Lilly is lossing weight

[Becky]

I don't know if there is anything i can do, but my piggy Lilly is losing weight. She is almost 5 now and i know they loss weight as they get older but is there anything i can do to help her. She eats loads still and has a very health diet. There is nothing medical wrong with her.

It really worries me, she is a lovely guinea pig and has never been that large, but when i put her up now i can feel her bones. I just want to help her. If you have any advise i would be very grateful.

 

[Abnoba]

I just felt reminded about that article in the CCT newsletter some time ago.. has she been checked for worms / other parasites?

Vedra told a story about a piggy that kept eating and eating yet lost weight all the time - turns out that all the piggy needed was deworming and it was fine again!

What is your piggies current weight and how much has she lost? And over what period of time?

 

[Becky]

I wormed then all a couple of weeks ago, i do it regulary after i started work at the vets and iv seen it far to ofter for my liking.

I don't know her weight to be honest but she about half the size is was 9 months ago.

 

[Abnoba]

It is really helpful to have a weighing chart, I have mine stuck to the fridge, and I note down my piggies weight once a week (usually after a cage cleanout when they are already sitting in a box waiting to be picked up and put back in).

It is quite handy to know... as piggies try to hide the fact they are sick, you often only notice a behaviour change when it is too late - whereas you might have picked up the weightloss a week earlier.

for me personally, weekly weighing is a must

 

[katiep]

Poor Lilly, I hope she's OK.

 

[kasann]

I dont have any advice but i wanted to send piggie cuddles :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

[Abnoba]

I wormed then all a couple of weeks ago, i do it regulary after i started work at the vets and iv seen it far to ofter for my liking.

I don't know her weight to be honest but she about half the size is was 9 months ago.

And are you sure that she is actually eating?

I had it before with piggies that they appeared to be eating, but really they just dragged the cucumber or whatever to their house, and i thought they were eating it, later I checked and it was gone - yes but another piggy had eaten it

I had a piggy that picked up dry food, and after a while of not being able to chew, it dropped the food again. To me, it looked as if the piggy was eating.

Have you had everything checked out? An ulcer near the throat making it difficult to swallow? Overgrown back teeth? Inflammation in the mouth? flatulence - bloaty stomach?

 

[karenrgpr]

Can your vet do a dental without anaesthetic? If not phone Vedra for the nearest one to you.

The other thing that springs to mind with her being an oldie is Ovarian Cysts, these can make them go thin. She'll need a course of HCG injections.

 

[Becky]

Yeah is is defiantly eating, she is in my bedroom at the moment so i can see everything she does. There is nothing wrong with her teeth/ months, one of the vets i work for does a lot of dental work on Piggy's and i got her checked over by him about a week ago.

Now i don't know too much on ovarian cysts, she isn't showing behavioural signs of having them, but how would i find out if she did have them? Plus is there anything that could be done?

I just worried that one day I'll get up and Lilly won't be with me anymore. :'(

 

[karenrgpr]

You can feel cysts. Mine just have the course of HCG, don't bother with x-ray or ultrasound. If that doesn't work I would go back and get the mouth checked out. Even the best people miss hidden spurs/fungal mouth infections

 

[Becky]

Yeah i think I'm gonna take her back to the vets next week and have her looked at again. Thanx for the help

 

[karenrgpr]

It won't hurt her to have them even there are no cysts.

 

[maryh]

Becky,

Is she llosing hair bilateraly along the flanks and over the belly?,this is a symptom of ovarian cysts,also the sows often get sexually aggressive due to the hormone imbalance.