The Old Boy pig not feeling too good

[fortifiedwithtea]

I'm sure it's his teeth again. He will only eat grass, cucumber, parsley, spinach and grated carrot.

Tonight I have started him on fibreplex as his poo has become very skinny and black thanks to the amount of parsley kids gave him yesterday.

He is feeling sorry for himself. Normally an afternoon in the sun is spent strutting in front of the girlie pigs. But today he sat hunched up in his run.

Our vet will only ever sedate guinea pigs to look at their teeth. Risky at the best of times but at over 5 and so light in weight, I'm dreading it.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Oh, poor Old Boy

He's between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea isn't he?

If it is his teeth, he's not going to start eating until they're fixed. And if his poohs are starting to change, then his digestion is being affected.
My boars eat their own bodyweight a fair bit of parsley but it has never done that to their droppings.
It sounds like he's not getting the bulky fibre if he's not eating hay and pellets, then the veg is mainly water.

If it was my guinea, I think I'd take my chances with sedation, but ask the vet to do the lightest possible. I can't imagine he'd enjoy it (I've seen photos of a guinea with a retractor in) but needs must.

If he's hunched up he sounds down in spirits.

Is fibreplex like Critical Care? I got a sachet of Fine Grind for my Guinea-First Aid Kit from Amazon, but I suppose any vet will sell it.

Is your vet pretty cavy savy? I can see why they'd want to sedate a GP, they've got tiny little jaws .I've never tried to get my fingers past those lethal front inscisors but we can see GP2s teeth when he yawns (for a nano second).

Hope he picks up with the extra feeding .

[Olympia2012]

Gosh, hope he picks up soon. I would also take the chance.... I think!

[silver73]

Join Cambridge Cavy Trust and take him to Vedra in Huntingdon. She sees piggies at the weekend or there is Vets and Pets at Hoxborne in Hertfordshire. Amir the GP vet works on Sundays. If these are too far away phone your local GP rescue and ask them who they use as their vet and they may be able to recommend a rodentologist.

Until you can get your GP to a vet I would get Critical Care from your local vet. Critical Care kept my Blondie pig alive until she responded to antibiotics. Most vets sell sachets of it for about £1 or an alternative.

Also, consider it may not be a problem with his teeth there has been a nasty GP virus going around. Blondie pig had it and the first sign was getting fussy with eating. Vets and Pets saw it as a medical emergency and it was. All she needed was a course of antibiotic and probiotics and hand feeding with critical care.

[BonkeyMollocks]

Poor Old Boy! :(

Its so sad when they aren't themselves!

I hope he pulls through it ok. When is he due in?

[fortifiedwithtea]

Well Old Boy has really picked his moment. Starting from tomorrow fortnight course of swimming lessons for DD2 starting at 9.00am. I can't drive (epilepsy). I know vets will want him in first thing in the morning after having a consultation if he's going to be sedated. Legistic nightmare .

It's really pathetic to watch. Old Boy is ravenous. Paws on his bowl but can't eat anything that needs crunching. He can't manage hay.

I'm going to soak some Burgess Excel and spoon feed. He's taking the fibreplex well (its a probiotic with fibre to help with the poo).

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Poor chap, ( it's not on purpose Mum, he'd say)

What time does your vet open? I used to drop our cat off at 7.30 am when she needed surgery .(Before work, and that way they knew for definate she was starved before her sedation later in the afternoon)

You know a GP is bad when they won't or can't eat, they are slaves to their stomachs.
Hopefully the Excell pellet mash will keep him satisfied until he gets to the vets.

My guineas are sending support vibes.

[fortifiedwithtea]

Ok I'm a night owl, so bear with. Took Old Boy to see vet monday evening. Seen by vet we've not met before. She was very impressed by OB's age. He's the oldest guinea she has ever treated!

Yes it is his teeth again and if he gets through this it will happen again. Its an age thing. As they age their teeth and nails grow quicker but they eat less, move around less so teeth/nails don't wear so quickly.

Agreed upto a point. 100% on nail growth but OB never stops moving, he's always up to something. Has lost a huge amount of weight but not a big eater. Asked whether he could have thyroid problem. Vet couldn't find anything in ref book but knows an expert and will send an e-mail for his opinion. It is very difficult to take a blood test from a guinea pig. The skin is very thick. Vets tried last time OB was sedated and no joy.

OB booked in this morning for 9.00 when vets open. DH is going to be busy and late for work. First drop DD2 and me at swimming pool (hour early for lesson, just like monday) then back across town, pick up OB and onto which will then be on the way to work.

Good news is OB likes being spoon fed Burgess Excel soaked in water. 70 I'll tell him there are guinea pigs sending him support .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Good to hear Old Boy is still holding his own (oh err missus)

There must be something to do with his alignment of his teeth (I'm assuming it's his back ones, they will clip the front ones with clippers, no problem) that the normal chewing isn't wearing them.
You don't get to see their back teeth as a rule unless they yawn right in your face.

