aly13
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi everyone, sorry this is so long. To begin with the whole situation is made worse by myself having serious health issues. The stress and physical care I'm having to provide is making my own health worse. I'm housebound and cant even visit the vet with them, its my mum that is doing vet trips. Anyway,
I have a piggy diagnosed 2 years ago with CBS. She has always been my favourite girl. We were really saddened at time of diagnosis and vet obviously couldnt give any timelines but for the most part until last year she didnt show any signs of suffering, she never had a head tilt/movement or balance issues etc. She sometimes had a bad eye and had a URI or UTI come every few months because she just seemed more fragile and susceptible but in general was doing well. She was 1kg in her prime but the latter half of last year went to a new set weight of low to mid 900s, now when she is barely holding it together she can hit 900 but is mainly in the mid to late 800s. She has been making crackly breathing noises on and off since Christmas, she had a course of antibiotics last month but the sounds didnt go away. She went downhill badly last week despite it being only a couple weeks since her last antibiotics course (totally off food, just hiding in her bed), so was put on another two week course. Once they kicked in she seemed to perk up a bit and eats some pellets, salad and grass although not really any hay. She was just about maintaining her weight with this.
I wasnt happy with her just barely holding it together, I felt she was still not heading to a good place. Yesterday her friend had to go for an emergency dental (discovered she had spurs, ulcers etc bless her) and I decided to let her accompany her scared friend which I regret now..thought she could stay in the carrier waiting for her friend but the vets got her out to look at her and even trimmed her nails which would have really stressed her out and she was already so vulnerable. She spent the rest of the day and night in bed, making her crackly breathing sounds again, only eating one or two pellets and some salad and grass although she was happy to take some syringed critical care. Today she is much the same. Had 6mls critical care before refusing, a couple of pellets and went to lay on her heat pad again.
Ive felt shes been going on a downward spiral this year with brief periods of being herself. But more and more she is just sleeping and hiding away and less interested in food. The vet said the antibiotics could be putting her off but she was fine on them before and she was already like this before this course so I personally think its unrelated and it's just her going downhill..
Her friend is not eating hay yet after her dental but is able to eat pellets again and seeminly veg and grass. Her incisors had to be trimmed but hopefully they grow back quickly and she still seems like herself and happy to fight on. I'm also having to give her critical care as often as I am able (like i said now nursing two pigs and giving eye drops to another is a lot for my own failing health).
does anyone have any words of wisdom, support or advice? as the days continue with her like this I have obviously been thinking about when is right to call it quits as she is really not herself and I dont see her returning..If we manage to bring her to the end of the antibiotic course this coming Thursday I fear she will get even worse as the antibiotics seem to be all thats holding her together. Our and the vets idea is that her CBS has progressed and is out of control now. She isnt on pain meds (getting any out of the vets is super hard here) but when she was tried last week it made no difference to her so either her issues arent directly pain related or her pain is so bad the meds didnt touch it (in which case if i knew that i would certainly want to end her suffering).
I have a piggy diagnosed 2 years ago with CBS. She has always been my favourite girl. We were really saddened at time of diagnosis and vet obviously couldnt give any timelines but for the most part until last year she didnt show any signs of suffering, she never had a head tilt/movement or balance issues etc. She sometimes had a bad eye and had a URI or UTI come every few months because she just seemed more fragile and susceptible but in general was doing well. She was 1kg in her prime but the latter half of last year went to a new set weight of low to mid 900s, now when she is barely holding it together she can hit 900 but is mainly in the mid to late 800s. She has been making crackly breathing noises on and off since Christmas, she had a course of antibiotics last month but the sounds didnt go away. She went downhill badly last week despite it being only a couple weeks since her last antibiotics course (totally off food, just hiding in her bed), so was put on another two week course. Once they kicked in she seemed to perk up a bit and eats some pellets, salad and grass although not really any hay. She was just about maintaining her weight with this.
I wasnt happy with her just barely holding it together, I felt she was still not heading to a good place. Yesterday her friend had to go for an emergency dental (discovered she had spurs, ulcers etc bless her) and I decided to let her accompany her scared friend which I regret now..thought she could stay in the carrier waiting for her friend but the vets got her out to look at her and even trimmed her nails which would have really stressed her out and she was already so vulnerable. She spent the rest of the day and night in bed, making her crackly breathing sounds again, only eating one or two pellets and some salad and grass although she was happy to take some syringed critical care. Today she is much the same. Had 6mls critical care before refusing, a couple of pellets and went to lay on her heat pad again.
Ive felt shes been going on a downward spiral this year with brief periods of being herself. But more and more she is just sleeping and hiding away and less interested in food. The vet said the antibiotics could be putting her off but she was fine on them before and she was already like this before this course so I personally think its unrelated and it's just her going downhill..
Her friend is not eating hay yet after her dental but is able to eat pellets again and seeminly veg and grass. Her incisors had to be trimmed but hopefully they grow back quickly and she still seems like herself and happy to fight on. I'm also having to give her critical care as often as I am able (like i said now nursing two pigs and giving eye drops to another is a lot for my own failing health).
does anyone have any words of wisdom, support or advice? as the days continue with her like this I have obviously been thinking about when is right to call it quits as she is really not herself and I dont see her returning..If we manage to bring her to the end of the antibiotic course this coming Thursday I fear she will get even worse as the antibiotics seem to be all thats holding her together. Our and the vets idea is that her CBS has progressed and is out of control now. She isnt on pain meds (getting any out of the vets is super hard here) but when she was tried last week it made no difference to her so either her issues arent directly pain related or her pain is so bad the meds didnt touch it (in which case if i knew that i would certainly want to end her suffering).
Pretty sure I will be ringing the vet on call tomorrow to see what she thinks. 
