My sweet guinea pig Zorro is sick. Monday he started beeping at night and I knew something was going on.
My guinea pig's name is "Zorro", because his hair is black around his eyes, like a mask. He is always alive and kicking and walks through the house with me. I have a stone floor and so a poop or pee is no problem.
Now I noticed the last few days that he started eating and drinking less. He normally loves his fresh vegetables and tasty snacks. Also he didn't go to the guinea pig females who are in another cage anymore. The last few days I thought things were going a little better but then I noticed that he didn't relieve himself. Then my alarm bells went off.
I cleaned his cage and started counting the droppings, but they didn't come. Later there were droppings but they were small and still no pee. Friday afternoon I went with him to the vet and it turns out that he can't urinate well. His bladder was full of urine and blood.
The vet had to take the urine out of his bladder with a kateter, through his penis and also flushed him through. The poor animal had to be anesthetized and is still not okay. I received medication from the vet against the pain, an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory.
This morning I gave him the first medication myself. I saw that he is still not fine because he always wants to eat carrots for breakfast and now he was sitting uncomfortably, half rolled up in his cage. With a very small injector I gave painkiller and anti-inflammatory and I think I succeeded in that. Soon I'll dissolve a quarter of a pill in water and give it orally, that's the antibiotics. This should be done twice a day.
I also have to make sure he eats well, yesterday evening after coming home he immediately had a little cucumber and pear, but not much. He also has to drink and I don't see him do it yet. The vet, a very nice young lady with a heart for animals, has also told me that I have to solve food and also administer it when he doesn't eat, and that also applies to drinking. I will try to have him eat and drink several times today.
At the moment of writing Zorro is sitting in his cage with cramps. I hope he doesn't have too much pain and that he will survive all of this.
Zorro is a strong guinea pig, he is a lot bigger than the females and can eat a lot more, normally. He moves a lot and he doesn't look very weak at the moment. I hope with all my heart that he will fight his way through it.
Another problem is that he probably has trouble with his metabolism. I will have to adjust his diet to low-calcium and oxalate free. He is no longer allowed to eat certain vegetables such as chicory, spinach. However, Zorro is allowed to eat other foods such as apple, endive, dandelion, lettuce and cucumber. I also have to buy other food pallets for Zorro but I'll do all that for him.
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If he already has large kidney stones, they must be removed surgically. I don't know yet if I want to do that, that's quite a process. I am not afraid of death, nor of Zorro's death. I believe that nobody really dies. I will be very sad if Zorro doesn't survive. He is always very present, especially when the fridge opens. He can beep the loudest then.
To be continued!
Kind regards,
David
Sorry to hear Zorro is not feeling well. I hope you furry friend responds well to the treatment and gets healthy again!
Thanks my friend! That´s kind of you to say!!
@steemspoker mag ik hopen dat je vriend vlug beter word, groeten
Dank je Jack. Heel gedoe, arm diertje.
I'm sorry about my colleague! Kidney stones are common at certain age and you are not helping him to stay healthy. Guinea pigs only need one food: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfalfa, it has all the nutrients and water that your pet needs. Use other foods in very tiny portions only when you are training your pet. Also make sure to keep him far from mold. If you are letting him walk anywhere in the house, that is not good, the floor has a lot of fungus and bacterias. Doctors will never tell you that the root cause is permanent exposure to infected areas, which produces inflammation and deteriorate his urinary system progressively. After some time, kidney stones appear, followed by constant infections; and finally, death from urinary insufficiency! In short, keep your pet in a safe & clean place, and keep the food simple.
I know alfalfa but I doubt if a one-sided diet is good for a guinea pig. I have already cared for many guinea pigs and this is the very first time that one has become ill. I think I give them good food but this male seems to have a different metabolism. Also the floor in my house is very clean and he can always go back to his cage when he gets cold feet. Thanks for your contribution! Nice day!
Well done a lot of posts. Write my post as your post.