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Jasmine slowly losing weight

Thanks, everyone! Yes, I've given her all sorts and left a bowl of Emeraid and other tasty treats in her cage, but she's only picking at them and is preferring to sleep. It's pretty much all she's doing. I was hoping that, as her op was on Monday, she would've been a bit more responsive to food by now. Jasmine ate a whole raspberry before I did her last set of meds, but refused a second one after happily finishing the first which isn't like her.

Apologies for all the messages! I don't want to let her down like I did Pickle.
 
When I use to syringe feed Ted who was never very easy I used to put his bum and back into my tummy and hold my left hand over his head using my left thumb place just below that gap in his teeth (between the incisors and molar so I could pull down the side lip and syringe feed with my right hand. I found it quite effective. Ted would never eat cold critical mush of any kind, it had to be warmed and kept warm around baby Bottle temperature.
I was sometimes a little naughty too, I would add a teeny bit of honey in it if he was particularly resistant which helped, he hated fruits so that wasn’t an option, but I know it’s not recommended. Emeraid was the easiest to feed and be accepted, just wouldn’t touch any of the others
Sending big hugs, look after yourself too, hope Jasmine starts to eat better soon x
 
HeatherW said:
Thanks, everyone! Yes, I've given her all sorts and left a bowl of Emeraid and other tasty treats in her cage, but she's only picking at them and is preferring to sleep. It's pretty much all she's doing. I was hoping that, as her op was on Monday, she would've been a bit more responsive to food by now. Jasmine ate a whole raspberry before I did her last set of meds, but refused a second one after happily finishing the first which isn't like her.

Apologies for all the messages! I don't want to let her down like I did Pickle.
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You are not letting Jasmine down in any way!

Please always keep in mind that there is only so much you can do as an owner in seeing a vet and in supportive home care; the outcome is entirely out of your hands and in those of a higher authority. There is no automatic tie between doing all you can and inevitable success; it is more in the way of playing in the lottery of cosmic luck. Sometimes you luck out and sometimes you don't. But you cannot force the result by sheer willpower. :(

Please don't go down the avenue of tying yourself into small knots because of overcompensating for Pickle. It is not helping your mental state or either piggy.

Please try to take a step back and always look after your own state of mind while you are caring for others. Responsibility of our pets doesn't mean never putting a foot wrong and doing everything perfectly right from the start whereas everybody else learns things the hard way with plenty of bruises and scraped knees.
It means learning what you can do but quite as importantly accepting where your limits are. If you reflect everything back onto yourself as a fault of yours irrespective of whether the outcome is within your power or not, then you are setting yourself up for a life of self-inflicted failures because you are constantly measuring yourself with the wrong yardstick.

You are a perfect owner for looking after Jasmine so well and for having given her every medical chance for a recovery. That is all you can do. The rest is down to prayers and luck.

I know that because I have been there often enough; it is much harder when things go wrong twice or even more times in a row. :(

Be kind to yourself and not just to Jasmine because you can help her better if you are.

HUGS
 
Thanks, all! I've wrestled with her a bit more this time around with plenty of breaks and she's looking much better in herself already. She even took most of the Metacam willingly from the syringe without me having to force it! We got another ~10ml of recovery food in on feed 4 and then Jasmine started clamping her lips shut when she didn't want any more. :D Whenever she starts chewing me to say she wants to go home, I take it as a cue that, if she can eat me, she can eat some recovery instead!

My "armour" is already looking pretty battle-damaged by this evening...

20210612_223455.webp

Hopefully now she's taken most of the hay pile into her hidey with her, she might eat some of it!

20210612_223544.webp
 
It's amazing where syringing feeding recovery care can all end up... :D

Just hang in there but try to leave out the guilt loop. Like every race is a new race, every battle for a piggy's life is a new battle. It's draining as it is without dragging in all your ghosts. ;)
 
I was up at 2am-3am last night and managed to get about 22ml in her, probably a bit more. The number of poops is really low - she pooped loads more when I brought her home on Friday - but there is one almost normal-sized poop which looks recent. Just got to keep going...

20210613_083834.jpg
 
Aw so pleased a bit of naughty Jasmine is sneaking out! 😈:D Hope she’s feeling even better today bless her, get scoffing gorgeous! 😘
You are definitely not letting Jasmine down and you didn’t with Pickle either, you’re an amazing owner and doing absolutely everything you can for your girl! Your piglets are so lucky to have you! :hug:x
 
alpacasqueak said:
Aw so pleased a bit of naughty Jasmine is sneaking out! 😈:D Hope she’s feeling even better today bless her, get scoffing gorgeous! 😘
You are definitely not letting Jasmine down and you didn’t with Pickle either, you’re an amazing owner and doing absolutely everything you can for your girl! Your piglets are so lucky to have you! :hug:x
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:agr:
 
VickiA said:
That looks like a reasonable poo output for a recovery piggy. And Miss Jasmine certainly looks perky enough.
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Phew! That's a relief, thank you! I had no idea if it was a good amount compared to what's normal. All I know is that there were more poops on Friday evening!

