Satin Syndrome?

[Bee&Charley]

My guinea pig Charley is almost 2 years old. She stopped eating hay and veggies and started losing weight in February. I took her to an exotic vet and they said it was her teeth so she had to undergo immediate emergency dental surgery. Following this surgery she wasn't able to pick anything up... she was at least able to pick up pellets, veggies and treats before the surgery despite not being able to chew them properly.
I wasn't satisfied with the care Charley received with this vet (they trimmed her front incisors incredibly short) and the unexpected surgery used up most of my emergency funds along with weekly $100+ follow up visits where they would only briefly look at her teeth and ask if she was eating on her own yet.
I took Charley to the LA Guinea Pig Rescue and Saskia examined her. She said her teeth were really bad most likely due to genetics and that she could have satin syndrome because despite feeding Charley critical care multiple times daily it's been difficult to keep weight on her. She said if Charley was brought in as a rescue she would likely be a candidate for euthanasia.
I found another vet nearby who also treats exotics because I wanted to get an xray done to confirm satin syndrome before making that decision. They took an xray of her skull since it's mainly her teeth that have been the issue. They said there wasn't any indication of satin syndrome in the xray and suggested another dental surgery.
Would satin syndrome show up in just a skull xray or would it need to be the whole body? I do like this vets level of care more than the previous one but I also know satin syndrome isn't something too well known by vets.

If it is just genetically bad teeth, would it be kinder to Charley to try to get them fixed with multiple surgeries with no guarantee that she'll be able to eat on her own again, or would it be better for her to just be put to sleep? I want to do what's best for her but at this point I don't know what that is.

 

[Wiebke]

My guinea pig Charley is almost 2 years old. She stopped eating hay and veggies and started losing weight in February. I took her to an exotic vet and they said it was her teeth so she had to undergo immediate emergency dental surgery. Following this surgery she wasn't able to pick anything up... she was at least able to pick up pellets, veggies and treats before the surgery despite not being able to chew them properly.
I wasn't satisfied with the care Charley received with this vet (they trimmed her front incisors incredibly short) and the unexpected surgery used up most of my emergency funds along with weekly $100+ follow up visits where they would only briefly look at her teeth and ask if she was eating on her own yet.
I took Charley to the LA Guinea Pig Rescue and Saskia examined her. She said her teeth were really bad most likely due to genetics and that she could have satin syndrome because despite feeding Charley critical care multiple times daily it's been difficult to keep weight on her. She said if Charley was brought in as a rescue she would likely be a candidate for euthanasia.
I found another vet nearby who also treats exotics because I wanted to get an xray done to confirm satin syndrome before making that decision. They took an xray of her skull since it's mainly her teeth that have been the issue. They said there wasn't any indication of satin syndrome in the xray and suggested another dental surgery.
Would satin syndrome show up in just a skull xray or would it need to be the whole body? I do like this vets level of care more than the previous one but I also know satin syndrome isn't something too well known by vets.

If it is just genetically bad teeth, would it be kinder to Charley to try to get them fixed with multiple surgeries with no guarantee that she'll be able to eat on her own again, or would it be better for her to just be put to sleep? I want to do what's best for her but at this point I don't know what that is.

Satin syndrome affects the whole body because it firstly affects all bones which then has all sorts of knock-on impacts. Dental problems are a secondary complication due to a piggy no longer being able to chew properly with disingrating, painful bones. If the dental problems were caused by satin syndrome I would have strongly expected something to show up in the skull and jaw bones. Some piggies - like some humans - can unfortunately be born with very misaligned teeth. But I am not a satin specialist.

It is a legitimate decision to weigh up her quality of life and the huge financial burden of regular dentals under GA with no guarantees of success; especially in the USA. As long as you are putting Charley's welfare before your own fears you are not going wrong whichever way you decide.
Sometimes there are sadly no easy choices. Either way will leave you with a lot of soul searching and 'what ifs'. Neither decision is easier to make. You are still a very loving and caring owner if you decide not put Charley through months of feeding support and dentals every few weeks - her life span won't likely be very long under those circumstances. You are equally a loving and caring owner if you decide to give it a go and see how far you can take Charley.

