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Post-dental downturn

DebiGliori

DebiGliori

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Almost exactly a year after his first series of dental grindings, my poor Merry is back at the vet's as an overnight patient. A week ago he had a GA to grind down his back teeth ( apparently they form spurs, which impair his ability to eat) and recovered well from the anaesthetic and was sent home with three day's of emiprid. His daily weigh-in showed a slow downhill trend ( between 9-12g per day) but I persevered with offering a variety of hays, veg, oats to boost his weight ( not even remotely interested) the odd nugget and hoped we'd manage to avoid the trials of August last year when we syringe fed the poor little boy for five months, again post-dental.

Today, after the weigh-in, the numbers still heading downwards, I thought it was time to begin supplementary syringe feeding. He had been, up until this morning, eating, albeit slowly. Last night he was out on the grass, doing a perfect impersonation of a bonsai furry lawnmower, and I'd thought he'd turned a corner. This morning's weigh in suggested not. So, managed to get him to take 10ml of the fine grind Oxbow, which he sucked down like a champ, but then he went flatter than a flat thing. And didn't move from his little spot in the quiet part of the splendid accommodations that he shares with his brother, Pippin.

Even the offer of strictly rationed fruit flakes normally only accessible in a Haypigs circus ball was of no interest. By lunchtime, I managed to persuade him to take another small syringe feed (5ml)with an even smaller emiprid chaser, but by mid-afternoon, when I gave him another 10ml, I realised that he was not a well cavy. And so, a mad dash to the vet, where we are fortunate enough to have an exotics specialist. She squeezed his tummy, listened for gut action ( some, but not enough to constitute a healthy tummy) and then poked a thermometer up his bottom, twice, which produced no protests which is in itself worrying, but gave a temperature low enough for Merry to be whisked off to an incubator, where he will spend a warm but confusing night.

His brother, Pippin, will also spend a (less warm) but equally confusing night. I hope the morning brings better news and some idea for a way forward back to eating hay and gaining weight again. He was doing so well that we'd cut his daily weigh-ins back to only once every three days. Thank heavens we do weigh him so often - like all guinea pigs, he's an expert at pretending to be perfectly healthy until suddenly, he isn't.
 
I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a hard time with Merry. How is he getting on this morning? Have you had any update from his vet?

Do you have indication of what is causing so much issue with poor Merry, or is it all related to his dental? Which shouldn’t really be causing so much issue.

My thoughts are with you and Merry at this time x
 
I phoned in to check how his night went. He's apparently very lively and now putting up a fight when the vet nurses are syringe feeding him. I think that's good news! Although it does make me think that the next wee while of me syringe-feeding him are going to be a bit of a struggle. I go to pick him up this morning.

I can only hazard a guess as to the cause of these issues. I'm pretty sure it's dental issues ( his original vet last summer did say that his mouth was problematic and he would probably have ongoing issues needing attention over the years) and I think it's occurring at this time of year because Merry and his brother Pippin are out on the grass for a couple of hours every day, with grass and parsley plus his veg at night, he's not working up an appetite for eating enough hay to do the proper tooth-grinding job. My fault - I need to restrict their veg intake to compensate? I think? But what do I know?

Anyhoo, I'd better go pick him up and bring him home to his lonely and sad brother who has no idea what's going on. Thankyou for your kind words x
 
So, here we are, almost a week past his overnight at the vet's, a fortnight after his tooth burring with a GA. We're on five syringe feeds a day of Critical Care, and despite the vet nurse's assurances that he was eating hay and veg, there's been little evidence of that since the poor wee mite came home. We had both piggies out on the grass, and that seems to perk Merry up a bit and he does browse on grass, but present him with his veg and he snuffles around in his bowl then gives up and goes back to his hidden. Same with fresh hay in the morning, nuggets are untouched and about the only thing he'll eat is basil or the occasional tiny bit of pear ( I know, it's sweet and probably a bit forbidden but he has to eat something, no?)
He's ravenous in the morning and slurps down his Crtical Care like a champ, but in between syringe feeds, he curls up and sleeps. I'm going to phone the vet again tomorrow, and take him in again, but the only thing I can think of is that his teeth are still hurting ( two weeks on?) and his pain meds need to be increased. He's currently on Metacam, 0.36ml, twice a day. Any suggestions?
 
