• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Peanut isn't doing well!

Calliope141

Calliope141

New Born Pup
Joined
Jan 1, 2023
Messages
7
Reaction score
7
Points
140
Location
USA
I haven't posted much, but I got Peanut about 2 years ago. He was already about 4 or 5 so he is 6 to 7 years old now so he is an older guinea pig. He isn't very well socialized and is very skittish. I have gotten him to the point where I can pet him if I move very slowly. Picking him up causes freak-outs so I have respected his limits. There have been no problems that I noticed with his health until this morning. He is bloated and lethargic and does not want to move. He did eat this morning but not a much as usual. I have read that this can be bloat. If that is what it is, it seems to be a serious case.

Unfortunately, where I live, we have no small animal vets. I called every vet within driving distance; none of them see exotics or small animals. They see only cats, dogs, horses and farm animals. We had one small animal vet in the area and they recently retired and left.

So I am looking for options to try and help him. I gave him .3 ml of Simethicone about 30 minutes ago. As I understand it from what I have read, I should do this every three hours I temporarily moved him to a smaller enclosure. He is a warm quiet place with timothy hay and water. I also gave him a probiotic in his food. I may be better off mixing it with water and giving it to him via syringe however.

I understand that with serious cases of bloat, the prognosis is not always good so I am open to any suggestions and ideas that you guys might have.
 
Calliope141 said:
I haven't posted much, but I got Peanut about 2 years ago. He was already about 4 or 5 so he is 6 to 7 years old now so he is an older guinea pig. He isn't very well socialized and is very skittish. I have gotten him to the point where I can pet him if I move very slowly. Picking him up causes freak-outs so I have respected his limits. There have been no problems that I noticed with his health until this morning. He is bloated and lethargic and does not want to move. He did eat this morning but not a much as usual. I have read that this can be bloat. If that is what it is, it seems to be a serious case.

Unfortunately, where I live, we have no small animal vets. I called every vet within driving distance; none of them see exotics or small animals. They see only cats, dogs, horses and farm animals. We had one small animal vet in the area and they recently retired and left.

So I am looking for options to try and help him. I gave him .3 ml of Simethicone about 30 minutes ago. As I understand it from what I have read, I should do this every three hours I temporarily moved him to a smaller enclosure. He is a warm quiet place with timothy hay and water. I also gave him a probiotic in his food. I may be better off mixing it with water and giving it to him via syringe however.

I understand that with serious cases of bloat, the prognosis is not always good so I am open to any suggestions and ideas that you guys might have.
Click to expand...

Hi

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry. Severe bloating is not something any of us want to come up against. It is like trying to fly in a tornado with an early plane; you feel very helpless because there is so comparatively little you can do. Even with the best vet access and all tricks of the trade you are very much up against it since medication is still so limited and not working the best, even if you can get hold of it. :(

All you can do is hang in there with feeding and watering, vibrating and hoping for the best without vet access. Please accept that you are doing everything you can as a loving and caring owner, and that is all that is asked of you. You do not have control over what has caused or over the outcome and whatever is happening is not your fault.

Wiebke

Thread 'Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)'

1 Not eating (anorexia) and the importance of syringe feeding fibre
2 Soft poos and runny diarrhea
3 Acute bloat (severe dysbiosis) - blockage - twisted gut - persistent milder bloating
4 GI stasis (no gut movement)


Severe runny diarrhea, bloat, blockage or a twisted gut, GI stasis and excessive salivating in guinea pigs that are not eating are absolute life and death emergencies that need to be seen ASAP by an out-of-hours vet at any time of the day or night or that should be seen by a vet as soon as you can get an appointment outside the UK...

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...
  • Like
  • Love


It very much depends on whether it is a serious primary bloat (dysbiosis; an overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria) or whether it is caused by something outside of the gut that is pushing on and or the heart or is radiating severe pain into it. If you are dealing with a twisted gut (which can happen at any time out of the blue), then unfortunately your chances are pretty much zero wherever you live. :(
This guide here is giving a bit more of an overview and a perspective while the previous guide link concentrates on the actual practical care aspects and what you can do. Vibrating can help with severe dysbiosis in helping to attempt to shift the gas.

Wiebke

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble'

1 Available Gut Medication
2 Mild and Medium Bloating Symptoms
- Milder bloat
- Secondary bloating
- Thickened bowel (IBS-like symptoms)
- Build-up of fluid in the body cavity
3 Severe Bloating
- Severe Bloat (Dysbiosis)
- Bloackage
- Twisted or trapped gut (volvulus and hernia)
4 GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
- Sudden full GI...
  • Like

This is something I always hate to link in but I have to, especially as we are heading into our nighttime now and you are sadly losing your battle so you can at least understand what is happening and what you can do - and hopefully don't feel quite as helpless and overwhelmed.
The guide contains chapters to help you spot when a piggy is crossing the line of no return and help you cope with any unexpected physical aspects of the dying process; especially if you have nver been confronted directly with it before.

Wiebke

Thread 'A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs'

1 Your mental health, sensitivities and work commitments
- Mental health and support resources
- Sensitivity aspects
- When work and other commitments clash
2 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
3 Is my...
  • Like


My thoughts are with you as you are riding an untamed tiger and are trying to hang on as best as you can. I so wish I had better news or magic tips! :(
 
Ok, so here is an update. Peanut is still with us. He did eat this morning, but still not as much as usual. Moving him to the smaller enclosure has helped with my ability to observe him. His hutch made it much more difficult. He is still bloated and does not want to move around, but he did urinate and defecate. I wonder if the problem could be heart related instead of bloat. Congestive heart failure perhaps? It can cause bloating from fluid build up. I am not sure if it is bloat or something else. Unfortunately, I have no access to a vet so I will continue to keep him as comfortable as possible. If anyone has any suggestions, I am open to them and thank you for any help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top