jess496
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi, I need Guinea pig owners to tell me of their similar experiences they've had, the reason why I'm posting on here is to find out more if I did anything wrong or what I should of done.
I recently lost my favourite Guinea pig, he was my world and I feel that I'm to blame for his death that I should of done more. I'm absolutely devastated by this and I can't deal with what's happened. I keep going over and over it. I was with him most of the time, I feel lost without him.
On Monday I took him to the vets for a runny nose & coughs because I was worried about respiratory infection but he had the runny nose the week before and I didn't do anything straight away because he's had runny noses before then recovered with no problem which I put it down to the hay dust that's why I wasn't hugely concerned especially he was eating & drinking fine even he was begging for pea flakes he seemed fine so the runny nose carried on so I was concerned if I left it too late so I booked appointment at the vets for Monday on the same day as I was terrified of losing him. When I got to the vets in the car park, I was early so I took him out for a cuddle while waiting and we noticed his back end that his nerves was thumping it seemed very strong so that worried me and when we went in, I told the vet what was wrong with him and I even told her about his nerves on his back end, she pulled a face thought that was strange but she didn't think it was anything to worry about, his lungs was clear despite having a cough, he didn't have a runny nose when vet checked (typical) and in the end she said he had swollen bum glands which I thought it was from my cleaning because his glands would get backed up so I had to clean them. I feel that she didn't investigate it further about his nerves going but his nerves wasn't going when the vet checked him.
I feel so awful that I didn't push for blood tests or a scan, I think I didn't want to stress him out. She gave him medicine called sulfatrim 0.45ml a day & metacam 3ml a day even though he didn't need it but she wanted to cover what illness he might have or might come. I can't help but think that he may of got worse with this medication but although his nerves happened before the vets so maybe not.
The problem is his runny nose & nerves did not show up when the vet was checking him but I still feel she should of known better that to investigate further because with Guinea pigs you can't be too careful as they go down hill quickly.
From Monday to Friday 2pm he was eating & drinking plus begging for pea flakes that he seemed fine, I was confident that the medication is making him better that he couldn't possibly get worse bearing in mind that I thought because the vet said it was his glands that was the issue so I wasn't overly worried that it takes time to heal but I did notice his glands didn't improve it was swollen it was difficult to clean it on Thursday as I left it for a few days to give it time to heal.
On Friday at 2pm his usual food time, he ate the food he seemed fine but about 6:30pm I took him out for more medicine which I wasn't 100% about giving him more as he seemed low that I thought maybe the meds was making him worse but I feel awful because he tried to reject it & I gave him some basil to get rid of the taste which he never had a problem with eating but strangely he seemed like he didn't want it but he only ate abit and I was concerned, I told mum about this and we tried his favourite pea flakes so he ate that then I thought he was fine if he managed to eat pea flakes so I put him back in his cage after this but he seemed low like he wanted to hide from me and I didn't want to disturb him too much by dragging him out but around 10pm they have extra veg for snacks so when I went to give him this in cage he just wouldn't eat it so I took him out put him on my bed and tried to encourage him to eat but he just wouldn't eat, mum thought he didn't want to eat because maybe he was full and that the medication made him not want to eat so I thought I would give him some time after the meds, stupidly.
I was cuddling him for a while in my room and he wasn't himself at all so I went downstairs with him nearly midnight to see mum & cuddling him on the sofa, all his nerves in most of his body was thumping it was worse this time and it upset me. At that point he wasn't comfortable on me so I put him on my lap, his nerves were really bad and we decided to put him in a box so that he had peace from his companion as his companion can be abit much so we were worried about this and for some reason I stupidly thought that if he had some rest that he will improve, I kept checking on him all night until about 5 I decided to get up for emergency vets as I noticed his breathing was fast I thought he was too hot so I took him downstairs and he lifted his head up looking around to see where he is and he seemed calm in his box on the table. I can't help but feel really awful that he wasn't taken to the vets asap but I did not think it was very serious for some reason and I don't know why I didn't, I'm just devastated.
When we finally got to the emergency vets, the vet said he was very poorly, he was having a fit on the table and the vet said he hasn't seen anything like it. I asked for scans to find out what is wrong with him but the vet said the scan wouldn't show anything because his tummy has swelled up so much that you won't able to see plus there wasn't a proper scan to see everything and that he was too far gone but I stupidly didn't want to give up on him that I allowed the two injections that I put him through more pain (poor boy) when he should of been put to sleep but at the time I wasn't thinking clearly & wished the vet & mum put their foot down that he should be put to sleep. The vet said that his lungs etc was fine, he thinks that it was something to do with his brain the way his nerves was going and was having fits because every thing else was fine in his body. He said that when his tummy organs was giving up that it was another illness somewhere causing him to be poorly.
I can't help but think if the vet on Monday investigated more about his nerves that this wouldn't of happened and especially his glands were swollen. I don't understand why his nerves started on his back end if it was his brain that was the issue.
I've read up on forums about people's experiences of guinea pig brain infection that they were caught early and cleared up with medication which I feel awful that this could of been avoided.
After he had the two injections, the vet said it would take 4 Hours for it to kick in so I took him home but about 10 mins on way back he was having a terrible fit and I took him back to have him put to sleep. He passed away in the car. I just feel awful with the way I handled this. The way he had suffered for hours, I cannot forgive myself.
