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Guinea pig can’t poo on own and dragging back leg - help!

M

Mtw12345

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We have a boy guinea pig who is 3.5 years old, lives with two others, good diet, big cage, space etc.

All fine until a couple of days ago and realised he couldn’t poo properly, he isn’t constipated he just doesn’t seem to be able to push the poos out, we have also noticed he is dragging one back leg slightly, once he walks a little more he seems to get back to walking properly. Took him to the vet and they wasn’t sure what it was and gave him some fibre food which has not done anything.

Any advice would be brilliant.

thank you.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry your boy is poorly. I’m sorry but I don’t have experience of this. Is he eating ok and not losing weight?
 
I'm sorry to hear this.

Is there a different vet you can take him to?
There are a variety of things which could be behind this but they all require a hands on vet check with a knowledgeable vet - an injury, pain, impaction (guinea pigs dont get constipated), or something else.... The fact is we can only make guesses which isnt helpful.

All we can really advise you to do is switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily so you can be sure he is in fact eating plenty of hay (and in which case syringe feeding the recovery feed you were given is essential if he is losing weight), and see a knowledgeable vet

Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
 
Mtw12345 said:
He has lost weight 😕
Click to expand...

This means he isn’t eating enough hay and you must step in and syringe him enough recovery feed to keep his weight stable.
A piggy who isn’t eating enough will not be pooping properly

Make sure you weigh him every day at the same time each day, and syringe feed him accordingly. In excess of 40ml per day (potentially every two hours) and as much as is necessary to keep him from losing weight each day.

Please also also try to find a knowledgeable vet

The guide below explains syringe feeding and the second one digestive issues

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
And please do keep us updated.
No matter what the diagnosis some here is bound to have experience, and we can offer you lots of support.
I hope the appointment goes well and a more experienced vet will have clearer answers for you and your boy.
 
Took him to the vets and sadly he has cancer - we have steroids to keep him going and see how he goes. No treatment can fix him - have to see how he gets on and if he gets too bad he will need to be put to sleep. So, so sad. My daughter is devastated as the piggies are hers. He is getting lots of cuddles and whatever treats he wants. He is eating which is a positive.
 
So sorry for your news.
It’s devastating to get that diagnosis.
I felt as if the bottom had fallen out of my world when my Jemimah was given that diagnosis.
Give him lots of happy todays. Guinea pigs don’t know they’re I’ll.
Keep him comfortable and pain free.
My vet told me just to phone and ask when I needed pain relief.
I hope he slips away peacefully at home, but you will know in your heart if you have to help him.

Remember that you are all grieving. Grief kicks in the moment you get a terminal diagnosis.
We are here to support you and you may also find the bereavement threads helpful .
There’s information there to help children too.

Holding you in my heart ♥️
 
Mtw12345 said:
Took him to the vets and sadly he has cancer - we have steroids to keep him going and see how he goes. No treatment can fix him - have to see how he gets on and if he gets too bad he will need to be put to sleep. So, so sad. My daughter is devastated as the piggies are hers. He is getting lots of cuddles and whatever treats he wants. He is eating which is a positive.
Click to expand...

BIG HUGS

I am so, so sorry that it is the kind of bad news that nobody of us ever wants to hear. :(

You may find some helpful practical information in these guides below so you can support your daughter as best as possible throughout this period; they do not make the easiest reading but I have made them as practical and supportive as possible to help any reader through this difficult time as it is very often the first and often rather traumatic encounter with death and a loss by tackling all the tricky issues and emotional dilemmas that arise when looking after guinea pigs at the end of their life.

The grieving process doesn't start with the death; it starts with the moment you realise that time is limited and running out. The shock of that realisation is every bit as bad and heart-breaking as the shock from a sudden death you cannot brace for; apart from the actual loss, this the second worst time. That is why the news are so very hard on daughter.

But unlike with a sudden death, looking after a terminally ill guinea pig gives you the change of sharing a really special time and allows you to do some of the grieving 'homework' during this bitter-sweet period if you live it consciously. It makes the period after the death once you have got over the actual pain of the loss noticeable easier - you are not grieving any less but the dynamics are different and you have more control over it with a terminally ill piggy. See every day more as the special and very precious gift it is and try to emulate the way piggies approach their life by living in that day and the now.
Death, Dying, Terminal Illness; Human Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
 
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