Loosing weight, not eating any hay/grass

[Gamouque]

Hi everyone.

During the new year holidays, all the family (the humans) were sick one after an other for a couple of weeks. As a result we didn't check as often on the guinea pigs. When we all got better around January 10, I found out that one of our 2 guinea pig was much lighter than before. He went from around 900 grams to around 800.

I also noticed that he was not eating hay or grass any more. He is just eating his pellets but not all of them, it seems that he became very selective. Maybe he is trying to choose the smaller and softer ones I'm not sure. When we give him some his favorite food like carrots or cucumbers, he has some difficulties to eat them. He eat them much slowly than before like it is more difficult for him to chew his food. Pieces are also falling from his mouth, while before, like any guinea pig, he could continuously make the food go up in his mouth.

We went to see a vet last week-end. We are in China and there is no vets specialized in small animals here. The vet did an X-Ray and checked his teeth but told us she didn't find anything unusual expect that he his very thin and maybe some gaz in his belly. I was suspecting the molars to be have become too large, but the vet told us that they are fine.

She gave some vitamins and probiotics to give to the guinea pig and we bought some Oxbow Critical care for herbivores. But he is still losing weight, he is 750 grams as of today.

Apart from that, he seems quite normal, just less interested in food, the stuff the vet gave us seems to have helped a bit giving him energy. But he is still loosing weight.

Any help understanding his problem or how to treat him would be appreciated. He is 2 and a half years old and didn't have any health issue before.

Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

If he is dropping food then it is probably a dental issue. All we can suggest is that you try to find a different vet.

In terms of him still losing weight, this is because he isn’t getting enough critical care each day. You need to weigh him every morning and give him as much critical care as is necessary to keep his weight stable each day. He needs a minimum of 60ml but could be as much as 120ml per day with the potential need to be fed every 2-3 hours.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Gamouque]

If he is dropping food then it is probably a dental issue. All we can suggest is that you try to find a different vet.

In terms of him still losing weight, this is because he isn’t getting enough critical care each day. You need to weigh him every morning and give him as much critical care as is necessary to keep his weight stable each day. He needs a minimum of 60ml but could be as much as 120ml per day with the potential need to be fed every 2-3 hours.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Thanks for your answer. The syringe feeding article is very instructive.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Sending healing vibes to your piggy. I hope whatever is causing this issue can be found and he is soon on the mend. Good luck.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

with @Piggies&buns .

It could be dental overgrowth but guinea pig dentals are sadly not an area that features in a general vet's curriculum and that they are trained for.
Please have a look at the front teeth of both piggies. First the healthy piggy, then the one with the weight loss: Are they slanted (not eating on one side because of a pain issue, very often but not always from developing root abscess in the jaw), are the edges uneven (indicates restricted mouth movement from potentially from the premolars developing spurs that normally arch over the tongue and make swallowing increasingly difficult) or are the incisors are inward pointing and no longer meeting (which means that the grinding premolar and molar teeth at the back are all overgrown)?

In a balanced dental system the incisors at the front self-sharpen against each other, so having a look at them is a quick way for you to judge whether there could be something going on at the back of the mouth; it is not fail safe but it is the best you can do at home. You can also gently feel along the upper and lower jaw for any signs of swelling (developing abscess).

Otherwise, mystery weight loss is one of the most difficult symptoms to deal with because so many different problems can be behind it. Very often it is a considerable pain issue somewhere in the body or sometimes something in the digestive system.
Feel the body for any lumps and bumps or sore areas and use the healthy companion for comparison if needed.

I hope that this helps you?

Wishing you all the best.

 

[Gamouque]

Hello.

Thanks for your answers. This is very instructive.

I’ve checked again the incisors and it’s true that their tips are a bit slanted. But appart from that I don’t see any other issue. I’m adding a couple of pictures in case it could help. On the pictures top and bottom incisors don’t seem aligned but it is in fact not the case. It might just be the angle or me pushing the jaw while opening the mouth.

I’ve checked his head and body for any slump or sore parts, but again didn’t find anything unusual, except clearly feeling the ribs.

Thanks again.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hello.

Thanks for your answers. This is very instructive.

I’ve checked again the incisors and it’s true that their tips are a bit slanted. But appart from that I don’t see any other issue. I’m adding a couple of pictures in case it could help. On the pictures top and bottom incisors don’t seem aligned but it is in fact not the case. It might just be the angle or me pushing the jaw while opening the mouth.

I’ve checked his head and body for any slump or sore parts, but again didn’t find anything unusual, except clearly feeling the ribs.

Thanks again.

So the slanted incisors can suggest that there is a problem further back (which you won’t be able to see) - as wiebke said, it’s not definitive, but there is something not right in the mouth.
The teeth usually slant because he is favouring chewing on one side rather than the other and the incisors are wearing unevenly