Guinea pig losing weight

[mlhewitt]

I noticed at the end of April my male Guinea pig had lost a significant amount of weight. At the end of February his weight was at 1300g and at the end of April he was around 990g. He was still eating, drinking, going to the bathroom and acting normal. I made him an appointment for the 10th of May. The vet said his molars were starting to entrap his tongue and needed them trimmed. He was also diagnosed with ringworm. His weight was at 971g. The next day he got his molars trimmed under anesthesia and they had his weight at 931g. About a week and a half later I noticed he looked extremely thin so I weighed him and he was at 891g. I ended up taking him to the emergency vet Saturday night the 21st of May because he was acting a bit lethargic and was having very small poops. His back legs also seemed to lose coordination for a few seconds as well. They ended up doing X-rays which showed some gas, but otherwise looked good. They also tested his blood sugar levels and they were normal. They sent us home with metoclopramide and critical care. I got him in with his vet Wednesday the 25th. He is still eating and drinking, his poops are back to normal and is acting normal. He weighed 916g. The vet said he does have small points on his molars but didn’t think that would be the issue as far as losing weight. She said it could possibly be hyperthyroidism but would need to get blood for that and stated that he would need to be anesthetized and there is a chance that they wouldn’t even be able to get blood because their veins are so small. I also mentioned about kidney failure and she said blood work would be needed and that she wouldn’t be able to test both his thyroid and kidney levels on the same day. She ended up sending us home with metacam and more metoclopramide. Has anyone been through a similar situation? I’m extremely worried about him and am not sure what to do. I forgot to mention he is somewhere between 5/6 years old. Thank you

 

[Princess Dustmop]

How much critical care are you giving?

With him that underweight, there could be all sorts of issues, and it would certainly contribute to lethargy. If he's unable to eat enough, he needs you to provide critical care to supplement up to the amount he needs. This should be helping him to regain some weight towards his healthy weight. Take his weight at the same time each day (in relation to his eating/feeding) to check whether he is losing, gaining, or staying the same, so you can adjust (increase) his critical care accordingly. You'll need to keep checking him at this increased frequency until he's back to a healthy weight and stable without the critical care.

 

[mlhewitt]

So I have been giving him 60ml of critical care daily which he eats on his own, along with 1/8th cup pellets, unlimited hay and about a cup of greens a day. He’s been getting the critical care daily since Saturday.

 

[Siikibam]

Please continue with the critical care. 60ml is the minimum when a piggy isn’t eating by itself. If he will take more, I would offer it.

As hay makes up the majority of their diet, feeding veg and pellets won’t make a difference to weight. You can’t tell how much hay is being consumed hence weighing once daily (preferably morning) and adjusting the amount of syringe feed accordingly.

Did he get painkiller after the dental?

PS pellets should only be 1 tablespoon. I think 1/8 is equivalent to 2 so I’d cut back on those as well. Hope he perks up soon.

 

[Wiebke]

I noticed at the end of April my male Guinea pig had lost a significant amount of weight. At the end of February his weight was at 1300g and at the end of April he was around 990g. He was still eating, drinking, going to the bathroom and acting normal. I made him an appointment for the 10th of May. The vet said his molars were starting to entrap his tongue and needed them trimmed. He was also diagnosed with ringworm. His weight was at 971g. The next day he got his molars trimmed under anesthesia and they had his weight at 931g. About a week and a half later I noticed he looked extremely thin so I weighed him and he was at 891g. I ended up taking him to the emergency vet Saturday night the 21st of May because he was acting a bit lethargic and was having very small poops. His back legs also seemed to lose coordination for a few seconds as well. They ended up doing X-rays which showed some gas, but otherwise looked good. They also tested his blood sugar levels and they were normal. They sent us home with metoclopramide and critical care. I got him in with his vet Wednesday the 25th. He is still eating and drinking, his poops are back to normal and is acting normal. He weighed 916g. The vet said he does have small points on his molars but didn’t think that would be the issue as far as losing weight. She said it could possibly be hyperthyroidism but would need to get blood for that and stated that he would need to be anesthetized and there is a chance that they wouldn’t even be able to get blood because their veins are so small. I also mentioned about kidney failure and she said blood work would be needed and that she wouldn’t be able to test both his thyroid and kidney levels on the same day. She ended up sending us home with metacam and more metoclopramide. Has anyone been through a similar situation? I’m extremely worried about him and am not sure what to do. I forgot to mention he is somewhere between 5/6 years old. Thank you

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. Your boy is a good age!