I would recommend that you sleep over it and let it settle a bit- and that you then listen to what your heart tells you because that is what you are going to come to terms with easiest in the long run. Whatever you decide it has to feel right for you in your heart of hearts at the time and what in effect becomes the rock to weather the inevitable storms of doubts and regrets that come later.

HUGS

 

[Bee&Charley]

Satin syndrome affects the whole body because it firstly affects all bones which then has all sorts of knock-on impacts. Dental problems are a secondary complication due to a piggy no longer being able to chew properly with disingrating, painful bones. If the dental problems were caused by satin syndrome I would have strongly expected something to show up in the skull and jaw bones. Some piggies - like some humans - can unfortunately be born with very misaligned teeth. But I am not a satin specialist.

It is a legitimate decision to weigh up her quality of life and the huge financial burden of regular dentals under GA with no guarantees of success; especially in the USA. As long as you are putting Charley's welfare before your own fears you are not going wrong whichever way you decide.
Sometimes there are sadly no easy choices. Either way will leave you with a lot of soul searching and 'what ifs'. Neither decision is easier to make. You are still a very loving and caring owner if you decide not put Charley through months of feeding support and dentals every few weeks - her life span won't likely be very long under those circumstances. You are equally a loving and caring owner if you decide to give it a go and see how far you can take Charley.

I would recommend that you sleep over it and let it settle a bit- and that you then listen to what your heart tells you because that is what you are going to come to terms with easiest in the long run. Whatever you decide it has to feel right for you in your heart of hearts at the time and what in effect becomes the rock to weather the inevitable storms of doubts and regrets that come later.

HUGS

Thank you so much for your reply, I truly appreciate it. I ended up taking Charley to the vet again and having them do a full body xray and she does show signs of early satin syndrome in her back legs. Her vet basically said we were looking at eventual euthanasia so now I'm left trying to figure out when it's best to do that for Charley.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for your reply, I truly appreciate it. I ended up taking Charley to the vet again and having them do a full body xray and she does show signs of early satin syndrome in her back legs. Her vet basically said we were looking at eventual euthanasia so now I'm left trying to figure out when it's best to do that for Charley.

I am very sorry about the bad news.

The link below is by far the most difficult and painful guide I have ever written and it most certainly doesn't make for easy reading but I hope that you will find it helpful. I have tried to address all the really sticky areas that the few texts on this subject are all glossing over and to formulate clear guide lines you can follow in order to help you make a decision that you can ultimately stand by and live with because it is the right one for Charley and for you.

When you haven't got the weight of circumstances forcing your hand and you have to bear the full responsibility for when to call it shots for somebody you love deeply then it can be ever so hard. It helps to work out for yourself where you stand on certain aspects ahead of time and if necessary to write it all down.
The most tricky time is when you come close to the end but are not quite there yet because that is when you start to really question yourself all the time. By doing your homework ahead, you are creating a baseline onto which you can fall back if you need to. It doesn't make it less painful but you can hopefully avoid the worst of the soul-searching and guilt trips - you will still feel sad but hopefully not quite as bad and conflicted about a decision that only you as the owner can make.

Please make sure that you make each day count with a little enrichment activity. That doesn't mean lots of treats, it means consciously shared joy and time. Love transcends time; you can pack a life time's worth into the shortest of spaces but you create precious memories for yourself that will last you and you have the gut knowledge that you have given Charley the happiest of times despite all of it. Pet ownership is never about a long life but a good one. Guinea pigs don't have a concept for an average life span; they measure their life in happy todays. As long as you give Charley those you won't fail her; the time to send her on is when that is no longer possible...

Here is the link: A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

You also may find these ones here helpful:
Signs of Pain in Guinea Pigs
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs