# Guinea pig under the weather



## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hi everyone!
Wondered if any experts could advise about Gavin.
A few days ago he gradually started to become less feisty and seemed a bit depressed. 3 days ago he started eating less and less until day before yesterday he wouldn't eat at all and was very quiet, hiding in his bed.
I took him to the vet yesterday who gave him a very thorough examination (front & back teeth, felt him all over including abdomen as I was worried about bloat, listened to his heart & chest) and said on paper he is very healthy and couldn't diagnose anything specific, other than perhaps a minor infection of some sort. He had food in his mouth so vet says this is good, probably hay?
He was given the usual pain relief 24hr injection and ABs. Vet advised to carry on feeding him usual pellets and veg.
This morning there was no change, I put him outside in his outdoor hutch for fresh air all day. I'm wondering if bringing him inside has upset his routine a bit? Although he at first seemed completely undeterred.
Not sure what I'm asking really! Anyone have any advice or can advise on possible reasons for his low mood and lack of appetite? He has eaten a small amount of veg over the last 36 hours but is refusing his GP pellets which he used to love.
Thanks in advance x


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

Oh no, poor little Gavin!

Could he be lonely? Have you been in touch with any rescues to see if they have a friend for him?


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks for your reply @lea247 
He could well be lonely I guess. I suppose after a couple of months outside in his hutch and run alone and seemingly so content I thought he was OK. If anything, I hoped bringing him indoors would enrich his life even more with lots more company and interaction (me and the cats).
I always planned to get him a friend, was hoping to do this in the Spring but if he doesn't pick up I'm totally prepared to bring this forward if it's what is required to make him happy.
On a positive note, he seems a little brighter tonight and has eaten some basil and cucumber :Happy


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

Oh ours used to love basil! Mint too!

How often is he used to going outside? Just thinking if hesh used to going out say every day and hasn't been doing because of the weather then that could possibly be it.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Yes he was out in his run on the grass most days up until recently. He does love it out there! But it's simply been too cold or too dark to put him out all day Monday - Friday as I work


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

Then I'd look at getting him a friend sooner rather than later


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## ewelsh (Jan 26, 2011)

My boys were happy indoors outdoors as long as they were together, I think he needs someone to snuggle with.

When I lost Boris, Dylan was very depressed, so I plonked his cage in the kitchen with us all, he loved being involved, all the comings and going, no more silence!

If your reluctant to have another boar maybe have him where he can be more involved and give him clean grass to eat x


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

A guinea pig that hides in his bed all day and doesn't eat is very worrying and I don't think being on his own would make him behave this way. Did the vet check his teeth? If the teeth get overgrown they can trap the tongue so the guinea pig can't eat. Often the back teeth can be overgrown and vets do not see it, I have personal experience of this and it wasn't until I took the guinea pig to a specialist vet that they diagnosed it. To examine the teeth properly vets need to use a special tool as the inside cheeks can hide the teeth and tongue.

Sorry, have just re-read and seen that the vet did check the teeth. Did they use the tool or just open the mouth to look?


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

ewelsh said:


> My boys were happy indoors outdoors as long as they were together, I think he needs someone to snuggle with.
> 
> When I lost Boris, Dylan was very depressed, so I plonked his cage in the kitchen with us all, he loved being involved, all the comings and going, no more silence!
> 
> If your reluctant to have another boar maybe have him where he can be more involved and give him clean grass to eat x


Thanks hun. Gav's indoor cage is in the kitchen and to begin with he seemed to enjoy interacting with me and the cats and was very perky. I'm happy to have another boar, will look into the bonding services I hear are available x


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> A guinea pig that hides in his bed all day and doesn't eat is very worrying and I don't think being on his own would make him behave this way. Did the vet check his teeth? If the teeth get overgrown they can trap the tongue so the guinea pig can't eat. Often the back teeth can be overgrown and vets do not see it, I have personal experience of this and it wasn't until I took the guinea pig to a specialist vet that they diagnosed it. To examine the teeth properly vets need to use a special tool as the inside cheeks can hide the teeth and tongue.
> 
> Sorry, have just re-read and seen that the vet did check the teeth. Did they use the tool or just open the mouth to look?


