Gradual weight loss & ovarian cysts

[Puddles1999]

Hi everyone.
I posted a few months back about my Minnie losing a bit of weight. She was always around 1000 and she dropped down to 880-890. She maintained around there until this month. She went from 860 to 843 and then 3 days later to 794. She’s since been checked by a vet and she said she think she felt a small cyst on her left side. She doesn’t have any hair loss, the only thing is that I’ve seen a small crust on one nipple.

I mentioned at the vet about hormone injections if the cyst was hormonal but she apparently had never heard of hormone injections. Minnie is acting normal. The only thing I’ve kind of noticed is she looks a bit more puffy when she’s sleeping.

Her sister, Penelope just had a molar trim in September and now she’s having issues again so I am doing a drop off appointment tomorrow for her. I’m going to bring Minnie and if the vet has time, she will look at her as well. They seem to like to feel poorly together. I love them both but they sure do love to team up on me sometimes lol.

They are both still eating hay and I’ve started supplementing some critical care a few times a day. The weight loss wasn’t crazy over night. It’d be a bit one night and then a bit more the next or a few nights later. Minnie is now staying at 778g. That’s what she was when I weighed her again.

My question is I know with ovarian cysts that gradual weight loss is normal but does everyone just supplement critical care to their Guinea with ovarian cysts? What do you do about the gradual weight loss? I don’t want to get her spayed. She just turned 4 and I know that’s quite an invasive surgery. I’ve seen stuff about draining the cyst but who knows if my vet is familiar with that. I just want her to stop losing weight.

 

[piggl]

Bump!

 

[Puddles1999]

Just wanted to post a quick update.

I took them both to a drop off appointment on Friday. Penelope had overgrown molars again, 2-3 months after her last molar trim. Which is odd because it’s usually once a year that it pops up so this is really odd for her! In the meantime, I’m syringe feeding Penelope. She’s mostly loving the cc anyways

Minnie had a urine analysis done and the vet said it didn’t seem she had a uti. She also had a quick XRAY and she said she seen quite a bit of gas in her tummy. I asked about an ovarian cyst but she said it would be too small to see? I also asked for her teeth to be looked at (she’s never had teeth issues before but better to be safe than sorry) and the vet said her teeth look just fine. She prescribed metaclopromide for Minnie to help her pass gas and also told me to go get some infant gas drops. I’ve seen on the forum gas drops are not recommended and I have some mommy’s bliss gripe water so I’ve been giving her 0.2 of that 1-2 times a day along with belly massages. However her stomach isn’t hard whatsoever. Her belly is very squishy and she’s never had bloat. She’s always been a pretty gassy piggy but never too bad. I think she has a grain intolerance. However, she had lost a bit more weight last night so I’ve upped the amount of times I’ve been feeding her critical care. The vet said her teeth look good but she was doing that weird mouth motion thing today when eating hay. I have experience with teeth issues from Penelope and that’s what she was doing. looks like she has something stuck in her mouth.

Now I’m feeding cc to two piggies who both love the critical care but it’s definitely draining getting up every 2-3 hours. Penelope should be on the mend but not too sure what do about minnie

 

[Puddles1999]

Minnie is still not doing good. Maintaining weight through critical care feedings. Still lost weight but at least it’s maintained for now. She’s never had teeth issues ever and now she makes a gagging motion quite a bit. Vet said her teeth look fine but she’s never done this before ever.

I can’t get into the vet for two weeks. I was just there Friday only for this to still be happening. I drive two hours to St. Louis for a vet. I feel so overwhelmed with everything going on with them.

She was experiencing weight loss before the mouth stuff, hence asking about ovarian cysts.

I tried to attach the video of Minnie doing the gagging. She’ll sometimes do it when eating cc but not a lot.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uhcTG0kZScGWaSEF4LJg3y3XkFxEAF4/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[piggl]

There can be a couple reasons why the gagging is happening. You may be syringing too much food at once into her mouth, especially the first of the feed as it can catch them off guard.
She is also likely uncomfortable with the big plastic thing in her mouth, it is best to place the syringe just behind the front teeth (from the side of the mouth), but not too far back to the point it’s filling up their whole mouth.

I cant access the video unfortunately, perhaps you could upload it to facebook or youtube, as it may help give a better understanding of what’s going on with your piggy.

You are such an amazing owner, when our piggies are sick and we are doing constant feedings and back and forth to the vet, it gets hard. I can tell how loved and how caring you are for the lovely minnie and penelope, but it can be so tiring constantly wishing for them to turn that corner and get better. Sending you a virtual hug

I don’t know much at all about ovarian cysts and UTI’s, and I notice unfortunately your thread has been missed by our more experienced members, so I will tag @Wiebke who I know is very well versed in things like this. And hopefully they might be able to share a bit more insight about what you’re going through.

