please help, my guinea pig is sick/in pain!

[avyroseee]

hi guys! ive never used a forum before so i dont even know if I'm posting in the right place but i need help! my guinea pig has seemed off for a while since his brother died last month. (i got him a new friend but they havent met without a barrier yet) he didnt drink or eat much until he got put in a cage next to his new friend and now hes drinking and eating more but recently hes started squealing (sounds like a pain noise) everytime i touch him (mainly stomach area as hes fine when i stroke his head and back) and i noticed black/green liquid around his mouth while he was eating his veg. hes also been laying down and sleeping more than he used to. I'm not sure what to do or how to get him to the vet as thatll be expensive due to the cost of living crisis. and just another thing to add, hes been having carrots 4 times a week or less for a year cuz the pet shop told me thats what they can have daily which i found out recently was completely not true and i dont know if thats caused his illness. he seemed fine before his brother passed away. I'm hoping the more information i give, the more chance someone will know how to help. please give me any advice! i tried for a long time to get a job to take my deceased piggy to the vet but its difficult to be hired as an autistic person so please no criticism on that, ive tried everything i can! thankyou for any advice anyone can give me, i appreciate it. (another thing to add, he is very happy with his new friend theyre in a split cage so they only have a barrier between them and they spend alot of time laying together against the barrier)

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry your piggy is poorly and for your recent loss.

He really could do with a vet visit. Just so they can look at all the areas that are causing you concern.

It’s great he’s eating and drinking more now. Are his poops good? Is his weight stable? The warmer weather can make them more lethargic too.

If you are worried at all then I’d advise a vet visit as you know your piggy the best. Good luck I hope he’s ok.

 

[avyroseee]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry your piggy is poorly and for your recent loss.

He really could do with a vet visit. Just so they can look at all the areas that are causing you concern.

It’s great he’s eating and drinking more now. Are his poops good? Is his weight stable? The warmer weather can make them more lethargic too.

If you are worried at all then I’d advise a vet visit as you know your piggy the best. Good luck I hope he’s ok.

thankyou so much for the reply hes always been on the smaller side but recently hes gained 25 grams. his poop is fine and normal although i noticed he had a piece stuck in his bum yesterday. ive also just completely checked him and ive noticed one of his toes is really swollen and the nail is lopsided and his teeth dont look too great. I'm gonna try my best to get him to the vet

 

[Wiebke]

hi guys! ive never used a forum before so i dont even know if I'm posting in the right place but i need help! my guinea pig has seemed off for a while since his brother died last month. (i got him a new friend but they havent met without a barrier yet) he didnt drink or eat much until he got put in a cage next to his new friend and now hes drinking and eating more but recently hes started squealing (sounds like a pain noise) everytime i touch him (mainly stomach area as hes fine when i stroke his head and back) and i noticed black/green liquid around his mouth while he was eating his veg. hes also been laying down and sleeping more than he used to. I'm not sure what to do or how to get him to the vet as thatll be expensive due to the cost of living crisis. and just another thing to add, hes been having carrots 4 times a week or less for a year cuz the pet shop told me thats what they can have daily which i found out recently was completely not true and i dont know if thats caused his illness. he seemed fine before his brother passed away. I'm hoping the more information i give, the more chance someone will know how to help. please give me any advice! i tried for a long time to get a job to take my deceased piggy to the vet but its difficult to be hired as an autistic person so please no criticism on that, ive tried everything i can! thankyou for any advice anyone can give me, i appreciate it. (another thing to add, he is very happy with his new friend theyre in a split cage so they only have a barrier between them and they spend alot of time laying together against the barrier)

Hi and welcome

HUGS


I am very sorry for your loss and your concerns.


Your boy needs to be seen and assessed by a vet, from the mouth (potential dental overgrowth) to the whole body in case the problem is sitting further down. Based on your vet's findings you can then discuss with them the best way forward in your situation in order to minimise any unnecessary discomfort and suffering as your priority.
A guide to vets fees, insurance and payment support.

Please step in with feeding support asap in order to keep him going as much as possible; he will have lost some weight if he hasn't been eating properly. Keep in mind that three quarters of what guinea pigs eat in a day is unlimited hay and that you cannot control that by eye. If you haven't got any scales, then please feeling for the BMI to evaluate whether he is still OK or whether he is underweight (see the relevant link below).

All the links below don't need any expensive products; they are tips on what you can do with what you have at home or easily available from a pharmacy. Please take the time to read them, you will find them very helpful.
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

PS: The carrots are not ideal but I have adopted a 2 year old boy who spent his life being stuck in a hamster cage on a diet of just lettuce and carrots and who was not able to even walk a yard without hos back legs giving way. Dylan took several months to build up his muscles so he could learn to run and jump and he needed to learn from his new companion that other fresh food was edible, too, which also took quite a while. But he lived to the ripe old age of 6 years although his muscular dystrophy issues became noticeable again in older age. He died from heart failure.

So please do not try and hang up your strong grieving related feelings of guilt on the carrots. The feelings are an expression of how deeply you care and not that you have failed your boys badly. You have still given them the happy todays in a loving home that guinea pigs measure a good life by.
As long as your boys have had and still have daily hay they have got what they really need in their diet. Sadly, many pet shop staff are not clued up on the care of the species they are selling and their recommendations are seriously outdated and substandard if they are not plain wrong.

 

[Posyrose]

Well done for reaching out to our forum experts. Most of us followed poor advice from pet stores or elsewhere before we found expert opinion. It's not your fault and it's obvious how much you care for your piggy.

I hope you can find some way to pay for a vet visit to help your boy.

 

[avyroseee]

Hi and welcome

HUGS


I am very sorry for your loss and your concerns.


