Hi There! New member with a sick piggy:-(

[Coco88]

Hi...thanks for reading! I've done everything I can think for our 3-year old, female Guinea Pig, Coco. We went away over New Year's weekend, and when we came back...she wasn't eating, drinking, and squealing when she urinates/poops. The scariest for us is when we noticed she had blood coming out when she urinates/poops. We took her to our dog's vet, (I know, wrong vet), and he put her on Baytril. After a week, it didn't seem to be working, so we took her to an exotic pet vet. She did an x-ray and ruled out bladder stones. She said that Coco's cervix was open and it was hard to tell what was causing this. She said that it may be a uteral infection and gave her 2 weeks more of Baytril. She also gave me 'Critical Care' food to give to her with a syringe. It's been a week since this visit, and she's still not her normal self, and has lost all of her chubbiness. She will sit in her igloo all day if I don't take the igloo out of the cage or put her on the floor to walk around. She eats a little on her own, but not like she used to. Romaine lettuce, carrots, parsley, green peppers...I've tried everything! Just looking for a little advice...she's the cutest thing. Thanks again!

[coxbrea151]

Welcome to the site!
I'm sorry about your guinea pig. I know one thing about what your describing. The person who gave us the old guinea pig cage guinea pigs' had that. He was a male and he got it 1-2 times I think. The vet's had to put him on medication and special food. They treated him once or twice, before the owner knew that it would keep comeing back. If it is the same, it's treatable.
I'm really hopeing that she will get better, wishes for the best.

[bpatters]

Welcome, Coco88.

If she has a uterine infection, the usual treatment is an emergency spay. Baytril likely will not clear it up, and may be the cause of her lack of interest in food. You need to hand feed her, and it's called "force feeding" for a reason -- they don't usually like it, and can be totally uncooperative. See http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html for more information.

Are you sure this is an exotics vet, or just a veterinary practice that says they treat exotics? Treating them may mean seeing one exotic a month. If the vet is certified in exotic medicine, they'll have extra education and training in caring for exotic pets. I'm really surprised this vet didn't recommend spaying her right off the bat.

Do be aware that spaying is a difficult and invasive operation in a guinea pig -- worse than for a cat or dog. And she's no doubt weak from not eating. So I'd find the best, most experienced exotic vet I could get hold of and take her there.

[Coco88]

Thanks so much for replying and encouraging words. I am optimistic, but also realistic. Coco is so skinny, it's scary. We forced her to eat, and she did fine. We'll keep trying...thanks again! Oh, I forgot to mention, the vet did mention surgery, but felt because of her weight loss and unwillingness to eat that she may not make it through. Also, she has two guinea pigs herself and is very passionate about the animals...I really think that she knew what she was talking about. I would have wondered the same;-)
~pam