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Specialist Guinea Pig Losing Weight - Failure to thrive

S

SpookySundae

New Born Pup
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Location
California
Hi! I have two female guinea pigs purchased from a pet store. One is said to be almost a year and the other about six months. Sundae is my one year old and she is so tiny! Spooky is your average run if the mill piggy with a healthy weight and full of energy. The two girls live together and are inseperable!
About a month ago, I noticed that Sundae was losing weight and had a shaggy dull coat. I took her to the vet for a full check up and they diagnosed here as having a neurological disorder and failure to thrive. Her gut was completely empty which is weird because they have access to hay and pellets at all time and we feed them a variety of fruits and veggies both am and pm. The vet recommend that the two girls be seperated in case the larger one was hogging the food, so I bought another cage and fed them seperately with communal playtime. A week later Sundae was still not gaining weight so I took her back in. They checked her ears, eyes, heart, lungs, teeth and gut and found that once again she had no reserves in her system...as if she hasnt eaten in days! So, we put her on Critical Care supplement to help boost her food intake. I also bought alfalfa pellets for young piggies to help get more calories in her.
Week 4 I am back at the vet again, now she has an eye infection from hay poke and in the past month has gone from 1lb to 430 grams!
We are at a complete loss! She has access to all the hay pellets and hay she wants, I suringe feed her 4 times a day with the critical care supplement and feed her lots of greens, fruits and veggies! She just does not want to eat!
Her teeth are fine but her gut is always empty! No diarreah, no blood in stool or urine.... I am at a loss.
Her coat is dull and shaggy and she is becoming more hunched and lethargic....
Has anyone encountered this? Please help
 
I would get a second opinion or have them scan her body if they haven't already. Have they done blood work? Sorry your piggy is sick!
 
She has a head tilt but they say it is because of her eye infection, one vet said she has a genetic condition due to inbreeding! I am so frustrated! I just fed her her greens, pellets and hay and she is just not interested in eating. Spooky is devouring her dinner!
 
Here is Sundae ☺️ She is searching for food eventhough she has a cage full of it!
 

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You need to syringe feed every 2--3 hours day and night. 4 times a day is not enough. I would also get a second opinion from another vet.
 
I would syringe feed as suggested, while getting a second opinion.
 
SpookySundae said:
Hi! I have two female guinea pigs purchased from a pet store. One is said to be almost a year and the other about six months. Sundae is my one year old and she is so tiny! Spooky is your average run if the mill piggy with a healthy weight and full of energy. The two girls live together and are inseperable!
About a month ago, I noticed that Sundae was losing weight and had a shaggy dull coat. I took her to the vet for a full check up and they diagnosed here as having a neurological disorder and failure to thrive. Her gut was completely empty which is weird because they have access to hay and pellets at all time and we feed them a variety of fruits and veggies both am and pm. The vet recommend that the two girls be seperated in case the larger one was hogging the food, so I bought another cage and fed them seperately with communal playtime. A week later Sundae was still not gaining weight so I took her back in. They checked her ears, eyes, heart, lungs, teeth and gut and found that once again she had no reserves in her system...as if she hasnt eaten in days! So, we put her on Critical Care supplement to help boost her food intake. I also bought alfalfa pellets for young piggies to help get more calories in her.
Week 4 I am back at the vet again, now she has an eye infection from hay poke and in the past month has gone from 1lb to 430 grams!
We are at a complete loss! She has access to all the hay pellets and hay she wants, I suringe feed her 4 times a day with the critical care supplement and feed her lots of greens, fruits and veggies! She just does not want to eat!
Her teeth are fine but her gut is always empty! No diarreah, no blood in stool or urine.... I am at a loss.
Her coat is dull and shaggy and she is becoming more hunched and lethargic....
Has anyone encountered this? Please help
Click to expand...

Hi! Please have your girl checked by a more experienced vet for dental problems (misalignment or premolar spurs - it is vital to check the back teeth and not do anything to the self-sharpening front teeth unless they are pointing inwards and are clearly overgrown) or for signs of GI stasis (no gut movement). it is also important to check for a major source of pain in the body.
Because of her head tilt, she should be tested for ear infection, blindness, e.cuniculi and only then for neurological problems by default.

