Help! Domino's sick!! :(:(

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Oh gosh, I got up this morning to find Domino listless! I don't know what to do, maybe you guys can help me out!!!

Well, he's not eating anything, and is listless like I said (not at ALL like him!!):( and appears to be dehydrated maybe...he's got some stuff coming out of his eyes and somewhat out of his nose, so my best guess is that he's got a cold, plus his backbone is protruding. I just know whenever our guinea pigs get sick, they don't last long!:(:(:( what do I do?? We're going to try to treat Dom for a cold, but I don't know...ideas are much appreciated, thanks!:( *Please get well soon Domino!!!*:(

[lv4dogs]

I'm not too familiar with piggies but is there anyway you can get him to the vet?

Sending tons of healing good thoughts your way.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
I'm not too familiar with piggies but is there anyway you can get him to the vet?

Sending tons of healing good thoughts your way.

Well, we're going to try everything else before we take him to the vet...my mom's not too up for that since that can get expensive...! Prayers are much appreciated!!:(:(:(

[lv4dogs]

What color & consistancy is the stuff that is coming ffrom his eyes/nose?
My friend is a pig expert, if I can get some momre info I can try to contact her to see if she knows anything.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
What color & consistancy is the stuff that is coming ffrom his eyes/nose?
My friend is a pig expert, if I can get some momre info I can try to contact her to see if she knows anything.

It's clear, kind of white puss stuff...although it's somewhat dry coming out of his nose...:confused:

[PJ's Mom]

Get him to the vet. As you said, they don't last long, especially if they're dehydrated. :(

Have you tried giving him one of his favorite treats? Apples, oranges, parsley, etc? (to get him to take something in.)

How old is he?

Good thoughts coming your way.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by PJ's Mom
Get him to the vet. As you said, they don't last long, especially if they're dehydrated. :(

Have you tried giving him one of his favorite treats? Apples, oranges, parsley, etc?

How old is he?

Good thoughts coming your way.

Oh gosh, he hasn't taken ANY parsley, hay, carrots or anything!!! Which he is usually SO eager for!!!:( And Dom is almost 3...of course, we've never had a guinea pig live past 2...*sigh* *cries*

[lv4dogs]

I'd at least try to get some pedialyte or gatorade in him if he's dehydrated.

I just tried to im my friend, she's off at the moment but is ussually on most of the day.

[Jadapit]

I also, dont know anything about guinea pigs. I'm sorry Domino isn't feeling well.:( Sending good thoughts your way. Keep us posted on the poor little guy.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
I'd at least try to get some pedialyte or gatorade in him if he's dehydrated.

I just tried to im my friend, she's off at the moment but is ussually on most of the day.

Ok, I'll try that...

[PJ's Mom]

One more question, does he seem to have trouble breathing?

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Kind of, not TOO bad, although he is shaking quite a bit, and for some reason he's dragging his back legs some...I just don't know what to do!:(

[LeahMM]

Oh no! Poor baby. Really a vet is what you need right now. I no nothing about piggys but it sounds like Domino is very ill.:(

[PJ's Mom]

Look at this about piggie pheumonia:


Pneumonia is one of the most common bacterial diseases of pet guinea pigs. A number of potential disease-causing bacteria may inhabit the respiratory tracts of otherwise normal guinea pigs. Stress, inadequate diet, and improper home care often predispose a pet guinea pig to respiratory infection. Signs of pneumonia may include labored or rapid breathing, discharge from eyes and nostrils, lethargy and inappetence. Some animals show no signs at all before dying suddenly. Middle and inner ear infections occasionally result from respiratory disease in guinea pigs. Additional signs may include incoordination, tilting of the head, circling to one side, and rolling. A veterinarian must be consulted about this serious bacterial infection. Aggressive antibiotic therapy by injection and appropriate supportive care are necessary. Bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing help the veterinarian select an appropriate antibiotic. Unfortunately, even though the signs of in-fection can be relieved, the causative bacteria cannot be eliminated. Rabbits and rats harbor at least one of the bacteria known to cause pneumonia in guinea pigs. Therefore, it is wise not to house these animals with or near guinea pigs.

What do you think?

