Guinea pig help!

[Gpiggie]

Please help ASAP!
my guinea pig is wobbling, not able to move a lot, keep her head strait ect. She was eating but has now stopped and refuses. I took her to an emergency vet last night, (but not a guinea pig specialist as the rest were shut). They gave me antibiotics and wormer to give her for 7 days, but I'm worried she won’t last that long.
I am still looking for an exotic vet that has spaces to see her, but any ideas what would be wrong?
I was thinking ear infection/stroke/neurological problem?
She hasn’t moved out of her bed since last night, and falls over when she try’s to walk.
her head wobbles ( I can only describe its like a toy bobble head!) when she lifts it up.
She is just getting worse, I have ordered critical care, that arrives tomorrow.
Are there any shops that sell it or can I make my own temporarily to feed her?
Please help!

 

[Piggies&buns]

You do need to get her to a specialist vet for further checks.

As she isn’t eating for herself, You must step in and syringe feed her straight away.
You can use mushed up pellets in the absence of critical care. Use a 1ml syringe To feed her. You need to aim for 60-90ml of syringe feed in a 24 hour period and as piggies can often only take a little amount at a time, you will likely need to feed every around the clock. You must also weigh her daily (at the same time each day) to ensure her weight doesn’t drop. If it does drop, then you need to syringe feed more often.

I will add in some guides Below which give more information than I can add here

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management

could you also please add your location to your profile as it helps us tailor our advice. For example, guinea pigs usually don’t need worming in the uk, but another location may be different

 

[Gpiggie]

You do need to get her to a specialist vet for further checks.

As she isn’t eating for herself, You must step in and syringe feed her straight away.
You can use mushed up pellets in the absence of critical care. Use a 1ml syringe To feed her. You need to aim for 60-90ml of syringe feed in a 24 hour period and as piggies can often only take a little amount at a time, you will likely need to feed every around the clock. You must also weigh her daily (at the same time each day) to ensure her weight doesn’t drop. If it does drop, then you need to syringe feed more often.

I will add in some guides Below which give more information than I can add here

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management

could you also please add your location to your profile as it helps us tailor our advice. For example, guinea pigs usually don’t need worming in the uk, but another location may be different

Thank you,
I will syringe feed her, should I just mash pellets with warm water?

 

[Siikibam]

Thank you,
I will syringe feed her, should I just mash pellets with warm water?

Yes you can use mashed pellets for now. Please can you add your location to your profile. County/state or country will suffice. I hope you have her seen as soon as.

 

[Gpiggie]

Yes you can use mashed pellets for now. Please can you add your location to your profile. County/state or country will suffice. I hope you have her seen as soon as.

Sorry I am new to using the forum, I’m from England. Do I need to add it to my profile/how do I add it?!
My piggies live inside hence why I was confused abot the vet giving worming medicine for 7 days. I have got an appointment at a guinea pig specialist for later today.

 

[Siikibam]

Click on the circle near your name and go to account details. It’s on there. Good you’ve got an appointment. Let us know how you get on.

PS guinea pigs don’t routinely suffer from worms so I’m not sure about that medicine. Speak to the vet about it and see what they say.

 

[Gpiggie]

Click on the circle near your name and go to account details. It’s on there. Good you’ve got an appointment. Let us know how you get on.

PS guinea pigs don’t routinely suffer from worms so I’m not sure about that medicine. Speak to the vet about it and see what they say.

Thank you, I have added my location.
I have given her some pellets mixed with water through a syringe and will give little amounts through the day. I’m keeping a list of times I have fed her/weight/poops ect!
thank you for all your help

 

[Siikibam]

Weigh once a day (morning is best) rather than multiple times a day. And syringe feed every two hours or so. Her weight will be a guide to whether you need to increase or decrease the amount. Do have a read through the guides that were linked above.

 

[Gpiggie]

Weigh once a day (morning is best) rather than multiple times a day. And syringe feed every two hours or so. Her weight will be a guide to whether you need to increase or decrease the amount. Do have a read through the guides that were linked above.

Yes I had a look through, it was very helpful and I have written down the information so I can have it on hand!
thank you

 

[Wiebke]

Please help ASAP!
my guinea pig is wobbling, not able to move a lot, keep her head strait ect. She was eating but has now stopped and refuses. I took her to an emergency vet last night, (but not a guinea pig specialist as the rest were shut). They gave me antibiotics and wormer to give her for 7 days, but I'm worried she won’t last that long.
I am still looking for an exotic vet that has spaces to see her, but any ideas what would be wrong?
I was thinking ear infection/stroke/neurological problem?
She hasn’t moved out of her bed since last night, and falls over when she try’s to walk.
her head wobbles ( I can only describe its like a toy bobble head!) when she lifts it up.
She is just getting worse, I have ordered critical care, that arrives tomorrow.
Are there any shops that sell it or can I make my own temporarily to feed her?
Please help!

Hi

You can find all the necessary information for emergency home care (including how to improvise with what you have at home or easily available) via this one-stop emergency/crisis care link: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

The emergency vet has actually given you what any good vet would and could reasonably - an antibiotic against a potential ear infection and the wormer against e.cuniculi, a rabbit brain bug which can also affect piggies; so you have actually been seen by a pretty savvy vet. However, it takes about a day or several for any antibiotic to kick in and build up to optimal efficiency; they do not work instantly.
If it is a series of minor strokes or a neurological problem, then there is sadly nothing that a vet can do about that.

If your girl is refusing to take any feed far in excess to her weakened state, then it is unfortunately because she is no longer able to process it and her body has started to close down. It know only to well what a gutting realisation that is. Guinea pigs can go downhill with such frightening speed.
Please stay strong for her and try not to transmit your panic to her. Concentrate on sending her soothing, loving and gentle thoughts.
If that is the case, then the information in this guide here may be of help for you even though it does take a deep breath to click on it - but it will talk you through all the relecvant aspects to give you the kind of support you need when you have never been confronted with death, dying and having to consider pts/euthanasia.
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs