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Weight loss after surgery - how normal?

dearbarbie

dearbarbie

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all!

Gunther is 2 y 8mo old and had castration surgery on Monday. He's been doing great - bit groggy the first night understandably, bright and alert the day after and eating lots. His wound looks good and clean. He was prescribed 0.44ml metacam for four nights and I gave him the last dose this evening. I also weighed him. He was 1320g on Monday before surgery, and 1310g Tuesday. Tonight he weighs 1227g.

I know metacam can kill appetite and he's probably not feeling great. He's about to have some critical care - anything else I can do and at what point do I call the vet? I'm hoping he may start to gain weight now he's had the last of the metacam. He's still eating but is refusing more today - although hard to tell what he does when I'm not around. There are poops, but less.

Thank you!
 
Update: he won't take critical care but is going crazy for this small heap of kale. Clearly appetite is still here somewhere...
 
Metacam shouldn’t kill appetite. Was he given antibiotics? They’re usually what do that. Small poops mean he wasn’t eating enough 1-2 days ago. That’s the length of time between consumption and poop. I would be firm and try to syringe feed him. Perhaps try the pellets he eats and soften them in boiling water. Allow to cool then syringe him. Or try offering it in a bowl or on a spoon.

At the moment, you need to weigh him once daily at the same time. How often have you been stringing feeding him and how much would he take in a sitting?

Unfortunately kale is high in calcium so shouldn’t be fed too often. He really needs to be eating hay. Not eating enough of it is what causes weight loss. Pellets and veg are a mere snack with hay being the biggest and most important part of their diet.

Is he booked in for a review? Hope he starts peeking up soon.
 
dearbarbie said:
Hi all!

Gunther is 2 y 8mo old and had castration surgery on Monday. He's been doing great - bit groggy the first night understandably, bright and alert the day after and eating lots. His wound looks good and clean. He was prescribed 0.44ml metacam for four nights and I gave him the last dose this evening. I also weighed him. He was 1320g on Monday before surgery, and 1310g Tuesday. Tonight he weighs 1227g.

I know metacam can kill appetite and he's probably not feeling great. He's about to have some critical care - anything else I can do and at what point do I call the vet? I'm hoping he may start to gain weight now he's had the last of the metacam. He's still eating but is refusing more today - although hard to tell what he does when I'm not around. There are poops, but less.

Thank you!
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Hi!

Metacam does NOT kill the appetite; that is either the GA drugs or an antibiotic.

Please be aware that eating a little kale is not enough - 80% of the daily food intake is hay, hay and more hay; and that is the food group you need to replace. The poo output is reflecting the lack of hay intake in the last few days. It always lagging a day or two behind.

If your is not keen on recovery formula, try a mix of pellets soaked in warm water and formula to make it taste better. You will have to cut off the syringe tip just below where it widens to allow the rougher pellet fibre to pass through but still keep the plunger in. The mix should be fluid enough to pass through the syringe.
It is however a good sign that your boy has some appetite left. You want to feed as much extra feed as it takes to stabilise the weight in the first place; only later on are you looking to gradually increasing it once he is out of the worst of his recovery. Unfortunately, getting food into an uncooperative piggy is not easy but necessary.

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment (contains some useful practical advice and tips for getting a piggy through a crisis)
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links (probiotics can help with the gut microbiome)

Our piggy whispering tips can also come in handy with getting more cooperation if you frame the issue as a dominance issue with you as the herd leader - of course with plenty of piggy kisses and fuss for it all, too. ;)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?

All the best!
 
Thank you everyone! I must clarify that he very rarely has kale and I offered it to him as part of his evening veggie delivery. He's been munching on hay and I've put two kinds in with him to encourage him. Shall call the vet tonight/tomorrow if no improvement.
Weighed him this morning with a 3g gain but saying that, I always weigh him around the same time in the evening usually so it's not a great comparison!

Really good to know how long the lag is, thank you! Shall also try mashed pellets, forgot about that option!
 
dearbarbie said:
Thank you everyone! I must clarify that he very rarely has kale and I offered it to him as part of his evening veggie delivery. He's been munching on hay and I've put two kinds in with him to encourage him. Shall call the vet tonight/tomorrow if no improvement.
Weighed him this morning with a 3g gain but saying that, I always weigh him around the same time in the evening usually so it's not a great comparison!

Really good to know how long the lag is, thank you! Shall also try mashed pellets, forgot about that option!
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Hi!

It is less the exact time but when you weigh in the feeding cycle - like always before or after a meal because the daily weight swing is around 30-40g over the course of 24 hours. The difference between a full and an empty bladder can be as much as 10g; just to help you putting things into perspective. ;)

The good news that the weight seems to be stabilising. That is what you are aiming for at this stage. Don't expect to regain the lost weight very quickly; it will come back on again but very much in its own time when the body is ready for it and not before. Just hang on in there!

PS: A little kale and fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro/coriander are good starter/tempter veg for piggies off their food because they are packed with nutrients and trace elements so even a little will go a long way in that respect. A little kale will also not cause a bladder stone; you need to feed a lot more and on a daily basis in combination with other high calcium water, lots of pellets and more high calcium veg. ;)
 
Thank you!
Tonight he's started squeaking when both peeing and pooping which makes me think bladder pain? Still eating and drinking and weight is fine.

At his check up he had a bit of swelling still so advised to restart the metacam for a few months.

Will give vet a call in the morning! Is there any way this could be an emergency? It's 915pm where we are.
 
Hi everyone - thank you for asking after him. Here's an update:

We could only get one exotic vet slot last week and I had a job interview so my bf took him, accompanied with a detailed list of symptoms/dates etc.

They gave Gunther a x-ray to rule out stones etc. and couldn't find anything, so they sent him home and said to continue metacam (at a lower dosage due to weight loss). They said to come back today (Monday 28th) for an appointment in the afternoon if he needs it, and we already have one booked for Thursday this week too in case.

He seemed to have stopped squeaking, but yesterday he was doing it a bit. He seems perky and interested in EVERYTHING though (he lives in our kitchen-diner so lots of activity to be nosy at), so that's something.

His weight has stabilised to around 1215-1230g, he's eating and drinking. I have significantly reduced veggies so he eats hay as much as poss. He has a mix of meadow and timothy hay.

BUT, when I was handwashing his fleece blankets we use for bedding yesterday (we're slaves, aren't we!), I noticed that the blanket from a few days ago, there was some crazy dried white deposits on there. Google suggests this is bladder sludge - it's very thick/looks like putty, and not the white small residue I've seen from his pee before.

The sludge seems to have stopped though (which explains the reduction in pain noises) and we're back to little white marks where he pees sometimes. I was going to see how he goes until Thursday (and cancel today's appointment) but after this bladder sludge discovery, I'll be taking him back today...unless it's something we can work on at home and monitor during the week? Or would he be prescribed something?

By the way, we normally use Megazorb but switched to fleece blankets/puppy pads changed daily while he recovers from his surgery. Am glad we did — we'd have never have spotted this sludge otherwise!
 
this is supposed to say days not months!
dearbarbie said:
Thank you!
Tonight he's started squeaking when both peeing and pooping which makes me think bladder pain? Still eating and drinking and weight is fine.

At his check up he had a bit of swelling still so advised to restart the metacam for a few months.

Will give vet a call in the morning! Is there any way this could be an emergency? It's 915pm where we are.
Click to expand...
 
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