All the best, I hope your girls are feeling better soon x

 

[Puddles1999]

There can be a couple reasons why the gagging is happening. You may be syringing too much food at once into her mouth, especially the first of the feed as it can catch them off guard.
She is also likely uncomfortable with the big plastic thing in her mouth, it is best to place the syringe just behind the front teeth (from the side of the mouth), but not too far back to the point it’s filling up their whole mouth.

I cant access the video unfortunately, perhaps you could upload it to facebook or youtube, as it may help give a better understanding of what’s going on with your piggy.

You are such an amazing owner, when our piggies are sick and we are doing constant feedings and back and forth to the vet, it gets hard. I can tell how loved and how caring you are for the lovely minnie and penelope, but it can be so tiring constantly wishing for them to turn that corner and get better. Sending you a virtual hug

I don’t know much at all about ovarian cysts and UTI’s, and I notice unfortunately your thread has been missed by our more experienced members, so I will tag @Wiebke who I know is very well versed in things like this. And hopefully they might be able to share a bit more insight about what you’re going through.

All the best, I hope your girls are feeling better soon x

Minnie & Penelope are thankfully taking critical care from a spoon. I’ve not had to start syringe feeding them yet. Fingers crossed. I do feed them every 2 hours. The gagging motion she will do when eating critical care & also when trying to eat hay. :/

Thank you for the very kind words. I really needed to hear that. I’m so thankful for this guinea community.

Thank you for your response and for tagging them!

I tried to upload the video to YouTube this time. Hopefully it works!

December 6, 2023

 

[Wiebke]

Minnie is still not doing good. Maintaining weight through critical care feedings. Still lost weight but at least it’s maintained for now. She’s never had teeth issues ever and now she makes a gagging motion quite a bit. Vet said her teeth look fine but she’s never done this before ever.

I can’t get into the vet for two weeks. I was just there Friday only for this to still be happening. I drive two hours to St. Louis for a vet. I feel so overwhelmed with everything going on with them.

She was experiencing weight loss before the mouth stuff, hence asking about ovarian cysts.

I tried to attach the video of Minnie doing the gagging. She’ll sometimes do it when eating cc but not a lot.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uhcTG0kZScGWaSEF4LJg3y3XkFxEAF4/view?usp=drivesdk

Hi

Sorry that your thread has been missed. We are currently a bit short-handed; including me being ill for the last week and not yet fully recovered so I have had the strength for only a very few threads each day. Sadly, threads can get sometimes lost if there is a mass of alerts.

Unfortunately, we cannot access videos on platforms that require a membership sign in. Uploading videos on youtube on a public setting usually works best on here.

The gagging can be due to discomfort/pain, feeding too much at once or swallowing issues. Sometimes it can also be from something stuck. Dentals can look OK but the bite may not feel quite right to the piggies.

Try to not give more than 0.1 - 0.3 ml at once, wait until it has gone down and see whether you can find the level which works best for her in order to prevent any gagging. Caring for a longer term piggy on support is a constant adjustment dance to make it work for the individual situation. See whether this does help.

You are doing a great job under difficult circumstances. Guinea pig dentals are not an area where vets are specifically trained for.

 

[Puddles1999]

Hi

Sorry that your thread has been missed. We are currently a bit short-handed; including me being ill for the last week and not yet fully recovered so I have had the strength for only a very few threads each day. Sadly, threads can get sometimes lost if there is a mass of alerts.

Unfortunately, we cannot access videos on platforms that require a membership sign in. Uploading videos on youtube on a public setting usually works best on here.

The gagging can be due to discomfort/pain, feeding too much at once or swallowing issues. Sometimes it can also be from something stuck. Dentals can look OK but the bite may not feel quite right to the piggies.

Try to not give more than 0.1 - 0.3 ml at once, wait until it has gone down and see whether you can find the level which works best for her in order to prevent any gagging. Caring for a longer term piggy on support is a constant adjustment dance to make it work for the individual situation. See whether this does help.

You are doing a great job under difficult circumstances. Guinea pig dentals are not an area where vets are specifically trained for.

I completely understand. I hope you start feeling better.

I uploaded the link to the video on YouTube on the post above yours where it says “December 6th.” Hopefully it works.

So Penelope & Minnie are actually being fed from a spoon. Not syringe fed at the moment. Minnie will make that motion occasionally while eating hay and or critical care. I’ve also heard her cough twice now within a few days which isn’t usual for her. She’s never had teeth issues before and now it’s like she’s having a hard time eating. Especially after she was just at the vet on Friday and she said she looks fine.

I’m also very frustrated because Minnie’s “booked” weight at the vet is in the 750-770g area because last time she was there she was sick and had lost weight. This isn’t her normal weight. However since this is the weight they have listed, the vet told me she isn’t concerned minnie is losing weight even though she’s down 100g. I tried to explain this isn’t her normal weight and they just have that weight in the system cause they’ve only seen her while sick. I can’t get anyone to get her in to be seen.

