Hi everyone,
I hope someone can help. My darling boy Oreo is 5 years old and has been loosing weight then putting it back on for a while now. I've taken him to the vet a few times now before Christmas and they checked and said there were no teeth problems, URI or UTI neither any lumps etc (I haven't noticed these either) so that it is likely slow organ failure or kidney cancer :( I have been given him metacam and critical care daily since (4 weeks now) Some days he's happy and jumping around rushing up for veg and eating normally and then he has his bad days where he is not very active at all :( For context he used to be around 950g but has been dipping between 700-800g over the last couple months, mostly the lower end of late. He seems to take the critical care mostly fine but some days I feel I am force feeding him. I guess my question is, am I missing anything? or when is it time to say goodbye? I cannot fathom a world without my boy in it :( I also don't want him to suffer. I had a traumatic experience with loosing my previous piggy which may been playing it's part. It's so difficult when I see him happy one day but not the next, I know they hide their discomfort and pain as they are prey animals. I would be really grateful of some advice, thank you x
5 year old Piggy declining
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Lynx
- Resist!!!
I am so sorry he is having these issues. It is very difficult when a guinea pig you love is ill.
What is the condition of his hair? Shiny and bright? Dull? When he is not active, does he look like he is in pain?
https://www.guinealynx.info/pain.html
What is the condition of his hair? Shiny and bright? Dull? When he is not active, does he look like he is in pain?
https://www.guinealynx.info/pain.html
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Ditto Lynx, especially on considering pain medication. Increasing Metacam, or perhaps using a mild opiate like Tramadol, on the bad days might be an option.
Bloodwork (or an x-ray) might would tell you something, but drawing blood from a guinea pig is not easy and probably best done under light sedation. All I can say is we've had more than one to live reasonably well, and mostly comfortably, in situations similar to Oreo's for well over a year with supportive care and any appropriate medication.
In my experience with a good-days-bad-days situation -- if the time comes for a decision to be made, you will know. Don't rush it, and don't overthink it. Just walk with him.
Blessings and my very, very best to him and to you.
Bloodwork (or an x-ray) might would tell you something, but drawing blood from a guinea pig is not easy and probably best done under light sedation. All I can say is we've had more than one to live reasonably well, and mostly comfortably, in situations similar to Oreo's for well over a year with supportive care and any appropriate medication.
In my experience with a good-days-bad-days situation -- if the time comes for a decision to be made, you will know. Don't rush it, and don't overthink it. Just walk with him.
Blessings and my very, very best to him and to you.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
To add another thought: we had one with an abdominal mass suspicious of cancer, especially on x-ray. A steroid like prednisone or prednisolone (can't remember which one) slowed the mass's growth for nearly a year. I think you'd want some form of diagnostic before using that for suspected kidney cancer, but it made a significant difference.
Continued best wishes to him and to you.
Continued best wishes to him and to you.
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Sef
- I dissent.
Just another thought, based on some of the cases of slow weight loss and lost muscle mass in some of mine over the years...I would want to rule out kidney failure. Kidney failure is not uncommon in older guinea pigs (although, at 5 your Oreo isn't terribly old), and the progression can be slowed down by increasing fluids or offering fluid therapy via subcue injections and being mindful of NSAID use (such as Metacam) to help prevent overloading the kidneys. Blood panel and xrays should help determine if this could be the case. With kidney disease, we often see that roller-coaster of good days and not-so-good days.
Otherwise, yes, I would start to suspect something like cancer.
Hoping for a good outcome for your sweet boy.
Otherwise, yes, I would start to suspect something like cancer.
Hoping for a good outcome for your sweet boy.
I just wanted to echo what has been said about pain management via medication.
An easy way to increase fluid intake is to place their pellet bowl right next to their water bottle/dish. I wish I had figured this out sooner--one of our pigs was very prone to bladder stones/probably kidney issues too, but as soon as we started putting their daily pellets next to their waters he never got another bladder stone again.
Do you know if your bub might be in some of the early stages of arthritis? I'd also recommend making modest adjustments to the habitat--flatter surfaces that are easier to walk on/nothing even remotely slick on the floor, and a nice cushy bed can help increase their comfort. With one of our pigs we performed some modest stretches with the problem joints to make sure they maintained their flexibility and he didn't lose mobility as quickly.
If your pig doesn't have issues with calcium you might also want to consult with your vet about offering some alfalfa hay. The decision to do this shouldn't be taken lightly and should factor in your pig's health overall. With some of our senior pigs, mixing in a bit of alfalfa with timothy or orchard hays acted as a fun and interesting forage, and also gave them a bit more calorie-dense forage than what a strict offering of grass hay provides.
Think of you and your bub. The senior years aren't easy but they're some of the most precious.
An easy way to increase fluid intake is to place their pellet bowl right next to their water bottle/dish. I wish I had figured this out sooner--one of our pigs was very prone to bladder stones/probably kidney issues too, but as soon as we started putting their daily pellets next to their waters he never got another bladder stone again.
Do you know if your bub might be in some of the early stages of arthritis? I'd also recommend making modest adjustments to the habitat--flatter surfaces that are easier to walk on/nothing even remotely slick on the floor, and a nice cushy bed can help increase their comfort. With one of our pigs we performed some modest stretches with the problem joints to make sure they maintained their flexibility and he didn't lose mobility as quickly.
If your pig doesn't have issues with calcium you might also want to consult with your vet about offering some alfalfa hay. The decision to do this shouldn't be taken lightly and should factor in your pig's health overall. With some of our senior pigs, mixing in a bit of alfalfa with timothy or orchard hays acted as a fun and interesting forage, and also gave them a bit more calorie-dense forage than what a strict offering of grass hay provides.
Think of you and your bub. The senior years aren't easy but they're some of the most precious.
Pigs tend to lose weight after they reach age 5 despite being healthy. Every one of mine that reached 5 years has done that and I've had several. That said, I draw the line at quality of life to determine when it’s time to make the hard choice to end their life. What I mean by that is: pain that cannot be controlled with medication, inability to take in food and water, be it on their own or by syringe. That's just my opinion. You have to decide when its time. Gather as much information as you can and you will make the best decision for your beloved Oreo with no regrets. The first time I had to do this for my BJ the advice I got was to consider if my allowing his suffering to continue was more for me to appease guilt than for him. Unfortunately, I had to put him down. It wasn't easy and broke my heart, but there were no regrets. Hope this helps.
Hm...i m sorry your pig is having such problems..
Our Irie and Lee at 5 looked incredible youtful..Lee with severe tooth issues it was incredible how he was delaling with-i could only bow down at him...so..and Irie looked pretty young till he reach above 8 you could maybe see very little signs of getting older..but..he never slowed down..
I dont know our animals just didnt slow down.,..yeah sometimes health issues caught them i mean us up..but we always fought..we did only ask ourselves how to ...to not to..was never even a question..
but each have their own experienced..they say light is gone..well from ours there was always fire in our eyes:)
I wish you the best..and as far as i know kidney cancer or failure can be diagnosed as Sef already decribe it..
I know there is kidney diet for dog and cats..for pigs probably too..high phosphorus is bad..
Also I rememberes some home urine test have creatinine too, so you can check it yourself..
I would probaably visit another vet and torture him with all kind of questions till he finds right diagnosis if i was on your place...haha;)
Our Irie and Lee at 5 looked incredible youtful..Lee with severe tooth issues it was incredible how he was delaling with-i could only bow down at him...so..and Irie looked pretty young till he reach above 8 you could maybe see very little signs of getting older..but..he never slowed down..
I dont know our animals just didnt slow down.,..yeah sometimes health issues caught them i mean us up..but we always fought..we did only ask ourselves how to ...to not to..was never even a question..
but each have their own experienced..they say light is gone..well from ours there was always fire in our eyes:)
I wish you the best..and as far as i know kidney cancer or failure can be diagnosed as Sef already decribe it..
I know there is kidney diet for dog and cats..for pigs probably too..high phosphorus is bad..
Also I rememberes some home urine test have creatinine too, so you can check it yourself..
I would probaably visit another vet and torture him with all kind of questions till he finds right diagnosis if i was on your place...haha;)
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