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New heart failure :(

Shannon R

Shannon R

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
New Brunswick, Canada
My 6 year old guinea stopped eating yesterday and looked short of breath. We took him to the vet and he had bilateral pulmonary edema. The vet said likely heart failure and he was started on lasix 4mg every 12 hours and antibiotics Baytril just in case. She did not think we would be alive in two weeks. We have been syringe feeding him every 2 hours. He is still short of breath. This morning he he is now making weird noise while breathing. This afternoon he is not swallowing his food as well with his feeds and has fluid coming From his nose.

I was initially hopeful that he would recover now I am worried he is dying and I don’t know what to do. Do we keep trying to feed? Do we make him comfortable? He had had three doses of his lasix so far. We called the vet and they said not to increase to 5mg. The closet get is 1.5 hours away. If he is going to pass I don’t want to torture him to take him to a non guinea pig savy vet as all they can prb do it oxygen. He is on metacam as well

Any thoughts/precious experience welcomed. We are devastated this happened out of the blue.

we are keeping him warm and comfortable. Is there anything else?
 

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Hi!

I am ever so sorry; what a horrible time for you! Sadly in your neck of the world you can't just ring an out-of-hours vet for advice. :(

Unfortunately it rather looks like he is gradually losing the ability to swallow now. I would try once more with a very small amount (0.1 ml) but if that is not going down, then I would recommend to leave it altogether. Your boy is clearly not able to process any food or drink anymore in that case. :(

Make sure that he is comfortable and warm but not hot; this is important as the heart is less and less able to pump warm blood around the body. Rather heat your microwaveable pad to half time and reheat more often as needed than heat fully.

Here is our emergency care guide; the last chapter deals with how you can recognise when your piggy's body is closing down and what you can do if you are in a situation where you cannot contact or reach a vet.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Also take care of yourself; realising that your piggy could be dying is always one of the most devastating moments.
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

My thoughts are with you!
 
I don't have any Advice to give but I wish my best for u nd your piggy nd stay strong❤
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

I am ever so sorry; what a horrible time for you! Sadly in your neck of the world you can't just ring an out-of-hours vet for advice. :(

Unfortunately it rather looks like he is gradually losing the ability to swallow now. I would try once more with a very small amount (0.1 ml) but if that is not going down, then I would recommend to leave it altogether. Your boy is clearly not able to process any food or drink anymore in that case. :(

Make sure that he is comfortable and warm but not hot; this is important as the heart is less and less able to pump warm blood around the body. Rather heat your microwaveable pad to half time and reheat more often as needed than heat fully.

Here is our emergency care guide; the last chapter deals with how you can recognise when your piggy's body is closing down and what you can do if you are in a situation where you cannot contact or reach a vet.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Also take care of yourself; realising that your piggy could be dying is always one of the most devastating moments.
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

My thoughts are with you!
Click to expand...

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words. He will only swallow with much encouragement and I think he is too weak now :( I hope he passes quickly, the last thing I want is for him to suffer
 
Shannon R said:
Thank you for your thoughts and kind words. He will only swallow with much encouragement and I think he is too weak now :( I hope he passes quickly, the last thing I want is for him to suffer
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HUGS

We all hope for that when we are sitting with a dying piggy... :(
The waiting is sadly a very lonely place to be. If you can, please remember all the joys and the loving and funny things you have shared; they will always be in your heart, as your boy will always be in there.

I always hope that it is the rather rare gentle drifting away and not the much more common body shut down, which is much more physical than we expect with our very sanitised and vague concept of dying and which can be very upsetting when you are not braced for it. Thankfully most piggies are pretty much out of it by the end when oxygen deprivation really hits. But the guide I have written should hopefully help you through that.

If you feel too overwhelmed by your own feelings, try to concentrate on sending your boy loving thoughts. Make sure that you do not exclude any companion. It is a very tough time for them, too.
 
Wiebke said:
HUGS

We all hope for that when we are sitting with a dying piggy... :(
The waiting is sadly a very lonely place to be. If you can, please remember all the joys and the loving and funny things you have shared; they will always be in your heart, as your boy will always be in there.

