Off to the vet with Murray

scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
My Guinea pig Murray has been looking quite depressed for a few days. He’s been eating and drinking fine, so I tried not to worry too much, but I’ve just booked him a vet appointment for this morning because he looks so sad and I’m worried something sinister might be going on. His eye looked a little runny last night but seem bright today. However, he would normally be wheeking and running over to me, but he just lies there in his bed now and doesn’t seem interested in anything.
He’s 4, so not too old. We did have to split him and Phineas up as he was terrorising Phin, but they are next to each other can see and touch through the bars. They never spent much time together anyway to be honest, they sort of lived separate lives, only coming together to have a scrap!
Good vibes needed as I’m really attached to this little bloke.
 
scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
Vet was lovely and spent ages checking him over. He’s a little underweight, but not massively so. He could feel a small moveable mass in his stomach but said that may well be fecal matter so he wouldn’t panic just yet. Temperature fine, teeth fine. I explained that I have to empty his bum every day now, so he had a quick check and got a bit more out (I hadn’t done him yet this morning). Poos a little soft but not massively concerning.
Murray is definitely depressed, but we don’t know why. It may well be due to the change in his routine since my accident- my mum is helping with the pigs at the moment but it’s very much basic care rather than the usual, or it could be due to being separated from Phineas, or a combination of the two things. Basically we don’t really know. The vet said we could go in all guns blazing and take bloods, X-rays etc but he said that from a veterinary point of view, Murray appears to be quite a healthy pig, so his suggestion was we monitor him over the next week, try and give him lots of extra enrichment and stimulation, cuddle time etc and if no change, then we will take him back for further investigations.

So on the way home we popped to the pet shop and bought him a load of new hides, treats and toys, to try and add in some new things to see if that helps him. I’ve put him back in his house for now, but he’s going to start coming downstairs with me as much as possible. I feel awful that I might have caused his depression because of my stupid leg, but equally I worry about leaving Phineas upstairs on his own while Murray is downstairs, but I can’t physically cope with 2 of them at the moment on my knee when I’m in a cast and we have 3 dogs around.
Unfortunately we don’t have space for a downstairs run.
Has anyone else had a depressed Guinea pig?
 
ArklePig

ArklePig

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 July 2019
Messages
4,130
Visit site
I'm sorry he's not well, I hope he perks up soon.

My girls weren't themselves after Arkle died and unfortunately we moved house not long after. Time and more exciting food was all that helped. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful than that!

Sending healthy pig vibes.
 
Rumtytum

Rumtytum

Have Marmite, will travel
Joined
12 November 2017
Messages
20,566
Location
South Oxfordshire
Visit site
scats said:
Vet was lovely and spent ages checking him over. He’s a little underweight, but not massively so. He could feel a small moveable mass in his stomach but said that may well be fecal matter so he wouldn’t panic just yet. Temperature fine, teeth fine. I explained that I have to empty his bum every day now, so he had a quick check and got a bit more out (I hadn’t done him yet this morning). Poos a little soft but not massively concerning.
Murray is definitely depressed, but we don’t know why. It may well be due to the change in his routine since my accident- my mum is helping with the pigs at the moment but it’s very much basic care rather than the usual, or it could be due to being separated from Phineas, or a combination of the two things. Basically we don’t really know. The vet said we could go in all guns blazing and take bloods, X-rays etc but he said that from a veterinary point of view, Murray appears to be quite a healthy pig, so his suggestion was we monitor him over the next week, try and give him lots of extra enrichment and stimulation, cuddle time etc and if no change, then we will take him back for further investigations.

So on the way home we popped to the pet shop and bought him a load of new hides, treats and toys, to try and add in some new things to see if that helps him. I’ve put him back in his house for now, but he’s going to start coming downstairs with me as much as possible. I feel awful that I might have caused his depression because of my stupid leg, but equally I worry about leaving Phineas upstairs on his own while Murray is downstairs, but I can’t physically cope with 2 of them at the moment on my knee when I’m in a cast and we have 3 dogs around.
Unfortunately we don’t have space for a downstairs run.
Has anyone else had a depressed Guinea pig?
Click to expand...
Whatever the reason, he could not have a more loving, caring owner… fingers crossed for the boy ?
 
scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
That pig is going to be the death of me! I went up about an hour ago and he was lying down, eyes half closed and breathing fast. He didn’t respond when I went in and I thought he was dying. He seemed peaceful so decided not to disturb him but sat with him and talked quietly to him. He started to stir a bit so popped him on my knee to cuddle coz he felt a bit cold and I really thought he was dying. Within 15 minutes he was wide eyed, alert and breathing normally. He sat on my knee for 45 minutes and then I popped him back in his house and went and got his heat pad microwaved and came back. He was then munching at his food and having a drink
So he’s now lying in his hay pile (heat pad underneath) and seems more settled. Room isn’t cold, it’s about 20 degrees at the moment. I’m not convinced he’s right and I do wonder if the mass in his stomach is actually something and not just fecal matter, but I’ll see what tomorrow brings.
 
scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
webble said:
Could well be loneliness. I once separated a boy pig from a friend and he went downhill quickly. Is there a way you can put their cages next to each other? Or long term would castration and a female friend be an option?
Click to expand...

Their cages are right next to each other (like an L-shape). I’m wary of getting him another friend in case it all goes pear shaped again. They only had to be separated about 6 weeks ago, after being fine for months. But Phineas ended up with big chunks out of his back that needed vet treatment.
 
webble

webble

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2012
Messages
5,323
Location
Border of Cheshire/Wirral/ N Wales
Visit site
scats said:
Their cages are right next to each other (like an L-shape). I’m wary of getting him another friend in case it all goes pear shaped again. They only had to be separated about 6 weeks ago, after being fine for months. But Phineas ended up with big chunks out of his back that needed vet treatment.
Click to expand...
Ah don't blame you in that case, they are such tricky creatures aren't they. Maybe there is something wrong and that's why they fell out?
 
FinnishLapphund

FinnishLapphund

There's no cow on the ice
Joined
28 June 2008
Messages
11,741
Location
w(b)est coast of Sweden
Visit site
Get better {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}} to Murray.

From my outside point of view it sounds illogical that you feel awful about maybe having had some part in causing his problems. I presume you didn't injure your leg on purpose?
If his problems comes from that you've separated them, the only one to blame is him, because he terrorised Phineas. What else was you supposed to do, wait until Phineas became sick from being terrorised? (ETA As in more sick than having chunks out of his back, it can't be nice mentally to get beaten up like that.)

The cages are close to each other, you've taken him to the veterinarian, you've bought new stuff for extra enrichment and stimulation, and if you bought to both of them, that will hopefully keep Phineas entertained when you give Murray some extra cuddle time, otherwise, maybe when you take Murray downstairs, Phineas could get to loan Murray's new hideout to play with.

Hope your leg is healing as it should in its cast.
 
Last edited:
scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
FinnishLapphund said:
Get better {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}} to Murray.

From my outside point of view it sounds illogical that you feel awful about maybe having had some part in causing his problems. I presume you didn't injure your leg on purpose?
If his problems comes from that you've separated them, the only one to blame is him, because he terrorised Phineas. What else was you supposed to do, wait until Phineas became sick from being terrorised? (ETA As in more sick than having chunks out of his back, it can't be nice mentally to get beaten up like that.)

The cages are close to each other, you've taken him to the veterinarian, you've bought new stuff for extra enrichment and stimulation, and if you bought to both of them, that will hopefully keep Phineas entertained when you give Murray some extra cuddle time, otherwise, maybe when you take Murray downstairs, Phineas could get to loan Murray's new hideout to play with.

Hope your leg is healing as it should in its cast.
Click to expand...

Thank you xx
My leg is doing ok, one week to go before I go into a walking boot. I am counting down the days!
 
scats

scats

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 September 2007
Messages
11,312
Location
Wherever it is I’ll be limping
Visit site
Sadly we had Murray put to sleep this morning. Saw the same vet as yesterday, who was quite shocked at Murray’s decline in just 24 hours. He could also feel fluid in his stomach today, which he said could be a sign that the small mass he felt yesterday is actually a tumour. Murray hadn’t eaten anything this morning and had not even bothered with his veggies, which he normally lives for.
I decided it would be kinder to let him go rather than subject him to anything else.

I’ve had lots of piggies over the years, but I really had a soft spot for this chap.
67C8803C-996A-4565-8F5D-444E9D730691.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top