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Desperate for Help - Guinea pig limping, crying, and gas after Vet appointment

Mochi222

New Born Pup
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Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, so I’m not entirely sure how things work, but I’m very desperate and hoping for advice. It is quite a long post, so if you don't want to read the whole thing I've included a summary at the very end.

Basically, my 5-year-old male guinea pig, Mochi, has been crying occasionally while peeing or pooping, so we took him to a veterinary hospital that claims to have vets specializing in exotic animals. We feared it might be a UTI or kidney stones.

Initially, things seemed to go well. A young vet examined Mochi thoroughly—she checked his belly, weighed him, took his temperature, etc.—and suggested an X-ray to rule out kidney stones. My mom accompanied Mochi during the X-ray and told me he was moving a lot, so the vet had to hold him still. Afterward, the vet reviewed the X-ray and confirmed there were no kidney stones, but she noticed significant gas in his system. However, since Mochi was eating and pooping normally, she attributed the gas to stress (we had trimmed his nails earlier that day, which he finds stressful).

The vet prescribed Buprenorphine (an analgesic) to be given orally every 12 hours and administered the first dose via injection. Both my mom and I had a bad feeling about the injection and expressed our concerns, but the vet assured us it was necessary. When she gave the shot (in the scruff area), Mochi screamed louder than I’ve ever heard—it was heartbreaking. The vet said lethargy and drowsiness were normal side effects, so we brought him home, made sure he ate a little, and let him rest.

The next morning, I noticed Mochi wasn’t moving much and was staying in one corner of his cage. When I tried to make him walk, he was limping and wobbly. My heart sank—he was perfectly active before the vet visit, running, jumping, and playing. We rushed back to the clinic and saw a different vet.

The new vet performed another X-ray, confirming there were no fractures but noting that Mochi still had significant gas. When we insisted the limping and wobbliness were new symptoms, she suggested it might be due to a luxation (or subluxation) caused during the X-ray/handling during the previous appointment, but she didn't seem worried about it at all, she was mostly concerned about the gas. She prescribed Inflacam (an anti-inflammatory) for three days, told us to continue the Buprenorphine for pain, and recommended Aero-Red to help with the gas. When we asked whether the injection could be the cause of his mobility issues, she said it was not possible as per the place he had been injected in.

It’s been two days since then. Mochi is eating more, but only if we place food close to him. He still limps quite badly (not as bad, but still) and only moves when frightened. On top of this, he’s still occasionally crying when pooping/peeing—the original issue that brought us to the vet remains unresolved. However, his poops look normal overall albeit a bit squishy.

We’re syringe-feeding him a mixture of hay, pellets, and water while waiting for Oxbow Critical Care to arrive early next week. I’m terrified he won’t regain his mobility or recover from whatever’s wrong. The vet suggested a follow-up next week, but I’m losing confidence in them. Unfortunately, this is the only clinic in my small area that handles exotic animals.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Do you have any advice or tips? Would you continue with the treatment for a third day? I feel so helpless and just want Mochi to recover.

Thank you so much for reading


TL;DR:
My 5-year-old guinea pig, Mochi, has been occasionally crying while peeing/pooping, so we took him to an exotic animal vet. An X-ray showed no kidney stones but significant gas, likely due to stress. The vet gave him a Buprenorphine injection for pain, but Mochi screamed during it and has since become lethargic, limping, and wobbly—symptoms he didn’t have before.

A follow-up vet visit ruled out fractures but suggested the limping might be due to a luxation or handling during the first appointment, though they’re more concerned about the gas. He’s on anti-inflammatory meds (Inflacam), painkillers (Buprenorphine), and gas relief drops (Aero-Red), but his mobility is still poor, and the original crying issue remains unresolved. His poop remains normal overall (albeit a bit squishy)

We’re syringe-feeding him (although he eats quite well if we put food close to him) and waiting for Oxbow Critical Care to arrive, but I’m losing trust in the vet and fear he won’t recover his mobility. Any advice or similar experiences? Should we continue the treatment for a third day?
 
