Elderly guinea pig appetite

[Noxandmonty]

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since i posted here but Nox has been having some recent troubles so here goes...

Nox is almost 6 and a half and I am so grateful hes lasted this long. He’s always been a very chunky, sassy old man. However, recently he’s lost around 300 grams. (He was previously 1250g and now hes 950g). I was immediately worried so I took him into urgent care. Unfortunately, the vet didn’t seem to care much and after 5 hours….he couldn’t even get a blood test because Nox wasnt producing enough. They sent me home with critical care nutrition, but thats it.
I’m so worried. Recently, his appetite is almost completely gone. He’ll chew on hay and have a few bites of vegetables, but thats it. He won’t touch pellets (this has been this way for a while). I try to force him some critical care, but I dont think he‘s getting enough. His poops are soft and orangish. He’s also a bit blind and has trouble holding in urine nowadays. The vet said it could be kidney failure? But he was so unhelpful. He said Nox looked perfectly healthy for an old guy and he his teeth are totally fine.
Overall, the vet said he’s just old and there’s not much we can do. My sister is in larger vet med and said that it may be time to euthanize, but she says this anytime anything (even minor) happens to any small animal/rodent.
However… I’m so conflicted. He’s acting like his normal self and is SUCH a fighter. He‘s so stubborn- I dont think he’s ready to go at all. But his body is losing so much weight, I’m worried that his zest for life will outlive his physical body.
He still begs for veggies and fruits but wont eat them in full. He’ll have a couple bites…
I’m going to keep syringe feeding him and keep him comfortable and loved… but I’m so lost, and I dont know what to do anymore. He still has that spark… but I also don’t want him to suffer. But I genuinely dont think he’s ready.
Any advice is welcome… I’m willing to try anything.
Should I prepare for end of life care? Should I just keep him clean, syringe fed, and happy?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry.

Please be aware that over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day is hay/grass. You cannot control that by eye and need to start supplementing as soon as your piggy starts losing over 50g/2 oz. Just nibbling on a little fruit or pellets is like nibbling on a little snack - the poo output has nothing to do with kidney failure but reflects the food intake. Where kidney failure comes in is pain relief. Has your boy got any? I have had to euthanize several of my own oldies (some that were middle aged) to kidney failure; it is not that uncommon.

It is however pretty painful so high pain relief (0.3 ml dog strength metacam twice daily or even stronger painkillers) would make like a real difference with the appetite although you still want to supplement. The lost weight won't come back on but as long as you can stabilise the weight, your boy will still have quality of life enough to battle on that bit longer.

Please take the time to read the guide links below. They are very practical and talk you through the whole area. We cannot tell you where to draw the line but we can give you the information and how-to tips on supporting your boy and on giving you the means by which you can decide for yourself where you draw the line with a much clearer mind, if sadly not a less aching heart. I hope that you will find them really helpful.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

All the best. It is always such a gut wrenching time when you come to the sharp end of life.

 

[Noxandmonty]

Hi

HUGS

I am very sorry.

Please be aware that over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day is hay/grass. You cannot control that by eye and need to start supplementing as soon as your piggy starts losing over 50g/2 oz. Just nibbling on a little fruit or pellets is like nibbling on a little snack - the poo output has nothing to do with kidney failure but reflects the food intake. Where kidney failure comes in is pain relief. Has your boy got any? I have had to euthanize several of my own oldies (some that were middle aged) to kidney failure; it is not that uncommon.

It is however pretty painful so high pain relief (0.3 ml dog strength metacam twice daily or even stronger painkillers) would make like a real difference with the appetite although you still want to supplement. The lost weight won't come back on but as long as you can stabilise the weight, your boy will still have quality of life enough to battle on that bit longer.

Please take the time to read the guide links below. They are very practical and talk you through the whole area. We cannot tell you where to draw the line but we can give you the information and how-to tips on supporting your boy and on giving you the means by which you can decide for yourself where you draw the line with a much clearer mind, if sadly not a less aching heart. I hope that you will find them really helpful.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

All the best. It is always such a gut wrenching time when you come to the sharp end of life.

Thanks for your reply!
Unfortunately the vet was so unhelpful and wasn’t taking this case seriously enough to get any meds. He said Nox looked completely fine. I’m still so upset about that because he’s obviously not fine. I‘ll call back to see if I can get a prescription med for him.
Also I know that hay should be the biggest part of his diet, which is why I’m trying to supplement it now. He’s been sort of on and off eating his hay, but the last couple of days have had his appetite declined quite a bit... so it may be syringes for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll look into those links and try to decide what’s best for him <3

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Is there any chance to see a different vet? Looks like the one you saw last time doesn't really care for guinea pigs. I have had vets like that in the past ... nothing but frustrating.
Did he check the molars or just have a quick look at the front teeth?
Good looking front teeth are not a definite sign that the molars are okay. It's the other way around, bad looking front teeth often indicate troubles with the molars. But some vets ....

Because if he can't chew the right way, it could explain the poops and his bad appetite.
I would try to get some pain medication as was suggested by Wiebke, because pain (for whatever reason) decreases the appetite.

But I would watch him closely. Unfortunately with guinea pigs of this age the time to say goodbye could be just a few moments away if the pain meds don't work and his appetite declines even further.
Take care!

 

[Claire W]

I’m afraid I can’t really add much to the excellent advise already given but I would definitely look at seeing a different vet, one that has a bit more compassion.

It’s horrible when our pets get older and the time to say goodbye could be just around the corner

I would have his back teeth checked if they haven’t been done already and look at getting him some pain relief. I’ve lost a piggy to kidney failure. She lost a lot of weight and stopped eating. We had her pts on the day of diagnosis but she was very poorly

(((hugs))) I hope you still have some happy days together to come x

 

[Wheekallweek]

Gorgeous boy
Have you tried some fresh grass for him, or perhaps some herbs like basil, parsley, coriander etc?

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your reply!
Unfortunately the vet was so unhelpful and wasn’t taking this case seriously enough to get any meds. He said Nox looked completely fine. I’m still so upset about that because he’s obviously not fine. I‘ll call back to see if I can get a prescription med for him.
Also I know that hay should be the biggest part of his diet, which is why I’m trying to supplement it now. He’s been sort of on and off eating his hay, but the last couple of days have had his appetite declined quite a bit... so it may be syringes for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll look into those links and try to decide what’s best for him <3

All the best. Please step in with feeding support asap. The links will tell you how can improvise. A piggy off their food will not eat or drink more just because you put more in the cage.