• 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

Sick GP from Pets at Home - Advice please

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jetman

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
28
Reaction score
17
Points
155
Location
Manchester
Hi everyone.

I am a new Guinea Pig owner, having only purchased two on Monday evening, for my girlfriends birthday. She has owned some in the past however.

I purchased them from Pets at Home, along with the cage, bedding, food etc. I set their new home up, put some food in and left them to it, to allow them to settle in. I noticed that one was quick and more timid (Belle) whilst the other (Brandi) was less concerned by my presence but hopped about like a rabbit! I went to work Tuesday and when arriving home only saw Belle. She was as bright as the night before and ate some more food, carrot and pepper, as well as the dried food that I had left for them.

Brandi did not appear until later and was very lethargic, hopping around, eating carrot and hay, but not heading for cover. She was also breathing heavily and kinda jerking like a hiccup or cough, but with no noise. I thought that she was either sick or pregnant.

I phoned the store this morning and was told that they were pretty confident that she would not be pregnant, but to take her in for examination. I am work as I write this, my gf took Brandi in. After examining her the vet has said that she appears to be starving!

Well she was well fed in the short time with me (just over 24 hours). I had noticed when we selected her that she was sleepy in the corner, but just thought that she as having a nap. So does this mean that Pets at Home sell sick underfed pets?

They have given us some medicine to be taken three times a day. So nursing duties for us this week. I hope she makes a full recovery. What a disgrace that she wasn’t fed properly by such a big company!

Will she walk normally when she has been fed up?

Any ideas on what to feed her? I have carrots, hay, peppers and I thought a little apple as the high sugar may help? Is the dried food good too?

My gf also picked up some choc treats when we got them, would they help or hinder a sick Pig?

Thanks for your help and it’s a shame that my first post on here is not a happy one.

Jay
 
Oh the poor little thing. It is very common on here for people to report sick piggies from pets at home. They really do not seem to treat their piggies well at all. Your poor little girl sounds very unwell. I am sure she will start to put weight on with the good diet you are providing. Guinea pigs need an unlimited amount of hay constantly. They should have a bowl of nuggets and fresh vegetables twice a day. Fruit is okay as a treat a few times a week. I would keep an eye on her to make sure she is eating okay and also weigh her today and then again in a week. If she has not put on weight I would be concerned.

Just to let you know if you ever bought more piggies this forum advices people to rescue them as there are so many unwanted piggies out there.

I would not feed chocolate drops and other so called treat food as they do not have any nutrients in.

You did not mention water so please ensure they have fresh water available to them at all times.

As you got them from such a company as pets at home I am curious to know what cage they told you to get as they often tell people to get really small ones. How big is your cage?
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear about Brandi. Did the vet check her teeth ? Is she able to eat okay ?

If she's unable to eat then there may be a reason for this - teeth or illness or something and you may need to syringe feed her or mash up her food. Do you know if she is drinking?

I wouldnt give the choc treats.

Sorry - there are lots of problems generally with Pets at Home pigs being ill with various conditions. I hope your little one is going to be okay.

I'm sure others will be along soon with some advice for you,

x
 
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, don’t worry, I have a large water bottle fixed to the cage. 

I will measure the cage when I get in. If anyone is familiar with their current stock it is a plastic based one with upper cage, and a place to hide which doubles as an upper level with stairs/ramp and food bowl. It also has a compartment that you fix to the outside to put hay in.

Can I harm her by over feeding her whilst she is sick?
 
The main thing she needs is hay really. That should make up most of a guinea pigs diet. I think she will need to be introduced to vegetables very slowly as they will give her an upset stomach if she is not used to digesting them.
 
Thanks to you too CandlFloss.

Her teeth seem OK as she power munched at some carrot that I held out to her last night! I cant remember seeing her drink, I will ask my GF.
 
She may not know how to use a water bottle. Do you know how old she is?
 
She was really munching the hay too. I have plenty so I hope all will be well.

Will she walk normally when well?
 
The walk is a bit different. I wonder if it is something to do with her hips or bones. What did the vet say about that?
 
Hi there, I hope I can help a little.

Could you give the name of the meds you have for your pig and when is the next checkup? How much does she weigh (in grammes please).

If you feed a good quality pellet, I would recommend Burgess excel, softened with a little warm water to make it easier to eat while she is so poorly.

Additional Vit C, probiotic and calcium - P@H sell Pro-C food supplement which will give all three.

Plenty of hay in the cage rather than in a hay rack as she may not want to move too much just now.

I would hold off giving any fruit/veg as it can cause bloat/diarrhoea in a poorly pig. Please do not give treats as they have very little in the way of nutrition and far too much sugar for a young pig.

HTH

Suzy x
 
Its a good idea to keep a regular note of the weights of both your pigs. If you weigh her today then you can weigh again in a few days (around the same time of day is best) and see if her weight has increased at all.

By weighing them both (separately) weekly it can give you early warning of problems if there is a sudden weight loss at a later date - but a good habit to get into from the start.

Its a good sign that you have seen her eating.

x
 
Answers…

Age – I was told six weeks

Yes that is the cage. Is it suitable?

Vets comments – I am not sure until I get home and ask my gf.

One comment I have is that they both quite different in appearance, whether this is due to Brandi’s illness which is causing her to sit and move like she does I don’t know. Are there many different types/breeds of GP? Belle appears to be a sleek long bodied creature whereas Brandi is stubbier and fuzzier.
 
Being fuzzier could be her breed. It may help to post a picture of them later. That cage is far too small I am afraid. I would take it back and demand they change it as it is their fault for selling it in the first place. The best thing to house a guinea pig is to make a cage out of c and c grids. This will give them a lot more room. If you do want a cage then the Ferplast 140 is big enough. I am actually selling one but I am in London so no idea if that is any use for you. If not then I would recommend you make a cage yourself with grids.
 
This is a really nice thriving & helpful community. Thanks again everyone.

I will check what the food is called. Also what medicine the vet has given me.

I had already put hay in the holder and cage, she was munching it like crazy last night. But after eating it she would jerk in a hiccup motion. Maybe a reaction to food as she was so empty/hungry?

I may put a bowl of water in until she figures the bottle out.

I will look at the cage situation too. I live in Manchester.
 
Well you sure live far. If you want a cage then change it to a ferplast 140. Demand a refund as this is their problem. I hope your girl friend made them pay for the vet check up as they should not be selling sick piggies in the first place. Maybe the RSPCA should be told as for her to be starving shows serious neglect.
 
poor little piggy :( i hope she gets better soon. i'd definately give her some cucumber in case she's not drinking properly, it should help keep her hydrated. i'd also get her some of this
http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...a=X&ei=EQd6ToXQOorP0QXGh93KAQ&ved=0CGEQ8wIwAg
or this
[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaphar-Guinea-Vitamin-Drops-Health/dp/B005GP5PBS[/ame]
to add to the water just to help top up her vitamin intake x
could you add some pictures from photobucket so we can see what breed she is? x
 
Brandi was examined by their instore vet, free of charge, with the medicine free of charge. I will find out more info when I get home.

I hope we can trust their vets verdict.

I had no idea P.A.H. were so bad.
 
I think a vitamin C tablet is better then drops as with the drops being added to water the piggies often do not drink the water as it will taste different.
 
it's sad really. with it being such a big brand name you'd think they'd be trustworthy, but so many people have gotten sick animals from there :( x
 
jetman said:
Brandi was examined by their instore vet, free of charge, with the medicine free of charge. I will find out more info when I get home.

I hope we can trust their vets verdict.

I had no idea P.A.H. were so bad.
Click to expand...

I would take her to an independent vets myself.
 
piggyfan said:
I would take her to an independent vets myself.
Click to expand...

I agree - it might be worth finding a local guinea pig savy vet - a LOT of vets haven't got a clue when it comes to guinea pigs unfortunately .... there's a list on the forum of recommended vets you could look through .... or maybe someone on here can suggest one in Manchester for you ?

x
 
Sounds like your getting lots of sound advice on her. I cant really add much more in to be honest. Unfortunatly this is a common thing with pets at home selling sick animals to unsuspecting owners. I would go back and demand they replace the cage which is a bit too small for the piggies. Tell them that the minimal cage requirements set by the RSPCA is 4 foot by 2 foot minium for 2 piggies and they should know this. Ask for a ferplast 120 or ideally 140. Or as mentioned C&C grids are fab for making cages, but you can always make a cage later on.

I hope your little one picks up well. Make sure you get them sexed by a vet who knows there piggies. I wouldnt go to the vets in Pets at home to be honest. Find a local trustworthy vet who has some experience in guinea pigs to sex them too. Knowing Pets at home they may well have sold you a boy and a girl.

Good luck with them. Welcome to the forum. There are some very knowledgable and friendly people on here. I hope we can all help.

x
 
OK, this evening we have spent a long time hand feeding Brandi, cucumber, cabbage, carrot and some dry food and hay which I dunked in the medication.

They gave us a powder which you mix with water, it is labelled as ‘critical care formula’. I have not seen her drink, she didn’t seem interested when I put water in front of her. But like I said she ate loads.

She sits calmly and eats which is fine. What is not so fine is that she seems to have lost the bunny hop and now pushes with her back legs, her front legs barely seem to be working. I am going to take her in tomorrow and see what happens. She looks a very ill animal to me, I cant see her getting better….

As a general point, the food is their own brand guinea pig nuggets, are they any good? I don’t want Belle to suffer because of them. I have lost faith in this company to provide sufficient products!


Well they are both sleeping at the moment so we will see what the morning brings.

:(
 
Oh poor baby. It is terrible the vet did not pick up on her walking. She really needs to see an emergency vet. Critical care is usually syringe fed to piggies as they are for ones unable to eat themselves.

The nuggets are fine. They are the only thing okay about that company. Can you post photos of them?
 
Hi and welcome to the forum .. so sorry to read about your new piggy being unwell.

You have received lots of good information above which is great.

I agree that the piggy may not realise where the water bottle as it is new surroundings and because of feeling unwell. Try giving small amounts of boiled but cooled, yet still slightly warm, water either by teaspoon very slowly or by plastic syringe that you can get from your vet. However, be very careful with syringe feeding as the water can get into their lungs.

Cucumber is good but don't feed too much as it can make her have a funny tummy. It might also be good to find out what pellets were being fed ... guess it would be P&H own brand. I recommend you change feeding these to be better type i.e. Science Selective, Burgess etc. but only very gradually so not to upset their tummies and perhaps leave it for a while until piggy is better.

Good luck ... keep us posted.
 
Hi I live in Stockport so not far from Manchester and I have got a surplus 2kg bag of Burgess Excel pellets that you could have if you would like to try them for no cost, I don't know if that would help you?
 
Hello and welcome. You are in a very friendly and helpful place, believe me! The amount of knowledge I have gained and help I have gotten from the wonderful people on this forum is ridiculous!

I really hope your pig gets better soon...

I definitely say an independent cavy savvy vet would be best as well. The Pets at Home in-store vet is, or, should be responsible for the animals in the store so if they sold you a sick piggy - obviously not a very savvy vet!

And if finance is the issue with going to an independent vet, to be honest, the cost isn't too insane. We pay £15 to be seen and about another £5-6 for treatment. Of course if you need emergency treatment or more complicated treatments then the price goes up but it's worth it if your beloved pet gets better. Plus if you catch something early enough, it can be treated before it gets to the point of costing you a fortune. The only time we've paid more than that was for neutering.

I would always try to keep some Critical Care somewhere should you ever need it as well as claw clippers, pro C, shampoo ... there was a First Aid thread somewhere that listed a load of stuff it's a good idea to have handy. I'll see if I can find it and post it for you to look through.

EDIT: here you go: http://theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=73489

Does the other pig know how to use the water bottle? Just out of curiosity, as my pigs learnt what it was for by watching someone else use it, tried it themselves and then realised what it was for.

I would try the teaspoon feeding boiled, cooled water as suggested. Syringe feeding, I would not try unless you are told to by a savvy vet as it's so easy to squeeze too hard and shoot a load of water or medicine, what ever you're syringing right down their throats and it can get into their lungs. This can cause all sorts of problems.

Make sure she is warm enough as well. You could put some clean towels or fleece in to keep her warm overnight. I have a heat pad for mine in the winter or if they are ill and not able to regulate body temp properly.

About the cage situation, you can go to http://guineapigcages.com/howto.htm as a point of reference on how to construct your own cages using grids and a plastic called a Correx sheet. Please remember though, that the site listed on there for supplies, does not ship to the UK yet - I am chasing them up at the end of September.

You can get the grids from B&Q (you may need to order them in) and they look like this: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10687690

You can also find them on eBay and Amazon but make sure the size of the little squares of the grids are appropriate so piggies can't put their heads through or get stuck. On there, you might be able to find them under cube storage grids or Seville Storage system etc. I prefer mesh grids, personally - bypasses that whole problem but hard to find.

For the plastic sheet Correx, I use this place: http://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/corrugatedplastic.asp?parentcatname=Corrugated%20Plastic&parentcat=32 There are other colours but my bookmark is on white as that's what I use. I'm not sure where else you can get it, I'm sure there are other places but I've always used this one with no problems so I didn't have a need to search elsewhere.

You can make other things like ramps from it as well as cage trays... I DIY'd my bought cages and C+C (cube and correx ) cages and put a second level inside using grids and more correx with a correx ramp I made myself as well... Not sure if there are any tutorials, I kinda made up what I did for my ramps. Used lollipop sticks for the grips on the ramps as they slide down it otherwise lol! I use cable ties to hold the second level floor grids in place.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk is another great site which sells equipment, food and accessories as well, I always check back on there for special offers. My wooden chew house in my biggest cage came from there - I think the only reason it hasn't been completely eaten is that they like sleeping in it too haha!

I'm sure I'll think of more... hope some of this helps. SuzyGPR is very knowledgeable as someone said, if you need help.

Oh yes, nearly forgot. To post pics on here, I know there's a thread but I'll put it anyway.

1. Upload the pic to your photobucket account. If you don't have one, it's free to sign up and use.

2. Once uploaded, go to the album and hover the mouse over the picture you want, you should see 4 options with links inside. Click inside the "Direct Link" one and it should copy it for you, ready to be pasted into a post.

3. To paste it into a post, write what you want to write and when you get to the bit where you want the picture, look at the top of the box you are writing in. You will see a number of familiar symbols. Click the one on the bottom row, 5th from the end that looks like a box with mountains and a sun in it.

4. This will bring up a smaller box asking for the URL. Click in there and paste. Click on ok and it will be put into your post.

5. Then you can continue writing the rest of your post or preview/ submit and your picture should show up. Note that you are only allowed 8 pics per post and that includes the emoticons on the side of where you write.

Whew! lol

Hope some of this helps, please update us on the status of your piggy and we love pictures. -c
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top