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Sos - Vet Is Stumped

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lindsayl

lindsayl

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
Edinburgh, Scotland
Hi all -
My vet doesn't know what is wrong with my Guinea pig. He says he may have a touch of pneumonia and even possibly kidney failure or a respiratory problem. He has lost 200gs in weight.
Please help me. I need advice on what to do. I need to do something.
He has had antibiotic injection and is to go go back on Monday.
 
So sorry your littlun is ill :( x I'll tag people who are local to you to see if they can advise on cavy savy vets near you
@theoretikos @LisaAli
There is also a vet locator tool along the bar at the top of this page, this displays a list of recommended vets. I hope this helps x
 
I would recomned a second opinion

Have searched an d found a recommendation for you

Scott Crichton of Vets4Pets, Davidson Mains, Edinburgh Meet The Davidsons Mains Vet Team | Vets4Pets

Address: Vets4Pets, 75/77 Main Street, Davidsons Mains, Edinburgh, EH4 5AD

Practice Telephone: 0131 312 7759

Opening Hours:
8.30am - 7.00pm Mon-Fri
9.00am - 12.00pm Sat

From a thread on here it said - Scott's very knowledgeable about rodent health, has an excellent "cage side manner," and a really passion for piggies, which shows. He used to be with Thistle Vets, but set up his own practice last year.

Is he eating? 200g is a lot of weight to lose, you may have to start syringe feeding
 
Inglis vets on Halbeath Road Dunfermline have been good for my boys - I don't go there anymore as I found on closer in Leslie but that's a lot further away...

Hope your piggy gets better soon
 
The nearest guinea vet to me is out of my city which I can't get to, I checked the locator tool before. I just need any kind of in regards to keeping him alive and getting him better assuming it's not kidney failure. Thanks though x
 
I can't get to Davidson mains. I can't take him on the bus it's too cold and I can't afford a taxi there and no one can drive me.
Dunfermline isn't in my city, it's a train journey away so I can't get there.
He's been off food a bit the last few days but definitely still eating x
 
lindsayl said:
I can't get to Davidson mains. I can't take him on the bus it's too cold and I can't afford a taxi there and no one can drive me.
Dunfermline isn't in my city, it's a train journey away so I can't get there.
He's been off food a bit the last few days but definitely still eating x
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I thought Davidson mains was in Edinburgh? Are you in Edinburgh?
 
Hi!
I am very sorry - what a worrying time for you!

Please monitor his weight by weighing daily at the same time and start topping up with syringe feed and water, as much as he will take to stop or slow down the weight loss. The better the weight, the more strength he has to fight any infection and any problem. It is absolutely vital to keep guinea pig guts going. most often, the first food group that is being dropped is hay, which is making up to 80% of the daily food intake and which you can control.
Respiratory issues and antibiotics are both appetite killers, so this is the best help you can give at the moment.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I hope that it is a treatable issue. Is there an option that you could get to a good vet by public transport (but or train) or by taking a taxi to cover any gaps? I do this with my own guinea pigs to my specialist in Northampton - even with freshly operated ones and in all weather if necessary. I've just been with Nosgan on a very frosty morning; he had a snugglesafe under his cosy that has kept him warm plus plenty of soft hay.
 
It is but it's the other side of Edinburgh from me. It's not close. There's no direct buses from where I am and it's too expensive to get a taxi across the city. I'm unlikely to be able to get a lift off anyone there. This is also a newish vet as I've searched for rodent vets before and the closest was Dunfermline. Otherwise I'd have taken him there today
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!
I am very sorry - what a worrying time for you!

Please monitor his weight by weighing daily at the same time and start topping up with syringe feed and water, as much as he will take to stop or slow down the weight loss. The better the weight, the more strength he has to fight any infection and any problem. It is absolutely vital to keep guinea pig guts going. most often, the first food group that is being dropped is hay, which is making up to 80% of the daily food intake and which you can control.
Respiratory issues and antibiotics are both appetite killers, so this is the best help you can give at the moment.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

I hope that it is a treatable issue. Is there an option that you could get to a good vet by public transport or by taking a taxi to cover any gaps? I do this with my own guinea pigs to my specialist in Northampton.
Click to expand...

