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Specialist Guinea Pig Recovering From Stasis - Still Not Eating

KatieK

KatieK

New Born Pup
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Location
Sheffield, South Yorks, UK
Hi Everyone, bit of a long story this one, but I would appreciate any advice. My precious GP Wilbur went to the vet three weeks ago with a suspected UTI (I found blood in his wee). The vet prescribed Metacam and a course of Baytril. The next day Wilbur stopped pooping. We went back to the vet who suggested we stop the Baytril as it can upset GP's stomach and gave him a dose of Zantac orally. Next morning still no poop and a very hunched poorly piggy, no longer eating (we started syringe feeding Critical Care at that point). Back to the vet where he had a another dose of Zantac and an injection of Emeprid. Sent home again. Poorly Piggy over the whole of the weekend. Monday I phoned the vet and asked for Zantac syrup to administer at home. Limited improvement over the following days but no real poop output. After reading advice on the forum I phoned the vet again and asked for Emeprid to administer at home alongside the Zantac. 48 hours after the Emperid lots of poop appeared and over the coming days became consistent. Wilbur also started to show signs of interest in food - eating bits of greens, grass and straw (not hay - he will not touch hay at all). This brings be to the current week - on Sunday he ate a small tea of greens all by himself and was really keen on grass. He even "wheeked" for his tea ( such a lovely sound after such a long time!) so I thought we were making progress! However, the last couple of days he is starting to refuse all foods again. He will no longer eat grass and is turning his nose up at his previous favourites (namely lettuce of all types). In desperation I offered him a piece of cauliflower this morning - which strangely he ate (he normally hates it!). Apart from that he is picking at his hay and eating a few pellets now and then. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have dental issues as he can eat really tough stuff (including cardboard which he was keen on when he was very poorly). So I have now booked an X-Ray on Friday to see if there is something else going on. I have tried virtually every type of hay there is to buy, 4 types of pellets and all sorts of fresh stuff. Is there anything else I should try? I am worried sick about my poor baby. He's normally so greedy and it's breaking my heart to see him like this :-( Has anyone else had similar experiences with getting Piggy's to eat by themselves following episodes of Stasis? Could the meds be putting him off eating? Thanks.
 
KatieK said:
Hi Everyone, bit of a long story this one, but I would appreciate any advice. My precious GP Wilbur went to the vet three weeks ago with a suspected UTI (I found blood in his wee). The vet prescribed Metacam and a course of Baytril. The next day Wilbur stopped pooping. We went back to the vet who suggested we stop the Baytril as it can upset GP's stomach and gave him a dose of Zantac orally. Next morning still no poop and a very hunched poorly piggy, no longer eating (we started syringe feeding Critical Care at that point). Back to the vet where he had a another dose of Zantac and an injection of Emeprid. Sent home again. Poorly Piggy over the whole of the weekend. Monday I phoned the vet and asked for Zantac syrup to administer at home. Limited improvement over the following days but no real poop output. After reading advice on the forum I phoned the vet again and asked for Emeprid to administer at home alongside the Zantac. 48 hours after the Emperid lots of poop appeared and over the coming days became consistent. Wilbur also started to show signs of interest in food - eating bits of greens, grass and straw (not hay - he will not touch hay at all). This brings be to the current week - on Sunday he ate a small tea of greens all by himself and was really keen on grass. He even "wheeked" for his tea ( such a lovely sound after such a long time!) so I thought we were making progress! However, the last couple of days he is starting to refuse all foods again. He will no longer eat grass and is turning his nose up at his previous favourites (namely lettuce of all types). In desperation I offered him a piece of cauliflower this morning - which strangely he ate (he normally hates it!). Apart from that he is picking at his hay and eating a few pellets now and then. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have dental issues as he can eat really tough stuff (including cardboard which he was keen on when he was very poorly). So I have now booked an X-Ray on Friday to see if there is something else going on. I have tried virtually every type of hay there is to buy, 4 types of pellets and all sorts of fresh stuff. Is there anything else I should try? I am worried sick about my poor baby. He's normally so greedy and it's breaking my heart to see him like this :-( Has anyone else had similar experiences with getting Piggy's to eat by themselves following episodes of Stasis? Could the meds be putting him off eating? Thanks.[/QUOT
I've the same piggie. He had teeth operation and never ate. Few days of syringe food he started picking at food then one day he started eating everything
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Are you still giving metacam when he isn't eating? I would assume the same applies to guinea pigs but I am not sure, you shouldn't give metacam to cats and dogs who aren't eating as they can get stomach ulcers. Not sure I can help you any more but I hope he is feeling better soon
 
I can't offer any advice either, I'm afraid, but sending you hugs!

