Sick Lethargic pig with red crusty eyes and head tilted to left? Is the vet right?

onyx2011 · May 23, 2018

Hello! So, i was gone on vacation for 5 days with my mom. The rest of my family was home and *forgot* to clean Gizmo's cage. When i got back from a 13 hour road trip, i was honestly a zombie for a week, and just fed and watered my animals instead of giving actual attention. Then, on Saturday, i tried to call Gizmo over, but he refused to come out of his hide. I figured he was probably just tired since it was a rainy day and all my other animals were being lazy. On sunday, i realize his food bowl was still full and picked him up, noticing his crusty red eyes immediately. His head also drooped horribly to the left. I suspected a respiratory infection, and mom took him to the vet the next day. The vet cleaned his ears, pulling out plenty of gunk, and prescribed eye drops. Today, Wednesday, Hes doing better, but I'm still worried that the vet missed something. Gizmo's been grazing but he doesnt eat with the same enthusiasm as im used to. Theres also this weird growth on his neck right under his lip. I gave him a bath in hopes that the crusty fur would clear up and the mystery item would fall off but neither has happened. Is Gizmo going to be alright? Or is his improvements a deception?

Guinea Pig Papa · May 23, 2018

Did the vet also prescribe oral antibiotics? Did he say what the problem likely was? Any improvement is a good improvement, but I think a follow up with the vet might be in order especially if no antibiotics were prescribed. It WILL take some time for him to get well. The growth underneath his neck worries me. That alone would be worth another check, as it could be an abscess.

onyx2011 · May 23, 2018

No the vet did not prescribe oral medicine and claimed it was an ear infection. But i dont understand how an ear infection could cause his eye problems. Whats an abscess for cavy? Isnt that just a pimple? When should a follow up exam be? I have a job interview on friday so hopefully i can finally treat my animals without having to beg my parents

bpatters · May 23, 2018

What does the growth under his lip look like? Look at the pictures here and see if they're anything like your pig's sore: https://www.guinealynx.info/cheilitis.html. If it doesn't look like that, then can you post a pictures?

We can't tell you whether your pig is going to be ok. We hope so, as I'm sure you do. But if you're not satisfied with the treatment, you need to make sure to see an exotic vet, not just a small animal vet. Small animal vets treat dogs and cats, and get very little education in the care of exotics.

Guinea Pig Papa · May 23, 2018

Drops may help, but oral antibiotics are the best solution for an ear infection for a pig. My oldest boar is currently undergoing treatment for exactly that. He was rushed in two weeks ago, the symptoms were very sudden, and an injection of antibiotics literally made a visible difference overnight. Slys infection was very early stage so you likely wouldn't experience that kind of turnaround, but within 48 hours he was almost his old self again.

That said, I would follow up with an exotics vet for your boy ASAP. That abscess (If that's what it is) won't help his recovery.

onyx2011 · May 24, 2018

Alright so here's the situation right now:
My mom is guilty about the whole thing and handling the medicine for the most part. I did his night time medication and it turns out he was prescribed oral antibiotics! Oraflaxcin? He gets a dose(0.7 ml) of that twice a day and eye drops twice a day. His eyes look better and he's eating, but it's still not like... the insane dedicated eating I'm used to. Is this normal for sick pigs? He just seems really out of it and I feel bad for him... I've had him for over 2 years and he's always been an independent spirit, jumping out of my hands when he's a couple inches from the floor of his cage. He tried that tonight after I treated him and fell over on his side before I helped him up, poor dude. I checked out the link provided above on what you guys believe his weird neck thing is, but that doesn't quite look like it. I dont really know how to describe it, and he won't let me inspect it or take pictures. It's more like a singular spike of growth, kinda like a really long singular skin tag?

onyx2011 · May 24, 2018

Also, there is absolutely no exotic vets in my area. They all live over an hour away, and my dad already yelled at mom and I for spending $120 dollars on urgent care visit and the initial medications.

bpatters · May 24, 2018

The antibiotics will definitely adversely affect his appetite. He MUST continue eating, however, even if you have to hand feed him. Keep an eye on him to see if he is eating, and weigh him daily for a while, preferably first thing in the morning before breakfast.

I'm sorry your father feels that way. Medical care is just as much a part of responsible pig ownership as food, water and housing. Are you old enough to earn the money for his vet care? He depends on you for everything.

Can you take a picture of the growth and post it?

onyx2011 · May 26, 2018

How do you weigh a guinea pig when they're so small? I know he's lost some weight, as his fur is baggier. With the oral antibiotics affecting his appetite, what is a safe weight loss in this situation? He has been grazing,so he's still hungry. I just did a job interview yesterday, and I'll find out next week if i got it.

Guinea Pig Papa · May 26, 2018

onyx2011 said:
How do you weigh a guinea pig when they're so small? I know he's lost some weight, as his fur is baggier. With the oral antibiotics affecting his appetite, what is a safe weight loss in this situation? He has been grazing,so he's still hungry. I just did a job interview yesterday, and I'll find out next week if i got it.

A digital kitchen scale is best. A tupperware type container, obviously big enough for the pig with room to grow and sides high enough to contain them is ideal. The antibiotics WILL affect his appetite, so you will definitely need to supplement him because he more than likely won't eat enough, even if he appears hungry.

If he's losing weight, you need to help him with food. 28 grams fluctuation is ok, 56 grams needs to be monitored. Any more than that I would personally consider unacceptable.

onyx2011 · May 28, 2018

The growth has vanished. Gizmo is more lively when I'm trying to feed him his medicine, so I guess that's a good thing? Is that fluctuation per day, I presume? Thanks

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Sick Lethargic pig with red crusty eyes and head tilted to left? Is the vet right?

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