Please take the time to read our very practical step-by-step support feeding guide to ensure that you are giving the support that he needs; the guide covers all aspects that are playing into supporting a very ill guinea pig; from improvising in a pinch to how to deal with cooperating and unccoperative piggies but also including practical emergency and end of life care advice and information.
Here is the link: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Here are our very practical care tips for guinea pigs with mobility issues (also contains a list of possible causes): Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

The combination of dental issues with possible balance/neurological problems in this back legs makes me think that your boy may possibly suffer from calcified bulla syndrome (CBS). It is a very newly identified issue that can cause a range of seemingly unconnected problems radiating from the middle ear capsule (bulla). It can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the head. Vets will likely not have heard of it yet.

This link here contains all the detailed information, which your vet may also find interesting. The link contains a list of possible symptoms and also comparison x-ray pictures. The severity and the symptoms of CBS can vary quite a lot but - if it is indeed CBS you are dealing with - seems to be sadly speeding up with your boy.
It may not be the news you are looking for but it may provide a possible answer for what is happening if it is confirmed.
CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care

Hyperthyroid does come with weight loss but in my own experience it is accompanied by rather characteristic impatient/edgy behaviour where things can't happen quickly enough and the piggy is a bit like a coiled spring all the time.

 

[mlhewitt]

Please continue with the critical care. 60ml is the minimum when a piggy isn’t eating by itself. If he will take more, I would offer it.

As hay makes up the majority of their diet, feeding veg and pellets won’t make a difference to weight. You can’t tell how much hay is being consumed hence weighing once daily (preferably morning) and adjusting the amount of syringe feed accordingly.

Did he get painkiller after the dental?

PS pellets should only be 1 tablespoon. I think 1/8 is equivalent to 2 so I’d cut back on those as well. Hope he perks up soon.

I will definitely increase the critical care he is getting as he absolutely loves it and eats it right up and often will look for more! I will continue weighing him daily, the vet told me not to which I thought was weird. He did get metacam for three days after his dental. Do you have any suggestions on making hay more enticing? I noticed he likes it in paper rolls!

 

[mlhewitt]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. Your boy is a good age!

Please take the time to read our very practical step-by-step support feeding guide to ensure that you are giving the support that he needs; the guide covers all aspects that are playing into supporting a very ill guinea pig; from improvising in a pinch to how to deal with cooperating and unccoperative piggies but also including practical emergency and end of life care advice and information.
Here is the link: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Here are our very practical care tips for guinea pigs with mobility issues (also contains a list of possible causes): Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

The combination of dental issues with possible balance/neurological problems in this back legs makes me think that your boy may possibly suffer from calcified bulla syndrome (CBS). It is a very newly identified issue that can cause a range of seemingly unconnected problems radiating from the middle ear capsule (bulla). It can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the head. Vets will likely not have heard of it yet.

This link here contains all the detailed information, which your vet may also find interesting. The link contains a list of possible symptoms and also comparison x-ray pictures. The severity and the symptoms of CBS can vary quite a lot but - if it is indeed CBS you are dealing with - seems to be sadly speeding up with your boy.
It may not be the news you are looking for but it may provide a possible answer for what is happening if it is confirmed.
CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care

Hyperthyroid does come with weight loss but in my own experience it is accompanied by rather characteristic impatient/edgy behaviour where things can't happen quickly enough and the piggy is a bit like a coiled spring all the time.

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. Your boy is a good age!

Please take the time to read our very practical step-by-step support feeding guide to ensure that you are giving the support that he needs; the guide covers all aspects that are playing into supporting a very ill guinea pig; from improvising in a pinch to how to deal with cooperating and unccoperative piggies but also including practical emergency and end of life care advice and information.
Here is the link: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Here are our very practical care tips for guinea pigs with mobility issues (also contains a list of possible causes): Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

The combination of dental issues with possible balance/neurological problems in this back legs makes me think that your boy may possibly suffer from calcified bulla syndrome (CBS). It is a very newly identified issue that can cause a range of seemingly unconnected problems radiating from the middle ear capsule (bulla). It can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the head. Vets will likely not have heard of it yet.

