About two weeks ago on Friday I took my Guinea pig to the vet, he stopping using both of his back legs and one foot in the front but still acting normal. The doctor believed this could be scurvy and suggested I up his intake of vitamin C. I gave him pellets, hay, vitamin C treats, and vegetables rich in vitamin C. After a week, I did notice that he began to move his front leg a little bit but still mostly dragging it. I decided to take him to another vet to be 100% sure that it was scurvy and the vet didn’t misdiagnose him. Vet #2 examined him and told me that it’s most likely scurvy but to be sure that wasn’t any underlying infections they gave me Baytril and Meloxicam. He was showing a lot more improvement, he can move both of his front legs and one in the back, but his left leg still looks a bit swollen and irritated. I noticed that on the third day of giving him his medication that he stopped pooping for long periods of time and when he did poop only one or two poops would come out. The vet did tell me that the medications might cause a Guinea pig’s stomach to become upset. I’m wondering if maybe the lack of movement might be contributing to this? Or if there’s anything I can give or do for him that will help him start pooping again? He is still eating, drinking and acting his normal self, but I’m still really worried that his lack of pooping will cause his health to decline after improving in what I originally brought him in for.
-
Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement
Guinea pig stopped pooping after medication
- Thread starter FatCat24
- Start date
Please ensure you are weighing him daily each morning. This is the only way to ensure he is actually eating enough hay. Hay is the main food but you can’t gauge intake by eye. Any reduction in hay intake will be seen with weight loss. Lack of poop is also due to reduction in hay intake. Poop output is 1-2 days behind food intake so by the time you notice reduction in poop, they may already have not been eating enough hay for a day or so.
Please do weigh him and step in with syringe feeding to replace any reduction of hay intake.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Scurvy is not common. We do not come across cases of it on here often at all.
Most piggies get plenty of vitamin c with a good balanced diet and the few cases we have seen tend to be in piggies who are routinely given supplements. Their bodies get used to abnormally high amounts and if the level drops from which their bodies have become accustomed to then scurvy is the result.
Please do weigh him and step in with syringe feeding to replace any reduction of hay intake.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Scurvy is not common. We do not come across cases of it on here often at all.
Most piggies get plenty of vitamin c with a good balanced diet and the few cases we have seen tend to be in piggies who are routinely given supplements. Their bodies get used to abnormally high amounts and if the level drops from which their bodies have become accustomed to then scurvy is the result.
Lacking Vit c/ vit c deficiency is scurvy.
It’s good the vet is running other checks.
If he has a good hay based diet with one cup of veg per day and a small amount of pellets, then scurvy is generally unlikely. We simply do not see scurvy in well fed, non- vit c supplemented piggies.
However, where a piggy has been given vit c supplementation long term then that is when a well meaning owner may find their piggy does get scurvy if the supplementation levels drop.
They do not need vitamin c treats at all. as I explained above, supplementation of vit c above and beyond normal veg part is their diet can lead to a well meaning owner causing scurvy to occur - their bodies get used to amounts which are simply too high for their needs and any drop in that level causes scurvy.
There are no long term/experienced owners on the forum who will ever supplement their piggies.
Any piggy who has been supplemented long term must be weaned off supplementation slowly
It’s good the vet is running other checks.
If he has a good hay based diet with one cup of veg per day and a small amount of pellets, then scurvy is generally unlikely. We simply do not see scurvy in well fed, non- vit c supplemented piggies.
However, where a piggy has been given vit c supplementation long term then that is when a well meaning owner may find their piggy does get scurvy if the supplementation levels drop.
They do not need vitamin c treats at all. as I explained above, supplementation of vit c above and beyond normal veg part is their diet can lead to a well meaning owner causing scurvy to occur - their bodies get used to amounts which are simply too high for their needs and any drop in that level causes scurvy.
There are no long term/experienced owners on the forum who will ever supplement their piggies.
Any piggy who has been supplemented long term must be weaned off supplementation slowly
Hello I wanted to give an update, I went to the vet yesterday because he suddenly stopped eating hay, he still eats his pellets and veggies and still drinks lots of water. He has shown a lot of improvement in his movement since I’ve made that post, he can get up on his own and move himself more. The only concern is his back leg, there is hair loss and when bent he shows signs of discomfort. The Vet is sure that it isn’t a vitamin c deficiency (scurvy) like we initially thought, but it could be some nerve or spine problem. Unfortunately we are short on money at the moment and couldn’t get him the x-ray tests, but we plan to get them as soon as possible. Vet told me I should start to force feed him, but I wasn’t exactly sure what because I’m pretty sure pellets alone isn’t enough to give him what he needs. For now I’ve been giving him pellets mixed with water and a mix of some blended veggies which he hasn’t refused. I want to know if there’s anything I could do to encourage him to eat his hay or any at home recipes to give him the nutrients he would get from the hay.
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
When they say force feeding I think they mean syringe feeding. You can get different brands of support food. Critical care, emeraid and burgess dual care. There are others but they seem to be most commonly used.
Thank you for the advice, I’m going to order some Emeraid. In the meantime I’ve been feeding pellets mixed with water and blended veggies. I’ve also tried wrapping hay strands around the cilantro stems and wrapping lettuce around the hay, it’s not a lot but I’m trying to get some of the hay’s nutrition into him somehow.
We don’t like the term force feeding on here! It is called syringe feeding.
Mushed pellets are fine as an emergency alternative but a proper recovery feed such as critical care or emeraid is better for long term feeding as it has higher fibre content.
Make sure you are weighing him each morning so you can be sure you are getting enough syringe feed into him each day.