If I was in your position I would do the same. Get back to the vet and try to find out what’s going on, the fact he’s not eating his veg is not a great sign, dental wise.
Is that cat or dog metacam? Although assuming the dental is his only issue, if it had been done correctly/fixed the issue you should have seen an improvement very quickly in most cases.

You’re doing so well for lovely Merry.
Let us know how you get on at the vets x
 
Sorry for late reply - but work deadlines also needed my input. Back at the vet's, and after a thorough exam and reading the charts I'd kept of feeds, meds, weight etc, the vet suggested that Merry might have either a bladder stone or sludge ( when I recount this to friends and relatives, their 'ewwwww's can probably be heard in Shetland!) and he kept Merry in for half a day to run tests ( bloods) and have a wee squint inside via an x-ray. The results should be in today. If sludge, we can keep going with critical care syringe feeding and lots of fluids in the hopes of flushing the sludge out, but if a stone is present, then surgery is recommended.

I await more knowledge. In the meantime, the vet said to keep him off the grass ( fermenting stomach contents from too much juicy grass) encourage him to eat hay ( we were doing that) and cut out kale from his freshies at teatime.

Ah.
Oh, dear.

I think kale and grass have been doing him no favours at all, even though he clearly loves both. I knew that kale was implicated in bladder stones/issues, but thought Merry didn't appear to suffer any ill effects from his love of kale.

So he's on the Hay diet ( sorry...) with lots of water and five syringe feeds of critical care a day. He's drinking from his water bottle like a champ and is making a good attempt to eat hay in the absence of anything else of interest. Seeing him actually eating and drinking instead of curled up with his face literally to the wall is immensely cheering but we're not out of the woods yet.
 
What a difference a day makes.

Test results are in and it's not good at all.

Poor Merry has elevated levels of various markers for kidney disease in his bloods, also a bladder stone and is a seriously unwell little boy. And won't get better, in the way of kidney disease and its effect on small creatures. Surgery is not advised for removal of the stone, and basically we're in the return-your-seats-to-the-upright position, cabin-crew-doors-to-manual-and-crosscheck phase. Landing imminent. Which is a stupid way to avoid saying that my beloved little one is dying.

Writing it down makes it even more real, but...right now, Merry is blissfully unaware of all of this, is mildly puzzled by the warm salty shower that accompanies every syringe feed and currently is eating his freshies with far more appetite than he's shown for weeks. Go figure.

I'm so very, very sad. I love him so much. Our lovely vet said to think of three things he loves best and when he stops showing interest in them, it's time. Many years ago, my daughter's gerbil had to be put to sleep and as the vet bore him off to do the deed, she said, 'Think of this as the last good thing you can do for your pet.'

And it is ; the gift of ceasing on the midnight with no pain. I hope I can get the timing as perfect as possible for my little Merry. Leaving the party while it's in full swing. And now I'm going to go and cry me a river.
 
DebiGliori said:
What a difference a day makes.

Test results are in and it's not good at all.

Poor Merry has elevated levels of various markers for kidney disease in his bloods, also a bladder stone and is a seriously unwell little boy. And won't get better, in the way of kidney disease and its effect on small creatures. Surgery is not advised for removal of the stone, and basically we're in the return-your-seats-to-the-upright position, cabin-crew-doors-to-manual-and-crosscheck phase. Landing imminent. Which is a stupid way to avoid saying that my beloved little one is dying.

Writing it down makes it even more real, but...right now, Merry is blissfully unaware of all of this, is mildly puzzled by the warm salty shower that accompanies every syringe feed and currently is eating his freshies with far more appetite than he's shown for weeks. Go figure.

