Will you help me and my guinea pig, please?

Question

My Guinea pig is seriously sick and my mom will not take her to the vet. I am 13 so I can't. I have begged her. I really want to help my piggy. He is very young and I don't want him to die! He is not eating much and he has gotten very skinny. He is also hopping/limping. I have seen that these are signs of being seriously ill. I know that they get sick very easily and their health deteriorates very quickly. I am upset. What should I do!

Answer 1

First of all, take a deep breath & try to think clearly. If your pig is not eating, he MUST eat & since you can't get to a vet, you'll have to help him.

I don't think he has overgrown teeth (malocclusion) because of his young age. If he has no crusty eyes, labored breathing, or snotty nose, it probably isn't upper respiratory infection. Due to his limping it could be scurvy, which is caused from a lack of Vitamin C in his diet. Do you feed him veggies? If not, he needs them. A bell pepper, some Romaine (not iceburg!) lettuce, parsley, cilantro, a piece of tomato, a slice of orange, etc. Anything he'll take right now will do him good.

Take some of his pellets & put them in a bowl. Crush them with the back of a spoon & add a little water to make a mush. It should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.

If you have a small syringe, cut the end off of it (the part where the needle goes) so the hole is big enough to draw up the pellet mush mixture. Then you will need to gently place the syringe back into his mouth where the back teeth are. GENTLY depress the plunger a bit to expel some pellet mush. Do not press hard or it will shoot out & he will inhale it. This would be very bad. See http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html for help.

If you do not have a syringe, you'll need to see if you can get him to eat it from a spoon. Also try some of the veggies I listed above to see if you can *tempt* him into eating. An orange, strawberry, or bell pepper would be good since they have a lot of Vitamin C. If you have any fresh grass outside that hasn't been treated with pesticides or fertilizer, wash it & see if he'll eat that. If the veggies & grass are wet, that will help get water into him if he's not drinking.

Get out the telephone book & find a vet. Call & explain that you're 13 & your mom isn't going to help you take him in & see if they'll give you some advice. Sometimes they will. You might have to make SEVERAL calls before you get someone willing to give you advice over the phone.

Go to http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/index.php & register as a member (its free). Post your problem in the medical/emergency section & maybe someone there will be able to give you more or better advice that I've given. The people on that forum are very knowledgable about guinea pigs.

I hope your piggie gets better.

Answer 2

Just be patient with them. It can take a while for guinea pigs to get used to people. I've had my guinea pigs for about 4 months now and they still run away from me and hide when I come into the room. If I sit still in there though, they will eventually come out and be normal. I take mine out for about half an hour to an hour for cuddles and they get an hour or more of grass time pretty much every day, so just keep doing what you're doing, but if you want to see faster improvement in their behaviour, take them out for longer periods of time and include them in your daily routine. They're called guinea PIGS for a reason! You can try to litter train them if you have the patience for that. There are many websites and YouTube videos that can show you how to do this. That might help cut down on the mess. I've just come to the conclusion that that's what they want in their cage, so just let them do it. I'll place their boxes and hideys the way I want, but the next day, they've moved them all and it's a pigsty in there. :D I don't know about windex. I use vinegar to clean my cages. It's natural and there's no chemicals in it. I also sometimes use dishwashing detergent. But whichever one I use, I make sure I rinse it off really well, just in case the piggies can get sick from it. Bedding is a personal preference with guinea pigs, I've found. I use fleece bedding and find that it works really well for me, but I know guinea pig owners that use wood shaving and CareFresh and all sorts of other stuff that they swear by. You could try Aspen shavings and see if it makes a difference in your cage. Good luck with everything!

Answer 3

Try finding out if there are any guinea pig rescues or guinea pig breeders in your area. Perhaps they can help you with your problem by providing assistance in getting your piggie to the vet. Let them know your situaton and perhaps soneone else could help you pay for it. Never underestimate the kindness of animal lovers.

Alternatively, contact a vet and ask them if they would accept a payment plan so you can pay them slowly over time with your own money if your Mom doesn't want to put out for it. It sounds as though your guinea pig is in a serious situation health-wise and it would be a shameful heartache to have him wither away without any proper medical care.

