Behavior Please help

[Patches_puddles]

I have two guinea pigs, patches and puddles. They’re both over five. A couple months ago I noticed patches had a protruding stomach and she was extremely skinny. We took her to the vet, which keep in mind I don’t have s lot of exotic vets around here. Nobody knew, I ended up just spending hundreds of dollars to not be told anything. She had a bladder stone, but oddly enough it was towards her bum as she had almost passed it. The vet was able to get it out without surgery. After the bladder stone was taken out, she gained some weight back. I’m getting ready to move in a week and I found an amazing vet near the new location. Except, starting yesterday, she was eating in the morning and then just immediacy stopped. Wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t interact. Was being extremely weird. Rushed her to the emergency vet two hours away and they gave me some pain meds, gave her some fluids and some critical care. She won’t eat the critical care, she will a little but she won’t even chew it or swallow it really. I gave her some pain meds earlier but she’ll sit in her cage and just stare at a wall or sit there and notmove for hours until it’s time for her to get fed again. My other piggy is so curious about her and goes up to her like “hey what’s wrong?” It makes me extremely sad and doubtful she’ll get through this. We are on a tight budget so the only thing they could do for us were the critical care and pain meds. I would love to take her to the vet I found where I’m moving but it’s near impossible plus it’s a week away. Someone please help me or give advice. Please no hate or rude comments, I’m already hurting pretty bad, expecting to lose her. Not to mention she’s been wheezing? A little bit today I think.

 

[bpatters]

If she's wheezing, it's likely that she has a respiratory infection, and there's not really anything we can do for that. You'd have to see a vet for antibiotics.

The best thing you can do for her is to feed her. It's called force feeding for a reason -- you'll have to force her to eat it, she'll hate it, you'll think you're killing her, but in reality you may be saving her life. Guinea pigs constantly secrete stomach acid, unlike we humans who only secrete it when we're hungry. But that means they have to have food moving through their gut at all times, or the acid will eat painful, even fatal, stomach ulcers and/or GI stasis and bloat. If she's eating nothing else, she needs 100 cc of Critical Care for every kilogram she weighs, every day, broken up into 6-8 feedings around the clock. Adjust up or down according to her weight, and down if she's eating anything at all on her own.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/115000-Handfeeding-a-guinea-pig for help on how to do it.

 

[Patches_puddles]

Update: she’s gone. She passed away about thirty minutes ago. We’ve tried everything we could for her. I was force feeding her and she did eat it for a while. This last time right before she passed, she wouldn’t even swallow, I couldn’t just keep filling her mouth with the critical care. I tried my absolute best. She didn’t start wheezing until an hour before she passed. Thank you for replying and giving me advice. I greatly appreciate it. I’d just like to think she’s happy in piggy heaven and no longer in pain.

 

[spy9doc]

From your description, she likely had pneumonia........and pneumonia is often deadly for cavies. My Maya developed pneumonia, was rushed to the Vet, and died before the antibiotics could help her. We often emphasize how fragile a cavy's respiratory system can be and unfortunately both you and I have experienced it first hand.

I'm sorry that both you and Patches had to go through this. Puddles is going to need some extra attention with the loss of her BFF.

Fly free over the Rainbow Bridge, Patches!

 

[bpatters]

I'm very sorry you lost her. And it's even more sad that you were going to be near good vet care in only a few more days. I think it's especially hard when you're not sure the vet was doing the right thing.

 

[Kimmotion7]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Patches is in a better place now over the rainbow bridge and not suffering anymore. You did the best you could and gave her the best of care. She was lucky to have you.

 

[CavyMama]

Really sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, once they can no longer swallow, there isn't much that can be done. Their bodies are shutting down at that point. You did everything you could but sometimes, these things happen.