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My guinea pig hasn't been eating.

S

simonabislyte

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Hello,
I have a 5 year old soon to be 6 Texel guinea pig called Rosie. I have been very worried about her lately, A few days ago she just stopped eating her veggies. She has been hiding more in her cage, less active but I guess that's normal for a guinea pig her age, However she has still been drinking water and has been eating dry food. The only fruit or veg she would eat is blueberries however what I've noticed is that when she does eat something she chews it very slowly, and she eats it a bit differently to how she usually eats her veg. She has lost weight during the past few days. Also its strange for me because you can tell she wants to eat her veg she smells the veg, she goes near it etc. In a way you can tell that something is going on or something is stopping her from eating. For the past few days I have been blending some veg in a bowl and then I syringe feed her however she really doesn't like to be syringe fed she barely allows me to feed her through a syringe. Yesterday we took her to the vet and the vet clipped her teeth shorter as they were slightly too long. She then said to book an appointment in a specialist Exotic Animal Vet Clinic as they can do x-rays on Rosie to see if she doesn't have any health problems in her stomach. Our local vet is a small clinic that doesn't offer x-rays to guinea pigs so the nearest place that does it in a different town that's like 45 minutes away from where I live. She does have an appointment there tomorrow in the morning which I am happy about cause hopefully then we will find out what's been bothering her and if there's treatments available. Another thing I am a bit worried about is the journey to get to that clinic as the longest Rosie has ever been in a car is literally only 10 minutes. So I'm not sure how she will get on well with the journey.

Lastly I was reading a bit online trying to find out what possible problem my guinea pig could have and I found this gut issue called gastrointestinal stasis I think that's what Rosie could have as she has been showing all the symptoms. Has anyone on here also had a guinea pig who is suffering from this and if so what were the treatments and was the recovery process alright?

Thank you
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry Rosie is unwell.

As Rosie is losing weight you need to step in with syringe feeding now until you can find out what is wrong with her. I will attach some links to help you.

Wiebke

Thread 'Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre'

If your guinea pig goes off any food or suddenly eats noticeably less, then it is seriously ill and needs to see a vet for a diagnosis and treatment for whatever problem is causing the loss of appetite. In many cases, it is either the need to breathe (which comes before the need to drink or the need to eat), the inability to eat or swallow (like problems with the teeth, especially those at the back, a mouth infection or a blockage in the guts) or there is very often a pain issue at the bottom of it that requires a hands-on examination or a scan.
The whole list of what could cause anorexia...
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helen105281

Thread 'Complete Syringe Feeding Guide'

Introduction

If your guinea pig is not eating, it is important that you step in with syringe feeding as soon as possible to ensure that:
· Your pig does not lose weight
· The gut does not shut down
· They have enough energy to fight the health issue that has caused them to stop eating in the first place
It is advisable to always have some syringes, pellets or recovery food, probiotics and vitamin C ready at home, as most illnesses and many operations happen as an emergency. It is also important to weigh any healthy pigs weekly and ill pigs daily in order to...
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If the specialist vet diagnoses gut statis or bloat

Wiebke

Thread 'Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)'

Overview
1 Not eating (anorexia) and the importance of syringe feeding fibre
2 Soft poos and runny diarrhea
3 Acute bloat (severe dysbiosis) - blockage - twisted gut - persistent milder bloating
4 GI stasis (no gut movement)


Severe runny diarrhea, bloat, blockage or a twisted gut, GI stasis and excessive salivating in guinea pigs that are not eating are absolute life and death emergencies that need to be seen ASAP by an out-of-hours vet at any time of the day or night or that should be seen by a vet as...

She should be fine with the car trip. I took my boys to a specialist vet 2 hours away for treatment and they were fine. Make sure she has lots of hay to hide in on the journey.