I've managed to get an appointment with a proper exotics vet tomorrow morning at 11.40am. I just need to know what to do until then
 
Okay -
He as managed 1ml of vit C easily.
Tried eating some food on his own after then a 5ml syringe of mashed food. No hay.
Still drinking a lot of water.
It's only been the last 4-7 days I've noticed he felt a bit thinner but he was still eating and my family assured me he was still eating.
I feel awful that I've not noticed sooner but his weight has tended to fluctuate and I put his lethargy down to the fact he's getting a bit older because in general he doesn't play as much.
I'm actually heartbroken and feel like this is all my fault.
 
lindsayl said:
Okay -
He as managed 1ml of vit C easily.
Tried eating some food on his own after then a 5ml syringe of mashed food. No hay.
Still drinking a lot of water.
It's only been the last 4-7 days I've noticed he felt a bit thinner but he was still eating and my family assured me he was still eating.
I feel awful that I've not noticed sooner but his weight has tended to fluctuate and I put his lethargy down to the fact he's getting a bit older because in general he doesn't play as much.
I'm actually heartbroken and feel like this is all my fault.
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Keep syringe feeding little and often until you can get to the exotics vet tomorrow. I'd recommend requesting a chest X-ray to check for any signs of masses or fluid or even a heart issue. If they can rule these out Then hopefully they can prescribe you a suitable course of antibiotics to be given at home- a one off injection will not be enough.

Please ensure your Guinea pig is not sedated or anaesthetised for any procedure as this will be very dangerous in his condition.

Good luck tomorrow x
 
Can anyone advise if it's best to keep him in the warmest room of the house if it is pneumonia? I don't have a snuggle pad thing because we've never needed one for him. The only other thing I can think of is a hot water bottle but at a lower temp than a human would have x
 
Adelle said:
Keep syringe feeding little and often until you can get to the exotics vet tomorrow. I'd recommend requesting a chest X-ray to check for any signs of masses or fluid or even a heart issue. If they can rule these out Then hopefully they can prescribe you a suitable course of antibiotics to be given at home- a one off injection will not be enough.

Please ensure your Guinea pig is not sedated or anaesthetised for any procedure as this will be very dangerous in his condition.

Good luck tomorrow x
Click to expand...

We have already been given baytril I think it's called? He's had this before for various issues and it's worked but now I think the vet just gives it because he doesn't know what else to give :(
 
lindsayl said:
Can anyone advise if it's best to keep him in the warmest room of the house if it is pneumonia? I don't have a snuggle pad thing because we've never needed one for him. The only other thing I can think of is a hot water bottle but at a lower temp than a human would have x
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Try give him plenty of things to keep him cosy like fleece blankets that he can use or leave if he gets too hot. Place a huge mound of hay at the other side of the cage as another option- my eldest likes this and she is always toasty warm when I have to bring her out the hay for her meds. Avoid turning the heating up unless the house is freezing as this can aggravate the breathing Further. I wouldn't advise a hot water bottle as it isn't safe X
 
lindsayl said:
We have already been given baytril I think it's called? He's had this before for various issues and it's worked but now I think the vet just gives it because he doesn't know what else to give :(
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If it's helped in the past for a chest issue then that is a positive as it shows this could be a bad infection that will Clear again if he's given a long enough course.

Keep with the baytril until if and when the exotics vet says otherwise. Do you probiotics u can give him? Normally given 1 hour after each antibiotic dose to help prevent the tummy getting upset. You can buy some called pro-c from pets at home which should still be open, normally closes at 8
 
Adelle said:
If it's helped in the past for a chest issue then that is a positive as it shows this could be a bad infection that will Clear again if he's given a long enough course.

