worried about my boy with GI Stasis

[jessdoddsxo]

Hi all, hoping for some help/advice if anybody has any, or know what to expect!

My piggie (male) has GI stasis, he was taken to the vet on Wednesday and was given gut stimulant medicine, painkillers and a gut stimulating ‘rescue remedy’ type thing. We’ve been giving that to him, but not seeing much improvement. He went again on Thursday evening, and the doses were increased - as well as a tablet form introduced as well. Yesterday, I was giving him 5ml of his food every 2 hours (between 9am-11pm) - which I worked out as being 35/40ml in total. I’ve now seen on a similar post that I should be aiming for a total of 60ml of food daily, which I’ll be working on. I’ve also been giving him plenty of water.
I’m obviously worried, but he also seems to be deteriorating - his weight has stayed relatively similar since yesterday, (he’s currently 800g, which is after a dramatic weight loss) and he’s done quite a few wees, but not too many poops. As I’ve written this, he’s been sat with me - and he kind of does mini lurch forwards and shuffles his bum a bit, before a few pained squeaks. This has been indicating to me that he’s trying to poo - and I have been assisting this; this is the most poo I’ve seen him do since he became ill - varying in size from tiny longish pellet-like poo, to thicker mushed together poo - which is both more solid in texture.

His breathing is laboured, he’s incredibly weak, and it looks as though he’s struggling to support his weight, we can’t get him to move around of his own accord - he just slumps, he is very lethargic, he keeps fidgeting and seems very uncomfortable, and is not very interested in his brother.
it may be worth noting that, this afternoon - I sat in the garden with him where he sat next to me, and after a while he went and sat under the bush, then moved to under his hutch (things he does regularly when he’s well) - could this be why we’ve noticed he’s even more lethargic this evening?

He’s eating no hay, no nuggets, and no solids. He has been showing interest in some of his favourite snacks - he nibbles a bit, then gives up (vet has checked his mouth and says there’s nothing wrong there), and he had a little nibble of grass earlier.

I can hear his stomach making some noises while I type ( the vet couldn’t hear any noises at all at his first appointment; and has since said he can hear more noise in his belly at each appointment).
Is there anything else I can be doing? Is there anything I ought to expect? Can anybody give any advice? He’s not got any strength to move much, can I do anything to help this? I'm so very worried, so any suggestions or advice is much appreciated!

- sorry for such a long post, just panicking and I don’t know what to do-

---

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear he is unwell

Stasis can be secondary to another health issue so you say his teeth were checked - were the back teeth properly checked?
His breathing is Laboured - I assume his chest was listened to and there were no signs of a URI given antibiotics weren’t prescribed ?

In terms of syringe feeding, getting as much in as is necessary to keep the weight stable. In a very poorly piggy it can be hard - the minimum you should aim for is 40-60ml where there is a total loss of appetite. A healthy piggy would be eating the equivalent of around 100ml.

You won’t see normal poops until enough food is going in and the system is working properly

What medicines and dosages are you giving him each day?

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

 

[piggl]

Hi, I am sorry to hear this.

I have had a boy with gut stasis.
It lasted around a month with no end in sight with medication so we went down the investigative route.

He was on 1ml Emeprid twice a day, 0.12ml of Cisapride three times a day, 0.22ml of Dog Loxicom two times a day, Fibreplex and Critical care.

My boys lethargy went when he started painkillers, as your boy is still showing signs of lethargy he is likely in quite a lot of pain or discomfort.
What dosages is he on?
Were his back teeth checked, X-ray or anything?

Unfortunately in this case you would be realistically looking to get around 80-100ml of critical care if your boy is not eating at all. Of course this is a lot of work but it unfortunately sounds like your boy is struggling quite a bit right now so he will need all the help he could get.
Even when my boy was acting fine and eating hay I still kept him on 30-40ml of critical care.