Some of the health experts will be along soon but it's difficult to say from afar.

Since both vets diagnosed gas, the most important thing is to keep him eating and pooping. I have heard of injuries during x-rays but since there is no fracture it should probably been okay. I have had an old girl in the past where severe bloating affected her mobility but in her case it was a sign of her body shutting down so that's probably not a common symptome of bloat.

The vets ruled out a stone (which is good) but that doesn't rule out an UTI. Usually pain medication and antibiotics are prescribed but antibiotics and bloat can be a fatal combination.

I'm not familiar with Buprenorphine because my vet always prescribes Meloxoral/Metacam (also available under other brand names) or Novalgin/Metamizol. So I don't know how the side effects of this strong pain medication would be.
I would keep him warm and comfortable and keep on syringe feeding as well as putting food next to him. I would also continue with the prescribed medication.
If you have access to it in Spain, I would recommend Rodicare akut and Rodicare uro from Alfavet. The first is very good for minor dummy troubles, the second helps with urinary problems. Both are herbal remidies and don't substitute medication but they can be good supportive remidies.

All the best for your boy!
 
I’m sorry to hear this.
Buprenorphine is an opioid painkiller, it’s very strong and can really affect them - make them woozy and a bit out of it.
Pain from gas can also make them find it hard to move.

I agree with everything Viennese Furbabies has said

I hadn’t heard of aero-red but I have looked it up and see it is a simethicone based medication.
We do not recommend the use of simethicone as it tends to gather gas into fewer but larger bubbles. The problem with that in piggies is that their gut isn’t designed for it and larger bubbles mean it is much more painful.

Please make sure you have switched from the routine weekly weight checks and that you are instead weighing him daily, each morning. This is the only way to ensure adequate hay intake and syringe feed quantities and that you are keeping his weight stable. You are aiming for a minimum 40ml of syringe feed per day but in excess of 60ml is better.
Remove veg from the diet while he is unwell.

I’ve added guides below which detail everything further

I hope he is ok

 
Sending support, you are doing the best you can very bravely. My vet told me injecting the scruff is wrong as it is all fat and also painful for the piggy. I think buprenorphine is bad for rodents. I hope little Mochi will be OK ❤️
 
. I think buprenorphine is bad for rodents.

To clarify - I don’t want OP to read that and worry that it isn’t safe - buprenorphine isnt medically bad to give to them (ie it’s not like steroids which are known to cause huge problems in rodents).
As it is a very strong painkiller it can really help alleviate acute pain such as during a bloat episode but as it is an opioid it can space them out.
 
I’m sorry for all you’re going through and I do not have much advise but my Ella was prescribed buprenorphine and although it spaced her out the night of her operation as I assume they gave her quite a high dose, she was perfectly fine the next day.

We were given pre prepared syringes of it to give her but I think it was only 0.05ml so not a huge amount and she suffered no side effects and it really helped with her pain. Granted, it wouldn’t be my first choice but it’s perfectly safe to give

The buprenorphine will not be the reason why he’s wobbly on his feet and limping x
 