 

[Wiebke]

I completely understand. I hope you start feeling better.

I uploaded the link to the video on YouTube on the post above yours where it says “December 6th.” Hopefully it works.

So Penelope & Minnie are actually being fed from a spoon. Not syringe fed at the moment. Minnie will make that motion occasionally while eating hay and or critical care. I’ve also heard her cough twice now within a few days which isn’t usual for her. She’s never had teeth issues before and now it’s like she’s having a hard time eating. Especially after she was just at the vet on Friday and she said she looks fine.

I’m also very frustrated because Minnie’s “booked” weight at the vet is in the 750-770g area because last time she was there she was sick and had lost weight. This isn’t her normal weight. However since this is the weight they have listed, the vet told me she isn’t concerned minnie is losing weight even though she’s down 100g. I tried to explain this isn’t her normal weight and they just have that weight in the system cause they’ve only seen her while sick. I can’t get anyone to get her in to be seen.

It looks to me like she struggles a bit with getthing a proper clamp on and chewing down of the end of that hay stalk? I wonder whether the back teeth meet well enough for her to do that? The coughing can be when the stalk hits a bit more sensitive area in the throat area because it is not chewed properly?

However, if Minnie is able and willing to eat and chew hay this is great because it is the silica in the hay which abrade the crucial back teeth. The more she can eat and chew normally, the better.

 

[HeatherW]

In case it helps, I was in a similar situation with my Jasmine a couple of years ago. The thread is a bit long, but I tried to put all relevant info in my posts for future reference. She was 4 years old when she had her spay. The hormone injections only really kept the ovarian cysts at bay for a bit longer.

Jasmine slowly losing weight

 

[Puddles1999]

It looks to me like she struggles a bit with getthing a proper clamp on and chewing down of the end of that hay stalk? I wonder whether the back teeth meet well enough for her to do that? The coughing can be when the stalk hits a bit more sensitive area in the throat area because it is not chewed properly?

However, if Minnie is able and willing to eat and chew hay this is great because it is the silica in the hay which abrade the crucial back teeth. The more she can eat and chew normally, the better.

That’s what I thought as well. I’ve heard her cough after I’m done giving her critical care as well. It doesn’t happen all the time but she has done it randomly which is concerning since I’ve never heard her do it before.

I see her in the hay in a lot and I always sit and try to watch her to see if she actually eats pieces. I do see her trying to pick up pieces and having a hard time eating them. (Like in the video) I’m assuming she’s lost weight from her not being able to eat as good recently. Just odd since she’s 4 now and never had teeth issues previously, only her cage mate has had teeth problems. She lost this weight in September and she had a uti. She gained the weight back but now we’re back to square one with this mouth motion and seemingly no uti.

I emailed our regular vet again explaining that this isn’t Minnie’s regular weight and she is 100 grams down than her normal weight and she just again said she isn’t concerned about it. She also wants to put her on antibiotics and if she still continues to do the mouth motion, to get her in for a sedated examination of the mouth. I don’t want to blindly put her on antibiotics? She doesn’t even know what’s going on? She looked in her mouth on Friday and said her teeth look fine but obviously something isnt right in her poor little mouth. I feel very frustrated with this vet & it makes me not want to come back.

 

[piggl]

That’s what I thought as well. I’ve heard her cough after I’m done giving her critical care as well. It doesn’t happen all the time but she has done it randomly which is concerning since I’ve never heard her do it before.

I see her in the hay in a lot and I always sit and try to watch her to see if she actually eats pieces. I do see her trying to pick up pieces and having a hard time eating them. (Like in the video) I’m assuming she’s lost weight from her not being able to eat as good recently. Just odd since she’s 4 now and never had teeth issues previously, only her cage mate has had teeth problems. She lost this weight in September and she had a uti. She gained the weight back but now we’re back to square one with this mouth motion and seemingly no uti.

I emailed our regular vet again explaining that this isn’t Minnie’s regular weight and she is 100 grams down than her normal weight and she just again said she isn’t concerned about it. She also wants to put her on antibiotics and if she still continues to do the mouth motion, to get her in for a sedated examination of the mouth. I don’t want to blindly put her on antibiotics? She doesn’t even know what’s going on? She looked in her mouth on Friday and said her teeth look fine but obviously something isnt right in her poor little mouth. I feel very frustrated with this vet & it makes me not want to come back.

Did she tell you which antibiotic she was thinking of? Or why she wanted to put her onto the antibiotic.

