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Help please - unwell piggies

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joemead12

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I have a very young Guinea pig in which I noticed today when putting the piggies away she was vibrating but not like any normal time as this is the first time I have see her do this.

I am extremely worried as she ate dinner but is now very lazy and doesn’t seem to move that much unless I open a cage door in which she likes to run.

I am going on holiday on the 4th of august and am unsure on what to do. I am wondering wether she has a fever which could be caused by heatstroke or she has accidentally eaten a foxglove leaf which i heard can be poisonous. Please will someone be able to help me or have any advice.
 
joemead12 said:
I also have a video but not sure if I can post it
Click to expand...
To post a video, you need to put it on YouTube or similar and link to it in a post.

Guinea pigs can vibrate to show that they aren't comfortable with being held, but if it's visible enough to show on video, then it could be something else ..
 
this is the video. It is not the greatest of quality but it is the black and white pig. Around the 30 second mark is where it shows the problem.
 
Afraid I couldn't see anything, but maybe that's just me. Hopefully one of the health experts will be along soon and have some ideas. I hope she is ok!
 
I can’t see what you mean on the video.

All we can suggest is that if you are concerned she is unwell that you see a vet today.
You specifically mention heatstroke or eating something poisonous - if she has been outside in the heat then heatstroke is of course a possibility; if you’ve got toxic plants in your garden and your piggy is able to have access to them, then again, it’s a possibility.

Please ensure, where you have health concerns, that you switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily, stepping in with syringe feeding to stop weight loss and replace reduced hay intake.

I’ve added in our emergency and syringe feeding guides below but also the heat stroke guide

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
 
Hopefully you can get a vet appointment today if your piggy still seems unwell. Good luck. 🤞
 
I would try to get in and see the vet. You still have a day before you go. During the first bit of the video she is watching you to see where you will open the doors and moving to the other end. That's normal for pigs! Mine only come over if they think there'll be food. But at the one minute mark she goes to the far end and lays with her head down - and stays there while you stroke her. For an old piggy that's used to being petted that might be normal but for a young one that rings alarm bells for me. As prey animals they hide illness extremely well so as not to show weakness so I don't think she's just decided to take a pat. And you know your pigs - you've picked up that she is not behaving normally.

Mine have occasionally eaten things they shouldn't. This idea that they'll know what they should and shouldn't eat is a mistake I think, but there's not really much you can do in that case and it's just a matter of letting it pass through the system. However only one of mine ate something that really upset her - and I think it was because the plant had actually died off at that time of year (and actually looked a bit mouldy!) so presumably had very little of the taste that stops them eating it normally. If you know she's been at a plant that died off and dried out in the heat that might be the cause but otherwise it's just speculation. Mine was actually laying more on one side one evening and wouldn't eat at all. I gave her a little syringe slurry every few hours in the night to keep her guts moving (avoiding gut stasis while the little body has time to heal is a priority) and then she surprised me the next morning by be absolutely fine again.

There are other things that can make them feel under the weather and one would be some sort of infection - like a respiratory infection - and the vet could check her breathing with the stethoscope. This would be treatable but to be honest would not wait until you got back from holiday as these things can progress very fast. But you mention also that she is very young. It could be something genetic, like a problem with her heart, that is just now showing itself. A vet should be able to listen and see if that sounds normal.

I'm assuming that someone is feeding your animals while you are away? If they have to give a little syringe of antibiotic (which she probably won't like) and a little syringe of pain relief (which would be sweet and popular with her!) morning and evening it's not so much to ask. It might be that if you are asking a young neighbour to pet-sit you might have to also now ask them to bring a grown-up for meds as it's not really fair to ask a child to try and medicate a poorly animal - if something goes wrong they'll never forgive themselves.

Good luck and I hope she's OK. Let us know how you get on x
 
I have realised another one of my piggies has the same problem and they don’t live together so I’m starting to think that they have eaten a foxglove flower

Thanks for everyones, help I’m probably going to try go to the vets but I'm leaving very early in the morning for holiday so hopefully it’s nothing too serious

Does anyone know what they would do at the vet if they are poisioned or have heat stroke ?
 
If they are unwell then please do get them seen today. The vet will need to determine the issue and what treatment is appropriate.

Who is looking after your piggies while you are away? Are they experienced with piggies?
They will need to be weighed daily, syringe fed and have medications administered
 
Will they overcome this on their own because I have tried to convince my parents who I still live with but are saying they can’t get them to vets and can’t afford it
 
joemead12 said:
Will they overcome this on their own because I have tried to convince my parents who I still live with but are saying they can’t get them to vets and can’t afford it
Click to expand...

We obviously do not know what is wrong with your piggies, but if they are unwell, through any cause, then they need to be seen by a vet - they won’t get better on their own, they need a diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and syringe feeding.

Who are the piggies being cared for while you are away? Can they take them to the vet if time is tight for you?
 