For reference, Jasmine is on:
  • 0.1ml Cisapride (gut motility aid) twice a day for 3 days (i.e. until tomorrow)
  • 0.4ml Cerenia (for bladder issues, separate to spay op) twice a day for 7 days
  • 0.45ml Emeprid (I'm guessing another gut motility aid?) three times a day for 3 days
  • 0.4ml Fortekor (for kidneys, separate to spay op) once a day long term
  • 0.6ml Metacam twice a day for 7 days, then dropping back down to 0.3/0.4ml long term
She's certainly perky and, rather than fighting the syringe, she seems to be resisting it now - which is better for both of us!

Also, to make sure I've understood the vet correctly, 8-10ml per feed is per mixed amount in the syringe of recovery food, right? It's not half of an unmixed 20g sachet? I'm pretty sure it's not, but just for peace of mind...
 
HeatherW said:
Phew! That's a relief, thank you! I had no idea if it was a good amount compared to what's normal. All I know is that there were more poops on Friday evening!

For reference, Jasmine is on:
  • 0.1ml Cisapride (gut motility aid) twice a day for 3 days (i.e. until tomorrow)
  • 0.4ml Cerenia (for bladder issues, separate to spay op) twice a day for 7 days
  • 0.45ml Emeprid (I'm guessing another gut motility aid?) three times a day for 3 days
  • 0.4ml Fortekor (for kidneys, separate to spay op) once a day long term
  • 0.6ml Metacam twice a day for 7 days, then dropping back down to 0.3/0.4ml long term
She's certainly perky and, rather than fighting the syringe, she seems to be resisting it now - which is better for both of us!

Also, to make sure I've understood the vet correctly, 8-10ml per feed is per mixed amount in the syringe of recovery food, right? It's not half of an unmixed 20g sachet? I'm pretty sure it's not, but just for peace of mind...
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. It’s the volume when mixed with water. Well done. Hang on in there.
 
alpacasqueak said:
Aw so pleased a bit of naughty Jasmine is sneaking out! 😈:D Hope she’s feeling even better today bless her, get scoffing gorgeous! 😘
You are definitely not letting Jasmine down and you didn’t with Pickle either, you’re an amazing owner and doing absolutely everything you can for your girl! Your piglets are so lucky to have you! :hug:x
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I agree too 😊
 
HeatherW said:
Phew! That's a relief, thank you! I had no idea if it was a good amount compared to what's normal. All I know is that there were more poops on Friday evening!

For reference, Jasmine is on:
  • 0.1ml Cisapride (gut motility aid) twice a day for 3 days (i.e. until tomorrow)
  • 0.4ml Cerenia (for bladder issues, separate to spay op) twice a day for 7 days
  • 0.45ml Emeprid (I'm guessing another gut motility aid?) three times a day for 3 days
  • 0.4ml Fortekor (for kidneys, separate to spay op) once a day long term
  • 0.6ml Metacam twice a day for 7 days, then dropping back down to 0.3/0.4ml long term
She's certainly perky and, rather than fighting the syringe, she seems to be resisting it now - which is better for both of us!

Also, to make sure I've understood the vet correctly, 8-10ml per feed is per mixed amount in the syringe of recovery food, right? It's not half of an unmixed 20g sachet? I'm pretty sure it's not, but just for peace of mind...
Click to expand...

Please keep in mind that what you see initially are the pre-op poos and then the funny poos that signal operation drug and the feeding gap during/recovery. And only then are you getting what is going on post-op. It all happens with a 1-2 days delay, depending on how fast the internal conveyor belt between mouth and anus runs. You always have to take that into your considerations or you are comparing apples with pears, as we say in German.

Food intake and poo output are not instantaneous; that is why weighing daily is so important. It gives you an up to date monitoring input. During a severe illness or difficult operation recovery you should not get bogged down on the number of poos or their look or size - as long as your piggy is not eating fulling by themselves, they will reflect that. What really counts is that you aim at this stage is to keep the weight from dropping, if at all possible and to get as much fibre, probiotics and poo soup (if you have a healthy companion) into her as she is willing to take. The thicker and the more fibrous the poos, the better because that means that the gut is normalising. Yours are on the way there; you just have to be a bit more patient yet - but you are on the right way. The poos look about what you would expect for this stage. :tu:

Anything over 10-15 ml means that your piggy is doing well and that you can aim for trying to get as closely to 90 ml into her over 24 hours as possible - and you will see the results of the coming through in the next couple of day both in terms of the weight starting to go up, the poos looking increasingly healthier and her energy levels. ;)

Also keep in mind that it takes about 2-4 days for the body to settle down and the healing process really getting underway after an operation.
 
Wiebke said:
Please keep in mind that what you see initially are the pre-op poos and then the funny poos that signal operation drug and the feeding gap during/recovery. And only then are you getting what is going on post-op. It all happens with a 1-2 days delay, depending on how fast the internal conveyor belt between mouth and anus runs. You always have to take that into your considerations or you are comparing apples with pears, as we say in German.

