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Emergency My guinea pig isn’t moving and hasn’t eaten

Molly03

Molly03

Junior Guinea Pig
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Usually my albino guinea pig Alfie is full of life and loves having a run about, when I went to clean his and his brothers cage I realised he wasn’t acting himself, his eyes looked tired and his fur was puffed up. Usually he gets very excited when I clean the cage because he gets more time to run about outside but today he sat in his hiding place and looked very sorry for himself. I’ve just cleaned their cage out now and placed new veg, water ect. Usually he rushes out to get the veg but instead he hid in his hut. I’ve tried hand feeding him and bringing the water bottle to him but he won’t take anything. Right now he’s sitting on the hay and has moved from his hut but is eating very little and looks very tired. It’s too late to call the vets tonight and I’ve got to be studying for exams but I’m so worried that he’s really ill. He is nearly four or five years old so I don’t know if it’s old age kicking in or an illness. If anyone has any idea what’s making my Alfie so unusual please let me know.
Many thanks-
Molly
 
Hi Molly, do you regularly weigh him? Worth seeing if he’s lost any weight. I would try and syringe feed him and not forgetting to give him water too via syringe also. I would ring your vet, all vets have an emergency line the normal number will go too.
Being sat quiet puffed up is a sure sign he’s unwell.
Good luck
 
Molly03 said:
Usually my albino guinea pig Alfie is full of life and loves having a run about, when I went to clean his and his brothers cage I realised he wasn’t acting himself, his eyes looked tired and his fur was puffed up. Usually he gets very excited when I clean the cage because he gets more time to run about outside but today he sat in his hiding place and looked very sorry for himself. I’ve just cleaned their cage out now and placed new veg, water ect. Usually he rushes out to get the veg but instead he hid in his hut. I’ve tried hand feeding him and bringing the water bottle to him but he won’t take anything. Right now he’s sitting on the hay and has moved from his hut but is eating very little and looks very tired. It’s too late to call the vets tonight and I’ve got to be studying for exams but I’m so worried that he’s really ill. He is nearly four or five years old so I don’t know if it’s old age kicking in or an illness. If anyone has any idea what’s making my Alfie so unusual please let me know.
Many thanks-
Molly
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!

Please see a vet ASAP as an any time life and death emergency!
List Of Life And Death Out-of-hours Emergencies
How to contact a vet out of hours or google for 24 hours services in your area
Please do not accept any steroid injections which in rodents slow down organs instead of pepping them up. Ask the treating vet to tell you beforehand what they are injecting.
The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Hand-feeding is not enough, you need to syringe feed. In an emergency, you can use a 1 ml needle-less syringe from a pharmacy and mushed up pellets as long as you cut off the tip as shown in our comprehensive illustrated how-to guide, but any vet/out-of-hours vet should be able to give you a syringe and hopefully some herbivore recover formula.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

The sooner you can see a vet the better, and the sooner you start syringe feeding, the more of a chance you have.

Fingers very firmly crossed!
 
Mother Hubbard said:
Hi Molly, do you regularly weigh him? Worth seeing if he’s lost any weight. I would try and syringe feed him and not forgetting to give him water too via syringe also. I would ring your vet, all vets have an emergency line the normal number will go too.
Being sat quiet puffed up is a sure sign he’s unwell.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Hi thank you so much for the reply, although I’ve had my guinea pigs for a while I’m still learning and it can be very daunting. My vet keeps on track with their weight every time I check up and so on but I’m going to start weighing them once a week. I’ll start syringe feeding him as soon as possible. Many thanks for the support
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome!

Please see a vet ASAP as an any time life and death emergency!
List Of Life And Death Out-of-hours Emergencies
How to contact a vet out of hours or google for 24 hours services in your area
Please do not accept any steroid injections which in rodents slow down organs instead of pepping them up. Ask the treating vet to tell you beforehand what they are injecting.
The Problems With Steroids And Why They Shouldn't Be Used.

Hand-feeding is not enough, you need to syringe feed. In an emergency, you can use a 1 ml needle-less syringe from a pharmacy and mushed up pellets as long as you cut off the tip as shown in our comprehensive illustrated how-to guide, but any vet/out-of-hours vet should be able to give you a syringe and hopefully some herbivore recover formula.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

The sooner you can see a vet the better, and the sooner you start syringe feeding, the more of a chance you have.

Fingers very firmly crossed!
Click to expand...
Hi your reply means a lot! It’s definitely a bit scary. I’m getting him checked first thing tomorrow and have stared syringe feeding him a bit. Tanks for the support!
 