It doesn't really seem like a next-step considering the only issue is her sometimes making a different mouth movement. The sedated examination would be something you may want to look into, especially with your concerns with a dental issue. As you may know not everything can be seen when a piggy is awake, they need to be atleast minorly sedated to get a proper look at the molars. For example my rainbow bridge piggy Digby had perfect teeth, when look at with an otoscope, but when he eventually got sedated we found out both sets of teeth, top and bottom, were growing in the wrong direction and not connecting at all.

I would personally switching to daily weighing, at the same time each day, so you can keep a track of how her eating is going. Making a note of this everyday will also be helpful. How much critical care is she getting a day? Why was she put on critical care in the first place?

Also I forgot to mention, the infant gas drops are not recommended, as guinea pigs cannot burp so will struggle to remove the bubbles created. So I am glad you managed to research them before administering!
Is there any recommended vets on here for near you? Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List

 

[Puddles1999]

Did she tell you which antibiotic she was thinking of? Or why she wanted to put her onto the antibiotic.

It doesn't really seem like a next-step considering the only issue is her sometimes making a different mouth movement. The sedated examination would be something you may want to look into, especially with your concerns with a dental issue. As you may know not everything can be seen when a piggy is awake, they need to be atleast minorly sedated to get a proper look at the molars. For example my rainbow bridge piggy Digby had perfect teeth, when look at with an otoscope, but when he eventually got sedated we found out both sets of teeth, top and bottom, were growing in the wrong direction and not connecting at all.

I would personally switching to daily weighing, at the same time each day, so you can keep a track of how her eating is going. Making a note of this everyday will also be helpful. How much critical care is she getting a day? Why was she put on critical care in the first place?

Also I forgot to mention, the infant gas drops are not recommended, as guinea pigs cannot burp so will struggle to remove the bubbles created. So I am glad you managed to research them before administering!
Is there any recommended vets on here for near you? Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List

No. I mentioned the weight loss and her not eating well and the gagging motion and that’s when she said the 100g weight loss isn’t a concern and she wants to put her on an antibiotic. I’m going to assume it’d probably be baytril as that’s what she’s been on before. She said then if she keeps making the mouth movement, then maybe she would recommended an examination of the mouth. I don’t think that’s the best idea. To me that’s just blindly prescribing medicine when she should be looked at in my opinion.

She originally started losing weight and then she went to the vet with Penelope while Penelope got her molars trimmed. Then ever since bringing Minnie home, the gagging motion started popping up and has gotten worse over the past few days. She’s not eating as much plus she was already losing weight. Which is now why she and Penelope both are being supplemented every 2 hours with critical care.

They both get weighed every day at the same time since all of this started to keep track of their weight. It says on the back the recommended is 3tbs per kg. She doesn’t weight a kg and she gets that plus some more broken up throughout the day. It’s hard to measure since I’m just feeding it on the spoon but I go by half scoop, full scoop. Also on the sides of the cc scoop, it says how many ml it is. Their weight is being maintained where it’s at now so no more lost weight. I’m just concerned on what is going on with her as this has never happened with her before.

I’m so thankful for this forum otherwise I would have never known about the gas drops/gripe water! The vet didn’t have any idea what gripe water was.

I have taken a look at the list and the vets and I’ve managed to find one that was 2 hours away from me and they’re booked for 2-3 weeks out. I found another one I’m going to try to get into but it’s 2hours and 15 minutes away. It’s hard since they’re both on critical care every two hours. They don’t always want to eat after we arrive at the vet and traveling for two hours but this seems to be our only choice. I don’t know why vets are so hard to find. I found another one who is not accepting new clients. :/

 

[Puddles1999]

Just an update. I called the vet that is over 2 hours away since they emailed me that they would get me an appointment. They actually weren’t taking new clients but since someone emailed me they would, they took me in. The soonest they could get Penelope and Minnie in was on wednesday, a week from today. However, the soonest they could get just Minnie in was on Friday. So I opted for just getting Minnie in.

Not thrilled to drive over two hours with guineas both on critical care feedings every two hours but just so thankful to get her in somewhere somewhat soon. I wish there were Guinea vets elsewhere other than cities. I asked if the vet is used to doing dentals on these guys and she said they have regulars come in for dentals. I really hope they’re good. Trying a new vet always is scary

 

[piggl]

Just an update. I called the vet that is over 2 hours away since they emailed me that they would get me an appointment. They actually weren’t taking new clients but since someone emailed me they would, they took me in. The soonest they could get Penelope and Minnie in was on wednesday, a week from today. However, the soonest they could get just Minnie in was on Friday. So I opted for just getting Minnie in.

Not thrilled to drive over two hours with guineas both on critical care feedings every two hours but just so thankful to get her in somewhere somewhat soon. I wish there were Guinea vets elsewhere other than cities. I asked if the vet is used to doing dentals on these guys and she said they have regulars come in for dentals. I really hope they’re good. Trying a new vet always is scary

The fact they said they have regulars in for dentals is a good sign! Sorry about the drive, but I have my fingers tightly crossed your girl will get the help she needs. I hope you will let us know how you get on!