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Yea, that pretty much sounds like Domino right now...what makes me feel awful is that we've all been sick with a cold/cough the past few days, and I sure hope we didn't pass it on to him...since it very well could have developed into pneumoia!:(

[PJ's Mom]

I don't know if you gave it to him, but it does sound like he really needs to see a vet. :(

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

I know...we're considering taking him to the vet now...though the costs are CRAZY for small animals!!:eek: When we were going to see a vet to take my other piggy, Marble, we found out it cost more for the vet to see HIM, then it does a DOG!!:eek: :mad: It's crazy!!!!!!!! *sigh* We're going to look into it though...I just don't know...

[lv4dogs]

I'd at least just call the vets, explain the situation and see if they can give you any info over the phone.
Good luck

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
I'd at least just call the vets, explain the situation and see if they can give you any info over the phone.
Good luck

Yea, that's what we're going to do.:(

[PJ's Mom]

Yeah, I would give them a call too. If it's your regular vet, they might be willing to work with you on payments or something. I have 2 piggies and a bunny and I know the cost of vet care for them is ridiculous. :rolleyes:

Good luck and let us know how it goes. :)

[petslover]

That is scary. I hope Domino gets feeling better. Please keep us updated.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Well, I'm forcing water down Dom, and he's eaten a little bit...I'm going to get some carrot/broccali baby food to feed to him through an eye-dropper also, as well as some Albon liquid...has anyone heard of that?? I read that it can help guinea pigs with colds if treated right...I've got my piggy illness treatment book out in front of me.:)

[wolfsoul]

I wouldn't try the gatorade. It has alot of sugar in it and sugar will upset the bacteria in his intestines.

It could be pasteurella...


Two types of bacteria, Bordetella and Pasteurella, are the common causes of respiratory infections in guinea pigs. Clinical signs include sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, decreased appetite and lethargy. In some cases, a guinea pig will become seriously congested, making breathing difficult.
http://www.petschoice.com/petinfo/guinea_pig.htm



Information (http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/vet-talk/pasteurella.html) about pasteurella. The page is about the disease in rabbits, but it's the same thing.

[tatsxxx11]

Oh Katie, oh no:(:(:( I know you can't make the decision, but please try to convince your Mom to get him seen asap:( You know how fragile the piggies are; they succumb so quickly to colds, dehydration. There's a website link I can post here that has a lot of very experienced piggie people on it. But for sure, the best bet is the vet. I'm so upset for you and Dom. Beamer can't lose her bud Dom:( Please check back, Katie. I'll go find the link. Gentle hugs to precious Dom. Please sweetheart, fight!!!

Here's the link. Scroll down to Cavy Health. They're very helpful there. Cavy Forum (http://www.cavycompendium.com/forums/)

[Lexi_Lover]

On no Katie! I just saw this! :(:(:(

Hold on in there Dom! I know you can get better, come on buddy! We're ALL sending prayers and get well wishes Dom's way! :( Please get the little boy to the vet A.S.A.P cost is worth the life of your pet! :(

Love,
Paula and the Crew! :(

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Prayers on the way for sweet Dom from me too!:(

[tatsxxx11]

Thinking of you Dom. Please pull through sweet little wheeker man. We're so, so worried:( Lots of love to you and Dom, Katie. We're praying with all our might that he will be ok. Love, Sandra, Moon and Rosie.

[chrissycat21]

:( I hope he gets better soon!

I haven't read through all the posts, so someone might have already suggested this:

Get some vitamin C powder and put 1/4 a teaspoon in with a syringe of baby food or mashed fruit/veggies. If you use mashed fruit, water it down. You can also feed him water through the syringe. Feed him every 2-4 hours depending on how he's doing. Just don't give up on him, some times the hand feeding can go on for a couple of weeks or he might only need it for a few days until he regains his strength. Hopefully this will work.

[chrissycat21]

Originally posted by Lexi_Lover
On no Katie! I just saw this! :(:(:(

Hold on in there Dom! I know you can get better, come on buddy! We're ALL sending prayers and get well wishes Dom's way! :( Please get the little boy to the vet A.S.A.P cost is worth the life of your pet! :(

Love,
Paula and the Crew! :(

Be careful if you do take him to the vet, how old is he? Older guinea pigs (and sometimes even younger ones, but more likely if they are older) might get very stressed out/scared from being moved to a new location, even for an hour where Domino could wind up getting a heart attack. (Its happened twice with Taffy) I thought I'd just warn you. :)

((sorry for double posting))

[PJ's Mom]

How's he doing, Katie? :)

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

He's doing better now...at least he's eating and moving around more, and there's not so much puss coming out of his eyes!:) I fed him mashed carrots, a LITTLE gatorade (which is not making any effect of him right now) as well as some apple. I keep forcing the fluids, as I know he must be dehydrated.:( But anyways, if he's not any better by tomorrow, I think we're going to get him to the vet. I feel so bad though...it's so hard to watch a little piggy like Dom be sick!:(:(:( I'll keep you all posted!

