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Small poo and loosing weight

E

Ellspiggies

New Born Pup
Joined
Dec 23, 2022
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Location
Wales
PLEASE HELP❤️❤️❤️
Hi I’m new to this page!
So my piggie Ralph is 3 year old male and has always had a real personality! Very loving boy! I’ve come home from uni for Xmas and he’s lost a lot of weight so being the piggie mum I am I’ve ordered him new toys and supplements. He’s not lonely as he’s with my other boy billie.
Ralph’s lost weight and his pops are tiny, almost like mouse poo, so so small. I took him to the vet and they said it’s nothing to worry about and just to monitor his weight. I’ve got him a vitamin C diploma t for his water new toys and I’ve just ordered him critical care. I know the vets said not to worry but I can’t help but worrying. Do I make another appointment? Is there anything I haven’t thought of?
I'm so stressed out! Please help!
 
Ellspiggies said:
PLEASE HELP❤️❤️❤️
Hi I’m new to this page!
So my piggie Ralph is 3 year old male and has always had a real personality! Very loving boy! I’ve come home from uni for Xmas and he’s lost a lot of weight so being the piggie mum I am I’ve ordered him new toys and supplements. He’s not lonely as he’s with my other boy billie.
Ralph’s lost weight and his pops are tiny, almost like mouse poo, so so small. I took him to the vet and they said it’s nothing to worry about and just to monitor his weight. I’ve got him a vitamin C diploma t for his water new toys and I’ve just ordered him critical care. I know the vets said not to worry but I can’t help but worrying. Do I make another appointment? Is there anything I haven’t thought of?
I'm so stressed out! Please help!
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Hi

You are right to worry if your boy has lost over 50g.

Please step in with support feeding. The smaller poos and the weight loss mean that he is not eating as much as he should. Keep in mind that hay is making over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day, and that you cannot control this by eye.

Please keep in mind that any critical care or probiotic is already reinforced with vitamin C so please do not add even more, especially when he is still eating pellets and vegs - they all contain vitamin C. Please do not add anything to his water; piggies generally drink less and it promotes the growth of algae.

You should find our support feeding and medicating guide very helpful. It addresses all aspects in detail with helpful little tricks and information, including to which level to step in with feeding support, depending on the amount of weight loss: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

With the holidays fast approaching, here is our one stop emergency care information pack: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
And our recommended vets list: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

All the best. Mystery weight loss is my least favourite symptom because so many different things can be behind it.
 
Thank you so much I’m so upset I can’t sleep! I’ve just checked on him and his poos have now gone to soft and abit smelly, but I made sure to give him his favourite snack (parsley) before I went to bed and I just wanted to check on him. The critical care isn’t coming until the 27th and the vets will be closed over Xmas, what shall I do? I’m so stressed out and upset, shall I do the water in food method?
 
Ellspiggies said:
Thank you so much I’m so upset I can’t sleep! I’ve just checked on him and his poos have now gone to soft and abit smelly, but I made sure to give him his favourite snack (parsley) before I went to bed and I just wanted to check on him. The critical care isn’t coming until the 27th and the vets will be closed over Xmas, what shall I do? I’m so stressed out and upset, shall I do the water in food method?
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Hi

Please read our syringe feeding guide. It contains a chapter on how to improvise with mushed pellets and how to prep a syringe tip properly if you do that (you can get needle free1 ml syringes from a pharmacy or your vet tomorrow). It also tells you how much you need to feed and how to adapt your feeding regime according to the weight loss.
Here is the link again: All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Please accept that we are all doing this for free in our own free time and that we cannot type out everything in every single post - especially not well after midnight. For that we have got our very explicit guides, which take you step be step through what you can and need to do to keep your boy going.
It takes me several days to write a guide to make sure that the necessary information is all there with all the little details that can trip up an inexperienced owners to ensure that help is at hand at any time and for anybody around the world.

PS: The soft poos are most likely the result of your boy not eating any hay anymore and is short of the fibre that is the mainstay of the diet.
Has your vet checked the mouth for potental dental overgrowth or any pain in the body?
 
I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to offend. I’m just very upset about Ralph I’m so so sorry, I really appreciate what your doing and I’m so glad I found people who love pigs the same as me. I am sorry if I came across rude in anyway. I wasn’t expecting a reply this late or yet anyway.

