Me and My Pig(s): Just rescued a Guinea Pig in terrible shape

[NonNonHeinous]

Hi all, just thought I would introduce myself.

I have owned guinea pigs before, and rats before that. But I did not have any small animals after I moved north to go to college. Just my dogs and my horse.

The day before yesterday I stopped by the feed store to pick up a bag of feed for my horse. This feed store often sells puppies and kittens that are born locally. This time they had a little long-haired guinea pig all by his lonesome. He was in a totally inappropriate and dangerous cage that had parallel-only wire flooring that his feet could slip right through--a broken back leg just waiting to happen. He had no hay, just junky pellets, and he had large hairless areas on his flanks and entire belly where the skin was mottled, irritated, thickened, and flaky. He was lying there looking utterly miserable.

I asked the owner if I could see him, and she explained that his previous "owners" didn't want him anymore and were going to just set him free in their backyard. She convinced them to take him to her store instead so she could find a home for him. She commented that he needed some "TLC" (understatement of the year) and she put some lice powder on him already. He was free if I wanted him.

Well, I can't say I *wanted* him, but I couldn't in good conscience leave him there. He needed to see a vet YESTERDAY.

So I took him home, named him Gandalf (because he has long white hair), and got him an appointment with a cavy-savy vet the next day.

She was appalled at his condition. He has a severe mite infestation with a probable secondary fungal infection (we are culturing for ringworm). He is so itchy that he has seizures. His nails were so overgrown he didn't want to move, and he was a bit down in weight and showed very little appetite--almost certainly deficient in vit C.

The vet felt he was too debilitated for anti-fungal medication at this stage, so we decided to trim his nails, bathe him in a mild shampoo, and then apply Revolution. We'll repeat the bath-and-revolution in two weeks.

For his diet, I'm supposed to give him C-rich veggies, try to get him to eat hay, and she suggested Oxbow's Critical Care formula which I got today.

I don't think this guy has ever been fed hay, as he seems to show ZERO interest in it. I've bought some alfalfa hay and cubes, some orchard, and some botanical timothy. He has nibbled a bit on the alfalfa and I saw him nibble a bit on the botanical hay today. Still, he's not chowing down like I'm used to seeing guinea pigs do! They were feeding him Nature's Cafe Guinea Pig Buffet and he was just picking out the seeds and things and leaving the rest. I bought him some Cavy Cuisine and mixed it in, but he just picks at it. Thankfully, he will eat most of the veggies I've given him--loves the spinach, ate a bit of bell pepper. Will try a piece of carrot later and also have some freeze-dried strawberries. I got him some Vit C tablets too, but he doesn't seem thrilled with them.

The Critical Care I feed with a syringe, and he's very tolerant. I just wrap him in a towel and squeeze in a dab at a time in his mouth. It takes forever and I don't know how I'll get the full dose in him, but any amount has to help.

I want to do something for his skin to soothe it and maybe combat the fungus a little, but am unsure what is okay to put on guinea pigs. Suggestions? I was thinking of something like Calm Coat--it's made with essential oils and contains tea tree oil.

You can see photos of his skin condition on this thread:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...t-his-hay.html

[angiekay]

Oh my gosh that's terrible, I'm so glad you got him, bless his little heart!!!

[vicky2]

You are an absolutely awesome person! He is so adorable too. As for his skin and calming it, order some gorgeous guineas. They have many shampoos, conditioners, melts, ointments, creams, etc.
Gorgeous Guineas: Welcome To Gorgeous Guineas HQ!

[akstrohm]

I'm glad he's eating veggies at least. Don't feed too much spinach, and no freeze-dried (or frozen) food at all. He should be getting lots of leafy greens (lettuce and cilantro are good). Definitely check out the nutrition charts here if you haven't already.

I hope he gets better soon!

[NonNonHeinous]

Okay, good to know no freeze dried. I was wondering if they were safe.

He just gets maybe about 10 leaves of spinach. Is that too much?

[momof1kid3piggi]

10 Leafs of spinach is a little much, I would try and mix in some romaine, Cilantro and green lettuce. and no frozen veggies or freeze dried.

[Peggysu]

Welcome,

I would suggest not bathing him as it can cause lots of pain with the mites. You'll just have to let the revolution take effect with that and then when you begin treatments for the fungus you shouldn't have to bathe.

