• 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

HELP! Colt is not eating.. :(

cory&colt

cory&colt

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 11, 2021
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Location
TX
hi,
i had to make a new account because i couldn’t log in to my old one named ‘isoluvmyguineapigs’ or something along those lines.
i have 2 guinea pigs, cory and colt. my parents have recently moved them to the garage today because their hay is messing up the air conditioners.. for the past 3 days, colt has not been eating. we have had people working in the house for several days, colt has not been eating for the past 3 days. i assume he’s been eating when i haven’t been watching, but i am not sure. I'm scared that he’s going to die.. after all, he’s only 3 years old. i don’t think it’s his time yet..
by the way, the garage has no cars, but it smells of gas and oil. I'm trying to explain to my parents that it is unsafe for them but they said they searched it up and that the website claims it is ‘safe’.
can somebody please help me? I'm trying to do whatever i can.. :soz:
 
Please step in and start syringe feeding him. You can use softened pellets if you don’t have anything else in at the moment. Soak them in hot water and when they’re cooled you can syringe feed him or offer it to him on a spoon or in a bowl. Do every 2 hours except in the night.

You also need to weigh him once daily at the same time and adjust the syringe feeding amount accordingly. You are aiming to help him maintain his weight. You should also get him an appointment with the vet as soon as possible - preferably the next two days or so.

When you say he’s not been eating, so you mean his hay or the veg? Hay is the most important thing in their diet. 3 days is a long time to not be eating. They constantly graze so their guts can keep going. Have a read of the guides below.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Check if he's pooping too. Poops run a bit behind eating so if he's doing small or dry poops your instincts are right about him not eating.

Well done on trying to do what you can. Syringe feeding with mushed pellets will keep him going but if he's not been right for a few days he really needs to see a vet. Does he feel lighter than the other one when you pick him up? It would be worthwhile trying to weigh him at the same time every day to monitor his weight. It's much easier to nurse a poorly piggy when they are living indoors - it's hard to keep an eye on them in the garage.

Mom and Dad - perhaps the piggies could come back into the house at least on a temporary basis until colt is eating or has seen the vet for treatment?
 
Siikibam said:
Please step in and start syringe feeding him. You can use softened pellets if you don’t have anything else in at the moment. Soak them in hot water and when they’re cooled you can syringe feed him or offer it to him on a spoon or in a bowl. Do every 2 hours except in the night.

You also need to weigh him once daily at the same time and adjust the syringe feeding amount accordingly. You are aiming to help him maintain his weight. You should also get him an appointment with the vet as soon as possible - preferably the next two days or so.

When you say he’s not been eating, so you mean his hay or the veg? Hay is the most important thing in their diet. 3 days is a long time to not be eating. They constantly graze so their guts can keep going. Have a read of the guides below.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Click to expand...
i got him to eat pellets that i had crushed up and put warm water in. once i put him back in his cage, he started to eat some of his hay. i will try to arrange a vet appointment soon, and my mother told me she was able to feed him some carrots earlier, and he had eaten all of them. i think he’s been stressed out, considering we have had people working in the house with very loud power tools. i will be checking on him ever hour, to see how he is doing. if he regains all his appetite, then i will reconsider the vet appointment. as for now, i will book an appointment with his vet. thank you!:nod:
 
Free Ranger said:
Check if he's pooping too. Poops run a bit behind eating so if he's doing small or dry poops your instincts are right about him not eating.

Well done on trying to do what you can. Syringe feeding with mushed pellets will keep him going but if he's not been right for a few days he really needs to see a vet. Does he feel lighter than the other one when you pick him up? It would be worthwhile trying to weigh him at the same time every day to monitor his weight. It's much easier to nurse a poorly piggy when they are living indoors - it's hard to keep an eye on them in the garage.

Mom and Dad - perhaps the piggies could come back into the house at least on a temporary basis until colt is eating or has seen the vet for treatment?
Click to expand...
when i picked colt up, he felt a bit heavier than cory, so i assume he might have been eating a little bit. i dont have a small enough syringe to syringe feed him, but i managed to get him to eat mushed up pellets with warm water. he has been pooping, but i was panicking so i didn’t even think about the poops. i will arrange a vet appointment asap. if he regains his appetite though, i will reconsider the vet appointment. thank you! :nod:
 
You need to weigh him properly. That’s the best way to gauge whether he’s eating enough hay. Once daily for now. I hope the carrots were just a treat. They’re high in sugar so should only be fed occasionally. Hay is what you want him eating more of 😊
 
Siikibam said:
You need to weigh him properly. That’s the best way to gauge whether he’s eating enough hay. Once daily for now. I hope the carrots were just a treat. They’re high in sugar so should only be fed occasionally. Hay is what you want him eating more of 😊
Click to expand...
okay, what would i be able to weigh him with? i only have one of those stand-on weight watchers. he did not eat any of the carrots.. i just gave him some lettuce and he sniffed at it, then left it alone. i am very worried at this point and i am about to attempt syringe feeding him. :(
 
Kitchen scales work well. Mine have a bowl as the top of the scale. If not it can help to put the piggie in a plastic bowl on the scale.
 
cory&colt said:
okay, what would i be able to weigh him with? i only have one of those stand-on weight watchers. he did not eat any of the carrots.. i just gave him some lettuce and he sniffed at it, then left it alone. i am very worried at this point and i am about to attempt syringe feeding him. :(
Click to expand...

