Metacam and diarrhea

[KatieBQ]

Hi, I'm hoping someone maybe able to give me some advice. My daughter accidently dropped our Guinea pig yesterday. He was seemed OK afterwards apart from a limp / shuffling walk. We took him to the vet who didn't think anything was broken and prescribed 0.4 ml of metacam once a day. Since then he seems to be more withdrawn and not really wanting to eat as anything except his favourite foods. I get that he was probably feeling sorry for himself and needed some rest. However this morning when I've got him out he had quite obviously not moved all night and has had quite bad diarrhea which is really smelly. Ive been regularly giving him water from the syringe and encouraging him to eat. I'm guessing the diarrhoea is from the metacam rather than the fall? Any advice as to anything else I can do? I've brought him inside (he lives outside in the summer) and have put him on an absorbant pad and have set my alarm for the early hours to give him more water.
Just to say also that my daughter is a responsible 12 year old who is devastated by all this. She dotes on him and has done most of the care for him for 4 years.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, I'm hoping someone maybe able to give me some advice. My daughter accidently dropped our Guinea pig yesterday. He was seemed OK afterwards apart from a limp / shuffling walk. We took him to the vet who didn't think anything was broken and prescribed 0.4 ml of metacam once a day. Since then he seems to be more withdrawn and not really wanting to eat as anything except his favourite foods. I get that he was probably feeling sorry for himself and needed some rest. However this morning when I've got him out he had quite obviously not moved all night and has had quite bad diarrhea which is really smelly. Ive been regularly giving him water from the syringe and encouraging him to eat. I'm guessing the diarrhoea is from the metacam rather than the fall? Any advice as to anything else I can do? I've brought him inside (he lives outside in the summer) and have put him on an absorbant pad and have set my alarm for the early hours to give him more water.
Just to say also that my daughter is a responsible 12 year old who is devastated by all this. She dotes on him and has done most of the care for him for 4 years.

Hi!

Please see your vet again as as quickly as possible as an emergency!
Metacam doesn't cause diarrhea but the fall hay have caused internal injuries/problems. Not moving and not eating at all means that your piggy is critically ill and may be unfortunately dying. The diarrhea in itself needs to be seen by the vet.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment (including what constitutes a life or death emergency and further information)

 

[KatieBQ]

I've just re read my message and just to clarify whilst he hadn't moved overnight he is moving around and has done so more today especially after the metacam seems to have kicked in, he's just not walking around as much as he would normally and is eating but just being a bit fussier. He's eaten today grass and dandelion leaves, a sweetcorn, strawberry tops, raspberry leaves all of which is usual for him. He would usually just be constantly eating rather than grazing. Surely the vet would pick something up straight away? He said he was in good health and this was probably 2 hours after the accident.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Is he not eating hay then? Hay needs to make up the bulk of the diet and if he isn’t eating it, then he needs help (via syringe feeding). Nibbling at fruits and veg isn’t enough. Full diarrhoea in itself is an emergency

 

[Wiebke]

He is moving around just not as much as he would normally and is eating but just being a bit fussier. He's eaten today grass and dandelion leaves, a sweetcorn, strawberry tops, raspberry leaves all of which is usual for him. He would usually just be constantly eating rather than grazing. Surely the vet would pick something up straight away? He said he was in good health and this was probably 2 hours after the accident.

Please weigh him daily at the same time instead of once weekly for the regular health check. Hay should make up to 80% of the daily food intake while veg is only about 15%, so a piggy can lose a lot of weight without you noticing as you cannot control that by eye.

Please take any piggy on diarrhea immediately off any fresh food for at least 48 hours until after the poos have normalised and then only gradually reintroduce to slowly again. If he has mostly eaten just fresh food and not a lot of hay, then this could have caused the diarrhea.
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Please keep on with the metacam (how much is he getting; cat or dog metacam and how much is he weighing?) as he sounds very sore; but not quite as bad as in your initial post.
See your vet if your boy deteriorates further overnight and if the poos are not starting to firm up again within 24 hours off any fresh food. Step in with feeding support (as described in the emergency guide link in my first post) if your boy continues to lose weight and offer him as much water as he wants to drink from a syringe voluntarily. Don't push anything down his throat.

Please take the time to read the green links. They contain very helpful and important information.

 

[KatieBQ]

Thank you all.. He does normally have hay and pellets but isn't interested. The metacam is one for Guinea pigs and was prescribed yesterday by the vet so I'm assuming he's got the dosing right. Thank you for the links. I think it may be another vet visit tomorrow if he doesn't improve overnight.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all.. He does normally have hay and pellets but isn't interested. The metacam is one for Guinea pigs and was prescribed yesterday by the vet so I'm assuming he's got the dosing right. Thank you for the links. I think it may be another vet visit tomorrow if he doesn't improve overnight.

Please step in with support feeding asap!

 

[Merab]

Hope he recovers
Holding you in my thoughts

 

[VickiA]

I think he needs to see a vet ASAP to be honest. Diarrhoea, and not eating hay and pellets are red flag symptoms for me. Metacam does not cause diarrhoea in guinea pigs.