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New Pig Mystery Illness

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honeybakedhann_

honeybakedhann_

New Born Pup
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Hi my name is Hannah Grace and I just recently got a pig. I have had
five pigs in past with various medical issues like blindness, URIs, etc. but I can't seem to figure out what is wrong with this baby.
I received Vega from a neighbor too days ago who realized maybe a live pet for Christmas is not such a good idea. They realized there was something wrong with her and they didn't want to do anything about it so they were going to feed her to the dog. I wasn't necessarily looking for another guinea pig since my last one died this past May but now that I've had her for a couple days I've fallen in love. The past "owners" had bought her from Petco so I have no idea what life she had before she got to me. Petco told them she was two months old but looks 6 weeks or younger. I noticed on the first night that she was having some bowel issues because there was a substance covering and soiling her fur around her bum. She finally started to poop on the second day but she gets herself covered in it. She acts lethargic and doesn't move until I take her out of the cage. She sits in her poop and pee all day in the corner of her cage and I've had to give her daily bathes. I can hear gas and other noises coming from her stomach. Her left eye is smaller than her right and has goo coming from it. She drags her butt all over the ground when she walks. I can't take her to the vet until hopefully Saturday but at the latest Monday. Does anyone have any advice to help her for the time being or have any idea what is going on with her?
I personally have terrible anxiety and tend to make a big deal out of nothing so I'm hoping that I'm doing just that, freaking out over nothing.
 
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Sounds awful, glad you've got her! I'd take her to the vet as soon as you can. She doesn't sound great, I don't have any idea what she may have. Is she eating and drinking okay? I think best just to keep her eating and drinking, warm and clean. Fingers crossed for you!
 
Hannah Boyd said:
Sounds awful, glad you've got her! I'd take her to the vet as soon as you can. She doesn't sound great, I don't have any idea what she may have. Is she eating and drinking okay? I think best just to keep her eating and drinking, warm and clean. Fingers crossed for you!
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She's drinking and eating dry foods (hay and bowl food) but has no interest for anything like lettuce or carrots. Thank you so much I'm trying to do all I can do to get her to vet as soon as possible.
 
It's interesting her interest is in dry foods rather than veggies, its usually the other way around with mine! Perhaps she has a digestive/bowel problem and feels that she has to eat lots of fibre? Are her poo's normal or soft? You're an angel for taking her and getting her to a vet soon!
 
Hannah Boyd said:
It's interesting her interest is in dry foods rather than veggies, its usually the other way around with mine! Perhaps she has a digestive/bowel problem and feels that she has to eat lots of fibre? Are her poo's normal or soft? You're an angel for taking her and getting her to a vet soon!
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They were soft when I first got her but now seem to be normal I think the fiber is helping her.
 
Would you say her condition has improved overall since you got her? Perhaps she was just in a really bad condition since leaving the petshop and since having some proper piggie care, has managed to improve on her own.
 
The small eye makes me wonder if she could be a lethal, I can't remember if it needs to be both eyes though. Definitely get her to the vet as soon as you can and give her plenty of fluids if she has an upset tummy.
 
helen105281 said:
The small eye makes me wonder if she could be a lethal, I can't remember if it needs to be both eyes though. Definitely get her to the vet as soon as you can and give her plenty of fluids if she has an upset tummy.
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hi Helen, just wondered what you mean about her eye? For informations sake. :)
 
Hannah Boyd said:
Would you say her condition has improved overall since you got her? Perhaps she was just in a really bad condition since leaving the petshop and since having some proper piggie care, has managed to improve on her own.
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It has. I truly think it has I just get easily stressed when my pets show symptoms of sickness, especially symptoms that I have never seen before. Even if she is fine tomorrow or the day after I'm still going to take her to the vet just to be sure that nothing serious is going on. I really love my animals and it hurts me that people would treat another living being with such negligence.
 
helen105281 said:
The small eye makes me wonder if she could be a lethal, I can't remember if it needs to be both eyes though. Definitely get her to the vet as soon as you can and give her plenty of fluids if she has an upset tummy.
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I don't think she's lethal because she's not all white. She has a little spot of black on her forehead and a blot of orange on her bum. She doesn't seem to be deaf or blind. I haven't been able to look at her teeth yet because she will not let me.
 
Hopefully that is not the case here, the small eye just put me on alert. It is great that she is responding well to decent food etc.
 
honeybakedhann_ said:
It has. I truly think it has I just get easily stressed when my pets show symptoms of sickness, especially symptoms that I have never seen before. Even if she is fine tomorrow or the day after I'm still going to take her to the vet just to be sure that nothing serious is going on. I really love my animals and it hurts me that people would treat another living being with such negligence.
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Yes I don't blame you, its so worrying! Perhaps she has just been in poor conditions and her eye has been irritated. Or her immune system is low and she just needs time to recover. Yes good idea, it will put your mind at rest too.
 