By the way, you said suspected UTI; did the vet confirm that they think it is? Or did they suggest anything else?
 
KatieK said:
Hi Everyone, bit of a long story this one, but I would appreciate any advice. My precious GP Wilbur went to the vet three weeks ago with a suspected UTI (I found blood in his wee). The vet prescribed Metacam and a course of Baytril. The next day Wilbur stopped pooping. We went back to the vet who suggested we stop the Baytril as it can upset GP's stomach and gave him a dose of Zantac orally. Next morning still no poop and a very hunched poorly piggy, no longer eating (we started syringe feeding Critical Care at that point). Back to the vet where he had a another dose of Zantac and an injection of Emeprid. Sent home again. Poorly Piggy over the whole of the weekend. Monday I phoned the vet and asked for Zantac syrup to administer at home. Limited improvement over the following days but no real poop output. After reading advice on the forum I phoned the vet again and asked for Emeprid to administer at home alongside the Zantac. 48 hours after the Emperid lots of poop appeared and over the coming days became consistent. Wilbur also started to show signs of interest in food - eating bits of greens, grass and straw (not hay - he will not touch hay at all). This brings be to the current week - on Sunday he ate a small tea of greens all by himself and was really keen on grass. He even "wheeked" for his tea ( such a lovely sound after such a long time!) so I thought we were making progress! However, the last couple of days he is starting to refuse all foods again. He will no longer eat grass and is turning his nose up at his previous favourites (namely lettuce of all types). In desperation I offered him a piece of cauliflower this morning - which strangely he ate (he normally hates it!). Apart from that he is picking at his hay and eating a few pellets now and then. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have dental issues as he can eat really tough stuff (including cardboard which he was keen on when he was very poorly). So I have now booked an X-Ray on Friday to see if there is something else going on. I have tried virtually every type of hay there is to buy, 4 types of pellets and all sorts of fresh stuff. Is there anything else I should try? I am worried sick about my poor baby. He's normally so greedy and it's breaking my heart to see him like this :-( Has anyone else had similar experiences with getting Piggy's to eat by themselves following episodes of Stasis? Could the meds be putting him off eating? Thanks.
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Hi and welcome!

You may find this guide here helpful. Bloat, GI Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

It also contains a link to my Pili Pala's GI stasis thread a year ago. She struggled fully recover, eat and stabilise her weight in the wake of it.
She was eventually diagnosed with IBS in early December by a very piggy savvy vet some months later (and even later has developed suspected hyperthyroid, equally difficult to treat yet in guinea pigs) but has been on twice daily gut stimulants (emeprid, zantac and cisapride as well as metacam) and top up feed for the 11 1/2 months she lived post GI stasis (she sadly died 4 weeks ago from a heart attack).

It is very likely that your piggy's GI stasis could have been caused by an underlying problem and is not so much just the problem itself. What could have caused it is unfortunately mostly due to sheer detective work and not necessarily easily obvious. :(
Elinor18 said:
Are you still giving metacam when he isn't eating? I would assume the same applies to guinea pigs but I am not sure, you shouldn't give metacam to cats and dogs who aren't eating as they can get stomach ulcers. Not sure I can help you any more but I hope he is feeling better soon
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Hi!

Guinea pig body chemistry is NOT like cats and dogs and they deal with metacam a lot better.

Please respect that this section is specially monitored by designated experienced members which we fully trust. You are welcome to post your own experiences if you have them or post your support, but we ar kindly asking any new members to refrain from posting any advice on problems or aspects they have no personal experience with or special knowledge of.
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Thank you!
 
Thanks everyone. The vet did do a test on his wee originally - it had blood in it, but nothing to suggest infection when the results eventually came back. We were wondering if he had sludge or even stones when we first took him. He is not in pain when he wees currently (although maybe this is the Metacam at work?), he was when we went originally.

Wiebke - your advice is much appreciated. I was wondering if the GI stasis could have been caused by some other underlying condition. Perhaps the X-Ray will tell us something. I have also read your Pili Pala's GI stasis thread - it's been really helpful and thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm so sorry to hear you lost her recently.
 
KatieK said:
Thanks everyone. The vet did do a test on his wee originally - it had blood in it, but nothing to suggest infection when the results eventually came back. We were wondering if he had sludge or even stones when we first took him. He is not in pain when he wees currently (although maybe this is the Metacam at work?), he was when we went originally.

Wiebke - your advice is much appreciated. I was wondering if the GI stasis could have been caused by some other underlying condition. Perhaps the X-Ray will tell us something. I have also read your Pili Pala's GI stasis thread - it's been really helpful and thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm so sorry to hear you lost her recently.
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I have been feeling very blessed to have her for another year in my life and to see her living close to her 6th birthday. Considering the hellhole she had been rescued from, I never expected her to live that long!