Recently I posted a thread about my guinea pig Alfie. His fur was puffed up and he wasn’t moving, eating or drinking very much although he was making an effort. I rang up my vet as people suggested because I was really concerned and the stress of my exams was piling up. They said to give him a day or two and if he doesn’t get any better to bring him up, but he has gotten new symptoms and I don’t know what they mean. I’ve kept him beside me all day and he kept creeping under my blanket. I gave him separate vegetables and water. He hadn’t touched much of it and would only take a sip or two of water, which is really concerning. His nose has some crust around it and he makes a faint whistle sound when breathing, his poo is green and soft and when I put him back in his cage with his brother 9 times out of 10 his brother Gus will take his food off him and Alfie doesn’t have it in him to take it back. My mum says not to worry and that it’s probably just a bad flu but I’m really concerned and just want to know if anyone knows exactly what’s going on so I can prepare myself for whatever news I might get, they’re my very first pigs and I just want them to be happy and healthy.
I’m sorry if this is a bother but I’ve nowhere else to turn.
Many thanks, Molly
 
Molly03 said:
Recently I posted a thread about my guinea pig Alfie. His fur was puffed up and he wasn’t moving, eating or drinking very much although he was making an effort. I rang up my vet as people suggested because I was really concerned and the stress of my exams was piling up. They said to give him a day or two and if he doesn’t get any better to bring him up, but he has gotten new symptoms and I don’t know what they mean. I’ve kept him beside me all day and he kept creeping under my blanket. I gave him separate vegetables and water. He hadn’t touched much of it and would only take a sip or two of water, which is really concerning. His nose has some crust around it and he makes a faint whistle sound when breathing, his poo is green and soft and when I put him back in his cage with his brother 9 times out of 10 his brother Gus will take his food off him and Alfie doesn’t have it in him to take it back. My mum says not to worry and that it’s probably just a bad flu but I’m really concerned and just want to know if anyone knows exactly what’s going on so I can prepare myself for whatever news I might get, they’re my very first pigs and I just want them to be happy and healthy.
I’m sorry if this is a bother but I’ve nowhere else to turn.
Many thanks, Molly
Click to expand...

Guinea pigs don't get flu, but they get bacterial respiratory infection (URI), which can kill or permanently damage if left untreated or undertreated. Alfie needs to see a vet tomorrow. He urgently needs an antibiotic!
Please show your mother this link here: Guinea Lynx :: URI

The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat.
Green and soft poos mean that Alfie has stopped eating enough hay, which should make over 80% of his daily food intake and that his guts have started to ferment any fresh food.

Please start offering him mushed pellets and water 3 times daily in order to keep the guts going and to keep him alive long enough to see a vet and to allow time for the antibiotic to kick in.
You can use a spoon today, but ask your vet for a 1 ml syringe. cut off the tip as shown in the syringe feeding guide to allow any fibre to get through. Read the syringe feeding guide; it contains all the tips that a first timer needs to go about it right and to save their piggy.

Your support feeding care in this respect is as important as the antibiotic - a guinea pig that is not eating is a dying guinea pig because its guts are first slowing down and then closing down.
Please switch to weighing him daily at the same on the kitchen scales to monitor his weight and minimise any weight loss, as that means less strength to fight the bacteria.
Not Eating, Weight Loss Over 50g And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

All the best - but you and your mother really need to get moving!
 
The vet is advising you wrong. This is something you have to put your foot down for and insist he be brought in as soon as the vet can see him. I learned the hard way to never take anything with guinea pigs lightly when they show signs of this kind of behavior and not eating. Hope everything is ok with the little guy. :hug:
 
Hello everyone, I just want to thank you all so much for all the help, it really means a lot and I am sad to inform you that Alfie died today the 20th June while I was at school. The help you all gave me was so important to me and it means the abslaoute world you all tried to help me because I could turn to you when I didn’t think there was anyone that could help, he was such an excited boy and I miss him so much, it’s so difficult. Please if you take anything from this thread it’s to love your piggies everyday and always trust your gut, because although your vet might know about guinea pigs they won’t know about the ones you love and care for because we know them better than anyone else.
I always will have loving memories of Alfie and his cheeky attitude.
All the support you have given me has really helped me through this difficult time and I will always be greatfull.
Many thanks :hug:
 
Sorry for the loss of your lovely Alfie. He was well loved and is now out of pain and popcorning free at the Rainbow Bridge. We have a Rainbow Bridge Section if and when you feel you need to post a tribute. There is no time limit.
 
I am so sorry to hear that Alfie lost his battle.
However it sounds like he was a cherished piggie, who had a wonderful life with you and will always be remembered. :hug:
 
I am very sorry that Alfie has died. He has been much loved by you.
 
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