As for a diet, I would just offer the Oxbow pellets with the orchard hay and feed him the critical care as well. That other pellet mix that he was on is not good for him and can make him into a picky eater. I would look at the diet charts when you can, but for now start offering some daily staples, such as; red leaf, cilantro and green bell pepper. Green bell pepper is high in Vitamin C. Spinach is high in calcium and really should be avoided as it can cause bladder stones. Once he gets the hang of that you can start offering some other veggies.

Good luck, he's a beautiful peruvian. I hope he begins to gain weigh and becomes comfortable.

[TallulahBear]

Bless his heart! As he starts to feel better I bet his appetite will start ton pick up. I'm sure he'd thank you a hundred times if he could.

[NonNonHeinous]

Thanks again for the advice.

He actually seemed to enjoy the bath once he got used to it. He was really filthy and was covered in lice powder when I first got him, so the vet recommended bathing him to sooth his skin. I used a very mild, moisturizing shampoo that was soap free (HyLyt). His itchiness got a lot better after the bath and Revolution, but there is also the fungal infection which is quite bad (his hair is just falling out).

Obviously I wont bathe him while he's still being treated for mites. Wouldn't want to wash the Revolution off.

[blackarrow]

Poor Gandalf! (Great name, and I bet with proper care he's going to be a magnificent piggie!)

I would suggest putting a good pile of hay on the floor or putting it in a bent grid rack to give him better access to it. It may be more enticing to him if he doesn't have to work to get it like he probably has to out of the ball thing. I second the recommendation of forgetting the freeze dried strawberries and adding cilantro in particular, it's very healthy for them and was one of the most enticing things for my "piggie boyz" early on when they didn't yet have good eating habits established. And make sure to offer the green bell pepper frequently, it's such a good C source that will really help fast if he's lacking.

I wish you and your sweet boy all the best.

[NonNonHeinous]

Gandalf update:

He is doing better! I've been supplementing his diet with Oxbow's Critical Care several times a day, feeding with a syringe. He is generally cooperative with this procedure. I mix up 1 teaspoon of Critical Care per feeding, suck it all up into a syringe, and feed it a tiny bit at a time. Takes about 10-15 minutes each time. If he were ONLY getting Critical Care he would need to eat about 7 or 8 teaspoons a day. He probably gets half that, depending on how much of his regular food I see him eat.

With each day supplementing with Critical Care, I see him eating more and more by himself in his cage. He is eating his Cavy Cuisine pellets (though he never gets down the 1/8 cup serving a day, but he eats some) and most exciting of all, he's eating some hay! Not with the gusto that I am used to from observing my guinea pigs in the past, but he nibbles on it from time to time. He is still getting a variety of Orchard, Botanical Timothy, and a bit of alfalfa. He seems to eat the best from each pile. As he gets more "practiced" at eating hay (since I believe he's just never been fed it before) I'll cut it down to just the Orchard. Right now I think it's more important that he keep munching on something.

He is always game to eat his green bell peppers and one piece of baby carrot. He also has grown to like his Oxbow vitamin C tablets and I give him half a tablet in the AM and PM. Today I will go shopping for some more veggies.

Assuming he has some kind of secondary fungal infection, I try to keep his cage dry and clean, so each day I take out the top layer of Carefresh/hay scraps and replace it with new Carefresh.

His skin still looks dry and flakey with a "thickened" appearance, but it's no longer red and angry looking. He itches occasionally but not incessantly. Unfortunately he still has an occasional "fit" or seizure, particularly right after he is wrapped in a towel for feeding. The feeling of the towel against his fur/skin causes him to scratch behind his ear and then that seems to trigger the fit. This morning I just put a towel down on a table, let him sit on it for awhile (he's so good, he just stays put) before I gently draped part of the towel over him and commenced syringe feeding. He didn't have any fits! I'll feed him on the table from now on instead of wrapped in a towel on my lap.

He has lacerations on his shoulders/behind the ears from scratching with his back nails. They are scabbed over and healing, and I've been putting a gentle ointment on them.

He's really a friendly little guy and almost never runs away when I go to pick him up. He lets you pet him and most times when he seems my hand in the cage he actually approaches, probably looking for a treat!