Food intake and poo output are not instantaneous; that is why weighing daily is so important. It gives you an up to date monitoring input. During a severe illness or difficult operation recovery you should not get bogged down on the number of poos or their look or size - as long as your piggy is not eating fulling by themselves, they will reflect that. What really counts is that you aim at this stage is to keep the weight from dropping, if at all possible and to get as much fibre, probiotics and poo soup (if you have a healthy companion) into her as she is willing to take. The thicker and the more fibrous the poos, the better because that means that the gut is normalising. Yours are on the way there; you just have to be a bit more patient yet - but you are on the right way. The poos look about what you would expect for this stage. :tu:

Anything over 10-15 ml means that your piggy is doing well and that you can aim for trying to get as closely to 90 ml into her over 24 hours as possible - and you will see the results of the coming through in the next couple of day both in terms of the weight starting to go up, the poos looking increasingly healthier and her energy levels. ;)

Also keep in mind that it takes about 2-4 days for the body to settle down and the healing process really getting underway after an operation.
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Thank you so much! Her op was on Monday, so it's been 7 days now. I've been checking her wound, but otherwise tried to avoid picking her up in case she's sore underneath. However, based on the amount of wriggling, it can't be bothering her that much, so I'll start weighing her this evening.

The vet didn't prescribe any probiotics because they said there's limited evidence they work, but I'll get hold of some as per the guides (it can't hurt anyway) and try making poop soup (and try not to retch :D); I'm sure Jynx and Leo would be happy to contribute!

Thanks also for everyone's input; it's reassuring to know that she's actually where she should be or better!
 
HeatherW said:
Thank you so much! Her op was on Monday, so it's been 7 days now. I've been checking her wound, but otherwise tried to avoid picking her up in case she's sore underneath. However, based on the amount of wriggling, it can't be bothering her that much, so I'll start weighing her this evening.

The vet didn't prescribe any probiotics because they said there's limited evidence they work, but I'll get hold of some as per the guides (it can't hurt anyway) and try making poop soup (and try not to retch :D); I'm sure Jynx and Leo would be happy to contribute!

Thanks also for everyone's input; it's reassuring to know that she's actually where she should be or better!
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Here is a video showing how you can weigh your piggy without needing to handle her although you can always carefully lift them without putting any pressure on the operation scar.
Weighing from the day after the operation is very important; especially if your piggy is having a bit rougher recovery and has lost their appetite.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

Poo soup sounds grosser than it actually is but it does actually really work. ;)
 
Jasmine weighed 786g last night. I didn't get the opportunity to weigh her immediately in the days after surgery because she stayed with the vet for the first five. She seems to be getting better and better! Jasmine still isn't all that keen to eat food, but Leo and Jynx are finding it hard in the heat too. She's looking more like her old self - just a bit quieter.

In fact, when I fed her last night, she flopped on me while I was stroking her which she's never done before!


I probably managed to get about ~80ml into her yesterday, so I felt comfortable enough to not get up at 2am last night!
 
HeatherW said:
Jasmine weighed 786g last night. I didn't get the opportunity to weigh her immediately in the days after surgery because she stayed with the vet for the first five. She seems to be getting better and better! Jasmine still isn't all that keen to eat food, but Leo and Jynx are finding it hard in the heat too. She's looking more like her old self - just a bit quieter.

In fact, when I fed her last night, she flopped on me while I was stroking her which she's never done before!


I probably managed to get about ~80ml into her yesterday, so I felt comfortable enough to not get up at 2am last night!
Click to expand...

Please take the time to read through our hot weather guide, which contains the most comprehensive list of tips (many of which are very easy and elementary ones) on what you can do for the general room temperature as well as for the piggies themselves. Hot weather is always especially hard on the frailer, the ill, the old and the very young as well as the pregnant whose immune system is either still developing, lowered, brittle or under pressure.

Here is the link: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
 
Miss Jasmine still doesn't have much of an appetite, but she's certainly more like her old self, albeit much better behaved. :D Her poops are getting bigger and starting to look more normal shaped too!

I've weighed her each evening, and she's been 786g, 786g, and 776g, so appears to be stable even if it's a lot less than what she should be.

It's probably because she's still on the road to recovery, but she doesn't mind being handled now. Jasmine would usually headbutt my hand away, but she's now accepting all the fuss and resisting rather than fighting the syringe.

How long would it usually take for a pig to get their appetite back? Is ~780g normal for weight loss?

Dozing during feed breaks

20210615_175543.webp
 
Aw bless her, glad to hear she's starting to feel more like herself, I have no advice about weight gain I'm afraid just wanted to see how she was. X
 
In my personal experience it seems to depend on the piggy.
Priscilla gained weight steadily after her spay but it took a few days for her to start eating properly for herself.
When Phoebe had a dental she lost weight, started slowly regaining it but then stuck for weeks.
Suddenly the weight started piling on even though nothing had changed in the diet.

Beautiful Jasmine sounds as she’s doing well so hopefully she start to gain weight again soon.
 
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