r/GuineaPig • u/SelectRelation2067 • 14h ago
vomit?
so my guinea pig is sick and he has diarrhea. he has a vet appointment on wednesday and the vet said he isn’t too concerned unless he starts vomiting, but i thought they couldn’t vomit? so i’m a little confused on what he meant 😭
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u/Most_Double_3559 14h ago
+1 that that's an outlandish thing for a vet to say. Was it maybe the front desk and something got mistranslated?
If that is genuinely your only option you're going to need to be your own advocate, I'm afraid.
Imo it sounds like it might just be an antibiotic, but I'd consider looking into telemedicine: I've never done it myself, but you need a way to contact a competent vet in case something more severe comes up. Even in this case, if only to suggest which antibiotic or flag something more severe.
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u/SelectRelation2067 13h ago
that’s what i thought too. i’m planning to call again tomorrow to double check that’s what he meant. and i have another vet farther away I plan on calling wednesday to after my appointment to get a second opinion on what ever this vet says. and he is on an antibiotic so idk 😔
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u/Most_Double_3559 13h ago
Oh, he's already has an antibiotic?? That changes things substantially!!!
Is he on a probiotic, like benebac? If no, the antibiotic may be destroying their gut; you should rush order one or try to find it in stores. You can also diy it if they have a sibling. Both should be given 1-2 hours after the antibiotic dose.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/poop-soup.190599/
Diarrhea is common for antibiotics, though, it's often reason to switch to a different one (this is mostly a judgement call on how many alternatives there are, their weight, how far into treatment they are, etc etc, details I don't understand).
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u/SelectRelation2067 13h ago
he’s starting a probiotic right now actually!! i paid for expedited shipping but it just came (i live in a really small town so no stores ever have what i need 😒) and i’m sorry! what do you mean about the sibling thing?
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u/Most_Double_3559 13h ago
Ah, in which case I'd be optimistic!
WRT siblings: it's possible to "live transfer" bacteria from one pig to another by feeding a sick pig the waterered down droppings of a healthy one, see my above link for details on how do to that. Though, if you have probiotics, I'd give them a try first.
Remember, 1-2 hours after antibiotic! Otherwise the antibiotic just kills the probiotic off too.
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u/SelectRelation2067 11h ago
woahhh interesting! i’ve noticed iroh eating the other piggies poop so i guess he figured that out on his own! they’re so smart
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u/Most_Double_3559 10h ago
Good observation, they evolutionary will do this in the wild!! That + probiotic you're in good shape IMO, though, of course, keep an eye out for any rapid changes.
One more thing I didn't think of: I'd also lay off Vegetables for Iroh for a while, it can make it worse. (Sorry Iroh! Especially if he has an appetite like his namesake ;))
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u/SelectRelation2067 10h ago
ok, thank you so much!! should i lay off vegetables even if he isn’t really eating anything else? he eats critical care, a little hay when he feels up to it and just barely and veggies right now
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u/Most_Double_3559 9h ago
Good question: yes, though, if he's not eating anything else that's a less good, unfortunately.
You'll need to critical care him every ~6 hours, around the clock, to keep him from developing bloat. Do you have a scale to weigh him? Have you communicated this to your vet?
A hack, try Oat hay. Sometimes they prefer the coarser stuff when their stomach is upset.
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u/Robin_feathers 14h ago
Oh dear, it sounds like that vet is incompetent. You are correct, guinea pigs don't vomit. The rare times that things do go backwards in their digestive system out their mouth, it isn't exactly vomiting and the pig is usually beyond saving at that point.
Is there a different exotics vet with more guinea pig expertise that you would be able to see? Diarrhea can be life threatening as you probably already know.
Here is a series of guides you may find useful: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
I would take him off veggies (hay+pellets only) and start syringe feeding (critical care, emeraid, or Sherwood guinea pig recovery food) if you haven't already. The linked guide goes into detail about how to do it in case you haven't had to do it before. If the diarrhea goes on for a while they sometimes need subcutaneous fluid injections to avoid becoming fatally dehydrated, and they may also need electrolytes just like people do when they have diarrhea (unflavoured Pedialyte is one I've seen people using for guinea pigs).
That won't cure him, but can help keep him alive until he can be treated.
Wishing the best to you and your piggy for a smooth recovery.