A guinea pig with an empty stomach/gut is a dying guinea pig because the guts will inevitably slow down and eventually close down unless you step in with syringe feeding ASAP fibre and water. You can always feed mushed up pellets in an emergency as long as you cut off the tip of the syringe and plunger as shown in our syringe feeding guide. Unlike predators like cats or dogs, guinea pigs are not engineered to cope with an irregular food intake and can fast for several days.
Weigh her daily at the same time to monitor her actual food intake. keep in mind that over 80% if it should be unlimited hay, so you are missing most of it when you just look at her nibbling listlessly on a little veg. She urgently needs fibre. If she just picks up some food, but then drops it again points to a dental problem as she cannot chew/swallow any food properly.
Your syringe feeding support care is as important as any medical care, just to keep her alive until you can get to the bottom of it all. Please take the time to read these guides here. You should find them very helpful.
Also make sure that you keep her hydrated. offer as much water (if necessary enriched with dioralyte (UK)/pedialyte (US) with the fibrous syringe feed as she will take.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Bloat, GI Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Administering Medications And Syringe Feed
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

Since we have got members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details so we can always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and then down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and saves everybody time. Thank you!
 
SpookySundae said:
She does nibble on her food now and again, today she is wheeking when I came into the room to give her her greens. She ate a little
Click to expand...

As long as your girl is not putting on any weight, she is NOT eating enough and needs extra syringe feed and water in order to keep her alive. PLEASE read the links in my previous post!

Can you please add your location (how to in my last post), so we can help you find a good vet if possible.
 
I feel so bad! I know that feeling because my piggies are sick too. Please be give her lots of water and food.
 
Wiebke said:
As long as your girl is not putting on any weight, she is NOT eating enough and needs extra syringe feed and water in order to keep her alive. PLEASE read the links in my previous post!

Can you please add your location (how to in my last post), so we can help you find a good vet if possible.
Click to expand...

First off I have read all the posts, done my research and have spoken to multiple exotic vets AND am syringe feeding her 4 times a day. Due to my work and school and a single mom of 3 boys as much as I would LOVE to syringe feed her every 2-3 hours I simply cant! The vet told me that this was sufficient to get her going and of course I do supply her with all the hay, pellets, greens and water at all times!
I am reaching out to this group as I am completely frustrated and at my wits end at the lack of vets in my area who specialiaze in the care of exotics! Each vet has given me a different opinion, yet all have said her teeth are fine it is genetic (I am sorry if I have not written every exact detail in the last month that has happened, but was hoping that with the key points someone could offer another point of view)
As mentioned above in one of my posts, one vet said she had the head tilt due to her eye infection, which she is being treated for.
I have now called the vet hospital at the university and they want an exuberant amount of money to look at her and do a full work up, I was hoping that maybe they would be less expensive as it is a teaching hospital. Again, they cannot see her for a couple of weeks!
I have one last hope, a vet clinic with a vet who specialises with exotics and dentals, He is in only twice a week so I have to wait a month to see him. He is also an hour drive away! Do you understand my FRUSTRATION!
I live in California, moved here a year ago and am still trying to find that perfect vet solution.
@Jaycey - Thank you for the tip, they did a full abdomen check but did not mention parasites, I will call and ask

HUGS

Thank you for clearing up some points that have not been fully mentioned before.

I am very sorry that you are dealing with such a difficult and rather complex problem. That you are a caring owner is coming clearly across.
Sorry if I have been harping too much on the syringe feeding support side for you. We see unfortunately frequently new members with very ill piggies that are not aware just how vital this is; nor do still far too many vets, sometimes even exotic vets that are not specialising in guinea pigs. Not knowing what you are already doing and working out on which level we have to pick you up for best ongoing support is not always easy in a stressful situation.

Guinea pigs are sadly a very underresearched species and while veterinary medicine has made huge strides in recent years, new horizons usually only mean new limits. Supervet care in most countries is unfortunately eye wateringly expensive, but the US has got very high vet cost anyway. :(

Here is a list of recommended piggy savvy vets for California. It may be that you have already been seen by one of them. We can unfortunately only do as much as is possible at any given time, and so can vets. You are certainly doing that. since we neither have the necessary qualifications (none of us is a vet) nor the hands-on access needed, all we can do is try to show up possible new avenues you can pursue with a vet and make sure that you are doing for your piggy at home all you can do within your individual means. It can be as frustrating for us to not be able to help you more and produce the miracle cure and diagnosis your beloved poorly one needs. :(
I hope that this link may be of use to you. Veterinarians: California - Guinea Lynx Records
 
