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not eating and hiding away

bxth98

bxth98

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yesterday our 5 year old male was completely fine nothing out of the ordinary even trying to climb up the cage bars when he heard his dinner bowl like normal and today he’s done a complete 180 hardly eating and drinking, not moving much and hiding away and doing small poops if that means anything
i’ve felt his abdomen and can’t feel anything abnormal
is this something he needs taking to the vet for or is it signs of old age?
any help or advice would be appreciated
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

Please switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh him daily. You will also need to step in with syringe feeding him to replace lost hay intake. If you don’t have a recovery feed on hand, then use mushed pellets as an emergency measure.

As poop output is behind food intake, small poops today means he has likely not been eating enough hay for the past day or so meaning it is very important you do syringe feed him.
Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye so the weight checks are very important, and as hay makes up three quarters of their daily food intake, even a small reduction can cause weight loss.

Please do get him booked in to see a vet.

The guides below explain everything further

I hope he is ok

Wiebke

Thread 'Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment'

1 Statement
2 Emergency assessment and accessing vets
- How urgent is my guinea pig's problem?
- Finding an emergency vet
- Seeing a vet not familiar with guinea pigs (including lists of safe and dangerous medications)
3 First Aid care and easily available products
- General 'always have at home' stuff and comfort measures for very ill guinea pigs
- Improvising support feed; recovery formulas...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
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Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
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Wiebke

Thread 'How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency'

1 Feed
- Important crisis management resources
- When is improvising necessary?
- Which food group am I replacing with my feeding support?
- How much and how often should I feed and water?
- What can I use that I have already got at home?
- Other possible easily available foods with their pros and cons
- How do I prep a syringe for rougher pellet fibre?
- What can I do without a syringe?
- The role of lukewarm water
2 Probiotics
- Probiotic products...
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Always best to have a vet check if you're concerned and as mentioned above switch to daily weight checks in the morning to monitor hay intake. Good luck fingers and paws crossed 💐
 
Hi

I agree with the advice given and wish you the best. Please take the time to read the links; you will hopefully find them very helpful for all the how-to tips and in-depth advice which we cannot repeat in full in every single thread.
 
thanks for the comments unfortunately just a few hours after this post our little man passed away, it’s all so sudden we are heart broken
 
bxth98 said:
thanks for the comments unfortunately just a few hours after this post our little man passed away, it’s all so sudden we are heart broken
Click to expand...
I am so sorry for your loss :( Sending you lots of hugs. Your little pig sounded very loved, hopefully he passed feeling that in his little cavy heart.
 
I am so very sorry the loss of your boy. He is clearly very loved and will have taken that love with him as he crossed The Rainbow Bridge 🌈
 
BIG HUGS

I am so very sorry. Guinea pigs can go into multiple organ failure (their body closing down) without warning at any age. It always comes as a nasty shock. Once the process has started, there is nothing you can do. It is not because you have done something wrong or missed a vital clue; it simply happens.

If you have issues with some of the symptoms you have witnessed during the natural dying process, you may find this link here here helpful in putting them into a bit more of a perspective:
Wiebke

Thread 'Is My Guinea Pig Dying?'

1 Life or death emergency – Can my piggy be saved?
- Contacting a vet clinic at all times and link to life and death emergencies list
- What to do if I cannot access vet care instantly?
- The need to save up for emergency vet access
2 Is my guinea pig dying?
- Be honest with yourself
- Multiple organ failure (i.e. a natural death)
- List of signs that your guinea pig could be dying
- What can I do for a dying guinea pig...

Please be aware that strong feelings of failure or guilt are the normal reaction since we humans are wired to reflect everything back onto ourselves. These can be a lot stronger with a traumatic experience like yours where you haven't been able to brace for it. These emotions and rather weird mind loops you can get trapped in are actually not an expression of you failing your piggy but how deeply you care and love. You wouldn't get them otherwise - it is the other side of the same coin that makes us love our pets unreservedly.

PS: We have got a Bereavement community section for ongoing support for talking and all the questions that come up in the coming days if you would like to have this thread moved across to there.
Wiebke

Thread 'Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children'

1 The grieving process
- Loss and the start of the grieving process
- Grieving with a terminally ill guinea pig
- Going through the grieving process
2 Ways of coping
- Expressing and processing your feelings
- Regaining your guinea pig
- Burial and marking the passing
- Dealing with special days
3 How do I tell my children?
- Finding local support lines and charities...
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