• 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

Thin piggy

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

redd1800

Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
1,144
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Omagh, NI
Hi, need help :( Trying to fatten up Punky. His weight falls when he gets stressed (happened a couple of times so far, always climbs up again). We have had 4 new additions to the group, which we have tried to rehome but it looks like we're keeping, and have extended the run - so 2 recent stresses. Punky's eyesight is very poor due to cateracts he has always had, and this puts him at a big disadvantage in the group whenever the group or the run changes. He has lost more weight then usual this time, and weighs 700gms. He is a small piggie, and 900gms would be a good weight for him. As he is looking lively and healthy and normal in every other way, so trying to get his weight to climb ourselves over the next 4 or 5 days before we take a stressful trip to the vet. Have blocked off a small section of the c & c run so other piggies don't nick his treats, and we can monitor his food intake.

Looking for ideas on foods to help him put on weight, and anything else to be aware off.
 
Hi have you tried supplementing his feeds with mushed up pellets and perhaps a little baby food (e.g. sweetcorn, pumpkin or apple) to help? I find hand feeding their veggies to them helps too as you know then how much they're actually eating :)
All the best with the little one i know how frustrating it is to get weight on a piggie :(
Paws crossed that Punky gains some weight for you....it will be a slow process but keep on trying O0 :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
i can sympathise with you there, for some reason maybe kidney disease or cancer my zoe is losing weight too. she lost 20grams in 5 weeks, 35grams in a week and 25grams in the last 7 days she has gone from 955grams to 865grams. even though she is eating and appears healthy. vet has done test and has ruled out liver disease and renal failure
which makes us wonder what is wrong with her ? ? ? the vet is getting some critical care in for us so we can syringe feed her. we have been syringe feeding her mushed up pellets with the baby food but she is still losing weight. have also added sweetcorn and oats to her diet as these are supossed to add weight on too but have not worked for zoe. if you get any tips please let me know O0 sending hugs and healing vibes to punky :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: and hope all goes well at the vets O0
 
Thank you! Will be buying babyfood in the morning.

Tried the mushed up pellets last night - but not interested. It looks like he's sicker then I thought. He's been isolated since monday, and he's eaten very little. He is eating very little of his usual fav veg, no pellets, very little hay. I've deliberately left him in the run, so surroundings are familiar and he doesn't miss his buddies too much. Its a run made up from wire cubes, He's all on his own in a sectioned off bit. He's peeing a lot and I'm sure he's got even thinner over the past few days. I'm really worried - he's so young, just 16 months old.

Seeing the vet in the morning. With the large amount of urine he's producing, and the cateracts, I'm worried it might be diabeties or kidney problems. Guineapiglopedia suggested a poor outcome for this. Does anyone have any experience of these?
 
poor little thing. I have never had this problem so honestly don't know what i could advice. Keep us all posted, I will be following this thread closey as one of my piggies is little. xx
 
sending hugs and healing vibes to punky and good luck at the vets :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: i know what you mean, zoe is eating and being syringe fed and i swear she has lost more weight. perhaps you could weigh punky every day and see how much weight he is losing. if he is urinating a lot syringe some pre boiled water into him so he doesn't get dehydrated. a piggy needs to continously eat for their tummies so please try to get something into punky O0 hugs to you both :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
choloe said:
i can sympathise with you there, for some reason maybe kidney disease or cancer my zoe is losing weight too. she lost 20grams in 5 weeks, 35grams in a week and 25grams in the last 7 days she has gone from 955grams to 865grams. even though she is eating and appears healthy. vet has done test and has ruled out liver disease and renal failure
which makes us wonder what is wrong with her ? ? ?
Click to expand...

This might sound like a silly question, but has the vet had a look at her poops? Just thinking it might be something really simple like parasites (worms) that could quickly be treated...

It would be just like me to look at all sorts of different causes for the strange weightloss, but overlooking the most obvious reason! ::)
 
At the vets this morning, they kept Punky for a few hours and took a blood sample to send to the lab, and tested his urine - 13! Said that was high and they were testing for diabetes, kidney and other organ failure. They might not be able to help if its diabetes or kidney failure :(
Has anyone been through this with their piggies?

He is eating regularly - often, but just not enough.

Never thought about worms - but wouldn't that affect the other piggies too? They all seem very healthy, and would be the chubby side of healthy.
 
I just remembered reading about it in a CCT Newsletter, where a piggy had a really healthy appetite and kept eating eating eating yet the weight continued to go down, and that was parasites.

Anyway, hope it turns out for the best, whatever it is! Get better soon, piggy!
 
kidney failure i have been told a piggy can live happily with this for some time, as for diabeties this can be treated by any vet, if concerned about sugar levels cut out all the sweet foods http://www.guinealynx.info/diet_vegs.html check this link and see if it helps also http://www.guinealynx.info/links.html#diabetes for diabeties hoping these have helped. good luck O0
thanks for the advice about parasites, will ask the vet whether it is worth while testing some poops for parasites though poops are normal in shape, texture etc. O0
 
Still waiting for blood test results from Punky - could be any day next week. Have been given probiotics in the meantime - 5 days supply, a powder that can be dissolved in water. Tried it in his water bottle on friday, but he didn't drink very much, so syringe fed him last night - its a 10ml syringe, dissolved the mixture in 20 ml of water, so took 2 goes. He wasn't happy, but i reckon i got 2 thirds into him, so I was happy :) He seems to have eaten well last night. He is still in a small section of the run, on his own so i can keep an eye on his intake.
 
did they have trouble getting blood from punk? my vet tried the thoart, front and hind legs and was even considering the ear. :o :o :o sp glad punk had a good meal last night hoping this means he has turned the corner. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: please keep us posted O0
 
Yes! he has three baldy patches - a huge one on his lower belly, and smaller ones on his chin and behind his ear, all that beautiful abby hair shaved off :'(

Tried to include a picture below - hope it worked. The smooth coated cavy is Odie, and Punky the abby. Its a recent photo and Punky was underweight when it was taken, but can't really tell because of the abby coat.

cavy022.jpg
 
i so love black piggies :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: the vet finally got blood from zoe's hind leg after attempts on thoart and front and back legs she waited a week and tried again on hind leg. hoping the test are normal, sending hugs and healing vibes for you, odie and punky :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Hi Chloe, when are your blood test results due back?

