• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Amber

Status
Not open for further replies.
Dianet

Dianet

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
73
Reaction score
92
Points
275
Location
merseyside
Hi all, I've just joined this site as I'm browsing the Internet for info on guineas with heart or thyroid problems. I've come back from the vets today with some medicine to give my Guinea girl Amber as she's put on lots of weight recently and is very flabby underneath, however, she's quite bony on her back. She's eating and drinking as normal butisn't as active. The vet says it's fluid retention which could be caused by either a heart problem or underactive thyroid. I'm taking her back for tests next week after her fluid retention has hopefully gone down. Hasanyone had piggies with similarsymptoms. She's 2 1/2 years old and the most friendly of piggies. I have 3 piggie sisters but she's the only one that comes when you call her name and jumps into my arms for a cuddle.
 
Hi & welcome to the forum :) I'll tag @helen105281 who can advise you about piggies with heart conditions, I'm not sure about thyroid disease but hopefully someone might have experience of this :)
Can you list the medication she has been prescribed please?
 
I am not that knowledgeable on thyroid so will tag @jenniferanneharris to help with that.

I have a few heart pigs though so can hopefully help. As Poppy's Mum has said, do you know what the medication is that you have been given? is it a diuretic to help clear the fluid? if so make sure you give her plenty of fluids, either water or even Dioralyte to keep her hydrated and to stabilise her potassium levels.
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Hi & welcome to the forum :) I'll tag @helen105281 who can advise you about piggies with heart conditions, I'm not sure about thyroid disease but hopefully someone might have experience of this :)
Can you list the medication she has been prescribed please?
Click to expand...

Hi, she's been given Furosomide 20 mg for edema and I have to give her 0.5ml twice daily and take her back next week. I'm really worried tonight though as for the first time she seems to have now stopped eating and has even turned her back on parsley and red pepper (her favourites). She's just sat hunched in her bed and when I pick her out to hold her you can feel all her bones in her back. I feel like I should syringe feed her but I don't know what with and I don't have a spare syringe. I'll phone the vet in the morning if it's not too late. X
 
Could you mush some of her pellets in water and feed her from spoon?

If you are worried though I would call the emergency vet, even just for advice. How is her breathing? does it seem laboured? Do you know what the 0.5ml dose is in mg? has she deteriorated since having the diuretic?
 
helen105281 said:
Could you mush some of her pellets in water and feed her from spoon?

If you are worried though I would call the emergency vet, even just for advice. How is her breathing? does it seem laboured? Do you know what the 0.5ml dose is in mg? has she deteriorated since having the diuretic?
Click to expand...

Hi Helen, I have been given 5 X 20 mg tablets and have to crush one in 4 ml of cranberry juice then give her the 0.5 ml twice daily. I've just put some of her pellets in warm water and will try and get her to eat some off a medicine spoon but she just doesn't seem interested. Could the diuretic curb her appetite?
 
So that's 5mg a day in total split into 2 doses. There is scope to go higher if your vets thought it necessary. Some vets start at a higher dose first and then lower it as soon as they can.

It is not an effect I have come across with my own pigs no, but not to say that it couldn't happen. Has she only had the one dose?
 
helen105281 said:
So that's 5mg a day in total split into 2 doses. There is scope to go higher if your vets thought it necessary. Some vets start at a higher dose first and then lower it as soon as they can.

It is not an effect I have come across with my own pigs no, but not to say that it couldn't happen. Has she only had the one dose?
Click to expand...

Just one dose yes. Up until tonight she was at least eating grass outside. It's since she refused her 'favourite foods' I've started to worry. I may just be paranoid but she just seems quiet and sad somehow. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed until the morning when I'll phone the vet first thing. Thanks for your advice, I'll let you know how she gets on.
 
Hi again, just thought I'd update you as promised. Sadly I had to have Amber put to sleep today. I syringe fed her 3 times in the night and took her to the vets 1st thing. The vet did an X-ray and it came back that she had a large tuma
 
So sorry to hear your sad news. You did everything you could for her and I hope you can take comfort in that. Hope you are Ok, sending you a big hug.
 
That's so sad. You did all the right things, but having a large tumour like that must have surely meant a fight that couldn't be won for her.
Hugs to you, it's such a tough thing to go through.
RIP sweet little Amber xx
 
Oh no I am so sorry :( I lost my favourite piggy just recently, she was so friendly like yours & they leave such a big hole in our lives :( Thankfully she didn't suffer as you are obviously a very caring owner :( Popcorn free at the Bridge Amber xx
 
Sorry that last message sent while I was correcting my spelling.
She had a large tumour pressing on her heart and lungs as well as edema, so the kindest thing was to let her go. Can't believe how I've just cried like a baby none stop. My two daughters (who's piggie it was) were very sad but just got on with things. Whereas I'm a complete mess! Will miss her so much. X
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Oh no I am so sorry :( I lost my favourite piggy just recently, she was so friendly like yours & they leave such a big hole in our lives :( Thankfully she didn't suffer as you are obviously a very caring owner :( Popcorn free at the Bridge Amber xx
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the condolences. It's comforting to know other piggie owners understand what I'm going through as you get so many people who say 'it was only a rodent' and 'they don't live that long anyway'. Poppy's mum, I'm sorry for your loss too and yes, they do leave a big hole but I'll just have to enjoy her sisters, Ruby and Ebony and hopefully it will get smaller in time. I've got lots of photos and videos to remember her by. So pleased I found this site. X
 
Yes we all know how that loss feels xx When you feel more up to it you could post a tribute to your sweet baby in the Rainbow Bridge section. I haven't done one yet as I still can't bring myself to :( Which just shows how much these little creatures bring to our lives. I understand exactly how you feel, I can still cry about losing mine even now. Hope you are ok xx
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top