I hope you can find out what is going on and she is soon on the mend 🤞🏻
 
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Wiebke

Thread 'Travelling with guinea pigs'

Overview
1 Preparations
- Recommended carriers
- Travel training and feeding before the journey
2 The journey
- Securing carriers in a car
- Reassurance and travel provision
3 Tips for special travelling conditions
- Travelling in hot weather
- Travelling in cold weather
- Travelling in the dark
4 After...
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Wishing you and your piggy good luck at the vets. I have linked the travelling guide for you.
 
simonabislyte said:
Hello,
I have a 5 year old soon to be 6 Texel guinea pig called Rosie. I have been very worried about her lately, A few days ago she just stopped eating her veggies. She has been hiding more in her cage, less active but I guess that's normal for a guinea pig her age, However she has still been drinking water and has been eating dry food. The only fruit or veg she would eat is blueberries however what I've noticed is that when she does eat something she chews it very slowly, and she eats it a bit differently to how she usually eats her veg. She has lost weight during the past few days. Also its strange for me because you can tell she wants to eat her veg she smells the veg, she goes near it etc. In a way you can tell that something is going on or something is stopping her from eating. For the past few days I have been blending some veg in a bowl and then I syringe feed her however she really doesn't like to be syringe fed she barely allows me to feed her through a syringe. Yesterday we took her to the vet and the vet clipped her teeth shorter as they were slightly too long. She then said to book an appointment in a specialist Exotic Animal Vet Clinic as they can do x-rays on Rosie to see if she doesn't have any health problems in her stomach. Our local vet is a small clinic that doesn't offer x-rays to guinea pigs so the nearest place that does it in a different town that's like 45 minutes away from where I live. She does have an appointment there tomorrow in the morning which I am happy about cause hopefully then we will find out what's been bothering her and if there's treatments available. Another thing I am a bit worried about is the journey to get to that clinic as the longest Rosie has ever been in a car is literally only 10 minutes. So I'm not sure how she will get on well with the journey.

Lastly I was reading a bit online trying to find out what possible problem my guinea pig could have and I found this gut issue called gastrointestinal stasis I think that's what Rosie could have as she has been showing all the symptoms. Has anyone on here also had a guinea pig who is suffering from this and if so what were the treatments and was the recovery process alright?

Thank you
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please step in feeding support asap. Piggies cannot fast. Over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye. Your feeding support is critical in getting a piggy through a crisis. No medication can work if your piggy is dying from lack of food.
Wiebke

Thread 'How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency'

1 Feed
- Important crisis management resources
- When is improvising necessary?
- Which food group am I replacing with my feeding support?
- How much and how often should I feed and water?
- What can I use that I have already got at home?
- Other possible easily available foods with their pros and cons
- How do I prep a syringe for rougher pellet fibre?
- What can I do without a syringe?
- The role of lukewarm water
2 Probiotics
- Probiotic products explained...
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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 death
12...
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Please also see a vet as soon as possible. Loss of appetite or - what you are rather dealing with - something that prevents your piggy from eating - needs to be vet checked ideally within 24 hours of you noticing.
Abi_nurse

Thread 'How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide'

Overview
1 Does my guinea pig need to see a vet?
2 Emergency: Things that need immediate action
3 See promptly: Things that could wait until the next day (24 hours)
4 See during regular hours: Things that could wait a few days
5 First aid, emergency and bridging care links


1 Does my guinea pig need to see a vet?

In short - yes, if your worried its always best to see or speak to a vet or nurse about any concerns, however there are...
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GI stasis means that the gut has stopped working; there is no gut movement and there is no glugging in the belly - it is deadly silent or very quiet if the stasis is only partial. Any health issue where a piggy can no longer process food causes loss of appetite. Since your girl is still showing interest in food, she is definitely not suffering from GI stasis. There is currently a bit of an online fad of labelling any potential digestive issue as stasis even where it doesn't apply. Unfortunately, this is the huge drawback of doing home research.
Wiebke

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble'

Overview
1 Available Gut Medication
2 Mild and Medium Bloating Symptoms
- Milder bloat
- Secondary bloating
- Thickened bowel (IBS-like symptoms)
- Build-up of fluid in the body cavity
3 Severe Bloating
- Severe Bloat (Dysbiosis)
- Bloackage
- Twisted or trapped gut (volvulus and hernia)
4 GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)...
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I would recommend that your vet - apart from checking out the gut also looks at the mouth in case of dental overgrowth or sores in the mouth (oral thrush) where nothing is wrong with the food processing but with getting it on the conveyor belt.
However, there are more issues that will only come into play with a thorough hands-on veterinary examination and likey a scan or x-ray, depending on your vet's initial findings. What you describe can have quite a few very different causes so it is not a case of 1 symptom = 1 illness.