Hannah Boyd said:
Yes I don't blame you, its so worrying! Perhaps she has just been in poor conditions and her eye has been irritated. Or her immune system is low and she just needs time to recover. Yes good idea, it will put your mind at rest too.
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I'll try to keep y'all updated as soon as I get more information. Thank you so much for your help!
 
honeybakedhann_ said:
Hi my name is Hannah Grace and I just recently got a pig. I have had
five pigs in past with various medical issues like blindness, URIs, etc. but I can't seem to figure out what is wrong with this baby.
I received Vega from a neighbor too days ago who realized maybe a live pet for Christmas is not such a good idea. They realized there was something wrong with her and they didn't want to do anything about it so they were going to feed her to the dog. I wasn't necessarily looking for another guinea pig since my last one died this past May but now that I've had her for a couple days I've fallen in love. The past "owners" had bought her from Petco so I have no idea what life she had before she got to me. Petco told them she was two months old but looks 6 weeks or younger. I noticed on the first night that she was having some bowel issues because there was a substance covering and soiling her fur around her bum. She finally started to poop on the second day but she gets herself covered in it. She acts lethargic and doesn't move until I take her out of the cage. She sits in her poop and pee all day in the corner of her cage and I've had to give her daily bathes. I can hear gas and other noises coming from her stomach. Her left eye is smaller than her right and has goo coming from it. She drags her butt all over the ground when she walks. I can't take her to the vet until hopefully Saturday but at the latest Monday. Does anyone have any advice to help her for the time being or have any idea what is going on with her?
I personally have terrible anxiety and tend to make a big deal out of nothing so I'm hoping that I'm doing just that, freaking out over nothing.
Click to expand...

Poor, poor girl - she sounds like she has got a terrible life and has been severely neglected and malnourished.

Please have her seen by a vet as soon as you can!
- She has likely got an untreated ulcerating eye infection/eye injury by the sound of it. I hope it is still treatable and does not have to be removed.
- It sounds like she has got some major bloating/gassing issues, likely caused by a totally unsuitable diet with no hay/fibre and very little in the way of veg (or she would know what they are). Please take her off all fresh food and syringe feed her with fibrous food; if necessary with mushed up pellets until you can get proper recovery food. Also syringe her water.
Here are more tips on how and how much: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
She may need appropriate meds and a gut stimulant, as well as probiotics; be generous with the latter.
- Make sure that she is getting plenty of vitamin C; it sounds very much like she has got scurvy. About a quarter of a human tablet until you can see a vet. You have to see whether there is going to be any long term damage. Guinea Lynx :: Scurvy -- Vitamin C Deficiency

I hope that with good care you can pull her through, but you are going to be in for quite a struggle by the sound of it! All you can give her is a chance. She was lucky to find you.
 
Wiebke said:
Poor, poor girl - she sounds like she had got a terrible life and has been severely neglected and malnourished.

Please have her seen by a vet as soon as you can!
- She has got an untreated ulcerating eye infection/eye injury by the sound of it. I hope it is still treatable and does not have to be removed.
- It sounds like she has got some major bloating/gassing issues, likely caused by a totally unsuitable diet. Please take her off all fresh food and syringe feed her with fibrous food; if necessary with mushed up pellets until you can get proper recovery food. Also syringe her water.
Here are more tips on how and how much: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
She may need appropriate meds and a gut stimulant, as well as probiotics.
- Make sure that she is getting plenty of vitamin C; it sounds very much like she has got scurvy. About a quarter of a human tablet until you can see a vet. You have to see whether there is going to be any long term damage. Guinea Lynx :: Scurvy -- Vitamin C Deficiency

I hope that with good care you can pull her through, but you are going to be in for quite a struggle by the sound of it! All you can give her is a chance. She was lucky to find you.
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Thank you so much for your help!
 
PS: Please weigh her daily instead of weekly at the same time in the feeding cycle to monitor her food intake. She will hopefully pick up with a better diet once her digestion is starting to stabilise.

Keep her bum tidy and dry as much as you can and change her bedding daily if necessary.
 
hi,its is wonderful you have taken this baby cavy in.it is beyound me how other humans can treat these gracious creatures.wishing you well to both you and your cavy.xx
 
Sorry for not posting, it's been a crazy couple of days.
Vega is doing much better! She is on some antibiotics that have helped her immensely! She is currently happily popcorning around her cage.
Thank you everyone for the advice and help!
 
So glad that she is improving! Did the vets say what they thought she was suffering from?
 
Wiebke said:
So glad that she is improving! Did the vets say what they thought she was suffering from?
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They treated her for diarrhea and hay poke for her eye. Her eye looked small because it was so swollen. They weren't sure if that was exactly what was going on at the time but it seems to be so since the medicine is working.
 
honeybakedhann_ said:
They treated her for diarrhea and hay poke for her eye. Her eye looked small because it was so swollen. They weren't sure if that was exactly what was going on at the time but it seems to be so since the medicine is working.
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Thanks! Keep weighing her daily until she has stabilised.

All the best with the hay poke. I hope that the eye is going to heal well.
 
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