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Old piggy has constipation

HumanWithFurryPotats

HumanWithFurryPotats

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello,
I think my old piggy, Lily, has developed constipation. Her poops have been smaller and I checked her underside and poop seemed to be stuck to her anus. she’s been puffed up and sitting in the corner of her cage, but does come out once in a while for food and water. I’ve been feeding her more watery and high fibre foods. is there anything else I can do to help her ease her pain before the vet appointment/remedy her constipation? Our vet is only available on Wednesdays, but if it is life threatening will take her to the emergency vet. Thank you for any help!
 
Piggies do not get constipation. Any lack of poop output or smaller poops are usually due to reduction in hay intake.

You cannot gauge hay intake by eye - they can appear to still be eating some but as it is their main food source any drop in hay intake can make a significant impact.

Please switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily so you can more closely monitor her hay intake, and step in with syringe feeding accordingly to increase her fibre intake and keep her weight stable each day.

Don’t suddenly increase the amount of watery veg beyond which she is used to as this can cause diarrhoea.

Puffed up and sitting in the corner indicates she is in pain
I do not think this can wait until Wednesday.

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
Hi

I fully agree with @Piggies&buns . Please contact your vet clinic for one of their emergency slots to have your piggy seen sooner. Guinea pigs have a much faster metabolism and can therefore not wait as long as larger pets.

They need pain relief and fibrous feeding support that replaces the reduced hay intake, which makes over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day. Veg and pellets together only replace the supplementary role of wild forage. Watching a piggy chew nibble on a stalk of hay or chew on some cud in their mouth can be very deceptive and sadly fatal. Only the kitchen
scales can give you an instant feedback. Pain is a major appetite killer. Feeding more veg in combination with reduced grass/hay fibre can cause diarrhea or bloating. It will also only cover a small percentage of the lost grass fibre intake for which the whole digestive system is laid out.
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs

Lack of poo output reflects the lack of input 1-2 days before. Guinea pigs don't suffer from constipation because their gut is different from ours. You best imagine the the digestive system as a big conveyor belt that takes ca. 24 hours from one end to the other and then another day for any redigested poos. What comes out (or not) at the other end is always old news.

Please step in with feeding support asap as you are already running behind. Our emergency and feeding Care guides provide tips on how you can improvise in an emergency. Accept that any proof of your support feeding will take another day or two to show in the output but you should pick up on it instantly when weighind ideally first thing each morning so you can compute how much and how often to feed depending on how much you get into them with each session.
Your appropriate home care can make all difference in the outcome since no medication can work when a piggy is dying from lack of food intake. They are not built to fast for days on end.

Please take the time to read all the links in this thread. They contain all the helpful how-to tips and advice that we cannot repeat in detail in every single post and talk you through the whole issue.

All the best.
 
We have her in the emergency room right now. They are saying it can be a multitude of things, such as cancer or liver/kidney problems. We are just getting her to have fluid intake and getting her medication. We were able to get appointment with our main doctor on Monday. There are diagnostic options available here but my mom is not willing to pay for them. I hope she will be fine until Monday
 
HumanWithFurryPotats said:
We have her in the emergency room right now. They are saying it can be a multitude of things, such as cancer or liver/kidney problems. We are just getting her to have fluid intake and getting her medication. We were able to get appointment with our main doctor on Monday. There are diagnostic options available here but my mom is not willing to pay for them. I hope she will be fine until Monday
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HUGS

Glad that you could have her seen immediately. Please take the time to read our crisis care and feeding information links in this thread. They contain all the how-to information on what you do and need to look out for to help get her through the weekend.
 
Wiebke said:
HUGS

Glad that you could have her seen immediately. Please take the time to read our crisis care and feeding information links in this thread. They contain all the how-to information on what you do and need to look out for to help get her through the weekend.
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Yes, I am following the syringe feeding instructions and I am trying to get her sister to maybe make some poop soup for her 😄
 
can someone give me some extra advice on syringe feeding? I’ve been trying to do as the guide says with my piggy but she is very squeamish and either avoids the syringe entirely or just “spits” out the food.
I’ve barley been able to get a mL in. I’m worried I won’t be able to get her the food that she needs if she keeps acting like this
 
It can be a task to get the hang of syringe feeding.

What product are you using to syringe feed her? (Critical care, mushed pellets etc). Sometimes they don’t like one type and do better with something else.
Are you putting the syringe down the side of her mouth?
Is she actually swallowing anything?
 
Piggies&buns said:
It can be a task to get the hang of syringe feeding.

