• 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

caring for a piggie around the clock starts taking its toll… please help advise needed x

piggiemummy03x

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 3, 2022
Messages
1,768
Reaction score
905
Points
705
Location
hampshire
please help me.. how the hell do you juggle looking after a poorly pig who’s reliant on you for regular feeds and multiple medication numerous times a day? i haven’t slept properly in a month, i can’t fit in eating or showering let alone appointments i have. our vets are 45mins/1hour away so it’s minimum 2.5 hours lost a day each vet trip. i am loosing my mind, i have meds to give 8 hours apart which means I'm up throughout the night doing these and trying to syringe feed (which is a fight in itself) i can’t reduce feeds as i can only get in so much each time as she starts to twitch and becomes too distressed, we aren’t even hitting the 40ml mark, it takes us an hour each sitting managing around 6ml. thats already 6 times I'm getting her out, on top of that her gut stims every 8 hours, antibiotics + pain meds x2 daily and probiotic x2 daily too. in total thats 13 separate times I'm having to get her out in 1 day and thats if i manage the 6ml each feed. my partner has to help or its even less. + an extra foot bath and ointment x2 daily.

i. need. help.
genuinely, please, i need advice, how do you all do this? she will eat veggies / treats / forage, its just the hay she isn’t eating which i know is the most important. we have bought about 10 different types of hay, 4 different critical feeds in hopes i can find one to leave in a bowl. she just doesn’t want to eat hay? on all the meds so can be.. what can i do? how do i juggle this better?
 
My heart goes out to you! That's what it all felt like to me too and I didn't even ever have to get a piggie out 13 times a day. It was definitely fewer times. There are people in my circle of acquaintances who can do all that much better than I can and sometimes they dropped by to help and occasionally even took all the guineas for a little while to get them over the worst of it while I recuperated, since I get so exhausted that collapse threatens. That's the only thing I can suggest - rack your brains for anybody in your vicinity other than your partner who could step in for a while. Recently on my local Internet classifieds (is that Gumtree in the UK?) I even saw somebody looking for just that kind of help for themselves and their guineas.

Hope somebody comes along soon with better advice on how you could manage.
 
What helps me is to kind of do what they do, it's almost like having a newborn "when they sleep, you sleep" kind of situation. Make yourself a meal, get yourself a drink, mix their critical care and settle down for an hour. I eat while I'm syringe feeding, it really helps pace their feeds too so I'm not tempted to rush, while they're chewing and swallowing properly, I'm eating my food for a bit.

I set alarms for all the medications because not having to actually remember when they get what relieves a surprising amount of mental strain.

If you're able to, job and other responsibilities allowing, nap whenever you get a spare few minutes. At one point I was taking 10 minute naps between everything and that was the only sleep I was getting.

Pop them in a carrier with a nice bunch of fresh grass for a while, fresh grass is a reasonable hay replacement and really tempts sick piggies to eat, I sometimes "skip" a syringe feed with a good handful of grass if theyre willing to eat it, this gives me a slot to do what I need to get done, shower, eat, sleep for a couple of hours rather than nap, go for a run etc etc.

And while I appreciate it's an awfully long way, another expense and requires trust with your vet team, remember if you really need a break for a day, hospitalisation is a valid option, the nurses can take over syringe feeding, medications etc if you send a list of what they get and when and you get the day to yourself.
 
Hi

HUGS

Please try to re-jig the meds and feeds so you get 6 hours off at night for your own sleep.

For this you move the meds forward (or back, whichever works better for you) in 1 hour steps until they ideally do not collide with your vet trip and your nightly rest period. You have leeway between 7-9 hours so you can tweak things a little bit.

The rule for timed medications is that you can take a timed dose up to half the interval before or later (i.e. in your case up to 4 hours) but if you come any closer to the previous or next dose then you have to skip and just give the next dose as normal on time.

I occasionally face the same dilemma with my timed mid-morning cancer meds and scans I need to fast for 6 hours beforehand. Unfortunately, I cannot take those tablets on an empty stomach or I would be sick so I either have to move them forward or backward for a few hours - whichever is the shorter distance.

PS: One missed dose is not the end of the world as long as doesn't happen regularly. ;)

Anyway, I hope that this helps you with your issues? The longer it goes on, the more you need to look after yourself as the primary care giver.
 
My heart goes out to you! That's what it all felt like to me too and I didn't even ever have to get a piggie out 13 times a day. It was definitely fewer times. There are people in my circle of acquaintances who can do all that much better than I can and sometimes they dropped by to help and occasionally even took all the guineas for a little while to get them over the worst of it while I recuperated, since I get so exhausted that collapse threatens. That's the only thing I can suggest - rack your brains for anybody in your vicinity other than your partner who could step in for a while. Recently on my local Internet classifieds (is that Gumtree in the UK?) I even saw somebody looking for just that kind of help for themselves and their guineas.

