My guinea pig Dougle stopped eating around the beginning of the year. I noticed that he hadn't eaten his pellets for around 2 days so I brought him straight to a vet who said the issue was with overgrown back teeth. He went under GA, the procedure went well, and he should've been able to eat again soon after.
However, after about a week he still wasn't eating, and the metacam he was prescribed didn't seem to help him at all, so I brought him back to the vet who said that something else must be wrong. Again, he was put under GA for an x-ray and check up and the vet found nothing was wrong internally, but she did find a small lump quite far down his throat. The vet prescribed at 10 day course of baytril to determine whether it was a sore caused by the teeth trimming, or if it was a tumour, alongside more metacam. Overall, the vet was unsure as to what the lump was, and said if it is a tumour there would be little they could do to help him due to how far into his throat it is. Unfortunately, the baytril didn't seem to help either.
During this entire period, he was reluctant to eat the syringe food. It was hard to keep track of how many mls he was getting per day because a lot would be dribbled back out. He was able to eat small pieces of soft veggies such as tomato, lettuce and cucumber, but he wouldn't eat his pellets or his hay. He still occasionally used his water bottle as well, and I also syringed him some water, but he drank much less than he usually would. During the course of baytril he stopped eating the veggies altogether and was relying on syringe food entirely.
I was unable to bring him straight back to the vet the day the baytril course ended, but a few days afterwards I noticed he began to eat a few pieces of lettuce again, and he attempted to eat mashed up pellets from his bowl (but only a small amount at a time because it was getting all over his chin). I thought perhaps if I waited a bit longer he would start to show more signs of improvement, but again he stopped eating the veggies. I noticed that his front teeth had completely overgrown again due to his lack of hay and pellets, and perhaps this might've stopped him eating veggies and eating mashed pellets from the bowl. Otherwise, his appetite increased enormously and he started to run out when he heard me coming into the room and trying to wheek for food. He also currently takes the syringe without any fuss and can eat around 2-4 15ml syringes in one session, and does this around 5-6 times a day. I mix mashed soft veggies and baby food into it, as well as probiotic powder and a vitamin supplement.
I took him back to the vet because I thought that if his front teeth were trimmed again it may help him to eat and he may start to get better. But the biggest concern is that he has lost around 1/3rd of his weight since this began. He does not seem to be stabilising or gaining weight. Only in the past week or so has he been eating a much larger amount of food - so I'm not sure if this will help him regain the weight. He is currently around 700g, which I know is quite a low weight for such a small animal. The vet I saw began to discuss his quality of life and still they were very concerned that during and after the baytril he did not get immediately better. I have a second teeth trimming session now scheduled for tomorrow, and he will have to go under GA again.
I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing, and his condition has been really fluctuating. But his mood has really perked up lately and his appetite has increased a ton so I don't feel that it's fair to give up on him when he still very much seems to have the will to live. I'd just like to ask if anyone else has had a situation similar to this at all, because I haven't really been able to find anyone going through this anywhere else online. I'd just like to know if anyone has any idea what this lump may be, and if anyone has any advice at all on helping him gain weight.
Thank you!
However, after about a week he still wasn't eating, and the metacam he was prescribed didn't seem to help him at all, so I brought him back to the vet who said that something else must be wrong. Again, he was put under GA for an x-ray and check up and the vet found nothing was wrong internally, but she did find a small lump quite far down his throat. The vet prescribed at 10 day course of baytril to determine whether it was a sore caused by the teeth trimming, or if it was a tumour, alongside more metacam. Overall, the vet was unsure as to what the lump was, and said if it is a tumour there would be little they could do to help him due to how far into his throat it is. Unfortunately, the baytril didn't seem to help either.
During this entire period, he was reluctant to eat the syringe food. It was hard to keep track of how many mls he was getting per day because a lot would be dribbled back out. He was able to eat small pieces of soft veggies such as tomato, lettuce and cucumber, but he wouldn't eat his pellets or his hay. He still occasionally used his water bottle as well, and I also syringed him some water, but he drank much less than he usually would. During the course of baytril he stopped eating the veggies altogether and was relying on syringe food entirely.
I was unable to bring him straight back to the vet the day the baytril course ended, but a few days afterwards I noticed he began to eat a few pieces of lettuce again, and he attempted to eat mashed up pellets from his bowl (but only a small amount at a time because it was getting all over his chin). I thought perhaps if I waited a bit longer he would start to show more signs of improvement, but again he stopped eating the veggies. I noticed that his front teeth had completely overgrown again due to his lack of hay and pellets, and perhaps this might've stopped him eating veggies and eating mashed pellets from the bowl. Otherwise, his appetite increased enormously and he started to run out when he heard me coming into the room and trying to wheek for food. He also currently takes the syringe without any fuss and can eat around 2-4 15ml syringes in one session, and does this around 5-6 times a day. I mix mashed soft veggies and baby food into it, as well as probiotic powder and a vitamin supplement.
I took him back to the vet because I thought that if his front teeth were trimmed again it may help him to eat and he may start to get better. But the biggest concern is that he has lost around 1/3rd of his weight since this began. He does not seem to be stabilising or gaining weight. Only in the past week or so has he been eating a much larger amount of food - so I'm not sure if this will help him regain the weight. He is currently around 700g, which I know is quite a low weight for such a small animal. The vet I saw began to discuss his quality of life and still they were very concerned that during and after the baytril he did not get immediately better. I have a second teeth trimming session now scheduled for tomorrow, and he will have to go under GA again.
I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing, and his condition has been really fluctuating. But his mood has really perked up lately and his appetite has increased a ton so I don't feel that it's fair to give up on him when he still very much seems to have the will to live. I'd just like to ask if anyone else has had a situation similar to this at all, because I haven't really been able to find anyone going through this anywhere else online. I'd just like to know if anyone has any idea what this lump may be, and if anyone has any advice at all on helping him gain weight.
Thank you!
I was unable to make the appointment for the teeth trimming session today due to the weather, but I think I will look somewhere that doesn't need to use GA rather than go back to that vet. Two vets close to me in London are C J Hall and the Royal Veterinary College in Camden - I think I will email and ask if either can do teeth trimming without GA. Ideally I would like to see Simon but I'm not sure it's a good idea for Dougle's teeth to wait much longer. 