What product are you using to syringe feed her? (Critical care, mushed pellets etc). Sometimes they don’t like one type and do better with something else.
Are you putting the syringe down the side of her mouth?
Is she actually swallowing anything?
Click to expand...
We were given critical care by the vet so we are using that. Yes I am doing it on the side to avoid her front teeth. She is swallowing if we give her very small amounts so we are just being patient for now with it. I’ve given around 3 mL for 2 sittings and I’m about to give her a 3rd dose in an hour. She was given fluids today at the vet so I am not giving her too much today but I will increase it to 4-5 doses tomorrow if she allows me to.
 
For now my dad is holding her and I’m feeding her. It takes a while though. Is there an alternative way to syringe feeding? My girl gets very stressed from it
 
Sometimes they do better with mushed pellets as the taste is familiar. Not all piggies like critical care.
You could try adding some mushed pellets to the critical care so it’s the best of both worlds. CC is higher fibre than mushed pellets.

She will only be able to take a very tiny amount in her mouth at one time so it is important not to push too much in.

You are aiming to get a minimum of 40-60ml into her in each 24 hour period to keep her weight stable at each daily weight check
 
I really do not think she can get 40-60 ml, she is fighting it really hard. I added a few pellets but she still doesn’t like being fed by syringe. It’s taken me an hour just to get 2ml in
 
Are you weighing her daily? This is essential to gauging what is needed.
40-60ml is the minimum amount to stabilise weight when they aren’t eating but you need to use the daily weight checks also to check for any independent hay eating and adjust syringe feeding accordingly.
 
Perhaps offer her some mushed nuggets and critical care in a little dish? Sometimes piggies will eat it like that.
 
Last year I had to syringe feed my piggy Pepper for about 8 weeks solid. It was so hard in the beginning. They have to get used to it and you have to practice too. Keep trying. It does get easier. I really struggled until my husband held him on his lap. So it’s brilliant that your dad is helping you.

This is how I did it:

Piggy on your dads lap and you sit on the floor in front of them. I’m right handed so I had the syringe in my right hand. With my left hand I gently used my thumb and finger to pinch just behind the nostrils and slightly lift their head up and keep it still. Put in the syringe to the side behind the incisors and squeeze in a little critical care. Your dad needs to make sure they can’t go backwards or sideways.

Good luck. It will get easier. I was soon up to 100ml in a day as Pepper was eating nothing for himself.
 
Have you tried adding a bit of mashed banana? Some piggies will accept it then. I have added a few oats with mashed banana before. I have also added in a small amount of grated apple or sweet potato. Good luck!
 
Thank you all for the advice! She seems to have calmed down with feeding now, I can do it individually now. Her poop seems to be coming back to its normal oblong shape, though it’s in clusters now. Her coat has also returned to its shiny and smooth shape. I’m worried that she is a bit too calm with the feeding, she suddenly just started sleeping on me while I was feeding her. I hope this just means she’s tired because she has one more day til the vet visit and I don’t want her to lose hope so quickly!
 
All the best for tomorrow!

Syringe feeding very ill piggies is not easy; but the first time is always hardest. There is a bit of a knack to it that you cannot really teach and have to work out for yourself.
 
Guys I don’t think she is going to make it. She is getting very tired and her age doesn’t help. We are of course going to the vet but, in the event that she passes away, how should I deal with my other pig? I am going off to college and my parents will be taking care of her, and they refuse to get another pig. Will she be alright with the attention my family will give her? If my old piggy does pass away, I am planning to leave the body in the cage for a day for the younger one to grieve. I am hoping the vet gives some good news, but at her age and her current behavior I am preparing for the worst.
 
Hello,

I'm so sorry you're in this situation. As we're a UK based forum, most of our members aren't awake right now (it's 1am here), so I'll link some guides I think might be useful for you- I don't want you to be worrying for hours with no response.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
Human Bereavement - Grieving, coping tips and support links for guinea pig owners and their children

The last two guides have been especially helpful to me in the past, but they're an emotionally tough read. I hope there is a good outcome for your poorly piggy, but it helps to be prepared for the worst, especially if you have already started the grieving process. ❤
 
ScrufflesRules said:
Hello,

I'm so sorry you're in this situation. As we're a UK based forum, most of our members aren't awake right now (it's 1am here), so I'll link some guides I think might be useful for you- I don't want you to be worrying for hours with no response.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
Human Bereavement - Grieving, coping tips and support links for guinea pig owners and their children

The last two guides have been especially helpful to me in the past, but they're an emotionally tough read. I hope there is a good outcome for your poorly piggy, but it helps to be prepared for the worst, especially if you have already started the grieving process. ❤
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I’ve planned to sit her with the whole family and watch movies and pet her. she’s had a good run
 
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