Sudden Death?

[Amy Prescott]

Hi all,

So I owned 4 guinea pigs. 2 of them are around 2 1/2 years old, one is 2 and the other is 1 years old.
One of my guinea pigs (purchased from pets at home, big mistake) has had constant health problems over the last 2 years. Originally a few weeks after getting her she was breathing funny, so I took her to the vets. We were told it was nothing and after a few weeks she was fine. She has always been a little unusual and had 'off' days were she wouldn't be so active and not eat much.

I took her to the vets twice about her eyes. Both times she was given antibiotics and we were told it was an abscess. The second time her eye had completely clouded over and looked severe. But again she got much better after a week or so.

Apart from a few occasional days were she would eat less and be less active, the vets never thought it was anything to worry about every time I got her checked. 2 days ago she stopped eating, however she was still active and she would try to eat but couldn't stomach much. So I called the vets who could only fit me in this morning around 11am. Unfortunately that evening, Poro's health deteriorated and she was really struggling to breathe and could barely move. Sadly, she passed at 4am this morning and didn't make it to her appointment at the vets.

All 4 of my guinea pigs are healthy,have lots of space and get fed a variety fresh veg twice a day, access to fresh water, guinea pig nuggets and hay. They also have a run for indoors when its cold and a run for out in the garden so they are out of their hutch most of the day.

I was wondering if anyone can share any thoughts with me? Just for our peace of mind as to what has happened to her. The vets did tell us this morning they couldn't have done anything for her as her symptoms were so severe.. but it all happened very fast. I wish we knew her background and where she came from but I have no details to give.

Any info please? RIP Poro <3

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Lady Kelly]

So sorry for your loss. You did everything you could to get her the right care and sometimes, no matter how much we do, it's just the piggies time to go.

Unfortunately abscesses aren't usually treated successfully with antibiotics alone. This is because the infection is completely sealed and as such the antibiotics can't penetrate the infection. Also if the abscesses were behind the eye it would possibly indicate elongated roots for the teeth pushing up in to the eye socket. This might be coupled with being hungry but not being able to eat well as it would be painful.

What I would suggest is doing some research on local vets. It sounds like your vets is not experienced enough with guinea pigs to have investigated the problem fully and it would be worth you doing the research now before any others are ill so that you are confident the vet you see has enough knowledge and experience to diagnose and treat the problem

 

[Amy Prescott]

So sorry for your loss. You did everything you could to get her the right care and sometimes, no matter how much we do, it's just the piggies time to go.

Unfortunately abscesses aren't usually treated successfully with antibiotics alone. This is because the infection is completely sealed and as such the antibiotics can't penetrate the infection. Also if the abscesses were behind the eye it would possibly indicate elongated roots for the teeth pushing up in to the eye socket. This might be coupled with being hungry but not being able to eat well as it would be painful.

What I would suggest is doing some research on local vets. It sounds like your vets is not experienced enough with guinea pigs to have investigated the problem fully and it would be worth you doing the research now before any others are ill so that you are confident the vet you see has enough knowledge and experience to diagnose and treat the problem

Thank you.
To be honest I don’t think I’ll be going again. I had all of my others checked over this morning, she’s prescribed my oldest some antibiotics ‘just incase’ There’s something wrong with her.

 

[Lady Kelly]

Thank you.
To be honest I don’t think I’ll be going again. I had all of my others checked over this morning, she’s prescribed my oldest some antibiotics ‘just incase’ There’s something wrong with her.

I have no problems with a prescription if there is a suspicion that something is wrong but surely if there isn't that suspicion then all it will do is build up the piggies immunity to the antibiotic in future.

In all honesty it can be hard to find a good vet but when you do it's an absolute god send. I trust my vets 100%. They have no problems with me questioning their treatment choices and me suggesting medications. They also refer me to the specialist when they know it's outside their expertise. Having that level of confidence doesn't solve everything but it's a huge step in keeping my piggies well

 

[Freela]

I'm sorry for your loss. With the history of upper-respiratory tract problems (wheezing, eye issues), I would wonder if she could have had a low-grade respiratory bug that flared up and got severe in a hurry. My vet has always said that often guinea pigs will be colonized with bacteria that are not active unless something else (another bug, stress, etc.) reduces their resistance and can lead to them becoming sick very quickly. Unfortunately you may never know for sure, but respiratory bugs can certainly become severe fast and it certainly isn't your fault- it sounds as though you did everything you could for her. ((HUGS.))

 

[BonBon2010]

Elongated tooth root pinching tear duct can cause eye problems and malnutrition. I had a guinea pig with that, had to support her with metacam and probiotics, on flare ups she had eye drops and antibiotics. There is a limit to how much a lot of vets can do, and if you can find one who deals with issues like what your girl had, there is every chance you can at least keep them comfortable.
A discussion with my boy Hovis's vet this morning, was they can do more now than they ever have been able to, but we're still a long way from every vet having the knowledge to treat them with the right drugs when they are ill, and finding out the problem without risking their lives whilst doing so. Sorry for your loss, you did the best you could, and I have to be honest. It doesn't matter what back ground your guinea pig is from, it won't necessarily protect it from future health issues, my girl Truffles was from a breeder, and she developed alopecia and a cyst on behind her hip. Xray showed nothing, but I don't have enough faith in the vet to have her operated on, it's high risk for cavies under sedation, she's sightly under weight due to fur loss, and otherwise happy. It's been two years since it started, so I think if it was serious, she would not be here now, happy and running about with her cage mates