Your boy needs to be seen and assessed by a vet, from the mouth (potential dental overgrowth) to the whole body in case the problem is sitting further down. Based on your vet's findings you can then discuss with them the best way forward in your situation in order to minimise any unnecessary discomfort and suffering as your priority.
A guide to vets fees, insurance and payment support.

Please step in with feeding support asap in order to keep him going as much as possible; he will have lost some weight if he hasn't been eating properly. Keep in mind that three quarters of what guinea pigs eat in a day is unlimited hay and that you cannot control that by eye. If you haven't got any scales, then please feeling for the BMI to evaluate whether he is still OK or whether he is underweight (see the relevant link below).

All the links below don't need any expensive products; they are tips on what you can do with what you have at home or easily available from a pharmacy. Please take the time to read them, you will find them very helpful.
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

PS: The carrots are not ideal but I have adopted a 2 year old boy who spent his life being stuck in a hamster cage on a diet of just lettuce and carrots and who was not able to even walk a yard without hos back legs giving way. Dylan took several months to build up his muscles so he could learn to run and jump and he needed to learn from his new companion that other fresh food was edible, too, which also took quite a while. But he lived to the ripe old age of 6 years although his muscular dystrophy issues became noticeable again in older age. He died from heart failure.

So please do not try and hang up your strong grieving related feelings of guilt on the carrots. The feelings are an expression of how deeply you care and not that you have failed your boys badly. You have still given them the happy todays in a loving home that guinea pigs measure a good life by.
As long as your boys have had and still have daily hay they have got what they really need in their diet. Sadly, many pet shop staff are not clued up on the care of the species they are selling and their recommendations are seriously outdated and substandard if they are not plain wrong.

thankyou for the reply and advice i really appreciate it! I'm so sorry for your loss too, losing a pet is a type of pain that just cant be described your piggy was very lucky to have been rescued by you and shown true happiness! ive changed my guinea pigs diet to lettuce (not iceberg) and kale everyday with a small carrot once a week. they have lots of hay daily and they get some pellets everyday too. I'm gonna try my best to get him to the vet today. with his weight, hes always been on the smaller side, he looks healthy and the right amount of chubby and he gained 25 grams since i weighed him 2-3 months ago (hes now 760g). I'm gonna take a look at the links and go from there thankyou!

 

[avyroseee]

Well done for reaching out to our forum experts. Most of us followed poor advice from pet stores or elsewhere before we found expert opinion. It's not your fault and it's obvious how much you care for your piggy.

I hope you can find some way to pay for a vet visit to help your boy.

thankyou so much for this reply it means alot to me hopefully I'm gonna be able to get him to the vet today or tmmw

 

[Wiebke]

thankyou for the reply and advice i really appreciate it! I'm so sorry for your loss too, losing a pet is a type of pain that just cant be described your piggy was very lucky to have been rescued by you and shown true happiness! ive changed my guinea pigs diet to lettuce (not iceberg) and kale everyday with a small carrot once a week. they have lots of hay daily and they get some pellets everyday too. I'm gonna try my best to get him to the vet today. with his weight, hes always been on the smaller side, he looks healthy and the right amount of chubby and he gained 25 grams since i weighed him 2-3 months ago (hes now 760g). I'm gonna take a look at the links and go from there thankyou!

Hi

Please do not feed kale daily; it's too high in calcium in combination with unfiltered water and pellets and can lead to bladder stones. It should not be fed more than once weekly - and we recommend a slice of cheaper greens instead.

You may find our diet guide interesting and helpful. It looks at all food groups in their role in the overall diet and at each food group in detail. It also has a chapter on where to look for food savings: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Wheekallweek]

Good luck, hope you can get him to a vet soon!

 

[avyroseee]

Hi

Please do not feed kale daily; it's too high in calcium in combination with unfiltered water and pellets and can lead to bladder stones. It should not be fed more than once weekly - and we recommend a slice of cheaper greens instead.

You may find our diet guide interesting and helpful. It looks at all food groups in their role in the overall diet and at each food group in detail. It also has a chapter on where to look for food savings: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

oh i didnt know that google said it can be fed everyday but luckily ive only been feeding it to them for 3 days. thankyou for letting me know!

 

[Wiebke]

oh i didnt know that google said it can be fed everyday but luckily ive only been feeding it to them for 3 days. thankyou for letting me know!

The problem with online information is that you cannot judge the quality of it. It also depends which country the advice is coming from. The UK is mainly a hard water country where most calcium is coming via the drinking water and pellets (which we recommend to to feed ony 1 tablespoon per piggy per day) whereas the USA is mainly a soft water country so following US advice in the UK can lead to bladder stones because the calium ratio is out.

Please take the time to read our diet guide link in my previous post. It has a whole chapter dedicated to how much and how often you can feed the most common veg, herbs and fruit.

Our collective forum experience is reaching back nearly 20 years and up to half a century of ownership. This experience has gone into our guides, which we update at need as new research is throwing new light on various aspects.

 

[avyroseee]

The problem with online information is that you cannot judge the quality of it. It also depends which country the advice is coming from. The UK is mainly a hard water country where most calcium is coming via the drinking water and pellets (which we recommend to to feed ony 1 tablespoon per piggy per day) whereas the USA is mainly a soft water country so following US advice in the UK can lead to bladder stones because the calium ratio is out.

Please take the time to read our diet guide link in my previous post. It has a whole chapter dedicated to how much and how often you can feed the most common veg, herbs and fruit.

Our collective forum experience is reaching back nearly 20 years and up to half a century ownership. This experience has gone into our guides, which we update at need as new research is throwing new light on various aspects.

thankyou for letting me know, i really appreciate it!

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
I’m just offering support.