For the support feeding, around 100ml of critical care is a guinea pigs daily calorie intake. So if your piggy isn't eating at all, you should be aiming for around 60-80ml (at least 40ml is the amount a non-eating pig would need to survive), but the stage it sounds like Minnie is at, it would be less as she is eating at least something. I found 40-50ml maintained my dental piggy during his issues, but obviously every piggy will be different, and your daily weight checks will help determine how much she needs in a day.
I wouldn't really bother with the measurements on the back, with tbsp, I found them confusing and when told about the 100ml thing, I found it much easier to track.

From your daily weighing, what is the results for the past couple days? Is she continually losing weight, staying the same or gaining. If she is losing I would recommend upping the amount of critical care she gets in a day, in the hopes of helping her maintain her weight before getting seen by the vet.

Well done you for advocating for your piggies, and I really hope this new vet is a turning point for you all x

 

[Puddles1999]

The fact they said they have regulars in for dentals is a good sign! Sorry about the drive, but I have my fingers tightly crossed your girl will get the help she needs. I hope you will let us know how you get on!

For the support feeding, around 100ml of critical care is a guinea pigs daily calorie intake. So if your piggy isn't eating at all, you should be aiming for around 60-80ml (at least 40ml is the amount a non-eating pig would need to survive), but the stage it sounds like Minnie is at, it would be less as she is eating at least something. I found 40-50ml maintained my dental piggy during his issues, but obviously every piggy will be different, and your daily weight checks will help determine how much she needs in a day.
I wouldn't really bother with the measurements on the back, with tbsp, I found them confusing and when told about the 100ml thing, I found it much easier to track.

From your daily weighing, what is the results for the past couple days? Is she continually losing weight, staying the same or gaining. If she is losing I would recommend upping the amount of critical care she gets in a day, in the hopes of helping her maintain her weight before getting seen by the vet.

Well done you for advocating for your piggies, and I really hope this new vet is a turning point for you all x

Thank you for the support! I hope so too. I will keep you updated as soon as I find anything out.

Things took a turn actually since coming in here. I came in here to give them their routine of critical care and Minnie usually goes wild over it. She didn’t want any of it. I put her on the scale and she had dropped even more in weight. The vet said her tummy was gassy.

I have a pretty big problem though. I think minnie has a grain intolerance. Since she is losing weight, she has to be on critical care which has grain in it which in return I think is making her gassy. She feels more puffed up now and I hope it’s not the beginning stages of bloat which she’s never had before. Her belly is still squishy though. I think it’s gotten better since rubbing her belly. sometimes they have their bellies tensed and it’s hard to tell. I’ve gotten her out and I’m rubbing her tummy and gave her 0.3 ml of gripe water. With the lost weight, I need to syringe her cc but if the cc causes her gas? I don’t know what to do now

 

[Puddles1999]

I ordered Sherwood Guinea pig recovery food. It doesn’t have all the fillers in it. However it’s going to take a few days to get here. I think it’s going to be battle with her gas and syringe feeding her stuff that I really think gives her the gas

 

[Puddles1999]

I’m seeing gripe water in the us isn’t recommended because some has sodium bicarbonate in it. I just checked and the one we have has that in it. I’m not going to give her any of the gripe water. I’ve been having to syringe feed her every 2 hours and I get 10ml in her. Since I think the ingredients in the critical care is causing the bloat/gas really makes it complicated. After I get done feeding her, I massage her belly and use a vibrating toothbrush on her belly. I have no choice but to keep syringe feeding her. She’s lost more weight. I ordered food that doesn’t have the grain and fillers in it but that’ll take a few days.

Should I try some baby gas drops? Tummy massages are the only thing I can do?

 

[piggl]

If you have found a grain free alternative, that’s great, but it she isn’t eating unfortunately you do need to stick with the support feeds until then.
You don’t happen to have grain free pellets do you? You can make a makeshift support feed with some mushed up pellets, I probably wouldn’t switch fully to this but in-term with the critical care, it may help relieve her gas a little.

Because guinea pigs cant burp, the gas bubbles created with infant gas drops, are much harder to move and can cause increased discomfort/pain. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend them.

Is she on any medication to help with the bloating? Such as Emeprid or Cisapride?

If she is still loosing weight, you need to up the amount of critical care she gets in a day until she is maintaining her weight. You will then know when things are getting better/worse by her daily weight checks. For example, if she was putting on, for a couple days straight, you could then lessen the amount she was getting.
Tummy massages are the best thing for it, every two hours.
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

 

[Puddles1999]

If you have found a grain free alternative, that’s great, but it she isn’t eating unfortunately you do need to stick with the support feeds until then.
You don’t happen to have grain free pellets do you? You can make a makeshift support feed with some mushed up pellets, I probably wouldn’t switch fully to this but in-term with the critical care, it may help relieve her gas a little.

