Help- Anorexic and lethargic guinea pig

[jo_co6]

Hi, this is the first time I’ve used this but I’m looking for advice.
My guinea pig is 2.5 years old, she lives indoors with 3 other female pigs. She’s had no major changes that I can think of, but this morning she was off her food. We tried her with her usual chard, as well as green beans and cucumber but she only ate the rind of one piece of cucumber. We gave her some extra nice hay in her favourite house, she seems kind of lethargic and not wanting to come out, although she is slightly nervier than the others anyway.
We went to the shops and got her corn on the cob, one of her favourite treats which she hasn’t had in ages. She ate 1/4 of half a small cob, totally unlike her.
We’ve booked her in to the vets tomorrow morning (earliest appt unfortunately) but I’m worried about her hydration levels. I haven’t seen her have a drink all day (although I haven’t been continuously monitoring her) and she hasn’t eaten veggies, just hay. She won’t take water from a syringe, any ideas? Her poops seem smaller than usual, but other than that no other changes that I’ve noticed.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, this is the first time I’ve used this but I’m looking for advice.
My guinea pig is 2.5 years old, she lives indoors with 3 other female pigs. She’s had no major changes that I can think of, but this morning she was off her food. We tried her with her usual chard, as well as green beans and cucumber but she only ate the rind of one piece of cucumber. We gave her some extra nice hay in her favourite house, she seems kind of lethargic and not wanting to come out, although she is slightly nervier than the others anyway.
We went to the shops and got her corn on the cob, one of her favourite treats which she hasn’t had in ages. She ate 1/4 of half a small cob, totally unlike her.
We’ve booked her in to the vets tomorrow morning (earliest appt unfortunately) but I’m worried about her hydration levels. I haven’t seen her have a drink all day (although I haven’t been continuously monitoring her) and she hasn’t eaten veggies, just hay. She won’t take water from a syringe, any ideas? Her poops seem smaller than usual, but other than that no other changes that I’ve noticed.

Hi!

What your piggy needs is fibre and a vet, but it is good that she is still eating partially on her own.
Hay makes around 75-80% what a piggy eats in a day whereas preferably green veg and fresh herbs and 1 tablespoon of pellets only make about one quarter of the daily food intake. You cannot control the hay intake by eye (especially as chewing on crud can really fool you), but it is generally the first food group that is massively impacted and that you need to replace most. You can use mushed pellets in a pinch until you can get hold of hay based recovery formula.
Please switch from weighing once weekly to weighing daily on your kitchen scales at the same time in order to monitor the food intake/weight loss and know how much support feeding is needed to stabilise the weight as much as possible. Unlike pellets, weighing gives you an up to date feedback whereas the poo output is by necessity running about a day behind on average - it can be even two with a slow gut. Your piggy can lose a lot of weight in that time! Smaller poops indicate that she hasn't eaten properly for at least a day or more.

Please take the time to read our detailed practical information on supporting an ill guinea pig until you can see a vet at the soonest and until any treatment kicks in enough for your piggy to hold their weight on their own again; it also contains practical tips on how you can improvise in an emergency.
We cannot repeat all the practical little how to details fully in every single post, which is why we use our guides where you can to make sure that you have access to all relevant information that can make the difference between life and death - no medication will work if your piggy dying from lack of support feeding.

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

Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

All the best!

 

[VickiA]

Please step in straight away with syringe feeding her. The smaller poops indicate she is not eating. It is vital to step in to syringe feed to keep her guts moving u til you can get her to a vets.
Here is the link to our helpful guides. You can mix up a mush of her usual pellets with warm water and syringe feed it to her.

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

 

[jo_co6]

Hi!

What your piggy needs is fibre and a vet, but it is good that she is still eating partially on her own.
Hay makes around 75-80% what a piggy eats in a day whereas preferably green veg and fresh herbs and 1 tablespoon of pellets only make about one quarter of the daily food intake. You cannot control the hay intake by eye (especially as chewing on crud can really fool you), but it is generally the first food group that is massively impacted and that you need to replace most. You can use mushed pellets in a pinch until you can get hold of hay based recovery formula.
Please switch from weighing once weekly to weighing daily on your kitchen scales at the same time in order to monitor the food intake/weight loss and know how much support feeding is needed to stabilise the weight as much as possible. Unlike pellets, weighing gives you an up to date feedback whereas the poo output is by necessity running about a day behind on average - it can be even two with a slow gut. Your piggy can lose a lot of weight in that time! Smaller poops indicate that she hasn't eaten properly for at least a day or more.

