My guinea pig isn't walking and is in pain

[Piggies&buns]

Hiiii.. AGAINNN.... There is nooooo veti already went to 6 vets and contaccted more than 10! I live on a small island with no exotic vet... Thats why i dont know what to do...there is also no guinea pig medicines here. My mum is trying to look for metocam rn. And i am giving them hay and probiotics

As I said to you hay is food and probiotics aren’t medication. Neither of these things will help them be able to walk

 

[Shania]

If they are pooping and eating then bloat may not be an issue at all. This is why only a vet can diagnose it.
They could have a foot injury but we can’t tell you that, only a vet can. It would be very strange for them both to have injured their feet at the same time.
I’m afraid there is little we can do other than offer support. We can’t diagnose a problem and we can’t tell you what treatmenf they need

Yesss i understand. Thanks a lot.
I wrote in the past posts from yesterday, explaining my parents took them to a normal vet to get their nails trimmed. And since they were not exotic vet, it could be possible that they did something wrong or that they trimmed too much?...

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yesss i understand. Thanks a lot.
I wrote in the past posts from yesterday, explaining my parents took them to a normal vet to get their nails trimmed. And since they were not exotic vet, it could be possible that they did something wrong or that they trimmed too much?...

Maybe but you also said they gave them a parasite treatment - if they have given them something unsafe for piggies given they don’t know anything about guinea pigs then it could be something to do with that

 

[Zanzan]

Ok thankss... Yess and also i already checked the vets. There is no experienced vet in my country. I live on a small island thats why.. So idk what to do right now

But you took them to a vet to get their nails cut......

 

[Chickenpies]

Hiiii.. AGAINNN.... There is nooooo veti already went to 6 vets and contaccted more than 10! I live on a small island with no exotic vet... Thats why i dont know what to do...there is also no guinea pig medicines here. My mum is trying to look for metocam rn. And i am giving them hay and probiotics

Metacam is for cats and dogs but can be given to guinea pigs. The one for dogs is stronger than the one for cats. I’m not sure if you’ll find it in a pet store on the shelf, and I’m not sure if the vet will give it to you. You could ask. But what are they doing right now?

 

[Shania]

As I said to you hay is food and probiotics aren’t medication. Neither of these things will help them be able to walk

But you took them to a vet to get their nails cut......

Yeaaa but they are not exotic vet! They arre the ones who gave the probiotics. But they have noooo knowledge about guinea pigs.

 

[Shania]

Metacam is for cats and dogs but can be given to guinea pigs. The one for dogs is stronger than the one for cats. I’m not sure if you’ll find it in a pet store on the shelf, and I’m not sure if the vet will give it to you. You could ask. But what are they doing right now?

Rihht now they arre sleeping. They just drank water and ate hay. I also did some massage on there belly

 

[Piggies&buns]

Metacam is for cats and dogs but can be given to guinea pigs. The one for dogs is stronger than the one for cats. I’m not sure if you’ll find it in a pet store on the shelf, and I’m not sure if the vet will give it to you. You could ask. But what are they doing right now?

Metacam is a prescription medication, you won’t get it on a pet shop shelf

 

[Shania]

Maybe but you also said they gave them a parasite treatment - if they have given them something unsafe for piggies given they don’t know anything about guinea pigs then it could be something to do with that

Yess... Pfftti really hope they get bettter

 

[Piggies&buns]

I don’t know what else to suggest because without vet checks, tests, a diagnosis and treatment, there isn’t much you can do other than keep them comfortable and feed them

 

[Shania]

Okayyy since i really dont know if its bloat or foot injury, I'm writing the signs and symptoms( there is no exotic vet in my island to help me diagnose)

-cannot walk
-they are eating and drinking normally
-sleep on their side with back feets off the ground
-seem to be in pain while pooping
-poos constantly changed from small hard poos, to diarrhea, but now seem okay again

 

[Chickenpies]

Metacam is a prescription medication, you won’t get it on a pet shop shelf

Thank you for correcting me!

Rihht now they arre sleeping. They just drank water and ate hay. I also did some massage on there belly

Do you know how much hay they have eaten? I know you can’t tell by eye but have you weighed them daily?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Okayyy since i really dont know if its bloat or foot injury, I'm writing the signs and symptoms( there is no exotic vet in my island to help me diagnose)

-cannot walk
-they are eating and drinking normally
-sleep on their side with back feets off the ground
-seem to be in pain while pooping
-poos constantly changed from small hard poos, to diarrhea, but now seem okay again

Poops changing - suggests a gut disturbance or imbalance. A good hay based diet is needed. Don’t give them veg until poops normalise and then reintroduce veg slowly so as not to cause a further upset. If full on diarrhoea occurs then they need a vet as they can dehydrate and become quite poorly.
Small poops can be a sign they’ve not eaten enough hay.

Pain while going to the toilet - possible causes - urinary tract infection, stones

Cannot walk – could be an injury in the foot, leg . X rays may be needed

Sleeping on their sides with the feet off the ground - the could just be comfortable laying like that

Either way, none of these things you can treat on your own.

 

[Shania]

Thank you for correcting me!

Do you know how much hay they have eaten? I know you can’t tell by eye but have you weighed them daily?