I always hope that it is the rather rare gentle drifting away and not the much more common body shut down, which is much more physical than we expect with our very sanitised and vague concept of dying and which can be very upsetting when you are not braced for it. Thankfully most piggies are pretty much out of it by the end when oxygen deprivation really hits. But the guide I have written should hopefully help you through that.

If you feel too overwhelmed by your own feelings, try to concentrate on sending your boy loving thoughts. Make sure that you do not exclude any companion. It is a very tough time for them, too.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wiebke, how do I know when it’s time to euthanize(I read your post)? Would vets here be able to do it? Most don’t see guinea pigs and the one that does is 1.5 hours away.
 
:hug:I'm so sorry!
All you can do now really is keep him comfortable, perhaps his cage mate would comfort him a bit, or if you feel up to it you could hold them both on your lap in a blanket etc. I'm sure he knows you love him. x
 
Shannon R said:
That should be :( poor guy. He was so sweet I wish they could stay with us forever.
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HUGS

I am so sorry for your loss but glad that his death was a very gentle and comparatively quick one.

Try to take consolation from that and from the fact that he could pass away in his familiar surroundings, having lived a happy life for a very good and long life span.

Take the time to read our grieving guide; it will hopefully help you through the coming days and weeks.

Sorry for not being around over the last hours; I have just found one of my own unexpectedly dead in her forever sleep when I went to feed dinner. She must have quietly passed away in her forever sleep this afternoon. While you learn over time to deal better with the grieving process, the pain of the actual loss sadly never gets any easier. :(
 
It's a sad time.. hold him if you can, he will know you are there... we held our little Pippin and knew when it was time to go to the vets to prevent any suffering.. thinking of you xx
 
So sorry he is so poorly, he looks such a little character in your photo. sending you hugs at this sad time x
 
Thank you for all your support. He passed away with his cage mate by his side and then we held him for an hour telling him how much we love him. @Wiebke I'm sorry to hear about your sweet girl. Just not fair sometimes :( thanks again everyone. I am glad he did not suffer long
 
How long should I leave him in the cage with his cage mate? We won’t be taking him for cremation until tomorrow. I am just unsure
 
Shannon R said:
How long should I leave him in the cage with his cage mate? We won’t be taking him for cremation until tomorrow. I am just unsure
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Just as long as his mate needs to take leave. If he is ignoring him, then he has already said his goodbyes when he realised that his mate was dying.
But leave the bedding and cosies so he can snuggle into the scent of his mate, especially during the next few days if he is grieving and withdrawn - no matter how grotty the cosy gets! If he is one of the 'carry on' brigade, then you can change the bedding and cosies as normal.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

I always gently wrap my just deceased piggies in an old cosy or towel and leave them somewhere out of the way until the following day to allow the body to settle.
I have a large piggy burial pot for mine but I like to give the soul time to leave before I wrap them in kitchen paper and collect a little bouquet with whatever is in flower in the garden (not a lot of choice at this time of year sadly) to dress up the bundle.
 
Wiebke said:
Just as long as his mate needs to take leave. If he is ignoring him, then he has already said his goodbyes when he realised that his mate was dying.
But leave the bedding and cosies so he can snuggle into the scent of his mate, especially during the next few days if he is grieving and withdrawn - no matter how grotty the cosy gets! If he is one of the 'carry on' brigade, then you can change the bedding and cosies as normal.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

I always gently wrap my just deceased piggies in an old cosy or towel and leave them somewhere out of the way until the following day to allow the body to settle.
I have a large piggy burial pot for mine but I like to give the soul time to leave before I wrap them in kitchen paper and collect a little bouquet with whatever is in flower in the garden (not a lot of choice at this time of year sadly) to dress up the bundle.
Click to expand...

Thank you- you have been more than helpful. His mate just went and laid with him in his cozy tube for 5 minutes. I suspect he will be one of those pigs that tries to get on with life quickly. I will likely remove his body this evening before we go to bed. Thank you again
 
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