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Molly has lost a bit more weight

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gingerpig

gingerpig

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Molly has already lost 160g since the summer - I took her to the vet a couple of weeks or so ago and she was given a thorough overhaul and they could find nothing - I mentioned worms but the vet didn't seem to think it was that.

Her weight has been steady for the last few weeks (I've been weighing her daily) but over the last 3/4 days she has lost another 30g - otherwise fit and healthy, bright eyed and I'm sure her tail would be bushy if she had one lol. But why the weight loss?

She's eating normally. I've been watching carefully cos I wondered if the other 4 sows she lives with were bullying her or stopping her from getting the food but this is defo not the case, she eats plenty.

It's difficult to tell but I think the water is going down a bit quicker than it used to although I rarely see any of them drinking, I guess somebody's having it. Hard to say if it's Molly or not but it could be.

I don't want to house her on her own to monitor her (although I could, we have a spare hutch) but the vet said she would lose her status as "boss pig" amongst the others.

Any ideas? I feel a vet visit coming on. Can I get wormer anywhere else apart from the vet? Would it be safe to give it, if it turned out that she didn't have worms, is it harmful in that situation?
 
Hi, sorry to here Molly is losing weight. I think excessive drinking could be a sign of something to do with the kidneys - but I guess if she's in with others you don't know how much of it she is drinking herself?
 
No, that's the trouble really. That's when I thought about housing her on her own for a bit to make it easier to determine what she was eating and drinking but the vet advised against that because of her "place" in the pecking order.

She seems really well and normal in herself though. Very odd.
 
I had one losing weight and the vets put her on antibiotics in case it was an infection, but I also had to put her on her own for a few days to check that she was eating - she wasn't! But at least I knew exactly what she'd eaten and drank. She's now in with a young pig and arguing over food - so at least she's feeling better!

Can't you separate her in the same hutch, if you see what I mean - divide it off? Just for a day or so - she could still smell and hear the other piggies but you could measure her intake? :) Hopefully someone with more advice will be along soon!
 
as sophie said i would half up the cage just for a day or two so you can see how much molly is drinking. i am in the same boat as you as my little zoe is losing weight too. so lets hope both girls stack it on. maybe they have been watching guinea pig models on tv or reading piggy magazines and are watching their figures? sorry poor taste but if i don't laugh i will go crazy with worry over zoe. zoe was on antibiotics too and she had surgery on jan 17th in about 4 weeks zoe has lost around 100 grams. good luck with molly. hugs and cuddles. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Is she eating more than normal do you think,?,if so,there is a possibility of diabetis.,might be worth asking the vet to test for this.You will need to take a sample of Mollys urine with you. Diabetis in gps can be maintained with drugs.

It would not harm her to have a dose of Panacur,from the vet,just in case of worms.
 
Umm yes,the little blighters do seem to know what you are up to and hold on to it,till you put them back down!.

Get a clean container large enough to sitand Molly in,and give her water by syringe,and celery which is diuretic.Have a clean container and syringe ready.You can syringe the urine up and transfer to bottle.
 
choloe said:
as sophie said i would half up the cage just for a day or two so you can see how much molly is drinking. i am in the same boat as you as my little zoe is losing weight too. so lets hope both girls stack it on. maybe they have been watching guinea pig models on tv or reading piggy magazines and are watching their figures? sorry poor taste but if i don't laugh i will go crazy with worry over zoe. zoe was on antibiotics too and she had surgery on jan 17th in about 4 weeks zoe has lost around 100 grams. good luck with molly. hugs and cuddles. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
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Thank you and I hope little Zoe is OK :)
 
Thanks for all your replies, it's going to be difficult to halve up her hutch though, the only separate compartment is the sleeping end which does have a sliding door but no access then to light or water :( She won't like that much

Any tips on how else to divide the hutch?
 
hi again we have our cage halved at present as when jessie gets on heat she mounts zoe and rattles wobbles the rump and is a real little pain in the butt. we have just used a cooling rack and cable tied it. so that jessie and zoe can see eachother and smeel eachother but young jessie girl stays sexually frustrated, young whipper snapper! hope this helps. good luck and thanks for your wishes for zoe. hugs and cuddles to you and molly. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Just to update on Molly, who has just come back from the vet . . .

Vet couldn't find anything, her teeth are fine and she can't feel any lumps. I asked about worming again (why couldn't they just worm her anyway? Just in case) but the vet said the next step is to catch some urine, they offered to take her in to do this, but I'm going to have a go at catching some myself, to save Molly the stress of being kept at the vets.

Apparently we are looking at probably either diabetes or kidney trouble. :( The urine test will show up either of these.

Molly's in the run after a failed attempt at catching the last wee she had. I'm going to get her in later and put her back in the plastic box (no lid) to try and take a sample. Any tips on catching it before she treads in it and it all soaks into her fur?
 
Good luck! I think Mary's advice above was best - clean container and a syringe! The lengths we go to.... had to get some from a dog once, all the neighbours must have seen was me in my dressing gown and wellies with a pot, following the dog around until it peed! The dog looked a bit oddly too.
 
really hoping molly gets better and hoping the urine test is normal. so you can test for kidneys and liver with a urine test? then why did my vet want to do a blood test to test zoe's? sending hugs to you and molly, really hoping she gets better, good news about truffle! how old is molly? hugs and cuddles :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
and sophie i would have liked to see you chasing your dog with a pot! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: hugs to you and your furbabies. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
There is no urine test for liver problems.Blood tests are more conclusive for renal problems as well. Urine tests will only show if there is an infection or diabetis ,but where diabetis is concerned,the urine tests can sometimes give a false reading.
 
choloe said:
really hoping molly gets better and hoping the urine test is normal. so you can test for kidneys and liver with a urine test? then why did my vet want to do a blood test to test zoe's? sending hugs to you and molly, really hoping she gets better, good news about truffle! how old is molly? hugs and cuddles :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
and sophie i would have liked to see you chasing your dog with a pot! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: hugs to you and your furbabies. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
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Molly is nearly 3. Thanks for your good wishes all.
 
Oh love we're crossing our paws for little Molly :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Heaps of piggie kisses as well for her from Duke, and i'm sending lots of gentle kisses for her as well :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
hoping you managed to get a urine sample from molly and that the test results were normal. hoping you find out what little molly's problem is soon and that she is back to her normal slef soon. sending hugs and cuddles to you and molly. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Aww, thanks, you are all so nice :)

In the end my youngest daughter spotted that Molly had produced something so we quickly got it into the tube and I took it into the vet's this morning first thing . . . . I've got to phone after 4 so will keep you posted. :-\
 
hope the test shows everything is normal. sending hugs and cuddles to you and molly. bet when you got the sample molly gave you such a look for taking it. sending prayers your way too that all is well for molly. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
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