Salty - Ill (help Would Be Great)

[Salty & Jimbob]

My guinea pig, salty is currently ill, and we strongly believe it is associated with pooing as his ass is starting to be very brown (covered in poo) as we constantly clean it (once every two days) as he also squeaks whilst pooing (squeaks at least 5 times) and then lets out a strange squeak. I may upload a video of him doing this for you to see, he also smells quite a bit, also he lifts his ass of the ground whilst walking.

All this strange behaviour started half way through our summer holidays (quite a few weeks/ months back) when one day he was unable to move or lift his head up of the ground, we immediately went to the vet and they and us believed that it was to do with pooing as his poos were low, since then he obviously has improved quite a bit but we still believe he is not in best of shape and is not the salty we remember. One of the reasons he may have been ill was because we put bird food in their bowl and he may have eaten it. Furthermore he used to be the biggest guinea pig (bigger than his twin brother Jimbob) though now he has clearly lost a lot of his weight and is now smaller and lighter than Jimbob and before.

Comment your ideas below as help would be GREAT. and be welcome to ask any questions on this topic

Note: we have not seen the vet since as it is quite costly.

 

[*kate*]

Although costly, your piggie really needs vet attention, in my opinion.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry, but Salty REALLY needs to see a competent vet as soon as possible! He is either suffering from digestive problems, severe impaction or has got a bladder stone and needs an operation for that. He is clearly in pain when pooing and his weight loss (i.e. lack of appetite) is confirming that. A scan or x-ray should tell.

Please weigh Salty daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (instead of the usual life long weekly weigh-in for all guinea pigs), so you can keep an eye on his food intake; cheap scales from the supermarket are perfectly OK.
You will have to top him up with syringe feeding and watering him if he is losing/has lost a lot of weight and is very skinny. You can use mushed up pellets or recovery formula. It is VITAL that you do this to keep the guts from closing down and to give him a chance to survive. No amount of expensive vet care can help if he is slowly starving to death!

Up to 80% of the daily food intake should be a unlimited supply of hay; it is often the first food group that is being dropped when a guinea pig is in major discomfort. The lack of fibre in his diet is liekly the cause of his runny poos. I assume that you have stopped the bird feed asap? Seeds are are definite no-no when it comes to guinea pigs. Their guts are not laid out for that; they need hay, hay and more hay; good quality pellets and a bit of mixed veg.

However, in view of the diarrhea, please stay off all fresh food until the poos have firmed up. You need to give Salty extra vitamin C during this time to make up for what he is not getting through veg and good quality, vitamin C enforced pellets. Please do NOT give the vitamin C in his water; if necessary, syringe it directly dissolved in a little water, about 1/8 - 1/4 of a human tablet a day.

Please carefully read through our illustrated step-by-step syringe feeding guide that has been specifically written for first time carers. It has all the tips and information re. how to go about it, how often and how much to feed, and how to prep the syringe. It also has all the information that you need for support products.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Administering Medications

Here are our tips for a balanced diet; take the time to read through them, so you can care properly for your two boys and make sure that they have a healthy, good life:
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

Since we have got members from all over the world, we find it very helpful in being able to support you as best as we can if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and possible where you are. We have got a recommended UK vet locator on the top bar, but can provide a link for recommended vets in some other countries if wished.

 

[Salty & Jimbob]

Although costly, your piggie really needs vet attention, in my opinion.

thanx for your view i will consider it! maybe but it really is expensive /:

 

[Salty & Jimbob]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry, but Salty REALLY needs to see a competent vet as soon as possible! He is either suffering from digestive problems, severe impaction or has got a bladder stone and needs an operation for that. He is clearly in pain when pooing and his weight loss (i.e. lack of appetite) is confirming that. A scan or x-ray should tell.

Please weigh Salty daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (instead of the usual life long weekly weigh-in for all guinea pigs), so you can keep an eye on his food intake; cheap scales from the supermarket are perfectly OK.
You will have to top him up with syringe feeding and watering him if he is losing/has lost a lot of weight and is very skinny. You can use mushed up pellets or recovery formula. It is VITAL that you do this to keep the guts from closing down and to give him a chance to survive. No amount of expensive vet care can help if he is slowly starving to death!

