OD/ Satins Disease

[JandfpiggiesUK]

Hi all.

I’ve just been reading an old copy/issue of guinea pig magazine. Coincidentally one of the articles is about Osteodystrophy/ Satins disease.

I’ve been told that one of my pigs (fudge) looks like a satin and I’m fairly positive that he is.

In this article it says that the disease can progress 18 months plus. However others have told me and websites say that signs will start to show from 12 months onwards.

Fudge is 16 months.

What’s actually correct?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all.

I’ve just been reading an old copy/issue of guinea pig magazine. Coincidentally one of the articles is about Osteodystrophy/ Satins disease.

I’ve been told that one of my pigs (fudge) looks like a satin and I’m fairly positive that he is.

In this article it says that the disease can progress 18 months plus. However others have told me and websites say that signs will start to show from 12 months onwards.

Fudge is 16 months.

What’s actually correct?

All of the above. OD can manifest even earlier. Progress and severity can also vary a lot, and so can the range of symptoms and life expectancy. It is also worth reminding yourself that not every satin will develop the disease.

The Fox Residence Guinea Pig Sanctuary have been writing about several satins SGPS in their care in the rescue story in issue #46 (pages 6-7), which may give you perhaps a more realistic picture about the range of it.

Which issue have you been reading? Please be aware that a general article will mostly reflect the average but not necessarily the full range and that there is more known now due to ongoing medical research than there used to be.

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

All of the above. OD can manifest even earlier. Progress and severity can also vary a lot, and so can the range of symptoms and life expectancy. It is also worth reminding yourself that not every satin will develop the disease.

The Fox Residence Guinea Pig Sanctuary have been writing about several satins SGPS in their care in the rescue story in issue #46 (pages 6-7), which may give you perhaps a more realistic picture about the range of it.

Which issue have you been reading? Please be aware that a general article will mostly reflect the average but not necessarily the full range and that there is more known now due to ongoing medical research than there used to be.

It was Issue #9. From 2011. I bought some back issues.

 

[Wiebke]

It was Issue #9. From 2011. I bought some back issues.

There has been quite a bit more research since, so some aspects may be outdated now but it gives you a good deal of the basic information.
That was just after I'd started to write a small humorous column for GPM, so no wonder I don't remember the issue!

Look on the facebook pages of Cavy Central Guinea Pig Rescue or The Fox Residence Guinea Pig Sanctuary; they are dealing with a rising number of OD piggies due to for sale backyard breeding.
The tip of the iceberg are the satins ending up in rescue because their owners can't afford the massive vet fees (which are generally higher in Australia than here.
That is why I asked Natalie Fox to write a rescue story with a different slant to the article and concentrate more on her piggies and what it has meant for them.