WRT the blood test, some vets will take blood from a nail quick, but I don't know how much they need for a thyroid test, or if it's too painful after for the GP.
(Injection versus over-clipped nail? I've never drawn blood cutting GP claws but mine still act like I'm Sweeny Todd)


Only one of my childhood guineas had to have her teeth trimmed (front ones) She was the last of 4 sows so didn't chew the bars for attention. The noise of 4 sows shaking and chewing the bars to let us know "We're here. I heard the fridge door open. You lot have got celery" when we made a cup of tea


Good luck Old Boy.

[fortifiedwithtea]

Update: Old Boy survived the vets.

Teeth at the back only slightly overgrown. Vet says this the tip of the iceberg. We have to treat the iceberg. ie the teeth are just symtomatic of the real cause of his problem.

Exotic vets advised that gp's do not get thyroid problems. However, blood taken to test liver and kidneys.

Old boy also injected with steroids and B vitamins to stimulate appetite and an antibiotic jab as he's had an operation procedure.

I'm supposed to give him critical care every 2 hours during the day. OB hates it. I tried syringing it but the syringe the vet gave me is stiff. 2ml shot down his throat in one go. Poor thing looked at me like his eyes were going to pop out .

Back to vet nirse on friday for a weigh-in.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I was scared to click on when I saw that you'd updated in case Old Boy didn't have good news.
But glad I did.

Did the vet hazard a guess as to what "real cause" was (or are they politely implying that Old Boy is getting , well , old )

My eldery moggie used to take steroids for eczema and boy, they made her eat. (And after she had a blood test too, (old age weight loss, but she had hyperthryoidism).
The vet said animals sometimes eat more after a blood test, so hopefully it will work for OB.

What about the feeding syringes for puppies or kittens (I've seen them at Pets @ Home and The Range).
Or if you can loosen off the syringe a bit by plunging and withdrawing the plunger , it will have a silcone seal inside.
I had an image of that puffer fish in Finding Nemo, ballooning up, when I thought of OB necking his food in one shot.
but Ah, Bless Him!

[fortifiedwithtea]

Returned to vets on friday. Positive news. Kidney and liver function good. The lab didn't have enough blood or weren't able to do a full blood count, not sure which.

Old Boy was going to be prescribed a painkiller as it was thought that if his organs were ok, he must have pain somewhere stopping him from eating. However, OB has regained 20g. Going to the vets again monday to see that he continues to regain weight. If so no need for Metacam.

Old Boy continues to be a very picky eater. He is constantly taking me to the fridge even though there is veg in his bowl. Basically he is behaving like a toddler. Always wanting a snack.

For example today, last nights carrot still in bowl. I get led to the fridge and I give OB a small piece of celery. He looks at it in his hutch and no doubt thinks about the melon and cucumber he smelt when I opened the fridge door. OB trots off back to the fridge. Gets told he's not having it yet he is a clever pig that understands perfect English and he goes back to his hutch and stares at his celery for afew minutes before eating it.

To be honest it's abit of a strain. I'm used to giving the pigs a big bowl of veg and letting them get on with it. But with OB I'm thinking what can I give him for his next snack that will give him all his nutrients, make him chew/crunch and won't fill him up with water or gas.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

@ like a toddler.
He's behaving like an old man "Yes I know you've made me poached fish in butter sauce but today I'd rather have a chicken sandwich. And the chicken has to be Marksies not Tesco "

They do go through fussy phases, and it will probably take him a little while to get his appetite back.
Is it just him at the food bowl (I'm assuming your girls are seperate).
If it's a free for all then they are a bit less fussy, mine drag great wedges of veg into their caves to enjoy later (and to deprive the other brother of the food)

In this muggy weather, I'd give cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, peashoots, lambs lettuce (some of those mixed bags without iceberg are popular with ours) celery leaves.(My boys don't drink water, so I'm always thinking "Heck, how do I hydrate them without giving them the runs"
GP2 has to be careful with kale, cabbage and spring greens 'cos he gets gas.

Ours used to through rocket, dandlions and carrot, but they're a bit meh with them at the moment.


He just needs a bit of spoiling- he's a male after all, and he'll tell you how lucky you are to have him back

[fortifiedwithtea]

Good news . Further check up with vet nurse Monday evening for a weigh-in, Old Boy had put on a further 35g. Nurse declared he could be officially called a 'Piggie' as he'd done a serious amount of eating over the weekend.

Lots of eating has meant lots of poop and we can't stand his bum any longer. No one fancies cuddling him. I gave him a 'blanket bath' with a previously unused cleaning cloth. I Wondered aloud whether the dye from the cloth would send his fur blue. DD1 sort of hoped it would so she could post it on FB and twitter . Anyway OB needed a full bum soak which he seemed to like. I've had plenty of tickly whisker kisses since or was that because I gave him a nice slice of apple .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

- keep up the good work OB.

I'm always relieved to see good solid long poohs in the GPs bed (usually 2 distinct little nests of pooh) they don't share 'facilities' .

Food in--> poohs out = happy pigs