General Unsure about this!!

[Mimi59]

I went to get my 3 year old piggie, Honey this morning. As I was getting her she had this moist feeling right below her mouth like she just drunk water. But then I got a napkin and wiped it off it's a yellowish light green color! She is shedding more than usual and I can tell by her eye she looks down. The food I gave her last night which was some parsley and cubes of an apple she didn't even touch. I am wondering if anyone has gone through this before!! I am nervous and worried to the MAX! Please helpp!

 

[lissie]

Sounds like she is sick. Please take her to the vet.

 

[bpatters]

Your pig needs to go the vet ASAP. And you need to be handfeeding her right now -- a pig can die with only 12 hours without food. See www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html for instructions on how to do it. You can grind up her pellets in a blender to make a slurry to give her. If you don't have the syringes, go to a pharmacy and tell them you need syringes without needles to feed a guinea pig with -- they'll likely sell them to you. Post back here if you can't get her to take the food.

 

[Mimi59]

Heading to the vet right now. Ill write back after the visit.

 

[Hhbean]

Hoping everything is going good at the vets! Sending piggy kisses to Honey!

 

[kitgal421]

I hope everything goes well at the vet! That is such a scary situation. Sending positive thoughts and big hugs to you and Honey!

 

[PassionPiggies]

I hope everything is okay! Let us know what happened.

If she was eating, not shedding, not looking sick I would have said it was just from greens - the greens (lettuce, parsley, etc) actually can turn the piggie's chin green when they eat them, and then yellow-green as it wears off. But I guess that's not the case.

Sending positive thoughts for your piggie.

 

[Mimi59]

Thank you everyone for all your kind comments I do appreciate them so very much!

I just got home, and the doc said she is actually a HE! I swear I checked also and thought my piggie was female but nope the doc showed me and proved she is actually a he. That was a BIG surprise!! My family decides to call heee Remy which is just so shocking still to me! Well back to the visit Dr. Jackson who is well experienced with piggys said her mouth, teeth, ear, all the above were healthy as can be! But She is very positive there is something stuck in her digestive track making my piggy have a moist mouth. The green stuff went away (that was him trying to eat some hay) and now her mouth and chin area are just SUPER moist leaving his chest wet. So the doc gave me a oxbow hay powder I just add water and feed him by a syringe so he can have nutrients in him. and also she sent me home with a medicine hoping to clear the digestive system. I have an appointment next week to make everything is fine. So please have fingers crossed this medication will be the solution!

_ I'm having a bit of a hard time feeding my piggy with the syringe. Any ideas to make this easier?

 

[lissie]

You can cut the tip of the syringe. Read through the hand feedling link bpatters posted.
https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

Is the Oxbow hay powder called Oxbow Critical Care? There are tips on the hand feeding link to make it taste better.

Did the vet check the molars?

 

[bpatters]

Do read that link that Lissie and I posted. Here's the most important part, but you should read it all. Make sure you have enough 1 ml syringes so that you can give several at a time without having to stop to refill.

stick the syringe into the side of the mouth directly behind the front teeth, and work it down to the back teeth until the pig starts grinding on the end of the syringe. Then ... slowly depress the syringe contents into the mouth, stopping if the pig stops chewing. As long as there is chewing motion - the pig is swallowing. A little wiggle of the syringe will often get the chewing motion to start up again if it's stopped.

 

[Kieri]

i'm glad you were able to take your piggy to the vet! however i am curious... three years and you never noticed balls on your pig?!

 

[Mimi59]

Kieri- Too funny! I actually adopted now him in Sept. I guess with all the hair he has I couldn't tell. The Humane Society told me it was a female. Such lies!

everyone Thank you for the instructions the doc didn't even show me. Vets are always in a rush! But will do as of now! Thank you again.

 

[Mimi59]

Lissie- Yes! It is the oxbow critter care mix. She checked all around the mouth and absolutely found nothing. Her first thought was that but it actually led to her digestive track. I do have some toys in the cage maybe a piece went in wrong? I have to feed him 6 times a day with the mix and give him Metoclopramide 3x a day for 5 days. I am feeding him again as of now and he is looking a bit more alert but seems very tired.

 

[Kieri]

i see! that's hilarious. i had a similar incident with a hamster i used to own. we called her mr. nib nibs. we got another hamster that was actually male, which led to our discover that mr. nib nibs was in fact a mrs. nib nibs.

 

[Mimi59]

Do read that link that Lissie and I posted. Here's the most important part, but you should read it all. Make sure you have enough 1 ml syringes so that you can give several at a time without having to stop to refill.

I am feeding him and followed the directions on how to old a GP correctly. I am doing this and it is working but when I finished I looked in his mouth and the food is right there behind his teeth? Am I doing something wrong? He is chewing but that bit doesnt go down?

 

[bpatters]

Guinea pigs usually have a lot of leftover food in their mouths. How much of the critter care were you able to get down him?

 

[foggycreekcavy]

To do a thorough exam of the teeth, a pig needs to be anesthetized.

Keep feeding him--eventually he'll swallow it. You could dilute the mix with more water to make it easier to swallow.

Is he interested in any vegetables or greens at all? Can you get some grass for him?

 

[Mimi59]

Bpatters- I am giving him the mix through the syringe just like the one shown on Lissie's link. I followed the directions on how to hold a GP when giving medicine and that helped a lot. I mean the vet just said to get two full tablespoons of the mix mix it with water and feed 4-6 times a day. I was such in a hurry to get home and do this the doc never told me how much exactly to give him. So far I gave him 2 full syringes from 3'0 clock. If this is a mistake please correct me.


Foggycreek-Hmm.The vet didn't even mention a teeth exam? But she recommended an xray of the overall body which came out to 300. But somehow I made the price go down and the vet just sent me home with meds and the nutrient powder. I have a follow up next Tues. I actually did try and he took some hay but then went back to a ball position. i am looking at his eyes and since early this afternoon it looks like a bit of improvement. I actually had a carrot toy with some sort of rough fabric in the inside made for GP's and thinking that got stuck in his digestive track. I'll keep updating on his progress.

 

[bpatters]

There's no way to know whether he's getting enough without knowing how large the syringes are. The recommendations are for 50-60 cc per day, so if you split that up into four feedings, that's 12-15 ml at a time. If you're only using 1 ml syringes, he's not getting nearly enough. If you're using 3 ml syringes, he's getting only about half what he needs.

I'd feed him as much as he'll take, and insist on more if he's not getting the needed amount. Whatever problems guinea pigs have can be multiplied many times by either their refusal or their inability to eat. Their gut goes into stasis, gas builds up and they get bloated, and then you've got a real emergency on your hands. He may not like being fed, but better for him to complain than to develop another, more serious problem.

 

[Mimi59]

I have two different syringes. I have a 12 ML one and a 1ML one. I will measure it in the 12ML one but give it through the 1 ML which is so much easier for him to eat Since the 12ML nob is HUGE!.
Actually he has a bit of his appetite back he is actually eating the mix just fine wanting more. and seems to be walking more but he still has a wet chin. Thank so much for clarifying this!