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Long term bloat? How/why or is it something else?

4boipigs

4boipigs

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First yes I am seeing a vet. Our normal vet is stumped so we have an appt with an exotics vet who will do a CT scan or something more indepth.

Second, it is 100% a boy. Not pregnant. He is eating and acting normal! Occasionally has soft poop.

I only call it bloat because idk what else to call it but it isn’t bloat like we tend to think. He has eaten and acted normal all this time.

My 3 year old boar Maple Leaf has been bloated since May. His middle is very round. At first we thought it was only gas, shown on xrays. We did meds and the gas went away but the bloat didn’t. Xrays show that his cecum is not emptying for some reason. Our normal exotics vet is unsure why. We tried a pellet diet change, and withholding veggies but the bloat remains. The vet also did a quickie ultrasound that showed no free fluid in the abdomen.

vet thought maybe it is dental and he is swallowing air but his teeth have been fine.

Recently I noticed weight loss as well. I don’t weigh him but I can feel his hips and spine. Yet he remains bloated/fat in his abdomen.

Does anyone have a pig with this issue or any ideas? We are going to the vet on Monday for deeper diagnostics. Likely a CT scan which we have gotten for another pig there in the past. Maple Leaf acts so normal aside from this bloat.
 
4boipigs said:
First yes I am seeing a vet. Our normal vet is stumped so we have an appt with an exotics vet who will do a CT scan or something more indepth.

Second, it is 100% a boy. Not pregnant. He is eating and acting normal! Occasionally has soft poop.

I only call it bloat because idk what else to call it but it isn’t bloat like we tend to think. He has eaten and acted normal all this time.

My 3 year old boar Maple Leaf has been bloated since May. His middle is very round. At first we thought it was only gas, shown on xrays. We did meds and the gas went away but the bloat didn’t. Xrays show that his cecum is not emptying for some reason. Our normal exotics vet is unsure why. We tried a pellet diet change, and withholding veggies but the bloat remains. The vet also did a quickie ultrasound that showed no free fluid in the abdomen.

vet thought maybe it is dental and he is swallowing air but his teeth have been fine.

Recently I noticed weight loss as well. I don’t weigh him but I can feel his hips and spine. Yet he remains bloated/fat in his abdomen.

Does anyone have a pig with this issue or any ideas? We are going to the vet on Monday for deeper diagnostics. Likely a CT scan which we have gotten for another pig there in the past. Maple Leaf acts so normal aside from this bloat.
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Hi

I am very sorry. The more we learn about guinea pigs in terms of diagnostics, the more complicated it gets. The majority of the digested food matter can be found in the caecum (the largest and last of the fermentation tracts in the lower gut) at any given time and it spends the longest time in there.

Persistent bloating can also be connected with internal growths or heart problems.

If your boy is feeling bony, then he is quite obviously not eating enough (especially hay) so please step in with feeding support or step it up if you are already supplementing; lack of hay intake may also account for softer poos - but all I can do is speculate here. Weight loss is more difficult to control with persistent bloating but the BMI (feeling around the ribs) can still give you some guidance as to whether he is still in the healty zone or whether he is underweight.

This guide here discusses the various monitoring accesses and what each can tell you and what not; also how you can put any weight and weight loss into the proper perspective. You may find it helpful:

Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI
3 The...
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Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
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We did a CT scan at the vet yesterday and they believe it could be a liver mass contributing to the bloat. I can't find much online about liver masses in guinea pigs unfortunately.
 
4boipigs said:
We did a CT scan at the vet yesterday and they believe it could be a liver mass contributing to the bloat. I can't find much online about liver masses in guinea pigs unfortunately.
Click to expand...

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry. Long term bloating that is not caused by one of the nasty germs or parasites (thankfully very rare in well kept piggies) has generally a cause or major contributing factor in play that is outside of the intestine.

Unfortunately, treatment for kidney and liver problems in guinea pigs is pretty much non-existent. Diagnostics for these areas is still pretty new for guinea pigs. The fact that guinea pigs have a different metabolism means that medication cannot just be transferred from other species and is usually very expensive but not effective. :(

I truly wish I had better news.

Please concentrate on quality of life and making every single day of life more count.
This guide here has a chapter on looking after guinea pigs with an incurable progressing illness which will hopefully help you make the most of the remaining time so it is going to be easier on you whenever the time comes. It's not all bad, I promise you because love transcends time; the more you fill time with it and live it consciously the more precious memories you will eventually have on which you can warm the cold hands of your soul on when it is darkest. It is a hidden but very powerful gift. :)

Wiebke

Thread 'A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs'

1 Your mental health, sensitivities and work commitments
- Mental health and support resources
- Sensitivity aspects
- When work and other commitments clash
2 Life or death emergency – Can my piggy be saved?
- Contacting a vet clinic at all times and link to life and death emergencies list
- What to do if I cannot access vet care instantly?
- The need to save up for emergency vet access
3 Is my...
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