Not eating! (Still)

[kajed]

We've had all sorts of problems with our little Hamlet (a 4.5 year old 'skinny' pig). For the past 2.5 weeks he has not been eating properly. Numerous vet visits have resulted in nothing but some tooth trimming (front and back now) and some antibiotics for minor infections.

We're not sure why he isn't eating as he has a healthy appetite, but when he tries to eat he just can't put back much.

Just tonight while trying to feed him some very thinly sliced baby carrots he gave up after a short chew and spat it out. On the carrot was a bunch of green (likely from eating hay earlier in the day). My understanding is that they do not keep food in their mouths or cheeks, so this struck me as very odd.

He just had his molars trimmed (they were rough and a little overgrown they said) on monday (now tuesday). I'm not sure what else would cause food to stick around there. My best guess is that he's not able to chew, it's like trying to eat something when your teeth are covered in sugar.

We're really at a loss on what else to do. Ham is our first cavy and I love him dearly, seeing him sick like this is very difficult. I'm still feeding him from a syringe every day to make sure he doesn't starve, but obviously we can't keep this up. Our GP vet has told us that basically they've done all they can and if he doesn't start eating soon our only other course of action would be to take them to an exotic specialist, although I'm not sure what else they could do either.

Any help, tips, ideas are very welcome.

[abbypig]

I feel for you, it's incredibly upsetting when piggies get sick, I've been through it myself and the worry really does make you sick to the stomach.

Is there a chance he's not swallowing properly so food is sticking in his throat? This would make him unwilling to eat. Maybe try syringe feeding water before you give him food to help moisten anything already in there? It could help him swallow and helped when I had a pig with a bad throat.

A short term solution we have used is baby food, as it's very low in salt. However if he doesn't start eating properly soon it's not a long term solution as it just isn't formulated for them and doesn't work well with their systems.

[kajed]

I have been giving him his own pellets mashed up mostly, although I do have a pouch of 'critical care' from the vet. He hated it when I first gave it to him, although he's not fighting SO bad any more, likely because he knows I'm trying to keep him going.

I've noticed while feeding that his right cheek gets filled with food, and not the left. When we first had a look at it at the vet we thought it might be an abscess, but with a gentle but firm pressure the 'swelling' goes down only to be replaced with the next mouthful.

He still isn't able to bite down on hard foods like carrots or really snip anything off, we still need to cut things very small. His current favorite food is strawberries, but I know that those in the long run will only do him harm as they aren't hard and won't keep his teeth down. They're very long as it is, despite being trimmed only 1.5 weeks ago.

I wonder if the food sticking in his jaw like that is a sign of something else serious happening. The vet did mention that the spot under his jaw (at the front) which you would expect to be soft like a human (behind the chin) is hard. Of course he isn't a cavy expert, and does say that on a usual piggy you can't really check there anyways cause it's hairy.

Thankfully he's still happy and cuddly, just a lot more tired cause he can't eat as much. He has of course lost a fair amount of weight, but we're doing our best to keep it up.

Sorry for such long posts, as it's been weeks and nothing has really changed I figured reaching out to those who have had them much longer then we may have more to say than a GP vet.

[abbypig]

I can see why your vet is flummoxed, it's not something I've come across personally so I can't give much advice. I can say however, when one of my pigs had an abscess in her throat last December, it didn't stop her eating at all.

As awful as it is to say, could it be that he's just getting old and not functioning as well as he once did? Just as with humans, a lot can go wrong in a pig for no apparent reason.

[twistedsymphony]

all I can suggest is take him to a different vet, you never know maybe the next one will have a better Idea.

My sympathy's x

[missjean]

I'd certainly call around to locate a vet that specializes with "pocket pets". Your current vet could be missing something because they aren't as well versed with cavies.

I can't help but notice your reasoning for not giving strawberries is because it doesn't wear down the teeth much. This kind of confused me. As far as I know the only reason fruits aren't given but once a week in small portions is because they are high in sugar and can lead to diabetes. As for wearing down the teeth, the type of veggies for this purpose are not a concern. Your guinea pig's teeth are worn down by hay.Are you not proving this for him?

Also, does he have a partner guinea with him?

[kajed]

He does not and has never had a partner. That being said he is extremely social with us and we spent inordinate amounts of time with him, on par with what you might normally spend with a dog. That being said I know there are benefits to having friends living with them, but it wasn't on our minds when we first bought him, and he's never had a problem with it since he was just a baby.

He always has fresh hay, but because he isn't eating even 1/10th of what he normally would I worry about his teeth getting longer. Hi usual diet was about 3 hay balls full of hay a day, 3-6 baby carrots and a few leafy romaine pieces. These days it's more like 12-25ml of either crushed pellets, 1-2 strawberries, whatever hay he manages to get in (he's getting a bit better with it).

I had never even considered the diabetic reasoning for fruits, usually they're a bit of a treat for him, but as it's the only thing he has a major appetite for right now (and the only thing he can sink his teeth in to) I figure it's better to have him eating something than starving.

As to getting old, we realize 4.5 IS getting up there in piggy years, but since the amount he was eating changed almost overnight I kinda ruled that out. If it had been more gradual I would tend to agree.

My wife loves him, but I'm definitely the more attached one. The vet bills are quite high as it is, but I believe there is a more specialized one here I may look in to if things don't improve in the next week. Given some of the recovery periods I've read around these forums it may take him that long to bounce back even if his teeth were the problem (and have been fixed).

[Kayleigh]

Hmmm its a tough one, He may still have tender teeth from them being trimmed so I would carry on syringe feeding for a few days to see if he perks up, You could try leaving some mulshed up pellet food in his cage to see if attemps to eat this. Its really difficult to assume what else could be wrong without seeing him in person (obviously not possible) Has he lost alot of weight? You could try using oats to help him put a little weight on as they are high in fats.

I would also suggest seeking a second opinion from a different vet perhaps someone with more of a guinea pig background.

4 and a half years old really isnt that old, so i would also rule out old age. It could be diabetes or another related illness but again this shouldnt really stop him eating.

Keep us up to date on his progress

Kayleigh

[kajed]

Just a short update.

He is doing a little better now. Eating hay and some small baby carrots on his own. He's still not quite back to his former self, but I do think he's on the road to recovery. THe problem of food being stuck in his cheek seem to have subsided at least.

He's hungry for romaine again, which is fantastic!

[zoeae]

sorry to hear about his troubles, but glad to hear he is on the road to recovery.

[Kayleigh]

Thats great news.

Kayleigh

[Orlaith]

I hope he continues to recover