Up to 80% of the daily food intake should be a unlimited supply of hay; it is often the first food group that is being dropped when a guinea pig is in major discomfort. The lack of fibre in his diet is liekly the cause of his runny poos. I assume that you have stopped the bird feed asap? Seeds are are definite no-no when it comes to guinea pigs. Their guts are not laid out for that; they need hay, hay and more hay; good quality pellets and a bit of mixed veg.

However, in view of the diarrhea, please stay off all fresh food until the poos have firmed up. You need to give Salty extra vitamin C during this time to make up for what he is not getting through veg and good quality, vitamin C enforced pellets. Please do NOT give the vitamin C in his water; if necessary, syringe it directly dissolved in a little water, about 1/8 - 1/4 of a human tablet a day.

Please carefully read through our illustrated step-by-step syringe feeding guide that has been specifically written for first time carers. It has all the tips and information re. how to go about it, how often and how much to feed, and how to prep the syringe. It also has all the information that you need for support products.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Administering Medications

Here are our tips for a balanced diet; take the time to read through them, so you can care properly for your two boys and make sure that they have a healthy, good life:
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

Since we have got members from all over the world, we find it very helpful in being able to support you as best as we can if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and possible where you are. We have got a recommended UK vet locator on the top bar, but can provide a link for recommended vets in some other countries if wished.

WOW! What a great comment i will reread and again as Kate said '' to see a vet i will consider it but definitely consider things like weighing him but i will also share a video of salty doing his strange squeaking when pooing for you to see, I do all thease things on food etc and feeding him bird food was a large mistake which we will never do again thanx for welcome

 

[Wiebke]

WOW! What a great comment i will reread and again as Kate said '' to see a vet i will consider it but definitely consider things like weighing him but i will also share a video of salty doing his strange squeaking when pooing for you to see, I do all thease things on food etc and feeding him bird food was a large mistake which we will never do again thanx for welcome

If the pooing is ending in a with s series of high pitched squeaks and/or a loud grunt, then there is usually a bladder stone involved. Stones (and the excruciating pain from them) can cause lack of appetite, major weight loss, problems with the digestion etc. Unfortunately, stones do not go away on their own; they need a vet diagnosis and an operation.
Guinea pigs have a naturally highly alkaline urine, which makes them prone to urinary tract problems; a diet that is not right can compound that.

 

[*kate*]

thanx for your view i will consider it! maybe but it really is expensive /:

Yes, it is expensive, I have spent around £300 in the past week or so on my 2 at the vets. BUT, these little furries rely on us to keep them well and a vets visit is sometimes necessary.

 

[Salty & Jimbob]

If the pooing is ending in a with s series of high pitched squeaks and/or a loud grunt, then there is usually a bladder stone involved. Stones (and the excruciating pain from them) can cause lack of appetite, major weight loss, problems with the digestion etc. Unfortunately, stones do not go away on their own; they need a vet diagnosis and an operation.
Guinea pigs have a naturally highly alkaline urine, which makes them prone to urinary tract problems; a diet that is not right can compound that.

thank you for info again i will consider going to the vet but one of the main reasons i came here was to resist going to the vet but THANK YOU!

 

[Wiebke]

Vet care is unfortunately the largest budget post during a guinea pig's life, especially when you come up against a serious issue/illness. Buying a guinea pig the cheapest.

Sadly many owners underestimate the need to save up weekly to being able to afford vet care when needed. Vet cost and insurance (if available at all) can vary widely across the world, but they are rarely cheap.

 

[Salty & Jimbob]

Yes, it is expensive, I have spent around £300 in the past week or so on my 2 at the vets. BUT, these little furries rely on us to keep them well and a vets visit is sometimes necessary.

as much as i love my salty i dont think i will ever get to £300 on my guinea pigs
1.I dont even have that much money
2.We arent balling on money unfortunetly

 

[Salty & Jimbob]

Vet care is unfortunately the largest budget post during a guinea pig's life, especially when you come up against a serious issue/illness. Buying a guinea pig the cheapest.

Sadly many owners underestimate the need to save up weekly to being able to afford vet care when needed. Vet cost and insurance (if available at all) can vary widely across the world, but they are rarely cheap.

;====;