Answer 4

Oh my gosh this breaks my heart! I have 3 piggies and I love them to death! Ask another adult to take you to the vet, and pay as much attention to your pig as much as you can. I wish I could help you more, but this may be really hard. If you had noticed early signs before, you should have taken drastic action, but I understand that you don't have much time now. As for the limping, examine the pig's underside and his skin. Don't be afraid to touch him, he will fell better with your comfort. If he stants to squeal or shake don't touch him in that one area any more. I'm 15, so I know how you feel. It's normal to be upset. Okay anyway, don't force him to eat, just put out fresh vegetables to tempt him, and some food around him. (water too)Be sure to take anything out of that cage that can cause you to not see him or could hurt him. Keep a close eye on him, remember that! I wish I could help more! If you need any more info email me at [e-mail]. Best of luck sweetie! I'll pray for your guinea pig.

Answer 5

Hmm, these are the two illnesses that I could find that best fit your explanation-check out the site for more info. I would also reccommend getting ahold of a veterinarian and asking them for ideas, and of course they'll say that they "can't tell anything without seeing the animal", but just explain your situation.

1-Scurvy (Vitamin C Deficiency)

Guinea pigs bodies do not produce vitamin C and therefore must consume an adequate supply of it from fresh fruits and vegetables and meal supplements. Vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy, causing lethargy, weak and disfigured bone and teeth development, swollen joints, reluctance to move, and spontaneous bleeding from the gums. Guinea pigs that are experiencing these symptoms should be seen by a veterinarian. Scurvy can be reverse through diet changes or vitamin C injections.


2-Pneumonia

The most common bacterial diseases in pet guinea pigs is Pneumonia. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria that inhabit the respiratory tracts of guinea pigs. This disease is generally caused by stress, inadequate diet, and improper care. When a guinea pig contracts pneumonia they may experience labored or rapid breathing, fluid from eyes and nostrils, laying down, rolling, a lack of desire to eat and lethargy.

If you suspect your guinea pig has pneumonia, contact a veterinarian immediately as death can occur suddenly. Treatments include antibiotic injection and rest.

Best of luck! Possibly try bargaining with your mom, house work in exchange for paying the vet bill? It's worth a try ...

Answer 6

I can't believe that your mother would let an animal suffer like that. She is setting a very bad example, but you are smart enough to know what is best. Ask anyone for help, your grandma, a neighbor, an aunt, and don't wait, do it now. Some one will take you and piggy to the vet. You're a good girl, I hope that your piggy will be OK.

Answer 7

It could be a lot of illnesses. One big problem with most pigs is that they don't receive enough vitamin C in their diets. Get some liquid vitamin C (like they give to kids) from the drugstore. It is usually 500mg/teaspoonful. Get a 1ml eye dropper and give him 1/2 of a dropperful by mouth every day. When he is well, add 25mg/16 ounces of water daily. Your pig is showing signs of possible vitamin C deficiency. In the meantime, soak his pellets in warm water, and use a syringe to handfeed him. He really should to to the vet--your mom is responsible for his care since you are a minor. It is very irresponsible to allow an animal to suffer and be in pain and to do nothing about it. She is setting a very bad example for you.

Answer 8

look up in the phone book of a local vetrinary place or animal hospital and phone them and tell them that it is a emergency and if it is close to your house you could walk to it or if it is not close you could tell them it is a real emergency and that your guinea pig is sick and tell them to come to your house and if that doesn't work go to all of your neighbor's houses and ask if they can help or ask a close friend if they're mom or dad will take the guinea pig to a vet instead. hope this helps! Good Luck!

Answer 9

srry about your guinea pig. Try telling your mom that you will pay for the vet bill. that is usually why my parents don't want to take to take my pets to the vet. If that doesn't work try asking your neighbors, friends, dad, any other family member. good luck :)

Answer 10

Go to the pet sotre and ask the sales people, if you go to petsmart or someplace like that then they can help you, they should have some vitamins or something that you can put into the water for the guinea pig to drink.