Odie is perfectly healthy - beautifully chubby, runs from the shed every time I open the door and does some grass cropping, and testing of the bunny / cavy proofing of the veg patch. Have to get a picture of her doing that and post it.
 
Blood tests came back today. Its Punky's pancreas. Got another vets appointment to start treatment in the morning - injections of antibiotics and anti-inflammatries. Doing some more research myself tonight as I have no idea what the pancreas actually does, and the vet admitted having to do a fair bit of research herself on what can go wrong with the guinea pig pancreas, and how to treat it. If anyone has any knowledge, or weblinks etc they would be so much appreciated.
 
zoe's test results came back a few weeks back, it showed there was no renal failure as vet couldn't get enough blood from her to test much else. go to google and type in pancreas in guinea pigs and you get over eight hundred thousand hits :o :o :o hoping punky can get better. i suggest sending maryh a message as her vet was trained by the late peter gurney the king of guinea pigs. and her vet emails vets all over the world. maryh is kind and very helpful go to health and illness and you'll see her name up above click on that and message her O0 keep me posted and hugs and healing vibes to punky :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
More healing wheeeeeeeks for little Punky and paws crossed for a speedy return to full health :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Please keep us posted on his progress O0 :smitten:
 
Best of luck Redd, I have no idea what the pancreas does either, have you tried www.guinealynx.com? they sometimes have interesting info on there?

Has anyone suggested Critical Care (Oxbow) to help bulk up? Not sure how that would affect the pancreas though, so it may be best to check with your vet first so they can check the ingredients against anything that may be harmful to the pancreas. We've used it to bulk up pigs, they love the taste and works :) Thistle Cavies can sell you a single sachet with minimal P&P as hardly any vets stock it and online stockists charge ridiculous postage. http://thistlecavies.tripod.com/ If you do manage to get hold of some if it's safe to use, get your vet to show you how to syringe feed if you are new to hand feeding as it needs to be done carefully.
 
The pancreas is a gland which secretes digestive juices which breaks down carbohydrates,fats and protein .The islets of Langerhans are situated on the surface of the pancreas and secrete glycogen and insulin.It is a very important gland,and any dysfunction can cause serious problems.
 
Punky is not doing well. Still on the probiotics, antibiotics, and was given a long lasting anti-inflammetry on Wednesday. Still syringe feeding, but he's fighting it and very little is going in, aiming for 8 to 12 ml, but really only getting a couple of ml in at best. I'm seriously thinking about stopping because he gets so distressed. He's nibbling his hay, fresh and dried food - has 24/7 access to all three. But he's still getting thinner - scared to weigh him now.

Punky has always been very small. His liver results from the blood work weren't normal, neither were the pancreas. My vet wondered had there always been problems, since birth, and its only becoming serious now.

Spoke to the vets practice with the only exotics vet in NI - 80 miles away near belfast. My vet faxed his blood results through. But they said they couldn't help, and could only advise what my vet has already done.

He's on 0.05ml of baytril orally per day, does that sound like enough?
 
I'm sorry that you and your piggiy are having a bad time at the moment. I'm sure we all know what it is like to nurse a poorly piggie. Fingers crossed that the vets can find something to help him xx
 
sending hugs and healing vibes to punky, you know we are thinking of you :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: hoping the vets can find something to help him O0 you are doing a wonderful job, try putting some baby food puree in the syringe feeding like apple. hoping this helps O0 good luck and big hugs :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
I think I've read about small amounts of baytril not being enough, but am no expert. Anyone?

Please get well lovely piggy. Am thinking of you both x
 
jayne,
It is under dosing of Septrin that is a problem and higher doses can be given.However you have to be more cautious with Baytril and 0.5 ml is about maximum.
 
Thanks, will be talking to the vet about upping the dose. He is quiet underweight, but 10% of the maximum dose does seem too small.
 
Good news and bad at the vet.

His weight has dropped to 600 grams, 40g less then 2 weeks ago. And his skin has a couple of sore patches on it. The vet wasn't sure what it was, but I'm guessing its due to a lack of nutrients.

But he has started to perk up! Big smile Since Wednesday night. His drinking and peeing are almost back to normal. He's wandering around the run again - had been hiding in corners for a few weeks. He's now standing proudly on top of the hides, surveying his harem, instead of hiding inside. And he's eating! Everything! Lots of everything!!! He has barely even nibbled his food for the last few weeks and now he's really properly eating again. Big smile

He's on 0.2ml of Bayrill twice a day, and more probiotics. Now he puts up a fight when i do his meds, and i love seeing my stroppy wee man back!

Can't believe he's eating - never imagined I would enjoy watching a cavy eat this much, haven't done much else all weekend Big smile
 
These are all positive signs and I hope that your piggie continues in this way.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top