Noticed today one of my guineas has a wet chin and seems off it. Been to vet they gave him a pain killing injection and have to go back tomorrow for anesthetic and check for tooth spurs or other problems. Any ideas have upset children thinking the end is upon us! He is eating but very very slowly and only lettuce leaves. Difficult to comment on poops as we have 2 pigs. Other pig is being overly dominant too which I guess isn't helping?
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Small pets
70isaLimitNotaTarget ·
22/03/2016 21:12
Poor piggy .
But you've caught him quickly and your vet should make him alot more comfortable and functional (they live to eat, that's their function 
)
YY to mash up some pellets and either use a slim teaspoon handle to pop in his mouth or a calpol syringe if it's a bit more watery. Lettuce is soft and gives him moisture so that's probably why he's scoffing it.
Would he eat grated food? Carrot, cucumber,apple?
70 hogs paws crossed
70isaLimitNotaTarget ·
23/03/2016 19:49
Oh, not the good news we were waiting for 
Hopefully the work they did will be enough to get him going again.
With guineas they really really don't like being syringe fed so you need to take the bull (or the boar in this case) by the horns and tell him it's For His Own Good.
The best way to feed is make us a loose Critical Care slop and put the syringe just behind his teeth (at the side) . Squeeze a tiny bit, he'll chew the syringe and that will make him swallow. Don't squirt it too forcefully , it'll go the wrong way, possibly into his lungs. He has to do the work.
We wrapped our pig in a towel then sat them on DDs lap with the rump against her tummy so they couldn't waddle backwards. I got to hold the muzzle (yes the bitey end)
It is messy and time consuming.
He'll be a bit meh from his anaesthetic but they wouldn't have let him home unless he was okay.
Hope he rallies once he's a bit more settled and got some food in him.
counttotenandbreathe ·
23/03/2016 20:08
One plus I have separated him from his friend and have found a poop in his new cage 
never thought I'd be so chuffed to see a poop! I have got some CC down him am going to give him some every couple of hours he was chewing the syringe like you said. Approximately how much cc does he need to eat to help or is it just as much as possible? What about water as he hasn't drunk from his bottle either?
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70isaLimitNotaTarget ·
25/03/2016 10:07
How is he today?
If he wants to quietly huddle away , maybe give him a cardboard box full of lovely hay, then he's comforted by the warmth and he can eat it without too much effort on his part.
And fresh cut grass. Even the most poorly pig can be tempted by a handful .
Keep up the CC, he needs his guts to keep moving. (Pooh and wee is good )
< clover for piggie
counttotenandbreathe ·
25/03/2016 19:21
Well we are still going he is very slowly improving dare i believe it!? We put them both outside for 15 minutes in the glorious sun and he happily nibbled away on grass. Since coming in he has had a good glug from his water bottle too the first I've seen him have in days (been syringing water). His weight is exactly the same tonight as last night ( 874g) his brother weighs (1220g) so hasn't lost anymore. He is choosing to eat Kale, cucumber, hay but it still takes ages! He is on antibiotics, critical care food and painkillers back for a check up on Tuesday
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counttotenandbreathe ·
27/03/2016 13:38
Piggie seems so much better he weighs 886g now and eating hay and veg. Still doing the cc til we see vets on Tuesday but hopefully he is now on the mend. Thanks for all your advice much appreciated 
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