Weird poop

[FknEcho]

All you can do is keep syringe feeding him.
Make sure you speak to the vet about painkillers

I’ll mention it tommorow, but I don’t know if they’ll give me any I mentioned that on the x ray the other vet saw some white dots but she also did not seem concerned.

I managed to give him 31ml so far, I’ll try again soon. I also offer him water with syringe, which he is more open to take.

 

[Wiebke]

I called the vet and we should get seven more days of medication, so we went to the vet and got another three shots - degan, quamatel and the antibiotics.

He is so upset with me, even starts to run away from me. He only ate 20ml so far. I don’t know what else I can do.

Just try to hang on in there and speak to your vet if the loss of appetite continues.

poops look kinda dry, but they aren’t hard. Also he started to make sounds when pooping what can I do in the meantime till I go to the vet tommorow?

Just continue with feeding as best as you can; the poops don't look worrying - they are still within the normal accptable range.

Switch to a 2 hours feeding rhythm. I know that your boy is feeling beleaguered but it is more important to keep him going than to cave in and lose him.

The change can be because of the upset of the travel or the medical cocktail; I cannot tell you what. As long as the medication is in the body, there is nothing you or your vet can do right now.

Have you checked how the bloating is today?

They may want to noticeably up their meloxicam next time if they feel that this may help. A 1000g piggy can have safely up to 0.4- 0.5 ml of 1.5 mg/ml strength (dog strength metacam) safely twice daily - that 1.2 - 1.5 ml of cat strength (0.5 mg/ml strength) daily if needed. Most vets not familiar with guinea pigs are not aware that guinea pigs metabolise metacam differently and they do not suffer from kidney damage unlike ats or dogs.

PS: My Dylan who was the same weight as yours when he had over a month of 2x 0.5 ml dog metacam daily in combination with a very strong antibiotic (azithromycin) over Christmas period 2019 in order to prevent a jaw abscess from becoming acute over the holidays, as prescribed by a vet specialising in guinea pigs. Two courses of the antibiotics wiped his appetite and gut but the abscess went down and never developed - which in view of the pandemic hitting fully soon after was a blessing. Dylan lived for another 2 years to a good age of 6 years.

 

[FknEcho]

So far I fed him at 8am - 12ml, 12pm - 9ml, 2pm - 10ml. I’ll try again at 4pm but then I’ll be able to feed him at 8pm, I won’t be at home during that time.

He is currently resting with Jerry next to him. He doesn’t even like to be touched now. But when I touched his belly, he felt full. So maybe he is still bloated? He did not squeak loudly, just normal piggie talk.

Also I think his tummy making sounds again, but quiterer than before. So I’m not sure if it’s Puffy’s tummy or Jerry, he makes odd clicky sound sometimes.

I currently have them out from the cage, I ocassionaly move their house around so Puffy will walk for a bit and won’t just lay in one place, is that okay?

 

[Wiebke]

So far I fed him at 8am - 12ml, 12pm - 9ml, 2pm - 10ml. I’ll try again at 4pm but then I’ll be able to feed him at 8pm, I won’t be at home during that time.

He is currently resting with Jerry next to him. He doesn’t even like to be touched now. But when I touched his belly, he felt full. So maybe he is still bloated? He did not squeak loudly, just normal piggie talk.

Also I think his tummy making sounds again, but quiterer than before. So I’m not sure if it’s Puffy’s tummy or Jerry, he makes odd clicky sound sometimes.

Yes, he still looks bloated to me.

Can you please check for any clicky sounds where they come from - the mouth or the checst?

Jerry is obviously aware of Puffy not being well and is giving him moral support by staying with him.

 

[FknEcho]

Just try to hang on in there and speak to your vet if the loss of appetite continues.


Just continue with feeding as best as you can; the poops don't look worrying - they are still within the normal accptable range.

Switch to a 2 hours feeding rhythm. I know that your boy is feeling beleaguered but it is more important to keep him going than to cave in and lose him.

The change can be because of the upset of the travel or the medical cocktail; I cannot tell you what. As long as the medication is in the body, there is nothing you or your vet can do right now.

Have you checked how the bloating is today?

They may want to noticeably up their meloxicam next time if they feel that this may help. A 1000g piggy can have safely up to 0.4- 0.5 ml of 1.5 mg/ml strength (dog strength metacam) safely twice daily - that 1.2 - 1.5 ml of cat strength (0.5 mg/ml strength) daily if needed. Most vets not familiar with guinea pigs are not aware that guinea pigs metabolise metacam differently and they do not suffer from kidney damage unlike ats or dogs.

PS: My Dylan who was the same weight as yours when he had over a month of 2x 0.5 ml dog metacam daily in combination with a very strong antibiotic (azithromycin) over Christmas period 2019 in order to prevent a jaw abscess from becoming acute over the holidays, as prescribed by a vet specialising in guinea pigs. Two courses of the antibiotics wiped his appetite and gut but the abscess went down and never developed - which in view of the pandemic hitting fully soon after was a blessing. Dylan lived for another 2 years to a good age of 6 years.

Is there a big difference if the medicine is given orally and in injection? Since I read in many posts here, that they give medicine twice a day orally and here it’s one shot for a day…

 

[Wiebke]

Is there a big difference if the medicine is given orally and in injection? Since I read in many posts here, that they give medicine twice a day orally and here it’s one shot for a day…

You will have been given a larger dose via injection.

