Diarrhea saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick

[jewels03]

I went to a reptile expo today to look for roaches for my bearded dragon. While I was there I found one table with two lethargic and skinny guinea pig babies they were selling for feeders. I started questioning them and asking them to relinquish the babies to me so I can get them to a vet. After a 10 minute argument and me threatening to get expo management involved they threw them in a box and told me to leave.

I got the babies home they were very quiet but seemed ok. I offered them Timothy and orchard hay and oxbow cavy performance. The bigger one is eating hay very well and picks at pellets the smaller one hasn't touched anything and now has severe diarrhea. I syringe fed her some warm sugar water with some human vitamin C crushed in.

I work at a vet clinic that sees pocket pets and I plan on taking them both in Monday morning but any other suggestions in the meantime. I haven't separated them because I want her to watch him eating and drinking. She's on a heat pad too.

 

[mufasa]

Thank you so much for saving those poor things. I don't know if you can get Critical Care to syringe feed the one who's not eating. If not, I think you can make a slurry from pellets and water, but others here who know more about that will likely post soon with more information.

 

[bpatters]

A pellet slurry would be much better than sugar. Guinea pig innards aren't engineered to handle sugar, and it can do more harm than good. Also, if you've got an all-night drugstore or grocery store pharmacy hand, go get some pedialyte and syringe her (both, really) some. If they're lethargic, they're probably dehydrated, and the additional liquid will help.

The one with diarrhea probably really needs to see a vet tonight. A small pig with diarrhea doesn't have much of a chance anyway, because they've got no physical reserves to get them through. A vet could give her a sub-q, and could teach you to do it if you don't already know how. Since you work for the clinic, is there a chance that one of the vets would meet you there to see her?

Don't give the one with diarrhea any kind of veggies. Actually, at this point, I wouldn't give either of them veggies. Once they're eating hay and pellets reliably, you can start offering veggies one at a time.

Thank you for rescuing them. Poor babies. Being eaten by a snake would have been a terrible fate.

 

[jewels03]

Thanks for your advice. Sadly she passed as we were getting ready to take her to the emergency vets. We still have the larger baby to nurse through this. He seems ok poop is good, just need him to eat.

 

[BaconAndEggs]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Whatever cruel people did that to them, I just wanna... I don't know. Thank you for rescuing them!

 

[EcthalionMCB]

Good luck with the surviver and sorry for your loss! ��

 

[bmt28]

Even though baby 2 died, she was much more comfortable, warm and at peace with your help. You provided good hospice care which even our beloved pets deserve. Nice job advocating for those pigs at the expo! We would all like to think we would do that; that takes true courage!!!

 

[pinky]

They were probably breeders, getting rid of overstock. My guess is this person sells guinea pigs for pets, too, and the next expo will also include feeders. We have a pet expo that comes once a month to the fair grounds near us. It includes guinea pigs for sale as pets and feeders. The ones that people save will be replaced by others the next time.

 

[jewels03]

Thank you all, I was really rooting for them and hoped once I got her home and in a quiet environment she would be ok. I tried and that's the best I can do.

I realize they probably just replaced them the second I walked away but I threw such a fit they gave me the babies so atleast they didn't make money off her.

Funny thing is I never intended to own guinea pigs, they just didn't seem like a pet for me but I couldn't walk away from these babies and now I'm in love. Gonna try to make my boy the happiest little piggy in the world!

 

[GuineaPigster]

At least the piggy spent his last moments with someone who cared about him.
Good luck with the other one!!

 

[jewels03]

Thank you all the other piggy seems a little better today. He is really eating his hay and drinking(a little) I did cave and give him one pieceof kale and he liked it. He actually was vocalizing quite a bit as well. He will get checked out tomorrow by my boss and than we have to decide if we want to adopt a hopefully friend or keep him a solitary pig. Right now we have been calling him Mr. Pig.

 

[bpatters]

I'm sorry you lost the pup. A small pig who's that sick realistically really doesn't stand much of a chance.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often. Kale isn't a good choice for a regular food -- too high in calcium, oxalates, and vitamin A. Bell peppers should be a staple of his diet, along with lettuce (red or green leaf is good, iceberg has no nutrients whatsoever, romaine causes excess urinary calcium in some pigs). And there are other veggies he can have.

There are two good guides for caring for guinea pigs on the main page at www.guinealynx.info -- one on general care, one on emergencies.

 

[jewels03]

I just gave him a piece of it.

 

[jewels03]

I will read up on those links thank you.

 

[mufasa]

I think you did the right thing saving those babies. You didn't give that person any money, so there was nothing in it for them other than to stop you from making a fuss. I feel so sad for you that one died, but as others have said, at least the poor little thing knew some true care at the end of its too-short life. Sending good thoughts your way that the other one makes it through and has a long, healthy life.

 

[pinky]

I agree that it's good you were able to get them without paying. I think I'd file a complaint with the organizer, though, and let them know that this person is trying to sell sick animals as feeders. I would think they'd have some sort of guidelines about the health of the animals they're showing or selling and it might stop this person from doing so in the future. I steer clear of those pet expos. I think they're often worse than what you see in pet stores.

 

[jewels03]

https://s666.photobucket.com/user/chinchillalover_2003/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150301_121337.jpg.html (<script class="js-extraPhrases" type="application/json"> { "lightbox_close": "Close", "lightbox_next": "Next", "lightbox_previous": "Previous", "lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen", "lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "lightbox_download": "Download", "lightbox_share": "Share", "lightbox_zoom": "Zoom", "lightbox_new_window": "New window", "lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar" } </script> <div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi666.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv29%2Fchinchillalover_2003%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F20150301_121337.jpg&amp;hash=f8c71f4be90a3e1007b74d36a085a29b" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1"> <img src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi666.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv29%2Fchinchillalover_2003%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F20150301_121337.jpg&amp;hash=f8c71f4be90a3e1007b74d36a085a29b" data-url="https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv29/chinchillalover_2003/Mobile%20Uploads/20150301_121337.jpg" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" title="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" width="" height="" loading="lazy" /> </div>)

That's our soul survivor, Mr.Pig.

 

[jewels03]

https://s666.photobucket.com/user/chinchillalover_2003/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150228_135500.jpg.html (<div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi666.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv29%2Fchinchillalover_2003%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F20150228_135500.jpg&amp;hash=a0e5fc546e4728c63019e65280866f05" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1"> <img src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi666.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv29%2Fchinchillalover_2003%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2F20150228_135500.jpg&amp;hash=a0e5fc546e4728c63019e65280866f05" data-url="https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv29/chinchillalover_2003/Mobile%20Uploads/20150228_135500.jpg" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" title="saved two baby guinea pigs from a reptile expo one is really sick" width="" height="" loading="lazy" /> </div>)

This was both of them yesterday right when they came home.

 

[mufasa]

Awwww, such cuties. Breaks my heart that the one didn't make it. Both so young and adorable. I know snakes have to eat, and that my dog and cats eat formerly living meat, but I could never, ever feed something alive to one of my pets.

 

[Pikachu25]

What a cutie! He looks like a little squirrel lol
Beware....guinea pigs are like potato chips, you can't have just one lol
I wish you and Mr. Pig the best.