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Should I put my guinea pig down?

L

Luketheguineapig

New Born Pup
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Hey everyone
My guinea pig’s name is Luke and he has been getting ill lately. His teeth have gotten large and his weight has dropped from 1250 grams to 950 grams due to him not really eating. He is still saying a little growling sound when I pet him, but he is not making the loud noises from his cage anymore.
Tomorrow I will leave for a ten day vacation. My neighbors will feed him and pet him, but I am afraid of coming home to a miserable and even sicker guinea pig. Do you guys think it is time to let him go, before I leave?
 
I think he has been getting ill and stoppes eating during the last week, but I think the dental issues have been developing over a few months. I am afraid his dental issues are too severe for the vet to be able to do something about it (from what I have read).
 
Piggies&buns said:
I'm sorry to hear he is unwell.
He needs to be taken to a vet and you need to step in and syringe feed him to stop his weight loss as an emergency measure.
How long has he been unwell?

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Click to expand...

I think he has been getting ill and stoppes eating during the last week, but I think the dental issues have been developing over a few months. I am afraid his dental issues are too severe for the vet to be able to do something about it (from what I have read).
(Sorry about posting this twice, I forgot to make it a reply)
 
He really needs to see a competent vet who has experience of dealing with piggies dental problems, few and far between. You have really left it too late if you are going away for 10 days, I really don’t know what to suggest? it’s very sad ☹️Poor little piggie!
 
Please step in and syringe feed him urgently (mush up his normal pellets with water to use as an emergency measure If you dont have immediate access to a proper recovery feed) and see a vet. He needs help particularly if you've been noticing problems for a few months and its possible an experienced vet can fix this.
 
Please see a vet and step in with feeding mushed up pellets asap in order to keep him alive until he can be seen and assessed by the vet. They may also know a rescue or an experienced private person to look after your guinea pig if he can be treated.
Here is our practical bridging care advice: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

If your piggy is really past any help because you never took him to a vet when there was time, then you can give him at least a gentle end at the vet clinic. Killing a pet in your care is an offence; leaving a badly ill piggy with a somebody not experienced in the care of them will mean that they have no survival chances and will die a painful death.
 
Oh dear it doesn’t sound like you have too much time to sort anything out. Can you get your piggy to the vet before you go away? Can your neighbour syringe feed your piggy while you are away? Can you give your piggy to a good rescue before you leave? I really hope you can do SOMETHING to help your piggy. 😧
 
You’ve been given some useful advice above. A few questions. Is it possible for you to postpone your holiday until you get him sorted? I think if you leave him with a neighbour, he may not be there to greet you when you return. As he’s no longer interested in eating, he must be syringe fed - at least 5ml every two hours during the day.

I notice you said his teeth look large. Do you mean there is an overbite - the top teeth have grown long to the extends they overlap the bottom teeth? How long have you had him and what does his diet consist of?

I would say this is an emergency so needs sorting. Hope you can get him to the veg before you go away. All the best and do let us know how you get on.
 
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