Thanks for your reply 
The vet took a proper look. She firstly looked at his front teeth which were fine. To check his back teeth she had to flush his mouth out because he had lots of food in there (apparently normal for a pig that is eating regularly). Used a tool to look right at the back of his mouth, no problems noted.
I'm hoping he will continue to improve, I adore him! :Happy


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Did she suggest syringe feeding at all? It's important he keeps eating. Here's a link to the Guinea pig forum which might be useful to read. I hope he picks up soon.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...e-importance-of-syringe-feeding-fibre.152928/


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Did she suggest syringe feeding at all? It's important he keeps eating. Here's a link to the Guinea pig forum which might be useful to read. I hope he picks up soon.
> 
> https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...e-importance-of-syringe-feeding-fibre.152928/


No the vet didn't mention that. I'm aware of that forum, been taking a look for a while. might take the plunge and join! Thank you x


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

Guinea pigs who do not eat can do down hill extremely quickly, I would be syringe feeding. 

How much hay is he eating?

Do you know if he has lost weight? 

A guinea pig not eating does suggest something that needs treating, is the vet you used a specific exotic vet? I ask as lots of vets have very poot knowledge of guinea pigs.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks @Vanessa131 
He is eating veg and hay, hard to tell how much hay though. It's his guinea pig pellets he isn't eating, however it appears he did eat some overnight.
He is on a course of antibiotics. 
I'll weigh him and keep a close eye. Will also look into syringe feeding.


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

I seem to remember when one of ours was poorly, my mum syringe fed him Weetabix and milk! She must have got that info from the vet, I can't remember too much as I was only about 10 at the time.


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## ewelsh (Jan 26, 2011)

That sounds positive @moggie14 xx


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

Awww Hun sorry to hear this! Poor Gav. Is he any better today? xxx


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## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

Sorry to hear about Gavin. Hope he is perking up.


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

moggie14 said:


> Thanks @Vanessa131
> He is eating veg and hay, hard to tell how much hay though. It's his guinea pig pellets he isn't eating, however it appears he did eat some overnight.
> He is on a course of antibiotics.
> I'll weigh him and keep a close eye. Will also look into syringe feeding.


Ideally his diet should be 80% hay, but when poorly if it is mainly veg thats fine, as long as be is eating. Has he perked up at all!


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hi everyone, sorry been at work all day unable to reply, but thank you to each of you for commenting and asking how Gavin is doing :Happy

There seemed little change this morning, he was still down in the dumps. I put him in his outside hutch (has a thermal cover) for the day to get some fresh air.
Brought him in on return from work at about 5.15pm tonight. Put him in his indoor cage and he seemed quite perky, bumped noses with Sam and poddled about a bit.
Then I started to get his dinner, and he properly wheeked for the first time ever :Woot I was so happy to hear that, and hoped it was because he was finally hungry and looking forward to his food. I gave him spinach, cucumber and apple along with his guinea pig pellets. Again he devoured the veg but left his pellets. I'm hopeful he may eat them overnight. Gav then took himself off to bed, probably to warm up after being outside.
So, I'm hopeful he may have turned a corner. Fingers crossed


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

He may just prefer the fruit and veg? 

Make sure you don't give him any apple pips!


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Yep defo no pips!
He adored his pellets before now, I hope now his appetite is returning he will start eating them again. But hopefully for a few days a diet of hay and veg will be OK?


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

I would've said so, as long as it's mainly hay like it should be.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

More wheeking this morning! So happy, I thought after all this time he would never do that! :Happy
Now happily eating breakfast. Although I had to get him up for it! Are piggies generally quite lazy? 
Really glad it is very mild and dry today so Gavin is going out in his run for a few hours. Hopefully the grass, fresh air and exercise will cheer him up!


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

Pellets are optional, so don’t worry if he doesn’t eat them.

Remember he should only be outside if his hutch temperature is above 15 celcius. Snufflesafes are ‘only’ £14 on zooplus at the moment. 

Was he laying down instead of coming out to eat?

Has he got any nasal discharge at all? Being lethargic can be a sign of a respiratory infection, they’re really common in piggies.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

He was asleep until he heard the food! He sleeps through all the noises in the kitchen! 
Gav is in his outdoor run on the grass. It's 13c here and he has been outside in colder weather than that. He was ecstatic to be outside again, he loves his run.
I have a feeling he may not be ill, just a bit depressed due to lack of outside time perhaps 

ETA no nasal discharge or signs of respiratory illness x


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

moggie14 said:


> He was asleep until he heard the food! He sleeps through all the noises in the kitchen!
> Gav is in his outdoor run on the grass. It's 13c here and he has been outside in colder weather than that. He was ecstatic to be outside again, he loves his run.
> I have a feeling he may not be ill, just a bit depressed due to lack of outside time perhaps
> 
> ETA no nasal discharge or signs of respiratory illness x


Really 13 is too cold, is the grass/ground completely dry? I know I sound naggy, but cold or any damp is bad for them.