Noo i dont have a balance right now. How much should i make them eat

 

[Piggies&buns]

Noo i dont have a balance right now. How much should i make them eat

You need to feed them hay constantly, it needs to always be in their cage as I have previously told you.
You must weigh guinea pigs every week as part of routine care. If their weight is going up then they are eating enough. If it goes down a lot, then they need to be syringe fed and taken to a vet

 

[Shania]

You need to feed them hay constantly, it needs to always be in their cage as I have previously told you.
You must weigh guinea pigs every week as part of routine care. If their weight is going up then they are eating enough. If it goes down a lot, then they need to be syringe fed and taken to a vet

Yess i did keep it in their house. They have unlimited rn. Okayy ill make sure to weigh them

 

[Shania]

Poops changing - suggests a gut disturbance or imbalance. A good hay based diet is needed. Don’t give them veg until poops normalise and then reintroduce veg slowly so as not to cause a further upset. If full on diarrhoea occurs then they need a vet as they can dehydrate and become quite poorly.
Small poops can be a sign they’ve not eaten enough hay.

Pain while going to the toilet - possible causes - urinary tract infection, stones

Cannot walk – could be an injury in the foot, leg . X rays may be needed

Sleeping on their sides with the feet off the ground - the could just be comfortable laying like that

Either way, none of these things you can treat on your own.

Hii. I dont really think its urinary infection. They are not lethargic, they dont have blood in urine, thry domt cry when urinating and they dont have loss of appetite...

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hii. I dont really think its urinary infection. They are not lethargic, they dont have blood in urine, thry domt cry when urinating and they dont have loss of appetite...

Pain when pooping can be an infection. You don’t always see blood in urine
I’m just giving you possibilities regarding the symptoms. Only a vet can diagnose and help you with anything

 

[Shania]

Pain when pooping can be an infection. You don’t always see blood in urine
I’m just giving you possibilities regarding the symptoms. Only a vet can diagnose and help you with anything

Yess thanks youuu..

I think the problem definitely comes from the facct that i couldnt give them hay. But idk what to do next....

 

[Shania]

Hii guyss.. Do u know what type of vitamin c i must get. Seems likw my guinea pigs mightbalso have a vitamin c deficiencyyy

 

[Claire W]

I am sorry that you are in this mess of having no vet all we can do is support you, sadly we can not diagnose the problem

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hay is essential to gut function.
You are looking at symptoms and making them fit to your piggies - they may have a vitamin c deficiency but a vet is the best person to be able to help. I know it’s hard for you to find a vet, but you can’t get a diagnosis without one.

Piggies get their vitamin c through eating hay, grass and a wide variety of vegetables. You can give them vitamin c tablets but don’t use anything which needs to be added to their drinking water.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

 

[Siikibam]

Are they eating the hay? I mentioned before, you should buy scales so you can weigh them. For now it should be daily (at the same time) as they’re unwell.

 

[Shania]

Hiiii. Can someone pleaseee explain to me how to use this. Shoudl i dissolve it in water?

 

[Wiebke]

Okayy thanks.. Is there a specific way i should massage their belly to help them feel better? Because i read somewhere that massage could help them pass gas. Because my piggies do look a little bloated and one of them has a distended stomach and they do have all signs of bloat.. But I'm not sure because none of the vets themselves knew abbout it

HI!

PLEASE read the bloating link in my previous post! It tells you exactly what you can and what you need to do in detail. We cannot repeat everything for everybody what has taken me days to write down and make sure is complete and appropriate. Please accept that we are all doing this for free in our own free time on top of a job, a family and looking after our own guinea pigs.

Your piggies are seriously ill and really need to see your vet for the medications listed in the chapter about bloating; please show the guide link to your vet so you can work out together what your piggies need and what your vet can supply. The medication has been proof-read by an experienced guinea pig owning exotics vet nurse.

You also need to support feed your piggies. If they don't get enough food their gut will slow down and eventually stop working altogether.

None of the home cures is going to help. Please accept that!

Here is the link again: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...diarrhea-bloat-gi-stasis-no-gut-movement-and-
not-eating.152679/

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hiiii. Can someone pleaseee explain to me how to use this. Shoudl i dissolve it in water?

This type should not be used. This is the type which gets added to their drinking water which you should not do as it can stop the piggies from drinking, the vitamins deteriorate, if can promote algae growth in the water and you can’t control how much vit c they are getting.
You are better off to give them a good diet with a good variety of vitamin c rich vegetables.

You need to get your piggies to a vet for all of their health conditions. Giving them vitamin c won’t cure them

 

[Shania]

This type should not be used. This is the type which gets added to their drinking water which you should not do as it can stop the piggies from drinking, the vitamins deteriorate, if can promote algae growth in the water and you can’t control how much vit c they are getting.
You are better off to give them a good diet with a good variety of vitamin c rich vegetables.

You need to get your piggies to a vet for all of their health conditions. Giving them vitamin c won’t cure them

Hiii.. Yea i read about it on the inyernet... Thatd the only type of vitamin c the vets have and i also cannot give them too much vegies because they are getting diarrhea...

 

[Claire W]

If you got the vitamin C from the vets, please have them health checked

 

[Shania]

If you got the vitamin C from the vets, please have them health checked

Yesss i didddddd... The vets dont know whats wrong with them! Again, there are no experiencd guinea pig vet. They have have the equipmen for x rays and know nothing about guinea pigs. They only have few medicines. I already had them checked by 6 vets who said it was just stress etc... They dont even know that small hard poops isnt healthy..they even gave wrong vitamins. One vet gave hamster vitamins which are are good and thankfully i didny use it

 

[Siikibam]

Is their poo actually runny like water or very soft? I know things are difficult because of the lack of vet who knows about them, but there is no way we can advise you to treat because we don’t know what is wrong with them.

As an aside, coriander and bell peppers are a good source of vitamin c. And so is hay/grass. I wouldn’t give them veg or grass if their poo is soft though. Diarrhoea is an emergency which can’t be treated at home.