All the best x

 

[jessdoddsxo]

I’m sorry to hear he is unwell

Stasis can be secondary to another health issue so you say his teeth were checked - were the back teeth properly checked?
His breathing is Laboured - I assume his chest was listened to and there were no signs of a URI given antibiotics weren’t prescribed ?

In terms of syringe feeding, getting as much in as is necessary to keep the weight stable. In a very poorly piggy it can be hard - the minimum you should aim for is 40-60ml where there is a total loss of appetite. A healthy piggy would be eating the equivalent of around 100ml.

You won’t see normal poops until enough food is going in and the system is working properly

What medicines and dosages are you giving him each day?

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

Thank you for responding!
So, his teeth are all fine, they scooped out the food he’d stored in his cheeks and were happy with his teeth.
We stayed up with him last night and fed him twice during the night; then resumed feeds every 2 hours this morning; so far he’s had 25ml of his feed since about 2am today.
Apparently, the vet has said he’s ‘not in stasis’ anymore - as his stomach is making noises, and they listened to his chest and said it’s fine as well. Somebody else in the house has been taking him to the vets, so I’m hearing it second hand.

In terms of his medicine :
- 0.2ml Rheumocam, once daily
- 0.6ml emeprid, four times daily
- 0.15ml Baytril, twice daily
- 1 tablet Ranitidine, twice daily

I only found out last night that we should be aiming for 60ml food daily, as the vet just told us to feed every two hours - so now I know this, we’re making him have between 5-10ml of food at each sitting.

He also seems stronger today than last night, he’s able to support himself on all feet - whereas yesterday he was slumping and falling. I did notice that when he’s stood, he’s leaning his body weight to his left - I wondered if this could be because he’s in pain, or is trying to get some poo circulating?

 

[jessdoddsxo]

Thank you for responding, glad to hear your boy is doing okay!
His medicine is;
- 0.2ml Rheumocam, once daily
- 0.6ml emeprid, four times daily
- 0.15ml Baytril, twice daily
- 1 tablet Ranitidine, twice daily
He didn’t get an X-ray, but his teeth are looking fine they said, we got them checked each time he went.

We’ll up his feeds To get him eating 80-100ml today, as he’s eating nothing at all of his own accord.

Thanks for your response, it’s appreciated xx

 

[Piggies&buns]

Keep going with the syringe feeding and hopefully things will improve if he is no longer in stasis.
If you think he is in pain then talk to your vet. Piggies metabolise their pain meds in around 12 hours so need pain meds usually need to be given twice a day, and can take higher doses than most vets will prescribe now that the cat version has been licensed for piggies

 

[piggl]

Thank you for responding, glad to hear your boy is doing okay!
His medicine is;
- 0.2ml Rheumocam, once daily
- 0.6ml emeprid, four times daily
- 0.15ml Baytril, twice daily
- 1 tablet Ranitidine, twice daily
He didn’t get an X-ray, but his teeth are looking fine they said, we got them checked each time he went.

We’ll up his feeds To get him eating 80-100ml today, as he’s eating nothing at all of his own accord.

Thanks for your response, it’s appreciated xx

I do not have any experience with Rheumocam so dont really know how it relates to Loxciom but if he is still showing signs of lethargy and discomfort you may want to discuss increased dose or as said above twice daily.

In my case, his teeth were so distorted they got cut down and only a month later got put down because of quality of life (his teeth were causing stasis again) and the frequent use of GA needed for grinding his teeth down would be too much, so this is why I asked.
Glad you got them checked and they are looking fine.

I assume the Baytril is for his breathing and then the Emeprid and painkiller/anti-inflammatory, but I am not really sure about Ranitidine (I mean I have never had it prescribed, not about the use in your case). If he is not doing any better you may want to talk about increased medication where possible and perhaps Cisapride as they work on different parts of the guts.

(Edit - I have just read he is doing better with his gut, but if he is still showing signs of pain I would definitely ask about doses/increases.)