*edit* We called the vet and it's $45 just to see Dom.:( Gosh, I wish it wasn't so expensive, but we may get him there anyway...

[PJ's Mom]

Do they have an emergency number in case he gets worse tonight?

I'm glad he's doing a little better now. :)

[Suki Wingy]

Oh NO! I just saw this! I really hope he pulls through!:(

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Dom's doing alright now...not eating much, but is at least more active. Um, this is a stupid question, but can you feed a guinea pig too much vitamin C??:p Thanks for all your help and prayers everyone!!:(

[K9soul]

Oh no Katie! :( :( This is such frightening news! Please little Dom, please pull through this. We love you sweet boy, please stay strong. Katie, you and little Dom will be in my prayers. I hope with all my heart he keeps showing improvement.

[wolfsoul]

Glad to hear he's doing better!

Vitamin-C is water-soluble, so any of the vitamin that he doesn't need will pass through his urine. :) So he can't get too much.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Glad to hear he's doing better!

Vitamin-C is water-soluble, so any of the vitamin that he doesn't need will pass through his urine. :) So he can't get too much.

Ok, that's what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure!;)

Thanks K9Soul! With all these prayers, Dom's GOTTA pull through this...:(:(:(

[PJ's Mom]

He's got a great mommy taking care of him. He'll be fine. ;)

Keep us posted. :)

[Lexi_Lover]

That's it Dommy boy, you can do it! Prayers are still comin' strong! :) Don't give up, make Momma proud little buddy, you can do it!

Lets hear a D....O....M....I....N....O! What does that spell? DOMINO! YAY!

:D:D:D

[luvofallhorses]

Katie, I hope he gets better soon((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))) and kisses to Domino.

[IRescue452]

Vitamin C is water soulable, but overdosing can lead to serious problems, it does build up in the system however it is rare to reach dangerous levels, then again I don't know what level a guinea pig can take, I personally wouldn't give him any vitamin powder until I found out what is wrong.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Well, Dom's on the upswing, and I'm CONFIDENT you all's prayers are the remedy!!! He's more active this morning, and no more puss from his eyes! Keep them coming, he's doing TONS better!!;)

[manda_moo87]

Glad to hear he's doing better! :D

[petslover]

I'm glad to hear that he is doing better too.

[Orca]

Very glad to hear he is doing better! Tough little piggie:D

[PJ's Mom]

Well, he's a tough little piggie. ;)

Glad to hear he's doing better. :)

[tatsxxx11]

We're so, so happy to hear the good news, Katie!:) Please give Dom a little kiss for me, Beamer and Rosie. BIG hugs! You're a wonderful Mom! Love you Dom!!!:) Beamer sends EXTRA special wheeks and purrrs to her beau!:) GET WELL SOON!!!

[cali]

Vitamin C is water soulable, but overdosing can lead to serious problems, it does build up in the system however it is rare to reach dangerous levels, then again I don't know what level a guinea pig can take,

they can handle plenty of Vit. C, remeber Guinea Pigs I believe are the only mammal other then humans that cannot produce their own Vit. C,so it has to be supplemented in the first place lol

I am glad Domino is doing better, it is very likley that he got a cold from you guys, as I am sure you know they they do catch colds and other illnesses from people.

[Buddy Blaze Lover]

Well, it looks like Dom is pretty much recovered now...I'm SO relieved!!! It must have been a cold, but he sure didn't look well!!:) He's not totally back to his normal self yet, but he's eating tons, and being pretty active. Thanks again everyone!;)

[tatsxxx11]

One HUGE sigh of relief!!!:D:D:D Go Dom!:) Sending lots of love, hugs and wheeks your way, Dom!!! Love, Sandra and Beamer!

[chrissycat21]

I'm glad to hear Domino is better!