Here is the access link to our comprehensive practical crisis and bridging care collection with al the necessary how-to advice and in-depth information to help you through a life or death illness: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Please take the time to read the links.

All the best.
 
Hello, A few days ago i created a thread about how my 6 year old guinea pig Rosie wasnt eating. We took her to a specialist exotic vet as our local vet couldn't find a problem with her. I will try my best to explain the problem. Sadly Rosie has dental problems she has roots that have overgrown in her bottom jaw Which has caused a small lump on side. She has malocclusion. During our consultation the vet gave us 2 options. One was to have an operation to trim the back teeth, the other was sadly just for rosie to be put to sleep. With all my pets I would only put an animal down if it really was the last option, so I choose the operation, yes there was a pretty big risk with the anaesthetic as she is old. During her operation they took x-rays of her mouth and sadly after the operation the vet did say that this was temporary and this would most likely happen again, after 6-8 weeks. As soon as she stops eating again we would have to take her back to see the vet again. Which means that after 6-8 weeks I would have to make that decision again whether to put her through another operation just to trim the teeth down again or whether to put her to sleep. This time round she did well with the anaesthetic, she is recovering, She has her operation yesterday which means there is still a long way to go with recovery however she has started eating by her self again which is good. One thing I am confused on is I've been reading on multiple different websites and other peoples threads that some guinea pigs with this same problem rosie has. Is that some guinea pigs might need extraction. I'm not sure why my vet couldn't have done something more permanent. I'm not a specialised so I don't know. Its just another thing that annoys me is we found this problem quite early on we took her to the vet literally 2 days after she stopped eating. and I understand with this problem that it takes time for the problem to become serious. So I'm not sure what to do. I really don't want to put her to sleep as I love her to bits, but I don't want her to suffer. Right now she isn't suffering however after 6-8 weeks this problem will just happen all over again. I would never forgive myself if I had put her to sleep but there was other options like extraction or just another possible option which is permanent just maybe with a different vet in a different clinic.

With pain medication. Rosie has been getting Metacan which is for dogs. 0.4ml each day twice a day. After the operation the vet gave us more medication for Rosie which is a much stronger pain relief I have forgotten of the name of the medication but the most common side effect was that it would make her sleepy. We gave her that yesterday correctly everything how the the vet told us to do with the correct dose and straight after Rosie's breathing changed. She was making a weird noise that I've never heard her do before. In the morning her breathing got back to normal thankfully. We called the vet telling her this problem via phone and just told us to stop giving her the medication and just to continue to give her metacan.

So in conclusion i just need advice on what to do. After 6-8 weeks when her appetite goes down again should I just take her o a different vet and see if maybe they offer different treatment options? If you guinea pig had ever this same problem that Rosie has what did you do? Should I just put her to sleep or should I continue to give Rosie more chances of living?

Thank you
 
I am not sure where you are in the UK but there is a vet in Northampton (Simon Maddocks at The Cat and Rabbit Clinic) who is an expert in piggy dentistry. Would it be an option for you to travel there? I will also tag in @furryfriends (TEAS) who runs a sanctuary for piggies with severe dental issues.
 
YvonneBlue said:
I am not sure where you are in the UK but there is a vet in Northampton (Simon Maddocks at The Cat and Rabbit Clinic) who is an expert in piggy dentistry. Would it be an option for you to travel there? I will also tag in @furryfriends (TEAS) who runs a sanctuary for piggies with severe dental issues.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I will look into it :)
 
simonabislyte said:
Thank you! Rosie has an appointment at our usual clinic today, however we will call the clinic in Northhampton today to book Rosie in as soon as possible. :)
Click to expand...
They will say there are no appointments for a while, but get her registered snd take whatever appointment they offer. You can then call at 8 am any morning, to get one of the ‘on the day emergency slots’. 😊
 
Today in the morning, we noticed that Rosie has been urinating with blood. So that’s why we have booked in for an emergency appointment at our usual clinic. I hate seeing my poor piggy so ill! Any advice will be absolutely golden. I can not thank enough the people who have given me advice on what to do already!
 
Again thank you for this advice. Rosie hasn’t been drinking her usual amount for the past few days. She would usually drink like half a bottle each day now she’s only been drinking a little. We have been feeding her water though a syringe. We will still mention this problem at the vets just to make sure that it isn’t something more serious. Which I hope it isn’t
 
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