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Gi stasis

W

Wilbur the skinny

New Born Pup
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Hi.
So I woke up this morning and Wilbur was very lethargic and his stomach felt bloated. I was able to take him to the vet. I was thinking bloat but my vet said she thought it was stasis. Unfortunately I can't afford the cost of x rays. She did rehydrate him and gave me pain meds.
I'm wondering if anyone can help with getting him better. I have critical care. Any suggestions to improve his chances of survival? I love this little guy and he's only 2 years old. He has so much life left to live!
 
Sorry your boy is poorly. Sending healing vibes from the UK!

I don't have helpful medical experience, but until the medical experts are available, you should find the guide on bloat and stasis usefulDigestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

I think it would be a good idea to try to feed him some critical care, little and often, to try to prevent complete stasis. Did your vet give you any gut medicines, as she thought it was stasis, eg metaclopramide, cisapride?
 
Please do syringe feed as much as he will take at each sitting. A piggy in stasis May not take much at each sitting -The less he takes, the more often you will need to feed. Please also weigh him daily so you can monitor more closely what is going on with the food intake.

Gut meds, aa mentioned above, are important.

As well as the digestive guide linked in above, the other guides which will help are below.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Sorry your boy is poorly. Sending healing vibes from the UK!

I don't have helpful medical experience, but until the medical experts are available, you should find the guide on bloat and stasis usefulDigestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

I think it would be a good idea to try to feed him some critical care, little and often, to try to prevent complete stasis. Did your vet give you any gut medicines, as she thought it was stasis, eg metaclopramide, cisapride?
Click to expand...
Hi, thanks for your reply.
Right now I have been giving him cc every couple hours. But he doesn't seem to be eating much of it. Unfortunately my vet did not give me any kind of gut medication. I was thinking about adding some benebac powder to either his cc or maybe when I syringe some water.
Unfortunately I couldn't afford the x Ray and it seemed as if she didn't want to give me anything except the pain meds.
I'm really torn up about this. I live in a small town so I'm limited when it comes to vets.
Any advice or ideas on how I can make him comfortable would be greatly appreciated!
 
A piggy in stasis often won’t want to eat but it is so important you keep trying.
As I say, weigh him daily so you can monitor how much critical care you are getting into him

Giving BeneBac is a good idea.
He does really need metaclopramide or cisapride as a gut stimulant though.

The digestive guide explains everything you can do in more detail

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
Piggies&buns said:
A piggy in stasis often won’t want to eat but it is so important you keep trying.
As I say, weigh him daily so you can monitor how much critical care you are getting into him

Giving BeneBac is a good idea.
He does really need metaclopramide or cisapride as a gut stimulant though.

The digestive guide explains everything you can do in more detail

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I will call the vet tomorrow and ask. Do you have any idea why the vet didn't mention or prescribe anything for his stomach?
 
Wilbur the skinny said:
Thank you so much. I will call the vet tomorrow and ask. Do you have any idea why the vet didn't mention or prescribe anything for his stomach?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, many vets - in the UK as well as the US - are not particularly knowledgeable about the specific needs of guinea pigs. Some things such as treating eyes or general pain are very similar to cats and dogs, but others such as digestive problems are not. Guineas need food to be passing through their system constantly, or it quickly becomes life threatening. The gut meds mentioned can help get the gut working again.

Is Wilbur still producing any poops? Is he any better than when you first posted?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him 🤞🙏
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Unfortunately, many vets - in the UK as well as the US - are not particularly knowledgeable about the specific needs of guinea pigs. Some things such as treating eyes or general pain are very similar to cats and dogs, but others such as digestive problems are not. Guineas need food to be passing through their system constantly, or it quickly becomes life threatening. The gut meds mentioned can help get the gut working again.

Is Wilbur still producing any poops? Is he any better than when you first posted?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him 🤞🙏
Click to expand...
Hi.
He is roughly the same, I'm feeding him cc every 2 hours and I'm also giving him water with Pedialyte 50/50. He is not pooping at all.
I also wrapped up my electric toothbrush in a towel and have him rest on it for a min or two.
I'm actually quite upset that the vet did not prescribe any thing for his stomach just the pain relief meds.
I really appreciate all the replies and helpful information I have received.
 
Poop is 1-2 days behind food intake so it means he hasn’t eaten enough in that time. It also means that you won’t see poops until 1-2 days after he starts to get enough food. This is why poop output isn’t as reliable a way to gauge food intake, and why daily weight checks are so important. It gives you the real time Information on whether enough food has gone in

Can you get in touch with the vet to ask for gut stimulants? Or indeed a different vet?

You are doing what you can - syringe feeding, daily weight checks and massage to help move the gas is the home care which is require
 
I am going to call the vet 1st thing when they open.
I weighed him last night he was 839 grams. He normal hovers around 2 lbs.
I'm concerned I'm not putting the syringe far enough in his mouth. I am seeing some come out his mouth not all but some. I'm trying to go very slow and small amounts at a time till the syringe is empty. I really wish I was near a experienced guinea pig vet.
 
I am so sorry to hear this. :( I have some experience dealing with gastric stasis (I lost one of my past pigs to it, unfortunately). She passed before I was able to give her the Cisapride, but I would definitely ask your vet for some.

Looks like you are doing everything for him. Keep him comfortable, also yes, I agree, he will probably only be able to eat a little at a time. Just be patient with him. Also syringe-feeding some water will keep him hydrated. Massage his belly also, to try to get things moving.

Keep us posted on the little guy. :( I know this is not easy.
 
I wanna say thank you to everyone that has replied and given me advice.
I am extremely sad to say I had to put Wilbur down this morning. His temperature dropped and was was unresponsive. In my mind it was the best thing to do.
Wilbur was the sweetest, most goofy little guy, without a aggressive bone in his body. He meant the world to me and I will miss him so much. He died way to soon, and it breaks my heart.
 
I’m so sorry to hear this. You did all you could for him. Sleep tight Wilbur.
 
I am so sorry to hear, :( but you did everything you could for him, and he is now at peace and no longer feeling pain. Rest peacefully, Wilbur.
 
I’m so sorry that Wilbur had to cross the bridge. You made the hardest, but kindest decision for Wilbur. Take care. . ❤️
 
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