I found that a couple of courses of fibreplax did help with firming up Pili's poos. Because she hated the taste, I also added it to her syringe feed, which was a mixture of mushed up pellets and Critical Care fine grind (the latter was another thing she was not keen on, but would eat together with her beloved pellets. Eventually she'd eat her top up mix from a bowl, which she would get as a special 'treat' at medication time. Thankfully she came to love her gut meds!

But there are no firm rules apart from anything goes that gets food into your piggy at this stage. Please weigh daily to keep an eye on the overall food intake. Your first aim is to stabilise and then to gradually increase the weight. It can take a while to stabilise the guts if there are other factors in play.

All the best with any further investigations! I hope that I have been able to give you some hope. Just hang in there; you have already made such a difference and have got him through something that all too often kills. ;)
 
Elinor18 said:
Are you still giving metacam when he isn't eating? I would assume the same applies to guinea pigs but I am not sure, you shouldn't give metacam to cats and dogs who aren't eating as they can get stomach ulcers. Not sure I can help you any more but I hope he is feeling better soon
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Stopped all drugs just food excersice. He feels funny off it. Its addictive.
 
Wiebke said:
I have been feeling very blessed to have her for another year in my life and to see her living close to her 6th birthday. Considering the hellhole she had been rescued from, I never expected her to live that long!

I found that a couple of courses of fibreplax did help with firming up Pili's poos. Because she hated the taste, I also added it to her syringe feed, which was a mixture of mushed up pellets and Critical Care fine grind (the latter was another thing she was not keen on, but would eat together with her beloved pellets. Eventually she'd eat her top up mix from a bowl, which she would get as a special 'treat' at medication time. Thankfully she came to love her gut meds!

But there are no firm rules apart from anything goes that gets food into your piggy at this stage. Please weigh daily to keep an eye on the overall food intake. Your first aim is to stabilise and then to gradually increase the weight. It can take a while to stabilise the guts if there are other factors in play.

All the best with any further investigations! I hope that I have been able to give you some hope. Just hang in there; you have already made such a difference and have got him through something that all too often kills. ;)
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Awwwww he's loving.
 
Hi Everyone - update on my Wilbur. I had to leave him at the vet all day on Friday for his X-Ray (eek!). Anyway, the X-Ray didn't show anything up and the vet gave him a "clean bill of health" which was a relief, but obviously the cause of the GI stasis remains uncertain. I was a bit surprised as I'd convinced myself that the likely cause was stones, but very pleased to hear nothing (detectable) underlying. When he came back from a day at the vet, he seemed to be ravenously hungry and tucked into some lettuce when he got home and then some grass hay! There has been progress over the weekend and his appetite does seem to be returning, albeit slowly. Although we are a long way from out of the woods, I am feeling cautiously optimistic - fingers crossed for continued improvement!
 
Thanks Merab's Slave. It's so pleasing when I see him eating something like a whole piece of lettuce by himself! Trying not to get my hopes up too high at the moment though, as I know the recovery is going to be a long road.
 
Hope he continues to improve :)
Always so scary when they stop eating when they're normally such piggles!
 
KatieK said:
Hi Everyone - update on my Wilbur. I had to leave him at the vet all day on Friday for his X-Ray (eek!). Anyway, the X-Ray didn't show anything up and the vet gave him a "clean bill of health" which was a relief, but obviously the cause of the GI stasis remains uncertain. I was a bit surprised as I'd convinced myself that the likely cause was stones, but very pleased to hear nothing (detectable) underlying. When he came back from a day at the vet, he seemed to be ravenously hungry and tucked into some lettuce when he got home and then some grass hay! There has been progress over the weekend and his appetite does seem to be returning, albeit slowly. Although we are a long way from out of the woods, I am feeling cautiously optimistic - fingers crossed for continued improvement!
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Fingers very firmly crossed! Keep at it!
 
Update on Wilbur - I am weaning him off his meds at the recommendation of the vet. In himself he seems okay, but his eating habits are just so changed from how they were. What he's prepared to eat varies wildly from day to day - today's snack of choice is celery. Only a couple of days ago he wouldn't eat it, dandelions were his favourite - and now he won't eat them. He certainly won't eat lettuce of any sort which was his favourite thing pre-illness (or parsley, which he also used to love). Same with pellets - he used to love his Harrington's and now he won't touch it. He will eat some Burgess Select (but only fresh out of the wrapper, he won't eat it if it's been in his cage for a while). It's all very strange, not to mention stressful trying to find him something he'll eat. On the plus side, he seems to like the German hay I got from Zooplus (and the Nibble Grass which you grow in a tub). Just wondering if there is anything else I should try, or any other tests that we should be doing. I still think there's something underlying that hasn't been diagnosed.