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You’re doing an amazing job, I went through a rough time with my last piggy, we tried to syringe feed him every 2-3 hours, but we all need to sleep! I remember a couple of times (this went on for 5 weeks) we got up at 4am to do it but it would take like 45 minutes each time. And it was easier when there was 2 of us also, one holding him he used to sit on my partners arm comfortably and I would syringe feed around 10ml at one sitting plus water which needs to be done very slowly.
I completely understand your frustration, we used to get about 60ml-70ml feed into him daily and he still slowly lost weight, his issue was a dental issue though, they filed his back teeth and he never recovered. I think they clipped his front ones too after I’d taken him to the vets for the day while I was at work. -I think this is what caused the problem he never recovered.
If you haven’t tried it already u could try chopping up veg small? Creating different sizes. I don’t know what could be wrong with your piggy but I’m guessing the advice given on here is aimed at stopping the guts shutting down completely. The best method to prevent this is to syringe feed more frequently and also administer gut stimulants does your piggy have any of these?
 
I would also keep or book those vet appointments you mentioned and try get an earlier appointment in the meantime?
 
My Ted had dental problems and was losing weight. His front teeth were cut too short after dental and he could not pick his food up. Along with syringe feeding the one thing that I found which may be helpful to you is this. Try hand feeling her leaves which you can roll up like a cigar. Place into mouth slightly to encourage piggie to take. You can do this with spinach, dandelion, herbs etc it really work with Ted. Just small pieces, they do like the encouragement and get into a habit of taking it from you. Roll between finger and thumb, just like a roll up!

Hope you find out what’s wrong soon, it’s such a stressful time, we are all rooting for Sundae x
 
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Just a thought, is there any Guinea Pig rescues near you? If there are, I wonder if any of them would be able to give you the name of the vet they use for their piggies. I’m sure some must come In who need to see the vet.
 
SpookySundae said:
First off I have read all the posts, done my research and have spoken to multiple exotic vets AND am syringe feeding her 4 times a day. Due to my work and school and a single mom of 3 boys as much as I would LOVE to syringe feed her every 2-3 hours I simply cant! The vet told me that this was sufficient to get her going and of course I do supply her with all the hay, pellets, greens and water at all times!
I am reaching out to this group as I am completely frustrated and at my wits end at the lack of vets in my area who specialiaze in the care of exotics! Each vet has given me a different opinion, yet all have said her teeth are fine it is genetic (I am sorry if I have not written every exact detail in the last month that has happened, but was hoping that with the key points someone could offer another point of view)
As mentioned above in one of my posts, one vet said she had the head tilt due to her eye infection, which she is being treated for.
I have now called the vet hospital at the university and they want an exuberant amount of money to look at her and do a full work up, I was hoping that maybe they would be less expensive as it is a teaching hospital. Again, they cannot see her for a couple of weeks!
I have one last hope, a vet clinic with a vet who specialises with exotics and dentals, He is in only twice a week so I have to wait a month to see him. He is also an hour drive away! Do you understand my FRUSTRATION!
I live in California, moved here a year ago and am still trying to find that perfect vet solution.
@Jaycey - Thank you for the tip, they did a full abdomen check but did not mention parasites, I will call and ask

HUGS

Thank you for clearing up some points that have not been fully mentioned before.

I am very sorry that you are dealing with such a difficult and rather complex problem. That you are a caring owner is coming clearly across.
Sorry if I have been harping too much on the syringe feeding support side for you. We see unfortunately frequently new members with very ill piggies that are not aware just how vital this is; nor do still far too many vets, sometimes even exotic vets that are not specialising in guinea pigs. Not knowing what you are already doing and working out on which level we have to pick you up for best ongoing support is not always easy in a stressful situation.

Guinea pigs are sadly a very underresearched species and while veterinary medicine has made huge strides in recent years, new horizons usually only mean new limits. Supervet care in most countries is unfortunately eye wateringly expensive, but the US has got very high vet cost anyway. :(

Here is a list of recommended piggy savvy vets for California. It may be that you have already been seen by one of them. We can unfortunately only do as much as is possible at any given time, and so can vets. You are certainly doing that. since we neither have the necessary qualifications (none of us is a vet) nor the hands-on access needed, all we can do is try to show up possible new avenues you can pursue with a vet and make sure that you are doing for your piggy at home all you can do within your individual means. It can be as frustrating for us to not be able to help you more and produce the miracle cure and diagnosis your beloved poorly one needs. :(
I hope that this link may be of use to you. Veterinarians: California - Guinea Lynx Records
Click to expand...

