i know, its a shame theres nothing more they do... i got told (to put it bluntly) if you can gather the funds we will do it, if not cancel it. i guess theres nothing more they can advise like you say they have to make a living.
Doesnt feel right living out the rest of her life being force fed and taking 6 meds a day unless its going to give her a better quality of life in the long run but its been weeks now since shes not been herself x
 
Are her poops still soft and misshapen? Is she still off of her veggies? Try giving her a probiotic 1-2x a day and no veggies. Bene-Bac (pea size amount via syringe) is what I use. It creates more Flora (healthy gut bacteria) that can process the food better.
 
StayGold86 said:
Are her poops still soft and misshapen? Is she still off of her veggies? Try giving her a probiotic 1-2x a day and no veggies. Bene-Bac (pea size amount via syringe) is what I use. It creates more Flora (healthy gut bacteria) that can process the food better.
Click to expand...
No they are very small and dry/crumbly now, ive been trying to syringe a little water at a time when giving critical care.
shes eating a few veggies still, and she will pop her head out for like 2 bites of hay the hides away again.
I had some benebac from years ago ill have to check its still in date. We dont get it in the UK but i have some Pro C professional powder that i sprinkle on her critical care.
And also these tablets by sherwood for digestion. i might try finding some of my other pigs fresh poops to add too.
 
We've got a piggy here who's been on abs for quite a while now and it was upsetting his tummy a bit and giving him soft poops.
Pro Fibre pellets seem to really work for him and he really likes them.
Maybe they're worth a try too? 😊
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top