All this started off with a runny nose the week before and this most likely could of been avoided.
I recently lost my favourite Guinea pig, he was my world and I feel that I'm to blame for his death that I should of done more. I'm absolutely devastated by this and I can't deal with what's happened. I keep going over and over it. I was with him most of the time, I feel lost without him.
On Monday I took him to the vets for a runny nose & coughs because I was worried about respiratory infection but he had the runny nose the week before and I didn't do anything straight away because he's had runny noses before then recovered with no problem which I put it down to the hay dust that's why I wasn't hugely concerned especially he was eating & drinking fine even he was begging for pea flakes he seemed fine so the runny nose carried on so I was concerned if I left it too late so I booked appointment at the vets for Monday on the same day as I was terrified of losing him. When I got to the vets in the car park, I was early so I took him out for a cuddle while waiting and we noticed his back end that his nerves was thumping it seemed very strong so that worried me and when we went in, I told the vet what was wrong with him and I even told her about his nerves on his back end, she pulled a face thought that was strange but she didn't think it was anything to worry about, his lungs was clear despite having a cough, he didn't have a runny nose when vet checked (typical) and in the end she said he had swollen bum glands which I thought it was from my cleaning because his glands would get backed up so I had to clean them. I feel that she didn't investigate it further about his nerves going but his nerves wasn't going when the vet checked him.
I feel so awful that I didn't push for blood tests or a scan, I think I didn't want to stress him out. She gave him medicine called sulfatrim 0.45ml a day & metacam 3ml a day even though he didn't need it but she wanted to cover what illness he might have or might come. I can't help but think that he may of got worse with this medication but although his nerves happened before the vets so maybe not.
The problem is his runny nose & nerves did not show up when the vet was checking him but I still feel she should of known better that to investigate further because with Guinea pigs you can't be too careful as they go down hill quickly.
From Monday to Friday 2pm he was eating & drinking plus begging for pea flakes that he seemed fine, I was confident that the medication is making him better that he couldn't possibly get worse bearing in mind that I thought because the vet said it was his glands that was the issue so I wasn't overly worried that it takes time to heal but I did notice his glands didn't improve it was swollen it was difficult to clean it on Thursday as I left it for a few days to give it time to heal.
On Friday at 2pm his usual food time, he ate the food he seemed fine but about 6:30pm I took him out for more medicine which I wasn't 100% about giving him more as he seemed low that I thought maybe the meds was making him worse but I feel awful because he tried to reject it & I gave him some basil to get rid of the taste which he never had a problem with eating but strangely he seemed like he didn't want it but he only ate abit and I was concerned, I told mum about this and we tried his favourite pea flakes so he ate that then I thought he was fine if he managed to eat pea flakes so I put him back in his cage after this but he seemed low like he wanted to hide from me and I didn't want to disturb him too much by dragging him out but around 10pm they have extra veg for snacks so when I went to give him this in cage he just wouldn't eat it so I took him out put him on my bed and tried to encourage him to eat but he just wouldn't eat, mum thought he didn't want to eat because maybe he was full and that the medication made him not want to eat so I thought I would give him some time after the meds, stupidly.
I was cuddling him for a while in my room and he wasn't himself at all so I went downstairs with him nearly midnight to see mum & cuddling him on the sofa, all his nerves in most of his body was thumping it was worse this time and it upset me. At that point he wasn't comfortable on me so I put him on my lap, his nerves were really bad and we decided to put him in a box so that he had peace from his companion as his companion can be abit much so we were worried about this and for some reason I stupidly thought that if he had some rest that he will improve, I kept checking on him all night until about 5 I decided to get up for emergency vets as I noticed his breathing was fast I thought he was too hot so I took him downstairs and he lifted his head up looking around to see where he is and he seemed calm in his box on the table. I can't help but feel really awful that he wasn't taken to the vets asap but I did not think it was very serious for some reason and I don't know why I didn't, I'm just devastated.
When we finally got to the emergency vets, the vet said he was very poorly, he was having a fit on the table and the vet said he hasn't seen anything like it. I asked for scans to find out what is wrong with him but the vet said the scan wouldn't show anything because his tummy has swelled up so much that you won't able to see plus there wasn't a proper scan to see everything and that he was too far gone but I stupidly didn't want to give up on him that I allowed the two injections that I put him through more pain (poor boy) when he should of been put to sleep but at the time I wasn't thinking clearly & wished the vet & mum put their foot down that he should be put to sleep. The vet said that his lungs etc was fine, he thinks that it was something to do with his brain the way his nerves was going and was having fits because every thing else was fine in his body. He said that when his tummy organs was giving up that it was another illness somewhere causing him to be poorly.
I can't help but think if the vet on Monday investigated more about his nerves that this wouldn't of happened and especially his glands were swollen. I don't understand why his nerves started on his back end if it was his brain that was the issue.
I've read up on forums about people's experiences of guinea pig brain infection that they were caught early and cleared up with medication which I feel awful that this could of been avoided.
After he had the two injections, the vet said it would take 4 Hours for it to kick in so I took him home but about 10 mins on way back he was having a terrible fit and I took him back to have him put to sleep. He passed away in the car. I just feel awful with the way I handled this. The way he had suffered for hours, I cannot forgive myself.
All this started off with a runny nose the week before and this most likely could of been avoided.