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Pig Off Food, Need Help!

HW023

HW023

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Points
45
Location
Bromsgrove
Sorry, this is gonna be a long one.

I need help. Ive had my baby Pigpog for 3 years. i adopted him and they didnt know how old he was so his overall age is a mystery. A few months ago he started drinking more than usual, took him to the vet they said just keep an eye on it, if it get too excessive bring him back. Two months later he started eating less. I thought at first it was old age but then he stopped eating certain things and started loosing weight in the space of about 3 months. He went from 1,250kg to 990g. Took him to the vet, they did basic checks said they couldn't help, refered me somewhere else.

To make a long story short, 5 vets later found one that knew something about guinea pigs. He did health checks and an ultrasound but couldnt find anything wrong said it might just be old age. That was a month ago, two weeks ago he stopped eating most things, practically no veggies, almost no nuggets or hay. He nibbles apples, cucumber and orange segments, which i wouldn't normally give him but i was desperate. Its like every day he eats a little less. Hes still eating fresh grass, not that theres much this time of year but its something.

Took him back to the vet, he said he'd exhausted his guinea pig knowledge and referred me to an exotic vet an hour away. I dont have a car but if they could help id find a way. I spoke to them and they were very expensve. Being exotic they charge twice as much as for a dog anywhere else. I cannot afford the consultation fee and 1 basic test based on their estimates and they dont do payment plans. And thats minimum of what he'd need. I'm currently unemployed and even if i emptied my entire bank account onto their counter for the next month i couldnt even come close to the kind of money they are asking upfront.

I have called around so many vets trying to find one that knows what they are doing and dont charge the earth/allow payment plan for someone unemployed. No luck. The PDSA or the RSPCA vet seemed like a good option but they dont do guinea pigs. They say they do and take your money but when you get to the vet they say they dont do guinea pigs! Which is outrageous. They are a common pet, they should teach guinea pig in normal vet school!

Anyway I did some online research and bought some Oxbow Critical Care which he is eating maybe a teaspoon/teaspoon and a half per day (not in one go) which seems to be preventing him from loosing more weight. Hes basically acting like normal, a little less active but he was never very active anyway, he wanders around, squeeks for food he wont eat. I dont know what to do next and Its breaking my heart and making me a little angry, just because i dont have money to hand right now i have to watch my beloved pet waste away.
I know you guys are no substitute for a vet but any help or advice you can give me would be helpful. Or if anyone knows of a reasonablely priced pig vet in their area i will try my very best to find transport.
Though i am worried it maybe too late, he's still under weight and if he needs anaesthesia for a test i fear he wont come out of it. Advice would be so great. I just dont know what to do or whats best for him or how to continue from here.
 
Hiya. I was trying to click on your avatar/profile to see where abouts you’re located but my phone won’t do it for some reason. Are you In UK & where abouts/what region? x
 
Hoppity.K said:
Hiya. I was trying to click on your avatar/profile to see where abouts you’re located but my phone won’t do it for some reason. Are you In UK & where abouts/what region? x
Click to expand...

Yes I'm in the UK, bromsgrove area.
 
Hi, if you click on menu, then vet locator there’s a list of forum recommended vets. You could see which ones nearest to you. Sounds like your little one does need to see a vet. Some vets do offer payment plans.
Hope this helps x
 
Have any vets checked his teeth, including the back ones? The wheeking for food then not eating it might indicate his mouth is hurting.

Could you try chopping his veggies up into tiny pieces, and putting a saucer with a few softened pellets into his cage to see if he can manage those?

Ordinarily I’d suggest asking for a metacam/loxicom (painkiller) trial if there’s no obvious source of discomfort in the mouth to see if that makes him more comfortable, but since the first symptom was excessive thirst then if his teeth are fine my next concern would be kidneys and metacam isn’t great for kidneys. If it is kidney failure then I’m afraid it’s not always easy to detect even with expensive tests, and unfortunately if it is there’s not really any treatment.

Something else to think about might be arthritis?

I really sympathise, I spent years struggling in an area with no pig-savvy vets and eventually took the approach of reading as much as I could do and getting as much advice as possible online, then going and telling the vet what test or medication I wanted and why. Not ideal, but better than blindly following a vet who sees very few guinea pigs.
 
