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Please help my 7 year old guinea pig is paralysed and my vets are shut!

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melissa768

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Please help my guineapig is paralysed!

Hi all,

My guineapig Lucy is 7 years old. Today I came in to give her and my other guinea put some vegetables and noticed that she was lied down at the side of the cage paralysed.

She is lied on her side and her limbs feel stiff and cold. Before this she seemed totally fine and had a normal appetite and was running around normally.

We rang the vets but because of what is happening they are closed and to be honest I am reluctant to take her as I feel like that might stress her out because she is such an old guinea pig.

I read online that it may be because of a vitamin C deficiency, although we do give her vegetables ,her coat is very soft and we’ve never had this problem before with any of my guinea pigs.I mixed in some pro-c with water and have been feeding her it and she is starting to move her back and front legs a lot more but is still lied down.

What should I do? If she is dying how do I keep her as comfortable as possible?

She has had cancer and had a tumour which was still there but because she is an old guineapig and the tumour was below her nipple the vet agreed it would be best not to remove it.
Thank you in advance for the suggestions I just want her to be as comfortable as possible!
 
Also she started to move her legs more when we gave her water mixed with vitamin c but now we have stopped she has stopped moving her legs. I didn’t wanna give her too much water but should I give her more or wait a little bit?
 
If you are UK based and your vets are currently closed there should be the details of the emergency vet on when you phone them. Any lethargy or paralysis is an emergency and needs vet checking for advice
 
I agree that she needs to be seen by a vet as a matter of urgency. The phone number to an out of hours emergency vet should be provided on the answer phone message when you phone your usual vet.

It is impossible for us to speculate what is wrong with your guinea pig
 
melissa768 said:
Please help my guineapig is paralysed!

Hi all,

My guineapig Lucy is 7 years old. Today I came in to give her and my other guinea put some vegetables and noticed that she was lied down at the side of the cage paralysed.

She is lied on her side and her limbs feel stiff and cold. Before this she seemed totally fine and had a normal appetite and was running around normally.

We rang the vets but because of what is happening they are closed and to be honest I am reluctant to take her as I feel like that might stress her out because she is such an old guinea pig.

I read online that it may be because of a vitamin C deficiency, although we do give her vegetables ,her coat is very soft and we’ve never had this problem before with any of my guinea pigs.I mixed in some pro-c with water and have been feeding her it and she is starting to move her back and front legs a lot more but is still lied down.

What should I do? If she is dying how do I keep her as comfortable as possible?

She has had cancer and had a tumour which was still there but because she is an old guineapig and the tumour was below her nipple the vet agreed it would be best not to remove it.
Thank you in advance for the suggestions I just want her to be as comfortable as possible!
Click to expand...

Hi!

I am very sorry for your distress! It sounds like she could have had a stroke. If you are in the UK, there is out of hours vet cover for emergencies. Make sure that you keep her warm (but not hot) and as comfortable as you can. If you can at all, please contact a vet clinic asap!

Here are our tips for emergency care until you can see a vet, including how you can improvise and how to find a vet:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility

I sincerely hope that this is not becoming necessary, but as you mentioning her being rather cold it may be that her body is starting to close down or she could have another stroke before you can see a vet, so I am adding this link, just in case:
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
 
Hi everyone,

Thankyou for advice after writing the post we took her to the emergency vet.As Lucy was taken into the building by the veterinary nurse(we are not allowed in the building) she sadly passed away. I am now down from 3 guineapigs to one (the other one died two years ago) and am quite worried about my new guineapig being lonely on her own but also as she is so old I don’t think it would be best to buy another one.
 
melissa768 said:
Hi everyone,

Thankyou for advice after writing the post we took her to the emergency vet.As Lucy was taken into the building by the veterinary nurse(we are not allowed in the building) she sadly passed away. I am now down from 3 guineapigs to one (the other one died two years ago) and am quite worried about my new guineapig being lonely on her own but also as she is so old I don’t think it would be best to buy another one.
Click to expand...
Edit: I meant old guinea pig.
 
I’m sorry for your loss.
As for the remaining piggy, how old is she? Some rescues offer ‘foster friends’ that you can surrender back to them once your piggy passes away. But at the moment they’re all shut. Have a read of the thread below and see if there are some things you can do for her in the meantime.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
 
Terribly sorry for your loss. RIP Lucy xx

a foster piggie may be your best bet otherwise temporarily I have given piggies a soft plushie to snuggle with. It’s not a long term solution but something That may help.
ive had some guinea pigs completely ignore it and another who always cuddled up to it even once he had two female piggies. It was his comfort when they told him to off.
 
So sorry for your loss❤rest in paradise lucy
 
So sorry for your loss.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
Give yourself time to consider all the options for your surviving girl given that these are difficult times.
You are welcome to talk out possibilities here - it may help you make a decision
 
So sorry to see your news, it did rather sound like she was in a bad way. I agree with the comments about your lone piggy. It's a hard situation to be in but perhaps speaking to your local rescues might shed some light on more preferable options for you
 
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