Aww sleepy boy, ours are in the kitchen and sleep through any sound apart from the rustle of a bag! Greedy buggers.

They are clever (appearances can be deceiving!), so become bored easily, especially when they don't have a friend to annoy. Sometimes putting something new or moving bits around their cage is good, a nice bit of veg in a folded up loo roll tube is often a great bit of fun.

When the time comes to introduce a friend lots of places do boar dating, it's a fab way to get a good match. So you don't end up with two piggies who hate each other, they can be aggressive little monsters at times.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

The grass is completely dry and he has a tunnel and igloo in the run which he snoozes in. He is so happy to be out.
I'll try the loo roll game! I think he might get a bit bored sometimes.
I'm definitely going down the boar dating game with Gav when the time comes. I believe there is somewhere in the Bristol area that offers that service, it sounds ideal. When I asked the vet about neutering she said it's not something they generally do for guinea pigs


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

There’s no point neutering him unless he lives with girls, plus there is the trouble of then finding an exotic vet to carry it out.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Vanessa131 said:


> There's no point neutering him unless he lives with girls, plus there is the trouble of then finding an exotic vet to carry it out.


I just thought it was common, obviously not! I'm happy to find him a 'boyfriend' if it's what he needs.
Gavin is such a happy chappy today, I'm so pleased. Starting to think he was never actually ill, just missing his outdoor playtime which he loved today.
Now indoors in the warm to stay safe for bonfire night, luckily not many fireworks in the neighbourhood - probably because the local rugby club has theirs tonight.
Here are my boys altogether :Joyful :Happy


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

Are you sure Gavin is really a piggy? That tunnel should definitely be more chewed!


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

I know! He also has wooden chew toys, none of which he has ever bothered with. I'm hoping the hay will keep his teeth down!


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Updating this thread with a very heavy heart. Gavin was put to sleep this morning 
He stopped eating and drinking and was just so depressed. I tried syringe feeding him but he was having none of it. This morning I knew he wasn't going to recover on his own so took him to the vet at opening time. The vet couldn't really say exactly what was wrong without X-rays or surgery but gave his chances less than 50/50 even if we tried. She said he was in some pain and I didn't want to put him through anything without knowing he would definitely pull through it. I made the decision to send him to Rainbow Bridge and end his suffering.
I had the most wonderful 3 months with the cutest little creature who I adored and I sure hope he enjoyed his short time with me too, I did my very best for him, truly I did.
RIP The Gavster, as my work colleagues nicknamed you and loved all your photos too. I hope you are popcorning at the bridge little dude XXXXX


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

Oh I'm so sorry to here this!

You gave him the best three months any piggy would've wanted.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks so much @lea247 that means a lot to me.
I miss him terribly tonight. The house seems quiet without him which is daft as he rarely made any noise! Perhaps just emptier I suppose. Even the cats miss him, they keep sitting beside his indoor cage waiting for him to come out and say hi. I haven't got the heart or energy to remove it yet


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## Tiggers (May 27, 2014)

RIP and run free little piggie, bless you xx


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Tiggers said:


> RIP and run free little piggie, bless you xx


Thank you so much X


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## kimthecat (Aug 11, 2009)

oh no ! Im so sorry to hear this . He was such a sweetheart,


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## Matrod (Dec 22, 2014)

Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry 

Sleep easy Gavin xxx


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

kimthecat said:


> oh no ! Im so sorry to hear this . He was such a sweetheart,





Matrod said:


> Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry
> 
> Sleep easy Gavin xxx


Thank you so much. I miss him so much


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## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

Hi,
I just now popped down to this section.
Sorry to hear your news about Gavin @moggie14 
He sounded like he was enjoying life with you, you gave him a better few months before he passed on.
Xx


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Summercat said:


> Hi,
> I just now popped down to this section.
> Sorry to hear your news about Gavin @moggie14
> He sounded like he was enjoying life with you, you gave him a better few months before he passed on.
> Xx


Thank you xx


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