Keep with the baytril until if and when the exotics vet says otherwise. Do you probiotics you can give him? Normally given 1 hour after each antibiotic dose to help prevent the tummy getting upset. You can buy some called pro-c from pets at home which should still be open, normally closes at 8
Click to expand...

My vet just said use vit c? He's not due more baytril until tomorrow as he had an injection today. He's had 1ml of vit c so far and 5ml of food. Going to try him on more at 6.30.

I'm thinking of moving his cage into my room over night as even if the heating isn't on it's the warmest room.
I think I might have some spare fleece blankets that I could put on a fleece bed for him too. He's usually a really warm guinea pig so I'm 3 years we have never needed anything like this really. He has a little tent nook I made that he sleeps under and that's always been him happy, even in winter so I don't understand why this has happened

X
 
Please don't feel this is your fault. I have one pig who is now over 5 years old and has always had low and fluctuating weight, it really doesn't help when there is illness as it does make things much more difficult to spot. I really hope you get some answers from the exotics vet
 
Lady Kelly said:
Please don't feel this is your fault. I have one pig who is now over 5 years old and has always had low and fluctuating weight, it really doesn't help when there is illness as it does make things much more difficult to spot. I really hope you get some answers from the exotics vet
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I've just been really ill over the last few days and I feel like if I had been well I would have been more vigilant. It seems over the last two days his weight has plummeted rather than over a longer period of time and I'm so mad I didn't spot it two days ago and took him to the vet sooner.
Even if the exotic vet can rule out the worst I'll be happy x
 
Can anyone advise as to what signs would tell me he's either steady or progressing to a more healthy state? Or signs that he's getting worse?
He's just passed a wee poo so I know that's a good sign at least. His body temperature is also more like normal.
Anything else I should look for?
 
Acting normally is the best indication. Weeing and pooping as normal, and both being of regular consistency.

Eating as normal, gaining or maintaining weight.

No outward signs of illness like having sticking up hair, closed eyes, sitting still etc
 
Please Don't feel like this is your fault. Sometimes piggies just get ill and there's no one at fault. If he's passed a poop then he must be getting a little food. I would just do as others advise and keep up the syringe feeding. Hope all goes well at vets Tomorrow.
 
Wee update -
I took him to the university veterinary hospital as they specialise in exotics.
They don't agree with what my vet has said at all - he diagnosed my guinea and told my dad he should "just put him down now".
They can't here anything wrong with his breathing, lungs or stomach.
They want to do a blood test and feed him up so he has been kept at hospital.
Thanks for the advice given especially the advice telling me to get a second opinion.
X
 
So pleased you managed to get him to another vet

Well worth asking them to check teeth. He is eating okay isn't he? no dropping for or over masticating?
 
So sorry you're in this situation:(it must be painful to be told to put your pig down, but that's never good advice, just giving up. I really hope he recovers fully. Hugs xoxo
 
So So sorry for your loss.. Run free little one.. xx
 
sport_billy said:
So pleased you managed to get him to another vet

Well worth asking them to check teeth. He is eating okay isn't he? no dropping for or over masticating?
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He had stopped eating. It turned out to be his kidneys and he begun deteriorating rapidly so they said more tests or euthanasia - I said tests. But the vet pointed out that she didn't think he would see later this evening and that they were potentially putting a lot of pressure on the kidneys by continuing to hydrate him etc.
 
I am really sorry you had to let him go. You have done all you could, got a second opinion for him and battled hard to save him. Massive hugs to you

Sleep well little one
x x
 
sport_billy said:
I am really sorry you had to let him go. You have done all you could, got a second opinion for him and battled hard to save him. Massive hugs to you

Sleep well little one
x x
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Thank you. I'm totally distraught and heartbroken. I don't know what I'm going to do without him. He was my little side kick.
Thanks for the advice and kind words
x
 
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