Our guinea pig is poorly

[Woollymooly]

One of our 2 guinea pigs is ill. It started just around Christmas - she suddenly became very quiet and developed a droopy red eye. We took her to the vet, who suggested infection, gave her antibiotics and eye drops. After giving her eye drops second time, she became unsteady on her feet and gone off her food, with just weak nibbling. Took her to another vet, who suggested overgrown teeth, trimmed them. She is still not eating and still wobbly on her feet. We give her water and her favourite food, but she is just nibbling. She has not lost weight yet, but just no herself anymore.... There is probably nothing we can do anymore, but she is only 4 years old...

[Gingerbics]

Sorry to hear about your poorly pig. I'm sorry I'm
New to guineas but I suggest you post this in super furry animals section where all the guinea pig gurus hang out, loads of knowledge there. Hope he recovers soon.

[BeckAndCall]

I do hope your piggie is feeling a bit better now - only just noticed this question or I'm sure you'd have had more responses.

When my piggies have been ill we've puréed vegetables for them - whatever they like, then spoon fed them - or in an emergency, used a syringe. As a first stop to speed things up, I've given them innocent fruit smoothies to get some fast calories into them.

4 years old is not ancient but it is a little elderly - I hope it works out for you.

[fortifiedwithtea]

Oh dear, your guinea sounds very poorly.

I think you can rule out ear infection common reason for wobbly pig because the AB's would have zapped that.

Is your guinea still drinking? In its self a good thing but fluid retention can mask weight loss.

How is the poo?

Be very careful of syringes. The danger is squirting food into their lungs. I've mashed up Burgess Excel nuggets for a poorly pig and grated veg very finely and let him eat off my finger or flat end of a medicine spoon.

You can get a powder called Critical Care from the vets --you make up to a paste with water. Many people have had success but I've never managed to get a piggy to eat it.

I'll be thinking of you.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Very sad to hear and it sounds like you are doing everything you can.
YY to keeping her hydrated and tempting her.(I gave my GP weak Ribena in summer. Never given a GP this but I thought "try anything". Or orange juice . That's how I sneak soluble Vit C into them.) Have you given some Vit C, ill pigs do benefit from a dose of it.

Definately some Critical Care to try (they do a Fine and a Regular- fine grind is easier in a syringe). You can buy a syringe from some PetStore to feed or there's one in the new dose Calpol bottles.

Mashed pellets in boiled water (cooled) and finely grated veg.

You might need to perservere with feeding, pigs don't take kindly to being told "This is good for you"
We gave our little boar CC on a tiny mustard spoon first but a syringe was easier- just a drop behind his teeth then he'd eat it, the danger is if you enthusiastically squirt it and it goes into the lungs (and don't forget they cannot vomit)

Eye problems can be tooth related but it sounds like your vet has these bases covered.
Could be an abscess that's not visible (but they're usually quite quick to swell up)

Stroke? Might explain the dodderyness - or do you think it's due to having the drops put in?

4 is middleaged for a GP, so there might be nothing you can do, but in your place I'd keep feeding and hydrating her and see what happens.
You know your own guinea-pig , if she's suffering you'll know.

Good Luck.

[Woollymooly]

Thank you very much for your advice, everyone! Very helpful. We are now feeding her with syringe - very slowly, but I will try squirting some food on my finger to give her too.

I will be taking her to the vet on Friday (have a day off) so hopefully she will hang on in there. Will also check the Critical Care.

Thanks again!

[Woollymooly]

Our guinea pig has died..... It turned out to be cancer! Spread very fast or she was not showing signs for a while. Took her to the vet, then home, so that we could say our good byes and a couple of hours later she died. She was due to be put down tomorrow morning, but died before that, at home.

She was such a beautiful piggy!

[fortifiedwithtea]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this news .

My guess is she went down hill quickly and didn't suffer. I know guineas hide illness as they are a prey animal but believe me something goes wrong with your brain, there's no hiding it but that's IMHO as a human with epilepsy

RIP Beautiful Piggy