Post by KarenPlanetGuinea on Mar 7, 2009 9:36:11 GMT
This is, unfortunately, all to common where guinea pigs are not given pain relief before an operation. The pig is simply in too much pain to eat and it is likely that stasis will set in and the guinea pig may die if swift action isn't taken.
Vet treatment MUST be sought. Do not mess around with home cures/forums and the like, they all use up precious time.
Our boars are given rimadyl pre op (I write it on the consent form so they have to have it) and so are pain free when they come round from the anaesthetic and its not long before they are eating again. Rimadyl has never induced drowsiness in any of the pigs I've had done so they are eating within the first hour. Metacam, another painkiller (similar to Rimadyl) has had the effect of making guineas drowsy here and they have been reluctant to eat, this was also reported on several pigs during the Satin Study so I always choose Rimadyl now. But at the end of the day a painkiller is what you need.
Slowly get the gut moving by giving small syringe feeds but often, judge the amount on how much you can reasonably get your guinea to take; if they are refusing it from the start is it your technique or them refusing? Persevere and look out for 'changes in the way they refuse'.
Also try offering Oxbow Critical Care on a saucer for them, OCC contains all that a guinea pig needs, baby food should not be used, if you have no syringe feed soak some of guinea's pellets in water, leave them to swell for half an hour or so and feed them, but when out of pain guinea should be only too happy to start eating again!
Make sure you ask for some pain killers to take over the wheekend or for the next few days. I give them at a dose of 10mg x2 daily for post castrates but only when needed. There is an effect on the liver when NSAIDs are taken but the effect of not taking them is usually death- your choice
Vet treatment MUST be sought. Do not mess around with home cures/forums and the like, they all use up precious time.
Our boars are given rimadyl pre op (I write it on the consent form so they have to have it) and so are pain free when they come round from the anaesthetic and its not long before they are eating again. Rimadyl has never induced drowsiness in any of the pigs I've had done so they are eating within the first hour. Metacam, another painkiller (similar to Rimadyl) has had the effect of making guineas drowsy here and they have been reluctant to eat, this was also reported on several pigs during the Satin Study so I always choose Rimadyl now. But at the end of the day a painkiller is what you need.
Slowly get the gut moving by giving small syringe feeds but often, judge the amount on how much you can reasonably get your guinea to take; if they are refusing it from the start is it your technique or them refusing? Persevere and look out for 'changes in the way they refuse'.
Also try offering Oxbow Critical Care on a saucer for them, OCC contains all that a guinea pig needs, baby food should not be used, if you have no syringe feed soak some of guinea's pellets in water, leave them to swell for half an hour or so and feed them, but when out of pain guinea should be only too happy to start eating again!
Make sure you ask for some pain killers to take over the wheekend or for the next few days. I give them at a dose of 10mg x2 daily for post castrates but only when needed. There is an effect on the liver when NSAIDs are taken but the effect of not taking them is usually death- your choice