Please take the time to read our detailed practical information on supporting an ill guinea pig until you can see a vet at the soonest and until any treatment kicks in enough for your piggy to hold their weight on their own again; it also contains practical tips on how you can improvise in an emergency.
We cannot repeat all the practical little how to details fully in every single post, which is why we use our guides where you can to make sure that you have access to all relevant information that can make the difference between life and death - no medication will work if your piggy dying from lack of support feeding.

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

Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

All the best!

Thanks for the help!
We got some critical care and she seemed better this morning, she drank some water and ate some hay, even had one little piece of cucumber.
We took her to the vets and they’ve give her some antibiotics, they suspect it’s her gut so we’re going to continue feeding her supplements as well as the antibiotics and hope she feels better soon. Thank you for the help

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the help!
We got some critical care and she seemed better this morning, she drank some water and ate some hay, even had one little piece of cucumber.
We took her to the vets and they’ve give her some antibiotics, they suspect it’s her gut so we’re going to continue feeding her supplements as well as the antibiotics and hope she feels better soon. Thank you for the help

Please control how much you need to supplement feed by weighing daily until she is able to hold her weight again. The syringe feed is making up for what she is not eating in term of hay.

All the best!

You may want to bookmark the emergency information collection link. It comes in very helpful when you are in a panic as these things have a bad habit of happening at the worst moment possible.

We are here for any questions.

 

[weepweeps]

I hope your piggy perks up soon.

 

[jo_co6]

Update: She has been on Baytril for the past week, she was really improving and was basically back to normal but the last two doses she fidgeted so much we barely got any of the antibiotics in her. This morning she was back to her unusual self, not rating much and separating herself from the rest of the group so we took her to the vets asap. The vet couldn’t see any physical problems at all, and didn’t know why she was so subdued, said she could be having an “off day”? She gave us some Carbodote charcoal liquid for gas but her abdomen didn’t even feel unusual, we’re going to keep a close eye on her but I’m wondering could it be that the antibiotics aren’t totally finished yet so it’s come back? She was on it for 7 days so had 14 doses but she only took around 11 of those, and some only partially, any suggestions? We’ve got critical care now in case she does stop eating and we’re going to take her back to the vets tomorrow if there’s no improvement.

 

[Wiebke]

Update: She has been on Baytril for the past week, she was really improving and was basically back to normal but the last two doses she fidgeted so much we barely got any of the antibiotics in her. This morning she was back to her unusual self, not rating much and separating herself from the rest of the group so we took her to the vets asap. The vet couldn’t see any physical problems at all, and didn’t know why she was so subdued, said she could be having an “off day”? She gave us some Carbodote charcoal liquid for gas but her abdomen didn’t even feel unusual, we’re going to keep a close eye on her but I’m wondering could it be that the antibiotics aren’t totally finished yet so it’s come back? She was on it for 7 days so had 14 doses but she only took around 11 of those, and some only partially, any suggestions? We’ve got critical care now in case she does stop eating and we’re going to take her back to the vets tomorrow if there’s no improvement.

I would try to offer her some syringe feed, and continue weighing her daily at the same time to monitor the food intake (you cannot judge hay by eye, which means you cannot just about three quarters of what a piggy eats) instead of the life-long weekly health monitoring weigh-in.

It is either that the antibiotic has not worked or has impacted on her gut microbiome as well. if needed, see your vet again.

 

[jo_co6]

Unfortunately she passed away this evening at the vets. She was extremely loved, but she couldn’t fight any longer. Thanks for all your help over the last week.

 

[metalhead]

I'm so sorry, you did so much to try and help her, asked for help here and took every measure you possibly could, i have been in the same position recently myself so i know how you feel , but you tried hard and she clearly had the best life possible while she was here with you, i really am sorry, her symptoms sound a lot like my Gizmo who i recently lost, he seemed to brighten up then went down hill so fast i could not believe it, they are delicate little creatures and you did everything right and possible, i really am sorry for what you are going through xx

 

[Wiebke]

Unfortunately she passed away this evening at the vets. She was extremely loved, but she couldn’t fight any longer. Thanks for all your help over the last week.

BIG HUGS

I am so very sorry. Please take consolation in that you have done all the right things and have done your best - when and what from our piggies die is not in our control; all we can do is to spare them any unnecessary suffering if that is an option.

Guinea pigs don't have a concept for life expectancy; they measure their lives in happy days - and you have certainly given your girl plenty of that.

Please be kind to yourself in the coming days. Soul-searching, strong feelings of failure or guilt are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process; they are an expression of how much you love and not that you have failed your little one in any way.

Please take the time to read these very helpful, practical but sensitive guide links to help you in the immediate aftermath and the longer term with useful further resources should you need them:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig