ill piggy

Question
hi, i know my pig is ill but i dont know what with, he is listless has trouble holding up his head, cant scamper away, just half lies stands there, has lost loads of weight, and has white stuff coming out his eyes, hes about three years old, usually has a healthy appeite and squeaks loads, all he's been doing is lying in bed, i noticed it two days ago, thought he was just having a lie in, as ive just had a baby so many sleepless nights! they are kept downstairs but guess they can still hear the screaming!! hope you can help, Laura xx

Answer
Hi Laura,

The best advice I can offer you is to get your guinea to a vet. I can't say for sure what the problem is, but each symptom indicates various things:

Listlessness - a common symptom of many illnesses, especially if he suddenly becomes listless and it's not in his nature to be a little on the lazy side;

Has trouble holding up his head, cant scamper away - to me this could indicate a spinal or neurological problem, but it could also be an inner ear infection or something similar which affects balance;

Has lost loads of weight - another common sign that there is some kind of illness taking it's toll on his body;

Has white stuff coming out his eyes - in itself this is nothing to worry about, as they use a white, milky fluid which comes from their nose and eyes when they groom themselves. If it is excessive and remains for more than 10 minutes or so then he may have a slight problem with his eyes, maybe something has irritated them or he's got a scratch on his eye or something which is causing excess production of fluid.

For more health advice see www.guinealynx.info , but remember that only a vet can give a firm diagnosis and treatment to help your guinea.

I notice you mention "they", so I guess he is living with a friend? If so I would advise separating them; if the illness he has is contagious (which you don't know at the moment) then you need to keep hygeine levels up when you deal with him and keep him away from any other piggies.

I know it's probably hard finding time to do all this when you have a new baby - I'm sure I will find that out soon in a way; my mother is expecting twins any day now - 2 weeks at the most - and I have waited almost 18 years to be a big sister. So it will be madness here also!

Good luck, I hope your piggy recovers soon.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com