I can't wait until he's healthy again--I think his coat will be so beautiful. Hopefully the fur will grow back...

[Hawise]

Originally Posted by NonNonHeinous

He's really a friendly little guy and almost never runs away when I go to pick him up. He lets you pet him and most times when he seems my hand in the cage he actually approaches, probably looking for a treat!

I don't think it has anything to do with treats, I think he just sees you as his saviour and is probably very grateful. You know, I have been reading this story since the start, and I find it so moving, I cry. His story is moving, and your kindness too. You are so nice with this poor little creature, you take such good care of him. I have never met you, but you sound like a genuinely extremely kind person.

[NonNonHeinous]

Thank you... I don't *like* to think that I am doing anything special by taking care of Gandalf. I like to think that everyone in the same position would do the same thing.

It is baffling and depressing to think that anyone could look at him and NOT see that he was suffering terribly. I honestly don't understand how his previous owners let him get to this point.

[Hawise]

Originally Posted by NonNonHeinous

Thank you... I don't *like* to think that I am doing anything special by taking care of Gandalf. I like to think that everyone in the same position would do the same thing.

It is baffling and depressing to think that anyone could look at him and NOT see that he was suffering terribly. I honestly don't understand how his previous owners let him get to this point.

You'd be suprised at the number of people who think guinea pigs are nothing more than pests... And I don't understand them either. Any animal or human suffering make me really sad. It's just the way you describe how you take care of him: it's really moving

As for people who are able to do that to a poor innocent creature, there are a few things I'd like to do to them, but I won't say it here because I don't want to be banned

Gandalf is a great name by the way

[twiztedlilfae]

Such a beautiful story for a beautiful piggie. I am so happy that you two found each other and I hope that he has a long wonderful life with you. <3

[Deb's4Pigs]

Poor piggie. I'm glad he's doing better. He's going to be beautiful.

[NonNonHeinous]

Another update:

He continues to improve! Gandalf has now developed a liking to the Critical Care and he takes the initiative when it's time to feed him. He will bite the syringe and I squirt some in his mouth, he chews it, and then comes back for more. It takes two minutes to feed him now instead of ten. He's also been cleaning up his Cavy Cuisine pellets (I measure out 1/8 cup a day), so I've cut down the Critical Care feedings to just feeding twice a day, 1 teaspoon each time. Just a little extra nutrition.

He is eating hay, but not voraciously. Picks out the best pieces! But he is eating it. He gets cilantro, bell pepper, mixed greens, and one baby carrot. I space the veggies out through the day because I've noticed that eating veggies stimulates him to eat his pellets and hay.

After I feed him his Critical Care on the table, I give him a veggie treat--usually some bell pepper, to occupy him while I check over his skin. Today was the first day that he actually made excited wheeks when he heard me get out the veggies! He's been very quiet this whole time, so I was happy to hear him finally make some happy piggy noises! He just seems more content overall, less miserable.

Almost all of his scabs on his shoulders (damage from scratching) have fallen off and have nice pink healthy skin underneath. I have been dabbing on a natural ointment called "Buddy Boo Boo" lotion, that has aloe vera, tea tree oil, vit E, etc. It works very well and usually one day after application onto a scab, it falls off.

What's left of his coat is shinier, but the skin over his haunches and belly is still dry and flakey. However, his skin is no longer red and angry looking. You can tell that the general level of inflammation has calmed down. I think his ears still itch him (they were yeasty), but I have not seen him have any fits today. I purchased some products from Gorgeous Guineas to help with his dry fungal skin after he is finished being treated for mites, so I will let you guys know how that helps.

After it's been one week, I'll take new photos.

[Peggysu]

How sweet. I'm so happy to hear he is doing better. He's so cute. You'll love the the Gorgeous Guineas, it's a great product worth every penny.

[BlueFoxSpringer]

Gandalf is such a cute little pig, I think his name fits him perfectly. Its good to know that he is feeling better. I can't wait to see photos when he is fully recovered, he's going to be a very handsome piggy!

[RosiesMama]

I read this story last night and can't stop thinking about it. Thank you for rescuing the little fella. I hope he's doing better, and I'm anxiously awaiting the update photos.