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Mystery appetite and weight loss but accepting syringe feed

Emx93

Emx93

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Hi, I can't decide if it's a taxi 40minutes to the emergency vet with 3 kids (one of which is asleep! 🤦‍♀️) or it can wait till my exotics vet is open in the morning since she's accepting small amounts of syringe feed and already on metacam! Also daddy pig will be home at 3am so I could always call then since I'm syringe feeding hourly anyway! I would obviously call straight away if she deterioted! Any advice much appreciated!
So I noticed fluffy had been a bit quiet today but was quite shocked when she didn't even try and touch evening veg, she ran away from being picked up so she is still mobile but i noticed straight away she felt lighter than yesterday, weighed her and she's down 110g since Friday 😓😱 she's accepted some syringe feed (much easier than she normally does actually but then just gone back in her hidey to sleep) the really weird thing is I can't see any obvious signs of illness at all! Which makes me wonder if it could be dental though her front teeth look perfect 😱😳
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That's a lot of weight to lose in a week.
If she is accepting syringe feed then I'd try to get plenty of it into her and then call the vet in the morning. As she has lost so much, then she does need to be seen but its not a life threatening/right now emergency. If she starts to refuse to be fed or she deteriorates then of course that's different. If you become concerned then you can always call them for over the phone advice as to whether they want to see her straight away or whether its best to wait for an exotic
 
Thankyou the scary thing is it's not even a week, 3 days and when I got her out for metacam yesterday she felt her normal weight and was behaving normally so realistically this has happened pretty much today 😢 her poo is tiny too this is hers next to her healthy friends 💖 I will feel hourly and call if she deteriotes thankyou for the advice xx
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Here is our one stop emergency guide if you need it: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Fingers very firmly crossed. :agr: @Piggies&buns but be prepared that things may change over the course of the night. You can call the out-of-hours clinic for their own assessment at any time if necessary; they are trained for this.

It's always such an anxious time.
 
i hope your piggie continues to accept feed,i agree with the above posters if she deteriorates then take to the emergency vet.piggies do get ill at an alarming rate.you are doing all you can.i offer my support and send a hug.
:hug:
 
I have nothing practical to add, but I really think it sounds like you are doing everything possible and hopefully she can be seen by a specialist in the morning.
As it is so sudden, it is probably something that requires a more experienced cavy vet anyway.
 
Thankyou, of course there's no garuntee my regular piggy vet will be working tomorrow but I'd still trust the other vets at my usual vet much more than my emergency vets, for one they have her medical history! However in an emergency any vet will at least be able to give things like injection gut stimulants etc 😢 poor baby it's been one thing after another with her. She was spayed July 2019 and was exactly like this post op, a few months later she got a hernia in her spay site and when fixing that they discovered internal adhesions which is what she's on metacam for since she was showing signs of pain and loosing weight previously, she's been doing brilliantly since July though I really can't quite believe how suddenly whatever this is has come on 😢 I only hope my usual vets have an emergency appointment going they've been so short staffed and busy lately I've often ended up calling around or having to wait a few days 🤦‍♀️ luckily my best friend works in a vets and has said her work will see her in the morning if ours can't! That one is an hour away but at least I trust them if I can't get an appointment at my vets (though I would be very annoyed if they don't agree this warrenty an urgent appointment anyway!) xx
 
Emx93 said:
Thankyou, of course there's no garuntee my regular piggy vet will be working tomorrow but I'd still trust the other vets at my usual vet much more than my emergency vets, for one they have her medical history! However in an emergency any vet will at least be able to give things like injection gut stimulants etc 😢 poor baby it's been one thing after another with her. She was spayed July 2019 and was exactly like this post op, a few months later she got a hernia in her spay site and when fixing that they discovered internal adhesions which is what she's on metacam for since she was showing signs of pain and loosing weight previously, she's been doing brilliantly since July though I really can't quite believe how suddenly whatever this is has come on 😢 I only hope my usual vets have an emergency appointment going they've been so short staffed and busy lately I've often ended up calling around or having to wait a few days 🤦‍♀️ luckily my best friend works in a vets and has said her work will see her in the morning if ours can't! That one is an hour away but at least I trust them if I can't get an appointment at my vets (though I would be very annoyed if they don't agree this warrenty an urgent appointment anyway!) xx
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I am sure that they are going to fit her in as soon as possible. Concentrate on taking it step by step over the coming hours.
 
Aw, think of you both, hope Fluffy keeps stable and you can get plenty of food into her x
 
Hope whatever it is is easily treatable.
 
Thankyou so do I, she hasn't pood since about half 9 😳 excuse the syringe feeding/ transport to and from the cage box! I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight!
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How much are you getting into her every hour? I’m just thinking for your own good it may be easier to push it to every 2-3 hours in the night.
 
I am not sure if I'm offering too often anyway to be honest she didn't take hardly anything at the last feed! But 2 children still awake so cant sleep anyway, at the last feed only 0.3ml whether it's that she wasn't hungry yet I'm not sure! I will see what she takes in half an hour then decide between how often to feed and whether to call the emergency vet!
 