Because guinea pigs cant burp, the gas bubbles created with infant gas drops, are much harder to move and can cause increased discomfort/pain. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend them.

Is she on any medication to help with the bloating? Such as Emeprid or Cisapride?

If she is still loosing weight, you need to up the amount of critical care she gets in a day until she is maintaining her weight. You will then know when things are getting better/worse by her daily weight checks. For example, if she was putting on, for a couple days straight, you could then lessen the amount she was getting.
Tummy massages are the best thing for it, every two hours.
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

I did order the Sherwood recovery food that has no fillers & is grain free. She’s still on the oxbow papaya critical care. I actually blended some oxbow garden select pellets up and made a mix but it didn’t work out too well. It becomes a weird consistency despite adding water to it. I also couldn’t get it through a syringe too well. Minnie also wanted nothing to do with so I’ve just decided to stick with the oxbow cc for now. after every feed every two hours, I give her a belly massage and get things moving in her tummy before I put her back in the cage.

Thank you for explaining the gas drops. I wish there was something to give guineas for gas but it seems to be pretty limited.

She has been on metaclopromide since Friday from the vets for gas.

I have been syringe feeding her every two hours and she has went up 40grams.

 

[piggl]

I did order the Sherwood recovery food that has no fillers & is grain free. She’s still on the oxbow papaya critical care. I actually blended some oxbow garden select pellets up and made a mix but it didn’t work out too well. It becomes a weird consistency despite adding water to it. I also couldn’t get it through a syringe too well. Minnie also wanted nothing to do with so I’ve just decided to stick with the oxbow cc for now. after every feed every two hours, I give her a belly massage and get things moving in her tummy before I put her back in the cage.

Thank you for explaining the gas drops. I wish there was something to give guineas for gas but it seems to be pretty limited.

She has been on metaclopromide since Friday from the vets for gas.

I have been syringe feeding her every two hours and she has went up 40grams.

I'm glad to hear she’s on some sort of gut medicine. Metaclopromide is the active ingredient in Emeprid, which my bloated boy found very helpful. What dose is she on of that and how often?

Fingers crossed the increase of critical care will help her maintain her weight until she can be seen tomorrow.
Best of luck for tomorrow, i’ll be thinking of you and Minnie x

 

[Puddles1999]

I'm glad to hear she’s on some sort of gut medicine. Metaclopromide is the active ingredient in Emeprid, which my bloated boy found very helpful. What dose is she on of that and how often?

Fingers crossed the increase of critical care will help her maintain her weight until she can be seen tomorrow.
Best of luck for tomorrow, i’ll be thinking of you and Minnie x

She’s on 0.4 ML every 12 hours. I’m going to see if this other vet will give her some more as well.

Do you have any tips on how to syringe feed them while also traveling with them? I find trying to syringe them in the car is quite difficult sometimes.

Thank you so much. I will keep you updated when I know more tomorrow. I’m so glad to have your support on here

 

[Puddles1999]

Penelope has stopped wanting to eat critical care and she’s been really refusing syringe feeding. I’m still trying my best with her. I just went in there a minute ago and noticed a poo attached to her behind so I went to pull it off and it was attached to a string of mucus. I got a paper towel and got her cleaned up.

I googled it and it says it could be her digestion slowing,stasis, etc. I’ve been weighing her and she isn’t losing any more weight. Now I’m worried

 

[Wiebke]

Penelope has stopped wanting to eat critical care and she’s been really refusing syringe feeding. I’m still trying my best with her. I just went in there a minute ago and noticed a poo attached to her behind so I went to pull it off and it was attached to a string of mucus. I got a paper towel and got her cleaned up.

I googled it and it says it could be her digestion slowing,stasis, etc. I’ve been weighing her and she isn’t losing any more weight. Now I’m worried

Hi

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry. You can do only so much. It may be that her body is closing down with whatever is going on inside her. Once that process is underway, there is no return.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

This is not a guide I always link in with the heaviest of hearts but if Penelope continues to deteriorate, you may find the very practical advice in there helpful for spotting whether she is still going or has crossed the line and what you can do for her at every stage; especially in view of the late hour: A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

My thoughts are with you and Penelope; I know myself how lonely and dark nights like the coming are for any loving owner.

 

[Puddles1999]

Hi

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry. You can do only so much. It may be that her body is closing down with whatever is going on inside her. Once that process is underway, there is no return.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

This is not a guide I always link in with the heaviest of hearts but if Penelope continues to deteriorate, you may find the very practical advice in there helpful for spotting whether she is still going or has crossed the line and what you can do for her at every stage; especially in view of the late hour: A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

My thoughts are with you and Penelope; I know myself how lonely and dark nights like the coming are for any loving owner.

