Weight Loss Gretchen - Medical Thread

Just thought I would update this thread.

Gretchen went under anesthesia last week (Dec. 2nd) so our vet could get a good look at her teeth and possibly do a blood draw. She ended up needing her molars trimmed as they were growing spurs. I was told everything went well and Gretchen was up and eating quickly after the anesthetic. I picked her up later that day and she has been pretty good every since. Our vet decided to hold off on blood work for now as she thought there was enough dental disease to account for the weight loss. She also had an xray of her mouth done to check for elongated roots but thankfully that all looked normal.

Since getting home Gretchen is doing well, she seems to be eating her usual amount of hay and veggies and is drinking less. She was on Metacam twice a day for a week and now she is down to once a day for a couple more days until she's done.

Currently her weight is stable, she's always about 770g when I weigh her (the morning before the surgery she was 720g). I know guinea pigs are slow to put on weight after it's lost but I would love for her to gain, she's quite skinny now but the vet said as long as she isn't loosing she is alright and will hopefully slowly gain. I'm supplementing her with a bit of critical care/pellet slurry mix just to make sure she's getting everything she needs. Syringe feeding is quite difficult with her though as she's a feisty little thing!

So far everything is going we'll with her though, we have an appointment in early January just to have a recheck and see how everything is going and trim her molars again in necessary. I'm hoping this isn't an ongoing issue but it probably will be. It came on quickly, I've had her for nearly 3 years and have never had an issue with her teeth. She has unlimited orchard grass and I have also bought some Timothy that I'm mixing in to encourage her to eat more hay. I'm just concerned about her well being, I don't want her to have a life of force feeding, surgery and pain.

I personally wouldn't have blood work done on a pig if there were any way at all to avoid it. The stick to the jugular is dangerous, and that's the most common (sometimes the only) way to take blood for a pig.

Fresh grass can help to put weight on her, and it would be good for her teeth as well.

Perhaps she's actually a senior? I know when people surrender their guinea pigs they tend to just guess at the age, or even in some cases say they are younger than they really are. Some senior guinea pigs will lose weight and muscle especially along the topline and kind of stay that way for the rest of their lives.

Thanks for the input. Yes, blood work was the last option to potentially check her out for hyperthyroidism and such. Our vet didn't want to do it unless absolutely necessary. It's been put on the back burner for now unless she still is having weight loss issues despite eating enough.

So far it seems like the issue was solely her teeth as her weight has been relatively stable every day I've weighed her since the trim.

@foggycreekcavy is there a particular type of grass seed you could recommend that I could grow indoors? I know people grow wheat grass for pigs, my only issue is it's winter here and finding seeds could be a challenge. In the summer I usually give them some grass from my backyard but our grass is short now and we could get a thick layer of snow at any time.

My mom has special seeds that she grows "cat grass" with for our cats. I believe the seed blend is Barley, Oats, Wheat and Rye, would that mix be acceptable? I know they are organic and pet safe.

Honestly, it's quite possible that they are older than I was told. Her and her sister were left in a box at the SPCA's front doors with a note saying the one bites. Which happens to be true, Gretchen can be very nippy when she's had enough of something. However, the vet at the SPCA guesstimated their age at 1 year and then they were there for 5 months before I adopted them. I've had them for a little under 3 years now, so they are at least 4. Her sister Margaret has a more thin back but a very full tummy, her body shape has slowly changed over the years yet her weight has remained stable. Gretchen also has gotten some gray fur around her face a little... I've always thought they could be a bit older than I suspected. Not that any of this really matters!

I just want her to be comfortable and I am hoping this isn't an ongoing issue. I'm a 4th year university student so funds are obviously tight. I put money away to prepare as much as I can and I am incredibly grateful that i have parents that financially assist me if they need veterinary work but I don't have unlimited funds. Her cagemate also has recurring bladder issues and is prone to sludge so last week I had to take Margaret for X-rays, antibiotics, pain meds and fluids plus have Gretchens teeth trimmed... it was over a $700 dollar trip! On top of all this I have final exams this week and next. When it rains it pours!

Oh well, these ladies are my babies and they help me through many late night study sessions, I just want her to be comfortable.

Yes, your mom's blend would be fine. If you can find wheat grass at the store that works--the natural food stores around here sell wheat grass in flats or small containers. You can cut it and let it grow about three times before you'll want to throw it out and start fresh.

Some pet stores (which I hate to use, but occasionally have to for things like crickets) sell cat grass.