Hi all,
Thank you very much for your advice. Mochi is moving much more this morning, he even jumped out of his cage by himself, although he is still limping a bit. He is also eating a lot more by himself, hay and pellets mainly. However, he still cries when pooping/peeing, so we fear he is still dealing with bloating. We will start weighing him daily as adviced here. We stopped giving him veggies yesterday and I've noticed that his poops are much more drier now, so I'm not sure if we should reintroduce at least cucumber or another watery veggie to aid with that.
Thank you very much for letting me know that Aero-red (simeticone) is not a good option for gas relief, I feel so bad for having been giving it to him for two days (every 8h) now... I'm really scared we made it worse. Also, I've noted that the vet prescribed us both with buprenorphine and meloxicam, stating that the first is an analgesic and the second an anti-inflammatory (brand name is Inflacam), but I've seen in your guides that meloxicam is a pain killer as well? I don't think I should be giving him both. I have a call with the vet in a bit and will tell her all of these concerns.
Regarding the supplements, I've seen Rodicare akut is available in Spain. I've ordered it online already but I'm expecting it won't arrive until Tuesday as tomorrow is bank holiday here... I've also read in one of the linked guides that Herbal Gripe Water is very good for bloating, so I will try my best to get something similar.
I will also try to give him tummy massages with an electric brush from time to time (although he really dislikes being held) and continue syringe-feeding him a mix of hay, pellets and water until I get Critical Care delivered.
Once again, thank you all for your time and valuable information
 
They are both painkillers with Meloxicom being an anti inflammatory also.
They can have meloxicom/metacam and Buprenorphine at the same time. They are different - it’s like how a person can take ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time but you can’t take two different meds both containing paracetamol.

While he is bloated please do not give any veg. You can offer water carefully via syringe with each syringe feed and see is he wants it. He will be getting water from the syringe feed mix you are giving him also. Please don’t worry.

Gripe water is a better choice but it is not a medication so it will not do anything for acute bloat.
Prescribed meds such as emeprid or cisapride as gut stimulants are usually given when a piggy has bloat.
 
Hi

I am sending you my support. Bloating issues in any form are sadly very hard to deal with in guinea pigs
Hi all,
Thank you very much for your advice. Mochi is moving much more this morning, he even jumped out of his cage by himself, although he is still limping a bit. He is also eating a lot more by himself, hay and pellets mainly. However, he still cries when pooping/peeing, so we fear he is still dealing with bloating. We will start weighing him daily as adviced here. We stopped giving him veggies yesterday and I've noticed that his poops are much more drier now, so I'm not sure if we should reintroduce at least cucumber or another watery veggie to aid with that.
Thank you very much for letting me know that Aero-red (simeticone) is not a good option for gas relief, I feel so bad for having been giving it to him for two days (every 8h) now... I'm really scared we made it worse. Also, I've noted that the vet prescribed us both with buprenorphine and meloxicam, stating that the first is an analgesic and the second an anti-inflammatory (brand name is Inflacam), but I've seen in your guides that meloxicam is a pain killer as well? I don't think I should be giving him both. I have a call with the vet in a bit and will tell her all of these concerns.
Regarding the supplements, I've seen Rodicare akut is available in Spain. I've ordered it online already but I'm expecting it won't arrive until Tuesday as tomorrow is bank holiday here... I've also read in one of the linked guides that Herbal Gripe Water is very good for bloating, so I will try my best to get something similar.
I will also try to give him tummy massages with an electric brush from time to time (although he really dislikes being held) and continue syringe-feeding him a mix of hay, pellets and water until I get Critical Care delivered.
Once again, thank you all for your time and valuable information

Hi

You can give both pain meds. An anti-inflammatory is always a painkiller as well because any swelling is painful but they are address different causes of pain. The metacam is there to help ease the gut. Does make sense to you?

Burprenorphine can come with some serious side effects but it does address the real major, crippling pain that comes with waves of bloat; it is an opioid and is never lightly prescribed by a vet.

Please never stop any prescribed pain meds or antibiotics arbitrarily.

My fingers are very firmly crossed for you and poorly one. Severe gut problems are always a major battle, unfortunately and my heart is going out to you.
 
To clarify - I don’t want OP to read that and worry that it isn’t safe - buprenorphine isnt medically bad to give to them (ie it’s not like steroids which are known to cause huge problems in rodents).
As it is a very strong painkiller it can really help alleviate acute pain such as during a bloat episode but as it is an opioid it can space them out.
Sorry, I think you are right, I shouldn’t have said that. Thank you for the correction.
 
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