Hi,
Penelope just had her molars trimmed on Friday so about a week ago. She’s been at 660-680g range and hasn’t lost anymore since. If she was to be going into stasis, would she be losing weight? I’ve been feeding her critical care but I thought she would be losing a lot if she shut down since she wouldn’t be getting enough food into her.

I just gave her a tiny bit of cilantro and she ate it. She has been trouble with her mouth still since her molar trims.

This is the first time I’ve seen any mucus from her. I’m going to try and start syringing her more often. Minnie is also being syringe fed so having two syringe fed pigs at once is hard. Minnie has the vet appointment tomorrow to try and figure out why she is having those mouth motions and losing weight.

Thank you for linking those helpful guides. I really appreciate all the help.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,
Penelope just had her molars trimmed on Friday so about a week ago. She’s been at 660-680g range and hasn’t lost anymore since. If she was to be going into stasis, would she be losing weight? I’ve been feeding her critical care but I thought she would be losing a lot if she shut down since she wouldn’t be getting enough food into her.

I just gave her a tiny bit of cilantro and she ate it. She has been trouble with her mouth still since her molar trims.

This is the first time I’ve seen any mucus from her. I’m going to try and start syringing her more often. Minnie is also being syringe fed so having two syringe fed pigs at once is hard. Minnie has the vet appointment tomorrow to try and figure out why she is having those mouth motions and losing weight.

Thank you for linking those helpful guides. I really appreciate all the help.

Hi

Thank you for clarifying. The weight loss always reflects the lack of food intake, which can then slow down the gut - this is a secondary GI stasis (full or partial) and not the gut stopping on its own.
Have you held your ear against her belly to check the gurgling? That is the best way to check at home whether a piggy is in stasis or has a very sluggish gut.

This kind of poo also usually indicates a lack of fluid and potential dehydration as well as some dysbiosis (upset of the gut microbiome). The mucus is from the mucus membrane at the exit of the caecum (the biggest part of the lower gut where the most of the fermentation happens) that is keeping most of the gut microbiome inside. The mucus membrance can obviously become more sticky when it becomes dryer from lack of fluid. Keep in mind that the poo output reflects what has happened a day or two before (depending how fast the gut is running).
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

If you feel that Penelope could be severely rather than moderately dehydrated, please see an out-of-hours vet for a subcutaneous fluid injection and if you are short of them, gut stimulants. Please be very, very careful when syringing water and make sure that she has swallowed it all before you give another 0.1-03 ml. Mostly it goes up the nose and causes some temporary crackling but occasionally it can go down into bronchia if it coincides with a breath intake.
All About Drinking And Bottles (includes a chapter on signs of dehydration)

I can only give you all the necessary information so you can make your own assessment as to how serious the situation is since I am not a vet nor do I have direct access to your piggy.

 

[Puddles1999]

Hi

Thank you for clarifying. The weight loss always reflects the lack of food intake, which can then slow down the gut - this is a secondary GI stasis (full or partial) and not the gut stopping on its own.
Have you held your ear against her belly to check the gurgling? That is the best way to check at home whether a piggy is in stasis or has a very sluggish gut.

This kind of poo also usually indicates a lack of fluid and potential dehydration as well as some dysbiosis (upset of the gut microbiome). The mucus is from the mucus membrane at the exit of the caecum (the biggest part of the lower gut where the most of the fermentation happens) that is keeping most of the gut microbiome inside. The mucus membrance can obviously become more sticky when it becomes dryer from lack of fluid. Keep in mind that the poo output reflects what has happened a day or two before (depending how fast the gut is running).
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

If you feel that Penelope could be severely rather than moderately dehydrated, please see an out-of-hours vet for a subcutaneous fluid injection and if you are short of them, gut stimulants. Please be very, very careful when syringing water and make sure that she has swallowed it all before you give another 0.1-03 ml. Mostly it goes up the nose and causes some temporary crackling but occasionally it can go down into bronchia if it coincides with a breath intake.
All About Drinking And Bottles (includes a chapter on signs of dehydration)

I can only give you all the necessary information so you can make your own assessment as to how serious the situation is since I am not a vet nor do I have direct access to your piggy.

Okay, thank you for explaining that. I didn’t know that. I put her belly to my ear and there are noises coming from her belly. I’m not sure if it’s gas or gurgling but I’m also not too familiar with normal Guinea tummy noises. It isn’t dead silent in there though.

Thank you for explaining all of that. She is getting some fluid from the critical care I imagine but she’s also drinking from their water bottles. Could she still be dehydrated despite drinking from their bottles? She usually goes and drinks after our syringe session. I will keep an eye on her poo output. We go to the vet tomorrow for Minnie so I’m going to have to try and syringe them after traveling two hours and then two hours back.

Thank you for all the help.