Looking back, he was getting increasingly "picky" over his food in the month or so before the blood in his urine/GI stasis episode. I wondered at the time if it was simply poor quality veggies following the heat wave in summer, but now it looks like it could have been an indicator of something else?

He really was such a greedy piggy before; I so want to get him back to his normal self!
 
Thanks Merab's Slave - the weirdest thing is him liking something one day and then not the next; almost like his taste buds change everyday! He did zoomies round his cage on Friday night though, which really cheered me up :love:
 
KatieK said:
Update on Wilbur - I am weaning him off his meds at the recommendation of the vet. In himself he seems okay, but his eating habits are just so changed from how they were. What he's prepared to eat varies wildly from day to day - today's snack of choice is celery. Only a couple of days ago he wouldn't eat it, dandelions were his favourite - and now he won't eat them. He certainly won't eat lettuce of any sort which was his favourite thing pre-illness (or parsley, which he also used to love). Same with pellets - he used to love his Harrington's and now he won't touch it. He will eat some Burgess Select (but only fresh out of the wrapper, he won't eat it if it's been in his cage for a while). It's all very strange, not to mention stressful trying to find him something he'll eat. On the plus side, he seems to like the German hay I got from Zooplus (and the Nibble Grass which you grow in a tub). Just wondering if there is anything else I should try, or any other tests that we should be doing. I still think there's something underlying that hasn't been diagnosed.

Looking back, he was getting increasingly "picky" over his food in the month or so before the blood in his urine/GI stasis episode. I wondered at the time if it was simply poor quality veggies following the heat wave in summer, but now it looks like it could have been an indicator of something else?

He really was such a greedy piggy before; I so want to get him back to his normal self!
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See how he goes without his gut meds, but be prepared to go back to the vet for long term use if he deteriorates and his weight is going down/yoyoing wildly.

My Pili Pala was finally diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) when her weigh refused to stabilise in th weeks after her GI stasis. She spent the last year of her life on twice daily emeprid, zantac, cisapride and metacam plus a recovery formula/mushed pellet bowl of top up feed. Her weight issues were not helped when a few months down the line she developed suspected hyperthyroid. Her weight had been somewhat up and down in the months before her GI stasis.

If a piggy is not bouncing back from a stasis, it is usually because the stasis is a complication to an underlying problem and not the other way around. :(
 
Thanks Wiebke. I had come to the conclusion that the stasis was a complication to something else (as yet not diagnosed). My vet doesn't seem to have any other suggestions at this stage though, given the X-Ray was clear. May I ask what testing your vet did to get to Pili Pala's diagnosis of IBS? I requested a blood test for Wilbur before and the vet was really not keen.

Cutting down his meds does not (yet) appear to have had a negative impact, but I will keep a careful eye on the situation. He tolerates the meds well so I see no reason why he can't continue on them long term, if need be. I am weighing him twice a day (morning and night time). At the moment, he is eating good quantities of hay by himself. In himself, he's still my cheerful, bouncy little boy. Considering how ill he was 6 or so weeks ago, really every day is a bonus!
 
KatieK said:
Thanks Wiebke. I had come to the conclusion that the stasis was a complication to something else (as yet not diagnosed). My vet doesn't seem to have any other suggestions at this stage though, given the X-Ray was clear. May I ask what testing your vet did to get to Pili Pala's diagnosis of IBS? I requested a blood test for Wilbur before and the vet was really not keen.

Cutting down his meds does not (yet) appear to have had a negative impact, but I will keep a careful eye on the situation. He tolerates the meds well so I see no reason why he can't continue on them long term, if need be. I am weighing him twice a day (morning and night time). At the moment, he is eating good quantities of hay by himself. In himself, he's still my cheerful, bouncy little boy. Considering how ill he was 6 or so weeks ago, really every day is a bonus!
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Pili Pala developed a thickening of the lower gut which was noticeable even to me, and which was not bloat. ;)
Your symptoms are not the same as Pili's so I don't think that you are dealing with IBS. Unfortunately there is a very wide range of problems (organ based) that do not necessarily show up on a scan/x-ray that can cause problems but can be hard to identify. :(

@Jaycey @helen105281 @Freela @furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse
 
KatieK said:
Thanks Merab's Slave - the weirdest thing is him liking something one day and then not the next; almost like his taste buds change everyday! He did zoomies round his cage on Friday night though, which really cheered me up :love:
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Did you ever get to the bottom of this?
 
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