Fingers crossed he starts to feel better soon, my vet said around three weeks of medication until she thought about furthur investigations, which will be different for every pig but maybe something to think about if your boy is not feeling better soon.
Gut stasis comes in waves and through the 2 months with my boy there was a lot of ups and downs so take care of yourself x

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry your piggy is poorly. I don’t have experience of gut stasis but I have had a piggy not eating anything for himself for 8 weeks and I had to try and get 100ml of critical care into him a day so he didn’t continue to lose weight.

Also pain meds do need to be given twice a day. I’d speak to your vet and ask them to look at his dosage and also giving them twice a day.

Once he’s getting more food and more pain meds hopefully he will start to feel better and if needed, further investigations can be done.

Why did they prescribe Baytril? Do they think he has an infection?

Good luck. It’s very tiring nursing a sick piggy. I’ve been there. I fed every 2/3 hours in the day and didn’t do night feeds at all. I felt Pepper needed to rest too. But it depends on how much you can get in at each feed and also it has to fit in with your work/life schedule.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for responding!
So, his teeth are all fine, they scooped out the food he’d stored in his cheeks and were happy with his teeth.
We stayed up with him last night and fed him twice during the night; then resumed feeds every 2 hours this morning; so far he’s had 25ml of his feed since about 2am today.
Apparently, the vet has said he’s ‘not in stasis’ anymore - as his stomach is making noises, and they listened to his chest and said it’s fine as well. Somebody else in the house has been taking him to the vets, so I’m hearing it second hand.

In terms of his medicine :
- 0.2ml Rheumocam, once daily
- 0.6ml emeprid, four times daily
- 0.15ml Baytril, twice daily
- 1 tablet Ranitidine, twice daily

I only found out last night that we should be aiming for 60ml food daily, as the vet just told us to feed every two hours - so now I know this, we’re making him have between 5-10ml of food at each sitting.

He also seems stronger today than last night, he’s able to support himself on all feet - whereas yesterday he was slumping and falling. I did notice that when he’s stood, he’s leaning his body weight to his left - I wondered if this could be because he’s in pain, or is trying to get some poo circulating?

Hi and welcome

HUGS

You are having the right meds and are doing all you can. Please don't give up. This is the worst point when your boy is very weak after several days of his gut not working but he is only just starting his recovery now.

The gut is like a conveyor belt. With gut stasis you initially get the healthy last poos that were still in the system before the stasis started, then you get the gap of the stasis event itself and then you get the funny tiny poos from what reflects the post stasis period with very little food intake.

The good news is that the gut is up and running again. You are now looking at recovery and will hopefully be able to get a little more feed into him with every passing day. Just hang in there and persist. You still have everything to gain!

40 ml is the survival limit but if that is as much as you can get into him, then that is OK. I had several days with my Pili Pala where that was as much as I could get into her during the worst of her severe GI stasis event. She was incredibly weak by the time the gut finally get going again (I had to wait 3 days for any poos). She went down to about 600g at her lowest.
She turned out have underlying issues and needed medication and feeding top up from a bowl for the rest of her life but she went on to live for nearly another year within spitting distance of her 6th birthday. For me, that extra year counted as a blessing.
Here is Pili Pala's stasis thread. You may find it encouraging as it reflects your own experience: Please Send Your Vibes To Pili Pala!

Hang on in there and don't give up yet. I hope that will find the strength to fight back with you being able to get more feed into him with every passing day. Just persist and push for as much as you can in each session. Ensure that you also offer him additionally water, as much as he wants to take.

 

[jessdoddsxo]

Thank you to everybody for your support and advise x
Unfortunately, despite our efforts, poor Rico made his way across the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon x
We’re heartbroken to say the least, I was feeling very positive he’d see this illness through.
I now have a guinea pig left without a mate, what do I do from here? I don’t want to replace Rico, and my heart is breaking typing this, but I don’t want Dan to suffer alone. What is the recommended time that we wait before introducing a new friend? Dan is about 4 and is a castrated male. When should we look to introduce a new friend? What age and gender would be best?