Emx93 said:
Thankyou so do I, she hasn't pood since about half 9 😳 excuse the syringe feeding/ transport to and from the cage box! I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight!
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The not pooing will reflect the period where she has not eaten - please keep in mind that everything needs to go onto the internal conveyor belt; if nothing has gone onto it, nothing will come out at the other end in due time.
As long as she is cooperating with being fed and is not putting up an almighty fight way beyond what is a reasonable complaint (i.e. she can no longer process any food for some reason and her body may be closing down), then the internal conveyor belt is still running and you will be seeing poos again once the syringe feed is starting to come out at the other end. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
The not pooing will reflect the period where she has not eaten - please keep in mind that everything needs to go onto the internal conveyor belt; if nothing has gone onto it, nothing will come out at the other end in due time.
As long as she is cooperating with being fed and is not putting up an almighty fight way beyond what is a reasonable complaint (i.e. she can no longer process any food), then the internal conveyor belt is still running and you will be seeing poos again once the syringe feed is starting to come out at the other end. ;)

The problem with focussing on the poos and the poo output is that you can get very hung up on it. It is much better to focus on the intake - as long as that is working, the other end is still essentially functional, too. It is really as simple as that - and will hopefully help to calm you down somewhat.
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Thankyou! She only took 0.3ml which is basically nothing at the last feed but I am not sure if i am offering too often given she is known for hating anything in a syringe! (metacam is always a fight and I've never known another pig turn their nose up at it!) I've popped her back with her friends in between feeds :) will see how she does in half an hour with the next feed!
 
Please contact the out-of-hours vets asap if she refuses any feed. There is the possibility that her body is starting to close down because whatever is causing the sudden weight loss is moving too fast for any medical/support measures to kick in. When the chips are down piggies are only very small animals with a very fast metabolism that is turning against them in situations like that. It is a constantly shifting very stressful and lonely situation, as I know myself. You are doing all the right things.

You are aiming at around 40-60 ml in 24 hours with a very ill piggy; or as close as you can get to it. Getting feed into an ill piggy is always rather a battle with lots of cajoling, piggy whispering, sympathy and cuddles... anything that helps to get a little more in.
(PS: See last chapter of the emergency guide; the one that nobody likes to look at - just in case).
 
Thankyou I have read the very helpful guide :)
She has thankfully done better in the last feed plus taken a ml of pro c water so I feel a bit better (piggy towel burrito to the rescue!) I think little and often definitely works best for her, too much and she gets sulky about it! her friends are currently guarding her hidey with one on top of it and one in front! This brings me to hopefully the final question of the night... (so sorry for middle of the night qns please don't feel obliged to reply) when I go to my usual vet I take the trio together so no pig is left on their own, if I end up at the emergency or a different vet can I still take all 3 fluffy is the only fully long hair pig so she should be easily recognisable! I have noticed a possible symptom but it is only on and off? She seems to be making an odd clicking noise but not constantly 🤔 I am not sure if this is from her teeth or something else but her front teeth look perfectly in line and I wouldnt have expected a dental issue to appear so suddenly 🤔 she is not quite three. Only a vet will be able to tell us answers I know, I always hate the countdown for 9am opening, I am going to email them before they open with some pictures and her weight chart (if we don't end up at the emergency vets that is) to make triaging easier when I call and incase I forgot to mention anything in my sleep deprived state!
 
Well I didn't get to go to sleep between the hourly feeds and toddler who declared rather spectacularly 4am was morning when I came back up after washing the syringes to find her smiling widely hugging the cat on my bed 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I won't lie I'm exhausted, I just want her at the vets now to find out what on earth is wrong, she hasn't made that sound since so perhaps just a coincidence 🤔 come on fluffy! 🤞🤞
 
How much have you been getting into her?
 
Poor girl! You obviously picked up on it quickly though. Hope she starts feeling better soon. Give a probiotic either a couple of hours before or after the antibiotic.
 
Emx93 said:
We've just got back from the vets, she's got a uri 💖
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Poor girlie. No wonder she didn’t want to eat. I hope the meds kick in quickly and she soon starts eating for herself as I know how exhausting it is syringe feeding through the night. Hugs x
 
Thankyou I was very lucky with the appointment I just rang and said she wasn't eating, drinking or pooing and they said to take her down 💖 good spot from the vet even I didn't notice the snotty nose and I forgot to mention the clicking sound but I'm assuming that's what it was!
No time to nap unfortunately (though I am exhausted) daddy pigs on 12h nights so he's back in bed after driving us to the vets and will be till its time for him to get ready for work 💖 with 3 little ones plus syringe feeding plus other pets no rest for mummy 😳
 
God poor you, hope you don’t feel too terrible! Hope gorgeous little Fluff feels much better soon and so do you when you can squeeze in some sleep! :hug:xx
 
Emx93 said:
Thankyou I was very lucky with the appointment I just rang and said she wasn't eating, drinking or pooing and they said to take her down 💖 good spot from the vet even I didn't notice the snotty nose and I forgot to mention the clicking sound but I'm assuming that's what it was!
No time to nap unfortunately (though I am exhausted) daddy pigs on 12h nights so he's back in bed after driving us to the vets and will be till its time for him to get ready for work 💖 with 3 little ones plus syringe feeding plus other pets no rest for mummy 😳
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Do all the feeding then relax on the sofa. Maybe get the kids on tv so you can have a nap of some sort. You’ll burn out if you don’t rest ☹️
 
Emx93 said:
Well I didn't get to go to sleep between the hourly feeds and toddler who declared rather spectacularly 4am was morning when I came back up after washing the syringes to find her smiling widely hugging the cat on my bed 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I won't lie I'm exhausted, I just want her at the vets now to find out what on earth is wrong, she hasn't made that sound since so perhaps just a coincidence 🤔 come on fluffy! 🤞🤞
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BIG HUGS

I so feel for you after too many night watches with piggies of mine. It is even more draining when you have children at home all the time.

So glad that she has made it through the night. I sincerely hope that you can have her seen today. Fingers still very firmly crossed!
 
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