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Boy close to the end - looking for bridging care until can see the vet

herbandhip

herbandhip

New Born Pup
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Hi there - I was wondering if anyone had any advice about some bridging care for my guinea pig. I have a 4 year old boar who has been ill for months - we haven't been able to identify with what exactly, but he has non-itchy hair loss, constant lethargy, weight loss, inactivity, diarrhoea and so on and so forth. I think we might be at the end now, as he is spending the whole day sitting in his hay, staring at the walls and refusing food. He's thinner than he's ever been and so lethargic. He's on metacam to help him move around a bit, and I have him on daily bio-lapis pre/probiotics at the moment as that seems to be the only thing that will keep his stool somewhat hard and regular. I'm trying to feed him on Critical Care but he really doesn't want it. He spends all day lying in his poo and wee, so I've been changing his hay and giving him light washes once or twice a day for the last few days. The thing I'm noticing right now is that his wee is very dark and is very quickly drying and matting his hair to be hard and crusty. Within a matter of hours of washing him sometimes. It's not like it's soggy and messy - it's gone hard.

I have a really great exotic vet who's been helping me to care for him all this time however she's on holiday this week and not back until Monday. I'd like to see her instead of some general vet who'll just give me baytril and metacam and stress him out - particularly as I think we may be close to putting him down, and I'd like her to do it if so. This means that, aside from an emergency, in which case I would of course immediately take him to an emergency vet, I would like to keep him going until Monday.

I think I'm generally managing to make him as comfortable as possible, but am worried about him being in this dark wee all the time. Does anyone have any advice short of just regular changes and tummy washes?

Thanks in advance.
 
They're not sure really. She was convinced it was cushings for a while, but the tests were negative. Then he had downturn the other day and I took him in and she figured maybe heatstroke. And he perked up a bit after some stomach meds, metacam and the biolapis. I think there must be some underlying problem, but we just can't work out what it is. His littermate died a few months ago of a very fast onset cancer at around 3.5 yrs.

I've taken him out the cage and put him on a very squishy duvet (with puppy pad) and given him some hay and cucumber and he is taking some very small nibbles which is a good sign, so hopefully he'll rally enough to get through to next week.

Thank you for the link!
 
I am sorry your piggy is so unwell. Other than the guides above I don't know what else to suggest. All I can advise, if you feel the time to put him to sleep is approaching, is to asscess his quality of life. I know how incredibly hard it can be to not be able to see your regular vet in these situations, but sometimes it is better to see an other vet than keep hanging on. A couple of years ago when my 18 year old cat, with various health issues, took a turn for the worse while my regular vet was away I took him to be put to sleep by a different vet, at the same practise just a different vet. The thought of it being someone who Gingerbread didn't know upset me so much but they were lovely and he passed peacefully and I know in my heart I did the right thing by him x
 
Thanks for your kind words @Pound Shilling & Pig . I'm going to see how he's doing as the day goes on. He's nibbling on hay a tiny bit but that's pretty much it. He's very thin, but I also am choosing not to syringe feed him too much. He hates it and I don't really want my last moments with him to be me forcing food down his throat that he really doesn't want. It's hard because if they're showing some kind of life then you obviously want to persevere just in case. For instance, he's now nibbling on some cucumber - but it's only the tiniest amounts
 
Has he been tried on any gut stimulants yet to try to get him eating?
I'm so sorry you're at this stage, our suspected cushings piggy ended up having a massively enlarged heart and a tumour on her lung, she did well for a long time on gut stimulants, metacam and antibiotics.
I also find fresh grass to be far easier to get them to eat than hay when they're feeling bad, might be worth a try. Fingers crossed he can comfortably make it to Monday
 
Hi @Eriathwen - he was given cisapride and emepride after his heatstroke / bad period a few weeks ago. It was only for a week, but I've just given him another dose of both and he's munching on hay with a bit more vigour so maybe it will help get him through to Monday. Good idea! Will give him a bit of biolapis as well which he will enjoy.
 
Hiya - me again. he appears to have made a miraculous turn around (fingers crossed not just temporary) since I gave him the emeprid and cisapride. I'm not sure he's tackled any nuggets yet, but he's had a bit of cucumber and is nibbling on hay, and walking around. He's also been drinking water if I take the bottle over to him. This morning it was like he could barely open his eyes and now he's made it up and down the ramp a few times. @Eriathwen when you say you kept yours on gut stimulants for a long time - how long was that approx? I'll go to the vet as soon as I can of course, but I'm just musing on whether long term maintenance would be possible with the gut meds
 
herbandhip said:
Hiya - me again. he appears to have made a miraculous turn around (fingers crossed not just temporary) since I gave him the emeprid and cisapride. I'm not sure he's tackled any nuggets yet, but he's had a bit of cucumber and is nibbling on hay, and walking around. He's also been drinking water if I take the bottle over to him. This morning it was like he could barely open his eyes and now he's made it up and down the ramp a few times. @Eriathwen when you say you kept yours on gut stimulants for a long time - how long was that approx? I'll go to the vet as soon as I can of course, but I'm just musing on whether long term maintenance would be possible with the gut meds
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It was at least 6 months if I remember correctly, as a full block, but she had been on and off them for a few months prior to that too, she started on cisipride and was moved onto emeprid when that began to stop helping towards the final weeks of her life.

I'm so glad to hear he's doing better!
 
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