I'm so very, very sad. I love him so much. Our lovely vet said to think of three things he loves best and when he stops showing interest in them, it's time. Many years ago, my daughter's gerbil had to be put to sleep and as the vet bore him off to do the deed, she said, 'Think of this as the last good thing you can do for your pet.'

And it is ; the gift of ceasing on the midnight with no pain. I hope I can get the timing as perfect as possible for my little Merry. Leaving the party while it's in full swing. And now I'm going to go and cry me a river.
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So sorry it’s such bad news, make lots of happy todays with Merry and treasure your memories. Your vet sounds very sincere and she is right in what she says :hug:
 
I am so very sorry to read your update. I can feel your pain and heart ache. You are now in the stage in his life where you are making precious memories and making every day count. Huge hugs x
 
I’m so sorry you have had this diagnosis for Merry. I hope you have many more happy days together. ❤️
 
I’m really sorry to hear this.

You did/are doing so well for lovely Merry and I hope you will have many more happy days together x
 
Thankyou everyone for your kind words. Merry spent a cozy night in his pigvilion ( a Haypigs circus tent which he loves to curl up inside and pull the roof down in such a way that nobody can see him, or, in his brother's case, get to him and be annoying ; it's Merry's 'I want to be alone' place) and his weight was up by 12g this morning and had we not had the diagnosis of kidney disease, I would be blithely assuming he'd turned a corner health wise.

However, for now, he's had two syringe feeds, is eating hay with the occasional nugget and is having what passes for a normal morning with his brother, Pippin. One day at a time, right?
 
Last update. We took that hardest of decisions and took Merry for his last trip to the vet's last Saturday. Over the course of two short days had lost all interest in everything that had once given him joy. He refused syringe feeds or water and was being as clear as possible in his signalling that he was on a rapid downhill trajectory. The vet had warned me that this might be the case. He had said goodbye to his brother, Pippin, and was ready to go. We asked if he could be put to sleep in his safe place, his Haypigs pavilion where he would retreat to when the world all became too much to bear ( see post on August 17th).

I have to confess, Merry and Pippin had one each, but Merry slept in both of them. Pippin preferred the wooden log Nissan hut thing or my homemade cave with fleece fronds, but Pippin now curls up in one and I sleep with the other beside me because it still has the faintest scent-memory of my little Merry.

Anyhoo. The kindest of vets, the saddest of mornings, following which we brought him home, tucked up in his pavilion in my arms, wrapped him in pristine muslin ( it rots down, unlike his lovely pavilion which is 100% synthetic fleece) and laid him on a deep bed of his favourite hay ( Haybox soft cut Timothy) sprinkled him with lavender flowers for easing of pain and rosemary for remembrance ( as if I'd ever forget) and returned him to the biosphere where he joins Lost and Found ( two piggies we found running wild in a hillwalker's carpark ten miles outside Peebles on a snowy February morning) and two Golden Retrievers ( Islay and Cara) and a pair of stately birches whose leaves and white trunks are partly made from our beloved, never-to-be-forgotten companion animals. Over the following year, I'll bring back seashells to surround Merry's little earth bed, but for now it seems right to record that he walked the Earth, he breathed the air, his life was celebrated and he was loved so very, very much.IMG_1270.webp
 
Bless the gorgeous little Merry, I hope he runs free over the rainbow bridge with all the treats and veg a pig could ask for.

I am sure he passed easy, as he lived an amazing life with the people enchanted to be with him, forever.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss and I wish you all the best for the future x
 
I am so very sorry for your loss 😞 It sounds very much like it was his time to trot over the rainbow bridge, you made the decision out of love and kindness and spared him any suffering. Take heart that he had a lovely life with you right up until the end

Sleep tight Merry x
 
I’m so sorry you had to make this difficult decision. Popcorn pain free over the bridge gorgeous Merry. Take care ❤️
 
I am so sorry you had to say your last goodbyes to Merry, he was very loved and he will have known how much you cared :hug:
Popcorn high Merry 🌈
 
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