This sounds like it could be a teeth issue too. Ultrasounds aren't going to pick up on this. Overgrown teeth can trap the tongue and cut the back of the mouth causing severe discomfort as well as preventing chewing of foods. If you are able to get to Northampton to the cat and rabbit clinic they are excellent and reasonably priced.

@sport_billy any recommendations from your neck of the woods?
 
Thanks guys. The ultrasound was to check his kidneys, the vet said he couldn't see any obvious problems. 3 of the 5 checked his teeth with a black nossle thing they shoved to the back of his mouth, I'm guessing that that was right test for teeth, they said no problems.
 
HW023 said:
Thanks guys. The ultrasound was to check his kidneys, the vet said he couldn't see any obvious problems. 3 of the 5 checked his teeth with a black nossle thing they shoved to the back of his mouth, I'm guessing that that was right test for teeth, they said no problems.
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hello,

the black thing does not check back teeth this can only be done usually by an operation. it is very hard to see back teeth whilst a piggy is awake.

I also have a piggy who has slowly gone off all vegetables. will eat grass hay and nuggets (which vet said is ok as nuggets have vitamins in). drinks a lot to. she has no teeth issues or kidney, she does have a slightly enlarged heart and arthritis on all 4 shoulders (for which she is on meloxidyl) which she takes without issues, the last few days she has refused that as well.

I have no advice. just wish you luck x
 
Sorry for the difficulties you're having helping your Pigpog @HW023 x

Have you tried giving him Readigrass? I don't normally give it to my 2, but when one was ill and not eating much recently I added it in to try to get him to eat more. I think it's more appetising and nutritious than ordinary hay, but still has the fibre to help wear the teeth down.

Which vets have you already tried (just so we don't suggest one you've already been to)? The only exotic vet I know of in your part of the Birmingham area is Manor Vets, I took one of my late piggies there a couple of years ago, but the piggie expert vet who was there then has since moved, sadly.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Sorry for the difficulties you're having helping your Pigpog @HW023 x

Have you tried giving him Readigrass? I don't normally give it to my 2, but when one was ill and not eating much recently I added it in to try to get him to eat more. I think it's more appetising and nutritious than ordinary hay, but still has the fibre to help wear the teeth down.

Which vets have you already tried (just so we don't suggest one you've already been to)? The only exotic vet I know of in your part of the Birmingham area is Manor Vets, I took one of my late piggies there a couple of years ago, but the piggie expert vet who was there then has since moved, sadly.
Click to expand...

Yes, they get readigrass a couple times a week which he used to like but like everything else he's stopped eating that too.

Manor Vets is the one i spoke to. Ive tried Hopwood vets, RSPCA vet, PDSA vet, two branches of Clent Hills vets, which i have to say were the best but it was beyond their expertise. I have also spoken to The Vet in Bristol who said they would see my guinea pig but they didnt have a specific extoic vet despite their website saying they treat them. I thought about maybe The Vet in Nottingham but i dont know if they are any good and they are a long way away. But if i thought they could really help him id find a way to get there.
 
Lady Kelly said:
This sounds like it could be a teeth issue too. Ultrasounds aren't going to pick up on this. Overgrown teeth can trap the tongue and cut the back of the mouth causing severe discomfort as well as preventing chewing of foods. If you are able to get to Northampton to the cat and rabbit clinic they are excellent and reasonably priced.

@sport_billy any recommendations from your neck of the woods?
Click to expand...

Do you have anymore information on the cat and rabbit clinic so i can look them up please?
 
Today Pigpog ate Sweetcorn, some fresh grass, couple of spinach stems (not the leaf) 1/4 of a teasppon of critical care. I'll try him on some more critcal care later. Its not alot but at least hes still eating something. Would he still eat these things if it was his teeth?

If its not his teeth how would you tell if its his kidneys?
Since ive started the dritcal care he has been less thirsty. Do you think its because the critcal care is something like 50% water?
 
HW023 said:
Do you have anymore information on the cat and rabbit clinic so i can look them up please?
Click to expand...

They are on the vet locator on the top bar of this forum. They are a general vet not exotic specialists but both Simon and his wife Kim are very very experienced with guinea pigs. Simon has developed a method of sorting out the back teeth without the need for anaesthetic. Twice I have driven the hour there for the expertise when it's thought to be tooth related
 
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