Thank you, thank you, thanky you for this link! I will be calling the ones close to me today.
Thank you for your support, sometimes writing things down does not always represent what is in your head and I truely get that. I am a little cranky and frustrated! lol
 
SpookySundae said:
Thank you, thank you, thanky you for this link! I will be calling the ones close to me today.
Thank you for your support, sometimes writing things down does not always represent what is in your head and I truely get that. I am a little cranky and frustrated! lol
Click to expand...

We have noticed... :yikes:
But it is not unusual in very worried and desperate owners, so we don't take it personally! In order to help you best, we need to work out what you have done so far, what kind of level of care you are provide/can improve if possible, how your vet access is etc. That generally doesn't happen in just one post, but requires a dialogue. With very ill piggies there is often no easy quick fix magic diagnosis, but I hope that you can get the help you need now.

Please keep any enquiries, worries and updates to this support thread. We are trying our best to help all members with ill piggies within the limit of our ability and knowledge, but we can unfortunately not replace a vet.
 
G&C said:
You’re doing an amazing job, I went through a rough time with my last piggy, we tried to syringe feed him every 2-3 hours, but we all need to sleep! I remember a couple of times (this went on for 5 weeks) we got up at 4am to do it but it would take like 45 minutes each time. And it was easier when there was 2 of us also, one holding him he used to sit on my partners arm comfortably and I would syringe feed around 10ml at one sitting plus water which needs to be done very slowly.
I completely understand your frustration, we used to get about 60ml-70ml feed into him daily and he still slowly lost weight, his issue was a dental issue though, they filed his back teeth and he never recovered. I think they clipped his front ones too after I’d taken him to the vets for the day while I was at work. -I think this is what caused the problem he never recovered.
If you haven’t tried it already you could try chopping up veg small? Creating different sizes. I don’t know what could be wrong with your piggy but I’m guessing the advice given on here is aimed at stopping the guts shutting down completely. The best method to prevent this is to syringe feed more frequently and also administer gut stimulants does your piggy have any of these?
Click to expand...

I am sorry you had to go through this as well, it is so hard! I am waiting for the dental appt and in the meantime will call some places on the list I was given from one member. Thankfully today we are all at home for most of the day so I can syringe feed her more often. I am sitting here with her right now as she happily munches on a carrot,some kale and spinach ☺️ My son said she was munching on pellets last night but she hasnt touched her hay. We may have to go buy a few small brands of hay to see if she prefers one over the other
 
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Good to hear there’s a little improvement.
Are you still syringe feeding to get the fibre into her?
Hope the improvement continues and that you are bearing up
 
I had a pig named Sundae too! Ironically, she also had dental issues! I can only second what others here have said... keep up the syringe feeds while trying to find a vet who is knowledgeable with guinea pig dentistry. My best guess would be some sort of dental issue, even if previous vets have not seen a problem (a lot of general vets are not very knowledgeable about guinea pig teeth and in North America it can be very hard to find a vet with real guinea pig experience, as a lot of people simply don't take them to the vet. I'm in Canada, it's the same here and I also drive about 45 minutes to a decent small-animal vet for the pigs/hamsters.) My pigs that have had dental problems all presented as being interested in food but not eating it, or eating small amounts but not enough to keep their weight even so there would be a slow weight loss even though they were clearly interested in food. In addition, often they would paw at their mouths or pull their lips back while trying to chew- just something else to keep an eye out for. I would also be sure to run your hands along the side of your piggie's jawline once a day and feel for lumps or bumps or any wetness there- sometimes dental root abscesses make chewing painful and lead to these symptoms, but it takes time for the abscess to mature and puff up into a lump, so keep on feeling for bumps. My Sundae actually had a nasty dental abscess white causes her to go through months of weight loss, molar spurs that needed filing, and then because her chewing pattern remained abnormal the problem would just repeat itself over the next month or two. Eventually the abscess puffed up so we recognized it and was able to be surgically treated, after which her problems with tooth overgrowth resolved. Hope this helps a bit, hang in there!
 
Sundae is doing much better! She is eating hay again and her weight is going up and up! I no longer have to syringe feed her, but I do mix the critical care and leave it in her cage in the morning. She eats it all by the time we get home.
She is also starting to run and play with Spooky again, it is fun to see. We are still monitoring food intake and making sure she keeps on the right path.
 
Isn’t it lovely when they start eating hay again. The hay will help keep the teeth ground down as well. It is also a good sign that the dental has been done properly. When I watch my Ted eat now I can hardly believe he had struggled eating this summer and lost lots of weight. He nows weighs 1308 gms as opposed to 1105 at lowest point. He’s a big strapping lad but was really skinny back then.

So glad Sundae is getting better and putting on weight, that’s brilliant x
 
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