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Bloated Something is wrong with Chewy :(

CoffeeAddict

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Today we got Chewy a new cage mate, and when we were going to get her I noticed that he was laying on his side. He's never done it before, and I thought it was a little strange but I didn't think anything else of it. When we introduced them, he was shivering really badly. I thought he was afraid of her, but now I'm thinking it was maybe a fever or something that was causing it.

I've been avoiding the cage a lot today, trying to give the guinea pigs time to get used to each other without interfering too much, and I just walked by and noticed that Chewy looked strange. I picked him up, and while I was picking him up he screamed in pain and started flailing. I thought maybe Nibbles had hurt him, so I tried looking him over and then I realized his stomach is very hard and bigger than normal (but not enough to notice unless you're really looking).

I've given him some simethicone, and I'm working on finding an emergency vet around here right now, but if anyone has an advice it would be greatly appreciated.
 

Melissa123

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Massage his stomach as much as possible. If you have a vibrating pillow, that may help as well. He is eating and pooping?
 

CoffeeAddict

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If I touch his stomach at all he tries to bite me and he screams in pain. Even just a light touch. I really don't know for sure if he's been eating or if Nibbles has been eating all the food that is missing from the food bowls. and there's poop in the cage, but it could be from either of them. I was trying to keep away for a while, so I haven't been paying much attention to that.

I just tried calling the only emergency vet around here and they said they don't see guinea pigs and that they aren't sure of who does but that they know there isn't any around here.
 

CoffeeAddict

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Massage his stomach as much as possible. If you have a vibrating pillow, that may help as well. He is eating and pooping?

He is pooping! :)
I picked his house up out of the cage and slid him out of it into my lap to check on him (since I can't pick him up directly) and he pooped all over my lap. I don't think he's eating right now, but I don't think I would be either. He was eating fine earlier today though.
 

piggydaddy1

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Maybe something he ate is causing him to bloat up.
 

bpatters

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You can use a vibrating pillow, or even the handle of an electric toothbrush, to massage his abdomen. The simethicone should help.

Feed hay and pellets if he'll eat them, but I'd hold off on any vegetables because they may produce more gas. You'll need to syringe water to him if he isn't drinking. When a pig is bloated, the intestinal contents move through more slowly than usual, so more water gets absorbed back into the body and leaves the digesting food in a harder, dryer state that it would be otherwise. This makes it even harder for it to pass through the intestines.

Here's a thread from GL of someone who had a pig with bloat and couldn't find an emergency vet: https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58041

But if I were you, I'd find an exotic vet ASAP and get Chewy in for a check-up. If nothing else, you need some meds at home in case this ever happens again, and pigs that have had one episode of bloat are prone to having others.
 

CoffeeAddict

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You can use a vibrating pillow, or even the handle of an electric toothbrush, to massage his abdomen. The simethicone should help.

Feed hay and pellets if he'll eat them, but I'd hold off on any vegetables because they may produce more gas. You'll need to syringe water to him if he isn't drinking. When a pig is bloated, the intestinal contents move through more slowly than usual, so more water gets absorbed back into the body and leaves the digesting food in a harder, dryer state that it would be otherwise. This makes it even harder for it to pass through the intestines.

Here's a thread from GL of someone who had a pig with bloat and couldn't find an emergency vet: https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58041

But if I were you, I'd find an exotic vet ASAP and get Chewy in for a check-up. If nothing else, you need some meds at home in case this ever happens again, and pigs that have had one episode of bloat are prone to having others.

I don't have a vibrating pillow or an electric toothbrush, but I'll be sure to get one tomorrow. He's never eaten hay, and no matter how much I try he absolutely refuses. I don't think he ever had it in the home he was in previously. I was hoping with the new cage mate, he would learn that it's good stuff and he's supposed to eat it.

I just finished reading through that thread from GL, and I'm going to get him back out of his cage and try to make him drink some water. Do you think I should feed him mashed pellets since I don't know if he's been eating or not, or should I just wait for the vet visit tomorrow? I'm going to call them as soon as they open at 7am since there isn't any emergency vets around here for exotics that I can get him in to tonight.

He is pooping normally though. When I had him in my lap he pretty much covered my lap in poop, and it seemed like normal poop.
 

bpatters

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If he's pooping, that's a very good sign. You could offer him some pellets, but if he won't eat them straight, you can try making a mash for him. He does need to have food moving through at all times, as long as poop is coming out the other end. You just don't want to force feed a pig whose intestines are blocked.
 

CoffeeAddict

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If he's pooping, that's a very good sign. You could offer him some pellets, but if he won't eat them straight, you can try making a mash for him. He does need to have food moving through at all times, as long as poop is coming out the other end. You just don't want to force feed a pig whose intestines are blocked.

Okay, thank you very much. I'm going to try to get him to eat and drink a little bit, and I'll update everyone tomorrow.
 

madrae

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I spent a night up with a pig, it was a holiday and I was 2 days from seeing a vet. I caught just before full fledged bloat though... she ate, drank and pooped. But was noticeably bigger in the tummy and in painful discomfort. I read the same thread you did. I had no pillow so I spent the night with her on my lap, jiggling my leg to vibrate her. I also held her on my chest, with my hand on her bottom and gently gently shook her - like you would giggle a baby's bottom while holding upright on your chest. When she let me, I would massage her tummy.

She was 100% better a day later. But I kept her off veggies and started back up with small amounts.

I haven't had that problem since but have read often that a gassy pig could have recurrences. So I made an emergency kit - found a vibrating foot pillow with a washable cover and got some baby simethicone drops. Those are good things to have on hand.
 

CoffeeAddict

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Chewy didn't make it </3
 

madrae

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Oh I am so sorry! I woke up this morning and my first thought was to come see how Chewy was. I know you tried all you could last night, and I am so sad it ended this way. ((hugs))
 

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@CoffeeAddict, First of all please accept my deepest condolences. It sounds like you did everything in your power to help the little guy. I've had guinea pigs with bloat but this sounds different since he was pooping so I think it was probably something besides bloat; maybe a tumor or something you couldn't have done anything about. I know how bad you must be feeling right now but I have no doubt that he knew how much you loved and cared for him. There are so many, many guinea pigs out there that have never gotten that for even a single day. I still think about the ones I've lost over the years and get choked up when I think of certain ones that died suddenly but I also think about the affection I showed them and the good home I gave them. You're among friends here who understand what you're going through. I'm really sorry....
 

muddygrl

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I am so sorry :( it is so hard to lose them and even harder feeling helpless when they are sick and pass on. I hope you are doing ok. I would give your a hug if I could.
 

Rywen

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Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I know how much you did for Chewy and how close you bonded with each other. Poor little guy, RIP Chewy.
 

HugglesBubble

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I feel for you, im sorry he passed away. Sending positive thoughts to you!
 

C. Cole-Chakotay

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I'm sorry Chewy didn't make it. :(
 

veggiegirl

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Oh coffeeaddict I am so sorry to hear that chewy didn't make it, we lost one piggy in the past to bloat and it happen so fast he was gone in a few hours and didn't make it to the vet (he passed on the way there). You did so much for Chewy though, finding him, taking him to the vets for his teeth and nursing him back to health I know he would have felt lucky that he found you. All the love and care that you gave Chewy is all any piggie could ever ask for, you did your best I am just so sorry that things worked out this way :(
 

piggydaddy1

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Once again my condolences on the passing of chewy. While he's no longer here physically, I'm sure he's with you spiritually.
 
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