If you are blending veggies you have to be very careful that you don’t let the volume of veggies get too high and detract from the recovery feed.’ It is the recovery feed which is the vital part when syringe feeding, not veggies.
The best thing is to do half a syringe feed, then offer some fresh grass if available, some strands hay, and some herbs and veggies. Then finish the syringe feed. This can help stimulate the appetite into independent eating. Any grass and hay you can get into him is beneficial to help keep the teeth wearing.
Mushed pellets are fine as an emergency alternative but a proper recovery feed such as critical care or emeraid is better for long term feeding as it has higher fibre content.
Make sure you are weighing him each morning so you can be sure you are getting enough syringe feed into him each day.
If you are blending veggies you have to be very careful that you don’t let the volume of veggies get too high and detract from the recovery feed.’ It is the recovery feed which is the vital part when syringe feeding, not veggies.
The best thing is to do half a syringe feed, then offer some fresh grass if available, some strands hay, and some herbs and veggies. Then finish the syringe feed. This can help stimulate the appetite into independent eating. Any grass and hay you can get into him is beneficial to help keep the teeth wearing.
Thank you ! This advice has really been helping me out, this is all new to me it’s my first time caring for a sick piggy so it’s been really stressful. I felt the vet was kinda vague and didn’t go into much detail of what I should give him while he is not eating hay.
I do have a couple questions, can the wheatgrass sold in pet stores help/benefit him? Can hay be blended into a powder and added to his syringe feed? What should I do if he refuses the syringe feed? Are there veggies/products that are high in fiber that can keep him stable while I wait for the Emeraid? Sorry for the many questions
I do have a couple questions, can the wheatgrass sold in pet stores help/benefit him? Can hay be blended into a powder and added to his syringe feed? What should I do if he refuses the syringe feed? Are there veggies/products that are high in fiber that can keep him stable while I wait for the Emeraid? Sorry for the many questions
Don’t be sorry for questions, we are here to help.
There is no need to add anything to the critical care/emeraid syringe feed - it is nutritionally complete and designed to replace the hay fibre intake while a piggy is unwell and not eating hay independently.
Veg will never replace fibre intake and veg will never keep the weight stable. Veg is merely supplementary in the diet. Mushed pellets is the emergency alternative to emeraid and it is that (and the emeraid) which is used to keep the weight stable.
As I say, offering sticks of veg after a syringe feed is fine but the priority is getting plenty of syringe feed in.
If he really doesn't like it, you can try different brand/flavour. Mine hated Oxbow but loved the Emeraid. Sometimes I also filled the syringe with the critical care and some blended veg he likes. Or you can just dip the syringe in the blended veg to kinda make it taste better. I think you can do the same with the mushed pellets, since he likes them.The guide on syringe feeding is really helpful. I am sure you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly and figure out what works best for you and your piggy.
Thank you for the tips! I ordered the Emeraid and it says it should arrive by August 5th. He’s been eating his Oxbow pellets, treats that contain fiber and vitamin C, vegetables covered with hay, and occasionally eats small pieces of hay. I’ve been checking his poops and he is producing a lot of normal shaped poops, still a bit on the soft side but it is looking a lot better. I’ve been looking at other ways to get him to eat some hay and I saw someone used the hay at the bottom of the bag and baking it into a biscuit for them, would that work for him and if so, anyone got some recipes for that?
Don’t forget it is the daily weight checks which are essential in knowing whether he is eating enough. Make sure you are weighing him each morning. Watching poops is not accurate up to date information.
Eating pellets, treats and veg - it’s great that he has an appetite but they are all only supplementary. Please make sure you are syringe feeding pellet mush until the emeraid arrives. Pellets are lower in fibre than the emeraid.
I don’t have a recipe - it’s not something ive ever bothered making, it’s quite a lot of faffing and they don’t tend to last long before going off. Don’t forget you can’t use a recipe which needs to be cooked.
When a piggy is poorly it’s the syringe feeding which is the vital part.
Eating pellets, treats and veg - it’s great that he has an appetite but they are all only supplementary. Please make sure you are syringe feeding pellet mush until the emeraid arrives. Pellets are lower in fibre than the emeraid.
I don’t have a recipe - it’s not something ive ever bothered making, it’s quite a lot of faffing and they don’t tend to last long before going off. Don’t forget you can’t use a recipe which needs to be cooked.
When a piggy is poorly it’s the syringe feeding which is the vital part.
Yup, I’ve been doing the syringe feeding. I am a bit confused on how frequently I should feed him throughout the day and how much in a day he should be eating. So far I’ve been able to give him 30mL because it’s the most he’s willing to eat and he also has his veggies and pellets that he’s been eating .
I also saw bloat is something that happens in Guinea pigs who have completely stopped eating hay, is there still a possibility for Guinea pigs eating mushed pellets to develop bloat? If so, should I continue to feed him veggies or are there any veggies I should avoid?
I also saw bloat is something that happens in Guinea pigs who have completely stopped eating hay, is there still a possibility for Guinea pigs eating mushed pellets to develop bloat? If so, should I continue to feed him veggies or are there any veggies I should avoid?
How much you feed entirely depends on how much hay he is eating and what his weight checks each day are telling you.
If you suspect bloat then you need to go to the vet and cut out all veg
If you don’t actually suspect bloat, it’s just something youve read and he has no symptoms if it, then nothing needs to change
If you suspect bloat then you need to go to the vet and cut out all veg
If you don’t actually suspect bloat, it’s just something youve read and he has no symptoms if it, then nothing needs to change