 

[piggl]

For the syringe feeding, I would probably make some up beforehand and take it with you in an airtight container.

Are you taking both piggies with you? You could always do a feed before, and a feed before you leave.
Please be aware that the feeds don’t HAVE to be every two hours, I wouldn’t want you to put too much pressure on yourself. It’s so so great all you are doing for your lovely girls but again, it’s a lot caring for a sick piggie, let alone two, and I wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself.

Generally speaking you can never tell how much a piggy drinks, even if they’re looking like they’re at the bottle, unless you’re watching them 24/7.
You can make their feed more watery, as a for sure way to help increase her water intake. Also offering water in a bowl may help, if they don’t have one already.

Good luck today! You, Minnie and Penelope are all in my thoughts x

 

[Wiebke]

Okay, thank you for explaining that. I didn’t know that. I put her belly to my ear and there are noises coming from her belly. I’m not sure if it’s gas or gurgling but I’m also not too familiar with normal Guinea tummy noises. It isn’t dead silent in there though.

Thank you for explaining all of that. She is getting some fluid from the critical care I imagine but she’s also drinking from their water bottles. Could she still be dehydrated despite drinking from their bottles? She usually goes and drinks after our syringe session. I will keep an eye on her poo output. We go to the vet tomorrow for Minnie so I’m going to have to try and syringe them after traveling two hours and then two hours back.

Thank you for all the help.

Can you have a listen to your healthy piggy's belly for reference? You do not need a stethoscope to learn the difference between an overactive, a normal, a subdued or an eerily silent gut - but with a gut that has altogether stopped you also get instant lethargy. It is a useful exercise for any owner anyway.

The dehydration is not severe if the poos are just stringy but still moist. It's simply a still milder tummy upset as long as the poos are not much smaller and drier than they should be. Please don't get hung up over it. If your piggy is still drinking water on their own, then they are unlikely to be really dehydrated because the need to drink comes before the need to eat.

Why not plan for a syringe feeding session in the vet's waiting room in the warmth so you do not have to stop either way unless you really want to and can before you set out and once you come home? Just see how much you get in one go and take it from there. Be flexible.

Anyway, all the best for your vet trip. As long as the poos are not getting any worse and the weight loss from day to day is not massive, you are OK. Especially if your piggies are still both drinking on their own.

Here are our travelling tips for longer journeys: Travelling with guinea pigs

 

[Puddles1999]

For the syringe feeding, I would probably make some up beforehand and take it with you in an airtight container.

Are you taking both piggies with you? You could always do a feed before, and a feed before you leave.
Please be aware that the feeds don’t HAVE to be every two hours, I wouldn’t want you to put too much pressure on yourself. It’s so so great all you are doing for your lovely girls but again, it’s a lot caring for a sick piggie, let alone two, and I wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself.

Generally speaking you can never tell how much a piggy drinks, even if they’re looking like they’re at the bottle, unless you’re watching them 24/7.
You can make their feed more watery, as a for sure way to help increase her water intake. Also offering water in a bowl may help, if they don’t have one already.

Good luck today! You, Minnie and Penelope are all in my thoughts x

I’m at the vets currently. Really not impressed. I didn’t get too much of an answer. She was just at the vet Friday and vet said her teeth look good. However the gagging motion is definitely weird.

This vet said he thinks her molars are all wonky. The bottom molars grow not directly straight but mostly straight and one of her molars was growing horizontally. He said the left molar was growing towards the tongue but I was confused when he said the molar was growing horizontally. He said the right molar has a slight tip on it.

The vet she was just at said her teeth looked fine but I got the impression he didn’t really seem too experienced. He said he could trim the molars but he doesn’t sedate, he only uses GA. He said he’s never heard of a vet just being able to sedate them to trim them. So I paid over 150 dollars for nothing to be done and to be basically be told nothing.

I got some metaclopromide and I’m trying meloxicam for her. He said he didn’t know if he wanted to try meloxicam in case she has kidney disease. I asked why he thought that and he just said that it’s pretty common in Guinea pigs. He said her mandible feels thickened but that could be just from not eating hay? She didn’t really have any signs or symptoms of it so I was just confused as to why he brought it up? He was trying to give her gabapentin instead but I opted for meloxicam.

Also said heard a slight heart murmur but that doesn’t seem to be of any concern. Doesn’t seem she has any heart issues and she had an X-ray at the other vet a week ago and it didn’t show an enlarged heart or anything.

I have no answers but Minnie took 32ML of cc after the vet appointment. Penelope is only taking 10 or so at the moment so at least I have one willing pig to eat critical care.

I also just want to say thank you for being a friend I desperately need right now. You’ve only been supportive and helpful and I can’t thank you enough. I am definitely really tired especially getting up over night. I feel like I have to keep up with feeds since minnie is so low on weight.