Please help,my Guinea pig has been under vet care for 1 year now in which time he has gone from weighing 2lb 5 oz to now weighing 1lb 5 oz and is so thin i can feel every rib.my vet now suspects liver failure after eliminating most other causes of weight loss.He has had his teeth checked and has been treated for intestinal parasites.He is drinking a lot more now than usual and today i found his fur to be urine soaked so have bathed him and thoroughly dried him. I'm really worried,i'm afraid he may be facing his last days with me now.any advice i would be most greatful
P.s it may also be helpful to know that he is producing much smaller droppings than normal,drier harder and about half the size.He has also lost his 'voice' and cant make the usual guinea pig 'wheek' but it is very silent and wheezy sounding.
Hi Anna,thanks for replying,
my guinea pig is 2 years and 9 months old,he is fed on burgess guinea pig pelletts...crude fibre 17%,protein 17%,oil 4%,ash 6%,calcium0.9%,phsphorus 0.50% and added vitamins A,D3,E,C.vitamin C is 800mg/kg.main ingredient is listed as grass.he has a constant supply of pellets and hay every day.2-3 times a week he has a good handful of fresh food,typically cabbage carrot tomatoe and cucumber.other fresh foods include parsley broccoli .He has a good appetite but continues to lose weight.at the moment he has a prebiotic probiotic added to his water which may be why he is drinking more as it states it is palatable but yes he is drinking more than usual,although this is a recent occurrance over the last week.
Thankyou
Carol
p.s it may also be helpful to you to know he is not bedded on wood shavings but on a product called mega zorb which is made from virgin wood pulp.
Pet Expert/Biologist
40 yrs.: herps, pocket pets, rabbits, poultry, dogs, horses. Biology degree. Volunteer vet assistant
Thank you very much for your sound advice,i think i will get my vet to refer to a specialist for bloods as you have given me hope that perhaps something can be done,i am desperate to do the right thing by him.my vet has been able to feel the kidneys and they are a reduced size but he feels blood work would give a diagnosis but said that the treatment is very limited in guinea pigs but i have to try,otherwise its a case of letting him fade away!in the meantime i will try the electrolytes and research megazorb which is actually sold as horse bedding but is recommended on many guinea pig sites as a safe alternative to shavings.thankyou once again you have been most helpful.