new pig does not like veggies!

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:55 pm


That is a poor diagnosis. Their vet is likely not competent as usual or they don't want to pay a lot for diagnosis.

You never add anything to their water. The only supplement he would need is vit C. They can overdose on multivitamins.

Guest

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:04 pm


Sounds like the vet at that pet store knows very little about guinea pigs. The vitamins in his water will do nothing for constipation or anything else. They might actually make him stop drinking because the water will taste different. If he does drink, there is no way to tell how much vitamins he is getting, and they degrade quickly in the water and light anyway. I don't know that benebac does anything for constipation either. From what I know of it, it restores the good bacteria in a piggy's digestive system and is usually given when an antibiotic is prescribed to help insure that they don't stop eating.

I don't think any of us can really make the decision of whether or not you should take this pig back. I know I wouldn't be able to abandon an animal that I had taken into my home, no matter if it was a mistake to have purchased him in the first place. I'd almost be willing to guarantee that Junior will be dead within a day or two if you don't take him back and get him to a vet who actually knows what the heck they are doing.

tiggyswift

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:41 pm


I thought it was a poor diagnosis, and that vitamins should never be added to water. I feel so bad for him, I should just go get him, anyway. I don't want to leave him there. I have 2 very competent
vets I use for my piggies, and will take him to one of them. It isn't his fault he wound up in that awful place. I also made the mistake of taking him back because I thought they should take care of the problem. Boy, was I wrong doing that, too! I could just kick myself for that. It was a dumb choice, that is for sure. Thank you for the advice again. I do really appreciate it!

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GuineaPinny

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:49 pm


We can't change the past, only present and future. It sounds like you are taking the right steps now. Good luck to Junior boy.

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rshevin

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:46 pm


Go get him, ASAP. We can help you get through until you can see a real vet.

tiggyswift

Post   » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:09 pm


I will! I know I can't change what has happened.I just feel horrible about what he has been through, the poor thing. I can make his life better, I know I can. Thanks! I will feel much better when I have him, and can probably get him to my vet right away. I will keep you posted. Thanks!

rpaws

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:46 am


tiggyswift,
I would go get him and take him to the vet as soon as possible too - and this is from someone who trys to avoid any pet stores that sell guinea pigs. The little guy deserves a better life. After everything is done, you can then try to stick the store with the bill. But for now, the important thing is to get Junior medical attention.

I never heard of a guinea pig getting constipated, in fact mine are just the opposite. They are little perpetual 'poop machines.' Instead I would worry that bloat is occurring.

Crossing paws Junior gets okay soon.

tiggyswift

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:55 am


Junior is home!!!!! Yea!! His weight is still down, though. Boy, were they mad at me that I want a 2nd opinion! He looks good though, I do have to say. I just put him in his cage, and he ran all around cooing before he went in his house. I measured out his food, and will check it in a while, after he settles in. They had to call their vet to get permission to release him to me. As we were walking out the door, they showed me his medication, which was benebac, and get this, CRITICAL CARE!!! Of course, they would not give it to me. Does anyone know where I can get this quickly, or an equivalent? They were only going to have him on it through tomorrow am. They say he is eating/drinking well, and lapping up his CC, but no poops since I got him, an hour ago. Vet appt. tonight at 7:20 pm (ET). They do not carry CC, and may suggest baby sweet potato, as they did with my other pig. Is this ok? I have seen it somwhere in someones post that it is. They told me right off in a very nasty tone(the store manager) that they will not pay for the 2nd opinion, which is fine with me. All that matters is that he is home. If he does not eat soon, I will try the cut up apple in his pellets. I am keeping him on the Kaytee for now until he eats well, and then slowly switch him to the oxbow cavy cuisine. His food end of the cage is covered with a towel to make him feel secure when he eats, and of course he has his pigloo, also. Am I doing ok so far? Will he be ok w/o the CC? I will keep yoiu posted as to his progress throughout the day. Sorry so long to read.

tiggyswift

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:05 pm


Well, it has been 2 hrs so far, no poops yet, so they lied about him eating, I assume. He did eat a few bites of a baby carrot, and 2 bites of a wheat piece from his timothy hay, and that is all so far. At least it is something. I have soft music on for him, too. I hope it will help him relax, some. I put the piece of chopped apple in his pellets, but he has not touched it so far. Is weighing his dish an accurate way to tell if he ate at all? I measured the pellets, but not with the apple in it. At least he is home where people actually care about him. He is a real cutie! All black with small patch of white and tiny tiny streak of brown on his crown. He also has a white patch on his chest and streaks of white around each toe on his front feet. I'll update in a while.

rpaws

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:00 pm


Running around cooing before going into his hidey house sounds like a good sign, but I am worried about the no pooping. I've never counted how many poops a guinea pig produces a day, but I've often thought if I had a nickel for every poop I'd be rich.

Sounds like you are making a nice quiet place for Junior. Since he isn't feeling so well, make sure his food is as close to his hidey space as possible, put some food pellets and hay inside his pigloo. That way he won't have to move much if he wants to eat. With my two guinea pig girls, even when healthy, if they could have eaten, drank, slept and piddled inside their pigloos all the time, they would have never left their pigloos, instead electing to live instead as 'colorful turtles.'

Regarding Critical Care, you might be able to locate a nearby supplier by contacting Oxbow at 1-800-249-0366. According to the Oxbow website (http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=CriticalCare) Critical care is not sold online as it is a product that "is to be used under the supervision of a veterinarian and the guidance of Oxbow." I know the vet place (former VCA vet office I used to frequent) where I got it made sure I HAD another vet to supervise the feeding before they sold it to me. So if it is a vet place that has the Critical Care, let them call your vet place to make sure the guinea pig is getting medical treatment.

Failing that, I believe someone once posted on Guinealynx how to make a Critical care substitute in an emergency. I think it involved grinding pellets and mixing it with something-some sort of juice, vegetable baby food, or pedialyte? Your pellet bag might have some pellet dust on the bottom that can be converted into a substitute.

C'mon Junior start pooping. For easier "poop checking" it helps to line the bottom of the cage with white paper towels. That way the 'magic beans' along with any piddle spots can be seen against the white paper. Let the vet know how many poops were produced over a certain time period along with how moist/dry and big/little the poops are. It might help to bring some of them with you to the vet to show the size and quality of the poops. My sister does that with her rabbit so the vet can see if he needs a subcue.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:31 pm


So glad that Junior is back home with you. I hope he starts feeling better soon.

A link to making pellet mash:

https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html#preparation

Sometimes you can buy a needleless 1cc syringe at the pharmacy; sometimes they will just give you one if you explain what you need it for. You may even be lucky and Junior will eat it from a spoon.

Piling hay in front of Junior when he's laying down may encourage him to start nibbling. Once he starts eating, he should start pooping again.

Unflavored Pedialyte is good for mixing with pellet mash, or giving directly to the pig in a syringe.

You will want to start weighing Junior daily, until he is eating on his own.

tiggyswift

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:08 pm


I will try calling oxbow, and see if they will talk to my vet. I tried spoon/syringe feeding him before I took him back the other day, and he fought it. He did not want it at all. I am angry they lied to me, but that won't help Junior right now. I will try the ground powder at the bottom of the bag, and see how we do. Do you know if baby sweet potato is ok? I have heard it is. How about nutrical, or is that too much. I weighed him when we got home, and he was down 2 oz. from the other day. We will get through this! I have faith in him!

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