It sounds as though Scooter is making progress, albeit in small increments. I suspect that once he is off antibiotics, his interest in food will return.Originally Posted by Guinea Pig Papa
You must be an 'expert' at Critical Care feedings by now! It can't be easy with having both boys to feed and the way it probably disrupts your wake/sleep cycle. Hang in there and keep us posted.
Expert? It's unbelievably hard. So glad there are two of us to do it. It takes roughly 60-90 minutes to feed both pigs, depending on how well they take the CC. Every four hours. My wife takes the 2am feedings because I can't drive on too little sleep, and I take the 10pm feeding and 6am feeding. So I get roughly 6 hours of sleep a night and I rarely sleep through. The feedings during the day either of us will do depending on whether or not I'm busy on calls. This week I have been.
All I want is my boys to be well and happy again, and I'll do everything I can to make it happen :D
@Guinea Pig Papa I am so sorry to hear how much your little guy has been going through. I have been keeping him in my thoughts and prayers. You are such an amazing pet owner and Scooter is so lucky that he has someone who cares so much for him.
Keep that fighting spirit Scooter and feel the good wishes that are coming to you from all of the forum members throughout the world.
Thank you @Kelsie, we will take all the help we can get.
They're both just such amazing little guys. They deserve no less than everything I can do.
Scooter has since come out AGAIN begging for a treat this morning. The third time I came back upstairs, I brought a cucumber slice and he came to the bars again. Handed him the cucumber slice which was cut in half, and he sniffed and sniffed, but seemed unable to try it out. He looked at me, turned around and went back to bed. Heartbreaking.
I just hope coming off the antibiotics in a few days will change things for the better.
I hope he continues to improve! 🤞
The very best wishes to all of you, from all of us!!!
Update for Scooter:
I thought Scooter was improving. I really did. His demeanor has improved tremendously over the last few days.
He's finished his antibiotics yesterday, and also had his last dose of metacam. Today I went to syringe him water and Critical Care as he still isn't eating enough on his own........
And he started ok with the Critical Care. He never really took it well so no surprise when he spits some out. A few mouthfuls went well and gave him some water.....and all of a sudden he started twisting his head violently to the left, and walking in circles. Just a little the first time, then I tried to give him some food and he went berserk. Twisting to the left, going in circles and the more I tried to calm him the louder he cried, as if he was in pain and terrified. I stopped with the food and just tried to give him little bits of water, but hes not really come around.
I put him back in his cage, and he ran straight to the cozy and stayed there. What the hell happened? Anyone have ANY idea?
I am completely lost, and very scared for him right now.
The hits just keep on coming, don't they? I'm so sorry this is happening to you........and Scooter.
By the way you describe his behavior, it sounds as though he may have had a seizure or other neurological event. My Chester had a couple of seizures and the behavior sounds similar. Keep a camera handy and video it should it happen again. That way you can show it to his Vet. Unless the Vet (Dr. Ker?) can witness the event, it will be difficult to accurately diagnose it.
Thank you, @spy9doc.
I did video record it and showed it to the vet tech when I dropped him off this morning. It wasn't a seizure, he was reacting to the food being put in his mouth. The first couple mouthfuls went okay, but when is mouth started to get full something inside his mouth caused him pain. I gave him some metacam, and tried to feed him again about an hour and a half later. He was quite a bit better, but still turning his head down and to the left and now waving his paws in front of his face again.
I'm positive now that whatever problem he has is in his mouth, and they just haven't found it
Well, so much for an educated guess! I should have listened to my instincts in that when they have a seizure, they may lose body tone and then be more groggy and sleepy afterward vs. the increased agitation that he presented with. Hopefully, he will be accurately diagnosed and treated appropriately.......soon.
@spy9doc , I always, ALWAYS value your opinion. In reading back I wasn't very clear about why he did what he did. He was just fine until I squirted the water in, and he acted like I shoved a lit match in his mouth. It was the same with the food.
He was better after he had metacam, but still a similar reaction. Something hit a nerve there.
Update for Scooter:
After a day at the vets, we have some answers!
Initially upon looking in Scooter's mouth, Dr Ker couldn't see any problems with his molars, or anything else. Fast forward to this afternoon while prepping him for xrays, and Dr Ker decided to take a closer look while he was out.
Bingo! Molars were overgrown, enough that they were causing him pain. Little spikes stabbing his tongue, likely from eating almost nothing but Critical Care for the last month. They've been trimmed down and even tonight syringing him water, I can tell his mouth is more clear and much more obstacle free than it was.
Problem number 2
Scooter has some sort of mass or inflammation in his left ear canal. Down deep in where it can't be seen, and it can't even be felt from the outside because Scooter is so, well, thick. We have been ordered special drops for this that should do the trick and they should be here Friday.