You need digital kitchen scales to weigh him.
 
They are eating machines so they only stop eating if something is wrong... often this can be something simple like a chest infection which makes them feel under the weather and a course of antibiotics will treat it. Perhaps your workmen have been generating some dust or something (?) Or it might be something less obvious like teeth getting too long and hindering chewing - this is why we need vets.

A sick person might feel poorly and stop eating for a bit but then get better and start again. Guinea-pigs are different... they can develop something called 'gut stasis' quite quickly which is when they feel ill, eat less and less, their guts stop moving and then they don't want to eat at all and they fight off the syringe (so we have to be persistent but understanding, firm but loving and gentle - little and often is usually the best way, feeding every few hours and only small 'mouthfuls' at a time. Even down to, say, 0.2ml each squirt if they can't manage more). Gut stasis is really tricky to tackle but if left without syringe feeding the gut doesn't magically start up on it's own again - even if they fight off their original infection and 'get better' it will be a sad ending. It's a special guinea-pig thing, so if parents are more used to cats or dogs they might not realise that with piggies a 'wait and see if they get better' approach is often not successful because of the gut stasis. You are doing really well trying to give him the nutrition and the fibre he needs to keep his guts moving x
 
Eating veg won’t make a difference I’m afraid. Veg is more of a snack while hay is the main meal. Have you managed to make an appointment (when you’ve woken up of course 😊)? And have you ever weighed him? 🤞🏾 he’ll be seen today.
 
cory&colt said:
okay, what would i be able to weigh him with? i only have one of those stand-on weight watchers. he did not eat any of the carrots.. i just gave him some lettuce and he sniffed at it, then left it alone. i am very worried at this point and i am about to attempt syringe feeding him. :(
Click to expand...
At this point it sounds like he urgently needs to see a vet.
If he is not eating and you have no way to track his weight properly it is impossible to know what the problem is or how ill he may be.
Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly, but equally can respond well to proper treatment and medication.
Please call the vet and ask to have him seen as an emergency.
This really is the best thing you can do for him right now.
Syringe feeding will help keep him going, but it does not replace an appointment with the vet.
 
Swissgreys said:
At this point it sounds like he urgently needs to see a vet.
If he is not eating and you have no way to track his weight properly it is impossible to know what the problem is or how ill he may be.
Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly, but equally can respond well to proper treatment and medication.
Please call the vet and ask to have him seen as an emergency.
This really is the best thing you can do for him right now.
Syringe feeding will help keep him going, but it does not replace an appointment with the vet.
Click to expand...
i’ll arrange a vet appointment asap. this morning when i woke up, i found out that if i give him pellets and hay on the ground, he’ll eat most of it. my mother works as a nurse and she is able to get a 1 ml syringe. i will continue syringe feeding him until i can get him to the vets.
 
Make sure to get some digital kitchen scales so you can weigh him as well. You can’t judge hay intake by eye. Weighing regularly (weekly under normal circumstances) is one way to monitor their health.

Do get that appointment soon as possible.
 
UPDATE:
colt is doing better this morning. he is eating ONLY hay and pellets, and a bit at a time. i will continue syringe feeding him, and book an appointment with a vet ASAP. i am going to have to find a different vet though, when colt & cory had ringworm, my vet charged me $700 for only an exam. does anyone know any vets in Katy? I'm looking at and calling a lot of vet offices that have said that they dont take small animals. i will get a kitchen scale so that i can monitor his weight.
 
cory&colt said:
UPDATE:
colt is doing better this morning. he is eating ONLY hay and pellets, and a bit at a time. i will continue syringe feeding him, and book an appointment with a vet ASAP. i am going to have to find a different vet though, when colt & cory had ringworm, my vet charged me $700 for only an exam. does anyone know any vets in Katy? I'm looking at and calling a lot of vet offices that have said that they dont take small animals. i will get a kitchen scale so that i can monitor his weight.
Click to expand...
I am a little confused.
You said you didin't have a syringe, but your mother could get one at work, but then you mention continuing to syringe feed him?
Are you syringe feeding him yet, or do you plan to start soon?
Either way he still urgently needs to see a vet.
I am sure that your mother (who am guessing will be paying the bill) can understand this as she is a medical professional herself.

Also I hope you contested the $700 vet bill - there is no way that any vet would ever change this amount simply for a consultation. For ongoing treatment, tests and medication, it could add up (I know US vets are more expensive that in the UK and Europe) but this is still well over what would be a reasonable amount.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top