It’s my brother and his girlfriend and they proably wouldn’t be able to take them to a vet
 
I’m sorry to hear this. I’m afraid all we can do is advise you on emergency and bridging care, daily weight checks and syringe feeding. It’s a vet who needs to make a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatments to make them well again

Have you been weighing them regularly?
Have you done a weight check on them this morning?
 
joemead12 said:
Is there a way I could make my own critical care to feed the pigs
Click to expand...

Yes, the emergency alternative is to mush pellets with water and syringe that to them. The tapered end needs to be cut off the syringe when using pellet mush as it doesn’t go through the syringe as easily.
Its all detailed in the guides I linked in

Have they lost weight then?
Syringe feeding is replacing hay intake so it all depends on what is going on with their weight checks - they may need just top up feeds if they are still eating a relatively good amount of hay, or anything right up to full syringe feeding every two hours if they aren’t eating hay at all

Do be aware though that syringe feeding alone will not cure any illness. Its essential to syringe feed to keep the guts going when they aren’t eating for themselves and are losing weight but will not make them better if they don’t receive vet care
 
joemead12 said:
They aren’t eating as much and I want to try and feed them
Click to expand...

Have you weighed them?
Thats the only way to gauge hay intake
They need to be weighed weekly as routine but weighed daily when there are health concerns.

Definitely do syringe feed them if they aren’t eating, but those weight checks are vital to know how much to give them and that you are getting enough feed into them to keep their weight stable.
 
joemead12 said:
They aren’t eating as much and I want to try and feed them
Click to expand...
Please take a good look at the syringe feeding guide as this needs ot be done carefully to make sure you don't cause further problems.

The real issue is that if your guinea pigs are ill, syringe feeding them won't make them better, it will just help to keep their guts working until they can see a vet.
Have you tried explaining to your parents that if you are under 18 and can not afford to take them to the vet then it is their legal responsibility to make sure your piggies receive necessary vet care?

I really hope you can have them seen before you go away, as if they aren't eating then they can go downhill very quickly.
In the meantime make sure they have access to lots of good quality hay and fresh water.
 
This is another video which is clearer

3 August 2022

The other piggie in the other cage is doing the same thing but I can’t take them to the vet as my parents can’t afford to pay for it as we are going on holiday
 
joemead12 said:
This is another video which is clearer

3 August 2022

The other piggie in the other cage is doing the same thing but I can’t take them to the vet as my parents can’t afford to pay for it as we are going on holiday
Click to expand...
Thanks for the video - your piggy is breathing very fast, and looks to be in considerable distress.
Please try and speak to your parents again, and explain as calmly as possible that it is not ok to allow them to suffer.
I would not try to syringe feed them as they don't look like they would be able to accept the syringe and eat.

Is there some way you can offer to get a part time job or do chores around the house to pay them back for the cost of the vet?
If they can not afford essential vet care, then you may need to think about handing them over to a rescue who can offer them proper care.
 
They are currently at work and might be back within an hour and I will definitely try to convince them if not then we will consider about giving them to a rescue
 
joemead12 said:
They are currently at work and might be back within an hour and I will definitely try to convince them if not then we will consider about giving them to a rescue
Click to expand...
I am so sorry you are going through this.
You are doing a great job trying to access help for your piggies.

Do you have a job so you could pay for their care?
Or a credit card so you could have them seen asap and pay it off in the coming months?
Or a friend or another family member who could step in and help out.
 
Make sure their hutch is filled with hay or that there are big piles of hay in multiple places around the hutch (not in a hay rack, just loose in the hutch so they can have easy access particularly while they are unwell)
It’s good she is eating some, but syringe feeding and daily weight checks are vital to know they are getting enough.

have you weighed them?
have you syringe fed?
 
The piggy in the last video looks like he/she is lying on it's side. This is not normal at all and does indicate serious illness. The vibrating might even be a type of fit. We sometimes see a pig lying on its side asleep but as soon as they realise we are there, they jump up. Pigs don't/can't vomit... they can't even burp. But if they have been poisoned there is maybe a chance the vet could give something to somehow soak up anything left in the gut. I just don't know. It's an awful thing to happen to you and absolutely rotten timing, I'm so sorry.
I can't even guess at what's wrong because I'm not a vet but when my old girl ate that dicky plant she didn't 'fit' like this... she just laid down looking a bit miserable. I soaked some of her pellets in water and mushed them up then fed it her with a syringe - bit by bit every few hours. It didn't 'cure' her but it stopped her guts going into stasis because my girl wasn't eating anything at all. Perhaps if your pigs have bouts of this shaking but then recover and can eat some hay and pellets there's a chance that they can pull through but they do look proper poorly. If you know for sure that they have eaten something - even if you didn't see them do it but there is perhaps a space where that plant was - let the vet know. Accidents happen all the time and it's best to tell them everything you can.
Well done on trying to get help for them - we do understand that sometimes these things are taken out of our hands, especially if we are young. We can only do our best. We're thinking of you x
 
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