Going to include the radiograph here from Scooter, which shows his left ear canal. I can't read xrays worth a damn and even I can see something going on there.
The lump is PRECISELY where he was turning his head this morning, down and to the left. I obviously did something to aggravate it and hurt my poor little man.
Aww, man! Poor little guy! I'm glad that getting his molars trimmed seems to be helping, and I hope the ear medicine gets that inflammation cleared up quickly. Hang in there Scooter! Your daddy loves you very much, and there's so many of us out here rooting for you!
After a few days of improvements, there is a new development tonight.
We were told by the vet to stop the antibiotics for both pigs. Scooter had his last dose of Sulfatrim Friday morning at 6am. The drops for his ear came in, they are Baytril mixed with silver somethingorother and he got his first drops this morning.
Scooter was only fed two syringe feedings of Critical Care yesterday, and he has never had the original anise Critical care before, yesterday being the first time. Dr Ker wanted both pigs fed little Critical Care to see if their appetites would return being off the antibiotics. Both Scooter and Punkin enjoyed their nighttime veggies last night for the first time in awhile.
Fast forward to today. Scooters weight remained unchanged from yesterday morning, so I took this as a good sign. He has been brighter and more active today, and even begging and wheeking for treats, a most welcome change. Not eating much in the way of pellets or hay, but a little.
Tonight, about 8 o'clock I picked him up to check on him. I found liquid diarrhea on his bedding, and all down the front of my shirt. I put him down on a towel, gave him some probiotics and gave him a syringe and half full of apple banana critical care which he ate amazingly well. He had more liquid diarrhea on the towel, and again on my shirt. It stunk badly.
After feeding, we gave him a butt bath and cleaned him all up as best we could. I separated him from his brother which they were NOT happy about. I have given him hay, water and pellets which he ate a little of. Since the butt bath, no further diarrhea but also no poop.
This is a new one on me, and everything I have read says this is critical. I have nowhere to take him until Tuesday. Does anyone have any advice other than what I've done already? He is not lethargic, and does not even seem ill other than the diarrhea. For a bit there, I thought he was going to try and hurdle the 14 inch high grid to go back with his brother.
By midnight, no more diarrhea had presented. I tried to go to bed and sleep a bit. Checked him at 130, no poop. Checked him again at 4am, and he had pooped and it was large and misshapen, but mostly solid. At 6am, poops are firm and almost.completely normal looking.
Good to hear!
Update for Scooter:
After Saturday nights diarrhea scare, Scooter has been settling down. He was syringe fed a few times yesterday and was observed eating a little on his own. Didn't poop all day at all, other than the almost normal ones at 6am.
He is on Baytril Otic drops in his left ear, to combat whatever that mass in his ear canal might be. Putting the drops in his ear is a two person job. I tried it twice myself, and he went ballistic. Loses his ever loving mind. I hold him now, and my wife puts the drops in. He's perfectly complacent with that.
Fast forward to today, and after several days of decline his weight has gone up 15 grams this morning. Small amount I know, but its up instead of down and I'll take that as a victory. He is now pooping and they are small and soft, but consistent.
He got no pain meds this morning. I understand that one of the side effects of metacam is upset stomach and since he didn't appear to need it this morning he got none. For the first time in weeks, I offered him a cucumber slice and he ate the entire thing. I was elated. I also offered him a baby carrot yesterday and was surprised to see him eat it all. I have also seen him eating hay and pellets today. The only syringing I have done with him today is probiotics and vitamin C. I've seen him a few times at the water bottle and he looks like he wants to drink, but he has yet to drink from it that I've seen. I'm kind of expecting that to change today.
Thank you so much for giving us the updates. I check in everyday to see how Scooter is doing. I'm so happy that he is showing improvement. These little guinea pigs just become such a part of our family and it's amazing how much we will do for them. I have friends who wonder why I love guinea pigs so much because they think that, unlike dogs and cats, gp's don't show love in return. I think they are so wrong about that. I know when my little girls run around their cage each morning and wheek their excitement they are showing me affection in their own way.
My best wishes that Scooter continues to improve. He certainly has the best caregiver that he could ever find.
So encouraging that both boys seem to be improving. Way to go, Scooter & Punkin! Sparky sends wheeks of encouragement....and a belated "happy birthday" to you both!
I also check everyday on the threads for both of your boys. Having gone through something similar, but not as drastic, as what Scooter went through this past weekend, I can understand what that must have felt like. On Sunday, my new piggy had soft mushy poop that got messy all over me and the fleece and I was starting to panic on what I can do to help her. It must have been many more times difficult with Scooter's diarrhea scare.
Glad to read that Scooter is doing much better and looking forward to improvement posts.
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