Yes they checked his teeth- nothing and then checked his belly- no signs of pain. I have no idea what’s wrong with him. I think he’s just had abit too much parsley (soft poo ) and I’ll syringe he feed his food to him in the morning/ I already have syringes on hand for the boys anyway. I’m glad he’s pooing again a little more than what it was as I know pigs poo from 100 times a day so I’m looking at it as a positive.

I’ve gotten his some alfalfa hay to help with weight gain, and the critical care is on the way.
 
Ellspiggies said:
I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to offend. I’m just very upset about Ralph I’m so so sorry, I really appreciate what your doing and I’m so glad I found people who love pigs the same as me. I am sorry if I came across rude in anyway. I wasn’t expecting a reply this late or yet anyway.

Yes they checked his teeth- nothing and then checked his belly- no signs of pain. I have no idea what’s wrong with him. I think he’s just had abit too much parsley (soft poo ) and I’ll syringe he feed his food to him in the morning/ I already have syringes on hand for the boys anyway. I’m glad he’s pooing again a little more than what it was as I know pigs poo from 100 times a day so I’m looking at it as a positive.

I’ve gotten his some alfalfa hay to help with weight gain, and the critical care is on the way.
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Please use his normal pellets and mush them with water and use that to syringe feed him as you don’t have critical care. You can use the critical care when it arrives but It’s essential he is syringe fed the mushed pellets immediately.
Syringe feeding is the only way to stop weight loss. Wright loss and lack of or small poops is because he isn’t eating enough hay. Soft poop is because he has a gut imbalance and needs more fibre - hence the need to syringe feed and offer more hay.
When he is feeling better and back to eating a normal amount grass hay properly then he will put weight back on. If However regaining lost weight will take some time.
Please don’t give him alfalfa to make him gain weight. Adult guinea pigs should not eat alfalfa due to the high calcium content and the fact it isn’t a grass hay so should not be in their diet.

Please don’t add the vitamin c to his water either.
 
Hi everyone,
Not expecting a reply soon as it is late just through id update you all on what’s going on with Ralph as I am up worrying.
Ralph’s lost even more weight, he’s on 871kg now, not good at all. I’ve monitored his poos and they aren’t normal at all, they are smelly squishy and one (only one) was stringy :(. He keeps getting bunged up down there and it’s not pleasant for him. I do make sure to clean it for him when it’s bad with just warm water. And he always seems so thankful for it. I have been hand feeding him for 10 days and every 3 or so hours (not after 12 am) but I’m very on top of him. I’m monitoring his water intake aswell.
I took him back to the vet today as I have been an absolute mess. They had another look at him and told me that his back teeth are going into his tongue making him not eat. Wish the first vet saw this as it’s obviously been going on a while.
Today the vet said they will do an op on him tomorrow and I’m devistated knowing how iffy anaesthesia is for piggies. Especially not well ones. I feel as thought I’m left with no choice and I’m just waiting on the worst now.
I don’t want him to go under sedation but there’s nothing more I can do:( I feel like it’s just like flipping a coin. I’m so upset. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts I would love to hear them. I hate hugging my beautiful boy thinking it’s one of the last times :( xx
 
Hi, sorry your boy is still unwell, sending healing vibes for his vet visit and after 💓

Re his getting "bunged up" you might find the info on impaction useful: Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

I hope the work on his teeth goes well. Is your vet one on the forum recommended vets list?

PS how much did he weigh before his problems started?
 
Thank you so so so much for the link and possitive vibes, he was 1000g on the dot so he’s lost quite abit:/
No my vet is one from my local as there wasn’t any for north wales recommended, I’ve been with the vet before and they were lovely I’m just so worried I’ve been crying the whole day, my boyfriend must be going crazy with me!
 
Hi guys,
Ralph’s back from his op!!
He’s still very slow bless him but following vets orders we are giving him 5 ml of critical care every hour and 3 ml of water in between. He’s seeming to be getting there slowly and he’s not drooling which is great :) I’m feeling so good about it and have another appointment tomorrow for him to check up.
Such a little fighter xx
 
I’m so pleased Ralph is home and doing ok. Good luck at the vets tomorrow. I hope he starts to eat on his own soon.
 
Great to hear Ralph is back from his op. Keep up with the critical care - I know it can be exhausting but it sounds like you’re doing well. Hope all goes well tomorrow for his check up.
 
I’m feeding him every hour I honestly do not mind the exhaustion, nothing beats my baby hahahah he’s such a beautiful boy the picture is from a while ago, I’m sure me will me more himself soon! He’s already seeming so much more like himself
 

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Should I be conserned that he’s not pooping and his bum is producing white stuff? He’s also very sleepy should I continue throughout the night to feed him or do I do it at midnight and 4am?
So confused sorry guys x
 
Sorry only just seen this ...
Poop output reflects what was eaten 24 to 48 hrs previous, so the lack is probably because he wasn't eating much before the work in his teeth. Is he still chewing and swallowing the syringe food, that is the main thing now.

If it were me, I would make sure I got some rest overnight, in order to be able to function properly in the morning. Maybe get up once? Will he eat syringe food from a shallow dish? If he will you could leave some with him while you rest.

I don't know about the white stuff, but I'm sending lots of healing vibes xx
 
Thank you so much for your help!
This is so reassuring thank you, we did end up getting up throughout the night haha! But it’s okay! He’s still seeming quite and sad but I’m sure he will be okay soon. He’s taking the syringe food but I do have to open his mouth for it :( he is also eating parsley now! x
 
Hiya guys
I need some help, Ralph is abit funny at the minute, I’m still feeding him 5ml every hour. Some feeds he’s really okay some he’s horrific. I’m so worried. He’s still quite sleepy and doesn’t talk or leave his hide muvh and I am looking at him now breathing abit fast? His pops are back to normal? I don’t know what to do at all. I feel like I’m loosing him
 
Shall I put him back with billie? I split them is as I didn’t know what was wrong with Ralph over a week ago? I’m panicking so much
 
Ellspiggies said:
Hiya guys
I need some help, Ralph is abit funny at the minute, I’m still feeding him 5ml every hour. Some feeds he’s really okay some he’s horrific. I’m so worried. He’s still quite sleepy and doesn’t talk or leave his hide muvh and I am looking at him now breathing abit fast? His pops are back to normal? I don’t know what to do at all. I feel like I’m loosing him
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Ellspiggies said:
Shall I put him back with billie? I split them is as I didn’t know what was wrong with Ralph over a week ago? I’m panicking so much
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Please consult your vet. It’s been a week since anaesthetic so he should not be sleepy because of that. Lethargy needs to be checked out.

Are you still weighing him daily?

You can certainly try to reunite him with his friend, but as they’ve been apart for so long it needs to be a on neutral territory.
 
Ralph had his operation 2 days ago and yes he’s gaining weight! I don’t understand what’s going on and can’t think straight
 
Ellspiggies said:
Ralph had his operation 2 days ago and yes he’s gaining weight! I don’t understand what’s going on and can’t think straight
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Apologies, I’ve misread the dates on the thread.

It’s good his weight is doing well, you are syringe feeding enough. If he is lethargic then while it can take them a while to get over anaesthetic, you should speak to a vet if it is more than you would expect at this stage.

Tips For Post-operative Care
 
Thank you so so so much! I appreciate everyone who has helped me on this thread ❤️❤️
 
Hey guys Ralph’s getting worse again and not eating I’m having to help him even push his poops out. He’s so weak and shakes I don’t know how to help, I’m syringe feeding him every 30 min - 1 hour I’m thinking I’ve already lost him
 
Ellspiggies said:
Hey guys Ralph’s getting worse again and not eating I’m having to help him even push his poops out. He’s so weak and shakes I don’t know how to help, I’m syringe feeding him every 30 min - 1 hour I’m thinking I’ve already lost him
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Please do call an out of hours vet.
I hope he will be ok
 
Piggies&buns said:
Please do call an out of hours vet.
I hope he will be ok
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I can’t get there my family has had a drink and I can’t drive, I am so so worried I can’t do much at all. I might even take a taxi but the out of hours is £136 then taxis are double fair at the minute so before I even get there its £200 I don’t know what to do
 
I’m so sorry you’re in this predicament. Is there a friend able to help you out?

Wishing you all the best.
 
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