Look, we cannot tell you what exactly is going on and whether the bloating and pooing issues are primary or secondary. All we can do is help you with your home support as best as you can in your personal circumstances.

 

[FknEcho]

Yes, he still looks bloated to me.

Can you please check for any clicky sounds where they come from - the mouth or the checst?

Jerry is obviously aware of Puffy not being well and is giving him moral support by staying with him.

It was probably Jerry, he talks in this way. I haven’t heard him make any piggie sounds yet except quiet clicky sounds. And it was from the mouth, since he was moving with it.

 

[FknEcho]

You will have been given a larger dose via injection.

Look, we cannot tell you what exactly is going on and whether the bloating and pooing issues are primary or secondary. All we can do is help you with your home support as best as you can in your personal circumstances.

Yes I know, and I’m thankful for all your help. I just did not know of any of these problems that piggies can have. That’s why I’m so lost.

 

[FknEcho]

Hi, just to post a little update. Puffy is still bloated, but he isn’t as stubborn as yesterday while syringe feeding. I think the main problem was probiotics in his mushed feed, so I started to syringe it with water and it went better. So far he ate 40 ml today.

He just lays in his cardboard house with Jerry always next to him.

He got another course of injections - prokinetics, anti-inflammatory and pain killers, since he squeaked a lot when vet touched his belly (I also mentioned he squeaked when he pooped yesterday.)

Puffy also did not poop since the injections. His weight today was 989g.

 

[FknEcho]

Puffy finally pooped - string of pearls. I also noticed he did not drink today from his bottle. He was always drinking water, yesterday it was a bit less and today I haven’t seen him drink at all. I’ll mention it tommorow to my vet.

 

[FknEcho]

Hi, so Puffy had another round of injections and his tummy still hurts a lot. He also received IV fluids, I’ll have to go there in the afternoon again.

On the ride home from the vet he made grunting sound after which he pooped around 10 small poops. I also heard fart sound(?).

He refuses to be syringe fed now, starts to run away from my arms. I’m afraid I might start to consider putting him to sleep, if the medication still won’t work, so he won’t suffer more.

 

[piggynello]

How is Puffy doing now? I’ve been following along.

 

[FknEcho]

How is Puffy doing now? I’ve been following along.

Hi, well, Puffy is still here. He isn’t well. I’m still syringe feeding him and also giving him veg, since these days might be his last. He only eats a bit of hay every now and then and finally started to drink water again. But his digestion is still slowing down and he is in pain. He receives medicine everyday. There isn’t anything on his x-ray or ultrasound. I wanted to put him to sleep, since I don’t want him to be so sad and in pain, but the vet refused since to him he isn’t looking like a walking corpse.

His weight is dropping again, even though I syringe feed around 80ml everyday.

He isn’t as happy as he was with Jerry now, he is mostly frustrated and only laying in few places around the cage. It hurts me to look at him like that but I’m trying to make him as comfortable as I can and give him a lot of treats, pats and cuddles.

 

[FknEcho]

Hello, I came to update you, Puffy is still here and he got better. Sometimes he still gets soft poop but then I give him 2-3 days free from vegetables. He loves hay again and is gainining his weight back His original weight is around 1kg, he got as low as 803g in September but now he’s 859g

 

[weepweeps]

That’s brilliant news

 

[FknEcho]

Hello, I think I said that too soon Since last week is Puffy off all veg because he had soft poop, now it’s been harder, soft again and again and I’m honestly getting scared he’s going to be sick again… I weighted him 4 days ago as weekly weight check, he was 881g. Today he is 861g, I know it’s still normal within 20g, but I’m getting worried But I hope it’s going to be nothing *knocks on wood*

He doesn’t seem in pain, I touched his stomach and he is asking for food..

 

[FknEcho]

Hi, is it possible that he could be allergic to new Hay? I got a new supplier last month and the soft poop is happening since then. It’s harder in the evening and then softer in the morning… I give him Rodicare acut, Rodicare C-vit, Bio-lapis probiotics, charcoal twice a day… I’m also syringe feeding him 3x a day, he ates 20-25ml in one sitting. The weight’s been stable (20-30g fluctations) since then but the chronic soft poop is still here and I and my vet can’t figure out why it’s like that. I thought it could be because of the vegetables but he’s been 2-3 weeks off it. His behaviour is normal.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s not really likely to be an allergy but it is possible that the new hay is too rich and is causing a digestive upset.

 

[FknEcho]

so should I just wait out? Or go back to the old hay? He really is acting normal… Drinks water, eats hay, Versele laga grain pellets, dry herbs… When I go syringe feed him he’s like possessed and goes directly over my hand into the bowl to eat

 

[fluffysal]

With rich hays and readigrass, I give a little every so often as a treat on top of the regular hay. Maybe do that?

 

[FknEcho]

I have 3kg of the new hay so I couldn’t have known that it’s that rich It’s the same kind as the old hay but different supplier… And they seem to like it more. It’s only Puffy that has this problem… But I’ll try and see, I’ll go change their hay right away…

 

[fluffysal]

At least it doesn't go off so won't be wasted.