One piggy has gone, now the other is poorly

[chicaguapa]

One of our piggies very sadly died on Wednesday. She was at the vets on Monday and was given a course of antibiotics (Baytril) for 7 days for a chest infection. We handfed her but she didn't make it.

We've been keeping a close eye on her sister as she's now sneezing. The vet looked at her last Monday and said she was ok then. She seems to be eating ok but there is veggies left in the bowl and she's not pooing so much, though we don't know if it's just because there is only one piggy in there now.

As a precaution we've given her some of the antibiotics as we had 5 days left and the vet said he'd given us a bit extra anyway. Do you think this is ok?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Poor piggies.

Under the circumstances, if the remaining pig has the same symptoms as your piggie that died then YY , I would give the antibiotics.
You know they're fresh, you know the doseage. (As a Health care Professional for humans I wouldn'r advice this of course.)

It may well prevent her tipping into full blown chest infection, but if it doesn't then you haven't lost anything.

You can see from Monday to Wednesday just how quickly a guinea-pig can deteriorate.

Can you contact your vet to see about taking her in, and also do tell them that you've given her the antibiotics (and the symptoms)

Have you got Vitamin C and probiotics?
Keep her eating, treat her , give her some grass if you can, mashed up pellets, keep her innards working and don't let her dehydrate.

I'd be throwing everything bar the kitchen sink at her but I know from past experience, it isn't always enough.

for your guinea that's gone to The Bridge and good luck with your piggie that's ill.

[chicaguapa]

Thank you. Will get some grass and mash up some pellets again. I haven't got any vitamin C and probiotics. Where would I get those from?

She's still a fatty (2.5lb) and GP1 was down to under 2lb when she died.

DS drew a picture of a rainbow which we buried with her to help her to the Bridge. I've prepared him that we'll lose her sister too but that, as before, we'll do all we can.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

You can get probiotics online or Pets at Home sell them (I bought a powder to go into food when my pig Dill was ill. We had 3 pigs eating the same so I mixed it in the veg as I knew that got eaten, pellets got left till later)

(Just checked - Vetark Professional Vit C and Probiotic)
Did your vet give you probiotics with the antibiotics? Or if you have Critical Care or Recivery they contain some.

You can crush Vit C in water ( they might not drink it though) . I used to syringe it into them. (You can get feeding syringes from pet shops or online, or the Calpol syringes are useable for guineas)

YY to keeping weighing the pigs, they can lose weight quickly when they're ill.

It is so sad and difficult to explain to DC about a loved pet dying.Ours had leaves for The Afterlife at my daughters insistence. Willows for GP2, Pear for GP2, Dill sprigs for GP3. We have GP1/GP2/GP3 and The Cat all buried in a line in the border with little gravestones (old kitchen tiles) . There are daffodils growing round Dills grave now (they were planted years ago).

It doesn't get any easier does it?

[clippityclop]

Just to say my thought are with you, hope things improve.

[chicaguapa]

Aw! Thank you!

She's doing ok, I think. She's not 100% but she might just be missing her sister. She's not losing weight and is drinking and eating. We're still giving the antibiotics.

She has a sniffly nose but doesn't seem to be breathing heavily. Fingers crossed the antibiotics are working and we caught her in time.

[chicaguapa]

Just an update to say that GP2 seems to be doing ok . She definitely seems a lot better.

She's going into boarding next Saturday for two weeks so I know she'll be kept a good eye on while we're away.

She was the shy one of the pair and is a lot more skittish now she's on her own. So we might speak to them about finding her a friend the same age. It's a rescue centre as well so they might have one that needs rehoming.

Fingers crossed she doesn't take a turn for the worse while we're away. We came back from our last holiday to a dead gerbil which was a shock. We don't want to repeat that!

[millimat]

Glad she's better, I saw this updated and thought"oh no". It'll be lovely to come back to her with new friends!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I always have a bit of trepidation too when a thread like this is updated

YY - phone them before she goes in- they might have a suitable match (some may be in foster homes so they'd need to bring them to your piggie) and they could bond on neutral ground.

If you tell them the character of your piggie, they can find a pig to match.

That's how I got GP4 and GP5. Two stroppy adults (who were in Rescue and had been seperated from their litters the day before) obviously waiting to move in with me and boss our boar about.

It also meant I didn't have to choose. How could I have chosen? There were tiny baby piglets there too. (We were tempted but we'd already decided on adults)
We cuddled our females and Dill (GP3) touched noses and said "OK"