This link here contains all the detailed information, which your vet may also find interesting. The link contains a list of possible symptoms and also comparison x-ray pictures. The severity and the symptoms of CBS can vary quite a lot but - if it is indeed CBS you are dealing with - seems to be sadly speeding up with your boy.
It may not be the news you are looking for but it may provide a possible answer for what is happening if it is confirmed.
CBS (Calcified Bulla Syndrome) and Neurological Problems - Symptoms and Care

Hyperthyroid does come with weight loss but in my own experience it is accompanied by rather characteristic impatient/edgy behaviour where things can't happen quickly enough and the piggy is a bit like a coiled spring all the time.

Thank you for all the links! I looked through them and they have great information! I am going to see if I can get the X-rays from the emergency clinic so I can view them, I unfortunately haven’t been able to see them. He does have a few symptoms of CBS, to your knowledge can they sometimes come and go? Like he has symptoms on one day and then not have them for a few days? I’m really struggling with the fact of should I get blood work done and put him through more stress to potentially still not have answers. I just want to do what is best for him. To be honest I’m not comfortable with putting him under anesthesia to get blood work though as he just went under and he is even skinner. I have also read up on hyperthyroidism and he just doesn’t fit the characteristic symptoms that they show like you said.

 

[Princess Dustmop]

He may be concerned that you'll get obsessive about the weight or try to do something drastic or self-prescribe your piggy something. Since you're just looking to find out whether your piggy's weight is going up or down overall, you should be fine. You're not going to overreact that your piggy changed weight by 5 grams ...

Paper towel rolls, paper bags, boxes, speckled with goodies to forage ... you can also try switching up the hay varieties: timothy hay, orchard grass, botanical hay, meadow hay, blends of those ...

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for all the links! I looked through them and they have great information! I am going to see if I can get the X-rays from the emergency clinic so I can view them, I unfortunately haven’t been able to see them. He does have a few symptoms of CBS, to your knowledge can they sometimes come and go? Like he has symptoms on one day and then not have them for a few days? I’m really struggling with the fact of should I get blood work done and put him through more stress to potentially still not have answers. I just want to do what is best for him. To be honest I’m not comfortable with putting him under anesthesia to get blood work though as he just went under and he is even skinner. I have also read up on hyperthyroidism and he just doesn’t fit the characteristic symptoms that they show like you said.

CBS symptoms can waver a bit at first; especially new ones but the trend is that they will get worse over time - which can range from months or even years to a matter of weeks or even days in the very worst cases fast onset cases. You seem to be somewhere in between but moving towards a speed up and the latter stages of it if the diagnosis is confirmed.
The mildest cases will never actually need vet treatment while the worst are pretty devastating. I have had a suspected case of the latter kind (retrospectively) last summer but a chat with Saskia about her own experiences when she sent me her info for her article in Guinea Pig Magazine confirmed my suspicions of a fast onset case. The pattern and progression is quite distinctive in the latter stages. My own vets were totally puzzled by it as it didn't fit with anything they knew. The pattern of progress is distinctively different from e.cuniculi (which I could exclude due to lack of rabbits in the proximity anyway).

You may need a touch of sedation for an x-ray, too; just enough to keep him from moving when the clinic personnel have to arrange him in a somewhat uncomfortable position for a good, clear picture (or several if they need to work out where a problem sits inside the body). But at least the x-ray should give you an answer and is worth pushing for if you have noticed 3 different symptoms or more on that list.

Sedation for diagnostic work is generally not as heavy as for an operation and it is for a much shorter space of time, so the effect is generally not as bad. The longer a piggy is under, the higher risk of complications.
You may find the current Facebook blog about an exotics nurse's work (with specific guinea pig interest) helpful. She does it as an A-Z. A deals with anaethetics, B with blood sampling and X with x-rays which will give you a bit of insight into what actually happens behind the scenes and help allay some of your fears: The Guinea pig Guru - log on or sign up to view