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My little pig zakky, downhill again

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nina
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Nina

Hello,

I wrote in about my guinea pig zakky having reocurring cystitis and a lump in his bladder wall. We took him to the vets today because i thought his front teeth were too long and good thing too because when he was weighed he has gone from 1.2kg to 0.96kg which means he has lost some serious weight. Because he has cystitis it could be that or his back teeth. He just looks so lifeless and unhappy, I'm going to see vedra i hope when she rings i text her today. I'm just so sad to see him looking this way as he used to be such a little character and made everyone who saw him laugh at his wild hair and how good he is at the vets.

Is there anyway i can at least get his weight up, I'm feeding him small meals 3 times a day now because he just doesnt eat much anymore and he does this thing where he shakes. its like a quick vibration in his body like he's either cold or trying to stand funny and his joints are rubbing. does anyone know what it is?

It sucks bad. I'm scared I'm going to find him dead if i dont do something quick.
 
Poor little thing!

It sounds very serious. What did the vet say? Did they say he had teeth problems?
Also has he been put on antibiotics for the bladder infection.

Do you have any CC. If he is not eating I would suggest syringe feeding him so that he can keep his strength's up.
I hope vedra gets back to you soon, are you near the CCT in case on an emergency?

I hope he picks up
x
 
I would see your vet. O0
Good luck with Zakky. :smitten:
 
I would try and get hold of some critical care from your vet, if he isn't eating properley he needs to be fed ever 2 hours to keep him going.

The vibration could be because he is scared or down to his illness.

Good luck with him!
 
so thats what its called? critical care. crap no they just said keep feeding him and we'll see how his weight is in a week.

He eats a couple of slices of cucumber and celery but its still not good enough if he has lost that much weight. Do you think i should try to get some CC? i mean if it will help him ill do anything to get some.
 
Forgive my language but that is cr*p. I can't believe the vet sent you away with nothing.
What did they say, did they check his teeth? also you mentioned he's got a bladder infection, have they given him anything for it?

I would definitely get some critical care if you can get some. If not put some of his dry food, and some of his fav fruit and vet in a blender with some water (make it into a paste) and syringe feed him with that.

However he does need to see a competent vet ASAP. Once GPs stop eating they go down hill very quickly. Is there another vet you could try near you? Also you mentioned Vedra, if you are near the CCT then definitely go there ASAP.
 
Hi I would try and get some cc from your vet, for now though can you mash some pellets up with warm water and feed off the handle of a tea spoon? Or you could mash some veg, maybe carrots or broccoli and fed that way. I have found wrapping a blanket easier to feed as well.
 
I'm not near her but i called her because if thers something wrong with his back teeth i dont want him under anesthetic. We have a good vet but he's not in and the other vet i trust wasnt in either it was some woman. He has some stuff for his infection but he's not bleeding so theres no need for him to have none. He just isnt eating very much and I'm concerned about his weight going down even more. I'll see if i can get some CC
 
You said there is a lump in the bladder,can this be felt or has the vet done an x ray?.There may be a bladder stone,if so,this should be removed asap because they are very painful.

When a piggy shakes it could be fright,but they often do this when in pain.

You def.need a gp expert vet asap.There is not much point going to Vedra as she cannot do surgery(she is not a vet).
 
If he's been given antibiotics for a bladder infection he needs to finish the course even if there is no bleeding.
Has he not been eating for a while or is this sudden. With teeth problems you would have noticed it over a period of time as he would have looked like eating was a real effort (if you see what I mean)
If you can't get cc still make a mush of his food (as mentioned above). You need to keep food moving inside him or his systems may shut down.
He really needs to go back to the vets to be honest and only they will be able to tell you what is wrong with him. When is your usual vet back?
Whereabouts are you? Someone on here might know of another vet near you?
 
If he is on antibiotics, he will need a pro biotic to take with it as antibiotics upset the flora in their guts, Bio Lapis is a good one. He will get diahorrea otherwise and become even more poorly :(
You could try as suggested above with mushing his pellets up with warm water. If you can, get a syringe from your vets or the chemist (the non needle type) and use that to feed him with. Organic baby food (veg or fruit only) is good to syringe too.
I feel for you as the vet didnt sound very competant :-\
 
shes not my vet, i got some stuff to put in their water for pro biotic and that was given to me by a kind vet at another practice because she'd run out of the CC

I will mush up some of his pellets and force feed him that, i have been giving him some lettuce, cucumber, grapes, anything i can find and hes eaten some. I'm just waiting for vedra to call, shes so hard to get through to, i've tried two numbers. I'm hoping she calls anytime tonight.
 
Vedra has a good vet nearby if you can there, I've never used him but know people that have. If you can get to Reading, Maidenhead or Surrey (correct me if I'm wrong MaryH) there are vets there that can help.

It may not be teeth but could be mouth related which is why he needs someone who can have a good look.

Make sure you give water too and keep him hydrated. There's a syringe feeding guide on the supplies list thread at the top. Probiotic should be given directly, not in the water. That way you know they get it :)
 
I know you have brilliant vets in Reading Karen,as have I in Surrey.I have not heard of a good vet in Maidenhead,but there could well be one there.I was not aware that Vedra used a vet,I thought she liked to do everything herself,which actually is illegal.You are only,by law,allowed to treat your own animals ,not other peoples.

More vets are now becoming knowledgeable and interested in piggies,and owners that have some knowledge themselves can educate an open minded vet.
Better to do this than go to someone who has no vetinary training at all.i/e/ Vedra and "rodentologists".
 
Vedra has always worked alongside/under the direction of a vet where necessary. Lots of guineas that go to CCT need ops and as you say she can't do them as it is intrusion of the body cavity. Her current vet is Amir (can't remember the surname). He's been 'with her' for some time now :) You are only allowed to treat your own pigs in an emergency. Veterinary treatment should be sought first (Protection of Animals Act 1911 (!) ).

James Brookes is the vet in Maidenhead, he had the CCT training and trained Jenny who is now my current vet. He does x-rays and dental work without anaesthetic as the norm, and even though he has left the Reading practise he still gets many guinea pig people travel to him. We call him the walking Piglopaedia :) When this man talks about anything it is like he is reading from a book, he is a very knowledgable man and isn't afraid to use the common sense he was born with :)
The day he left was a reminder of how important it is to keep introducing new vets to the world of guineas- you never know when your current one will leave :)

If it was not for CCT and a rodentologist then Jenny and James would not have the expertise they do today, and neither would Peter Gurney (also a rodentologist trained by Vedra). I also believe Vedra is a veterinary nurse and is veterinary trained, but could be wrong there. If you do need to use a rodentologist or someone who has been trained to do dental work without anaesthetic do try and get a recommendation first. I have seen lots of guineas lives saved by someone who 'has no veterinary training' and these people should work under the direction of their vet as they will refer you if need be. A friend of mine lost her guinea pig because of something stupid done by a very highly recommended rodentologist (who no longer practises) but then how many guineas have been lost to vets- swings and roundabouts I think. :)

I am all for working with vets and frequently do. I think having a rescue/lots of guineas is beneficial in that way :)
 
Can't add to the above (totally agree with maryh and "rodentologists") apart from to say that piggy needs 6g of food per 100g of body weight a day, so if he's around a kg he will need 60g of food. Not just 3 small meals a day.

You can buy Critical Care from www.thistlecaviesrescue.com or www.sphsupplies.co.uk - it's a great thing to have around in case of emergencies.
 
Good luck with little Zakky, we've got our paws crossed for him :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
I hope you were able to see Vedra or her vets O0
 
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