Thanks again everybody x
Rest in Peace, Rico x you were an amazing companion

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear this. Sleep tight Rico.

Most bereaved piggies are ok for a few weeks on their own - they need to grieve too. The few weeks will give you time to both time to grieve and begin the process of finding a new friend.
You arent replacing Rico, but you are giving Dan a gift in finding him a new friend.

When it comes to a new bond, it all comes down to character compatibility rather than age. As he is neutered, then you can go for either sex, however, a neutered boar/sow pairing is most stable for the long term and may be the preferred option.
If you get another boar, then a youngster would be the safest bet as a baby could not challenge for dominance. It still comes down to character compatibility though.
I know rescues are few and far between in your area but if you can get to a rescue then dating is a good way to ensure compatibility between the two piggies.

Death, Dying, Terminal Illness; Human Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

 

[eileen]

I'm so sad to read this.you gave him the best chance and could not do anymore.Rest in Peace Rico.

 

[piggl]

I am very sorry to hear this, it is so tough losing piggies.

Take care of yourself x

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you to everybody for your support and advise x
Unfortunately, despite our efforts, poor Rico made his way across the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon x
We’re heartbroken to say the least, I was feeling very positive he’d see this illness through.
I now have a guinea pig left without a mate, what do I do from here? I don’t want to replace Rico, and my heart is breaking typing this, but I don’t want Dan to suffer alone. What is the recommended time that we wait before introducing a new friend? Dan is about 4 and is a castrated male. When should we look to introduce a new friend? What age and gender would be best?

Thanks again everybody x
Rest in Peace, Rico x you were an amazing companion

BIG HUGS

I am so, so sorry!

It sounds like his GI stasis was likely caused by a major underlying issue because you haven't done anything wrong and you shouldn't feel like you have failed him in any way. Any feelings of that sort are only an expression of your depth of love and care but not a reflection of reality. We all go through it at the onset of the grieving process but the soul searching is usually much stronger after a desperate battle.
You just have been fighting a fight in which most likely another major hidden player was involved unbeknownst to you and your vet and where the stasis was likely secondary and not necessarily primary.
Be sad but please try not to feel bad.

I don't know where you are in Cornwall, but if you could get as far as Maria's Animal Sancturary in Probus between Truro and St Austell, they have loads of piggies of all ages and genders stuck in rescue. With a neutered boar you can look at either. Character compatibility comes before age and gender when it comes to guinea pigs. You can either look for a similarly aged boar, for instance (which means that the testosterone has mostly run out and they are coming up to the age where boars mellow and become noticeably more easy to bond) or you can think about 1-2 sows of any age, provided that the girls get on well. You will have the rescue at your back should the bond not work out. Boars struggle much more to find a home than sows, sadly, but if you feel that you need to take your piggies in a new direction, then a sow bond would be a good idea.
I would recommend to contact the rescue in the coming week as it takes a bit of time to process an adoption so both you and your boy have time to get through the very roughest bit. The ideal window is about 1-4 weeks for a bereaved companion, longer if you have something special lined up (like neutering etc.).
https://mariasanimalshelter.com/

Here is more information should you need it in terms of what you can do for your remaining boy and for yourself (or - if you never have had to deal with the grieving process before - what to expect) in the coming days and weeks: Death, Dying, Terminal Illness; Human Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

PS: I have adopted from the rescue myself last year (a wholesale dumped mixed gender family); they are the best rescue in your neck of the woods.
I have had to let my Tegeirian go only on Thursday when her major bloating symptoms failed to respond and turned out to be fluid in the body, most likely caused by a large cancerous growth deep inside after a round the clock battle since Monday. So I can fully understand your heartbreak.

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry to hear this. Popcorn high at the bridge Rico. Take care

I lost a piggy three days before the second covid lockdown. So I rushed out and “panic bought” Pepper. So Percy was only alone for three days. He took to Pepper straight away.

Good luck finding a friend for Dan. They won’t replace Rico. He will always be in your heart.