Hope somebody comes along soon with better advice on how you could manage.

you are so lucky.. we have no one that can help:( my boyfriend cant even do the feeding / meds he is just holding her.

thanks for your help though xx
 
What helps me is to kind of do what they do, it's almost like having a newborn "when they sleep, you sleep" kind of situation. Make yourself a meal, get yourself a drink, mix their critical care and settle down for an hour. I eat while I'm syringe feeding, it really helps pace their feeds too so I'm not tempted to rush, while they're chewing and swallowing properly, I'm eating my food for a bit.

I set alarms for all the medications because not having to actually remember when they get what relieves a surprising amount of mental strain.

If you're able to, job and other responsibilities allowing, nap whenever you get a spare few minutes. At one point I was taking 10 minute naps between everything and that was the only sleep I was getting.

Pop them in a carrier with a nice bunch of fresh grass for a while, fresh grass is a reasonable hay replacement and really tempts sick piggies to eat, I sometimes "skip" a syringe feed with a good handful of grass if theyre willing to eat it, this gives me a slot to do what I need to get done, shower, eat, sleep for a couple of hours rather than nap, go for a run etc etc.

And while I appreciate it's an awfully long way, another expense and requires trust with your vet team, remember if you really need a break for a day, hospitalisation is a valid option, the nurses can take over syringe feeding, medications etc if you send a list of what they get and when and you get the day to yourself.

if i did that she wouldn’t get food lol, shes often sleeping like her sister now, not sure if its the hear or just getting older (they aren’t old, but will slow down over time)

it would be impossible to eat and syringe, i don't even know how you did that, was your pig really poorly? della is too bright and runs off, shes got ADHD i swear, she doesn’t sit still, again why its so hard. the timings change slightly each day to try and fit things in so i think it may confuse me a little having them going off. thanks though for the suggestion.

i will try to nap more, at the minimum i just feel so out of it when i do manage to get off, waking up i feel disorientated!

grass isnt an option as shes not used to it☹️

i think its more stressful hospitalising her, she needs to be dropped of at 8.30, during everyone getting to work so that could be 1.5 hours on the way down, possibly even on the way home. same for the collection. potentially 4-6 hours of driving😅 but I'm struggling finding a vet closer thats trusted with piggies.

thanks for all your help xx
 
Hi

HUGS

Please try to re-jig the meds and feeds so you get 6 hours off at night for your own sleep.

For this you move the meds forward (or back, whichever works better for you) in 1 hour steps until they ideally do not collide with your vet trip and your nightly rest period. You have leeway between 7-9 hours so you can tweak things a little bit.

The rule for timed medications is that you can take a timed dose up to half the interval before or later (i.e. in your case up to 4 hours) but if you come any closer to the previous or next dose then you have to skip and just give the next dose as normal on time.

I occasionally face the same dilemma with my timed mid-morning cancer meds and scans I need to fast for 6 hours beforehand. Unfortunately, I cannot take those tablets on an empty stomach or I would be sick so I either have to move them forward or backward for a few hours - whichever is the shorter distance.

PS: One missed dose is not the end of the world as long as doesn't happen regularly. ;)

Anyway, I hope that this helps you with your issues? The longer it goes on, the more you need to look after yourself as the primary care giver.

thanks, i will try, its more by the time iv done the meds in the day, iv not eaten or showered so doing that at like 3/4 in the morning🥲

okay so if jig the timings dont move more than an hour each way?
and maximum you can do is 4 hours if necessary, anything over this skip a dose? is that still taking into consideration the not moving more than 1 hour at a time? sorry my brain isn’t working😅

I'm sorry to hear about your cancer, i hope everything is looking up and your on the road to recovery.

how long is it fair to keep a pig going solely on critical care? i know everything is always my decision but surely there is a point thats deemed not fair anymore? i would do this forever if i had too, but i need to think whats fair for Della too..
 
I may have missed it apologies if I have but has the vet given a reason as to why she isn't eating?
Also if you introduce grass very slowly her stomach will get used to it 💐

she had bladder stone removal surgery 10th june and the recovery has been brutal. vets basically every day, some days eating hay and acting like shes getting better, the next completely crashing, bleeding, not eating hay. its been a nightmare, to watch my baby go through this all is so horrible; i just want her better.

in regards to grass, shes had a small handful today so far, i believe you increase it slowly each day looking out for tummy troubles?
 
Just want to offer some support. I know its such a rollercoast caring for a sick pig.

My Joe was so stressed out after a dental he didn't eat any or enough hay for five long weeks. He also hated the syringe and didnt eat critical care of his one. I was very happy when I could give him 10-15ml in a row, most meals I had to fight him for 8-10ml. The vet said he was a nervous little wreck and prescribed him gabapentin. it really helped him with that pain/stress. After seven weeks I could take him off the gaba as he was eating by himself and gained some weight. Before the gaba I was just as exhausted as you are, and that constant worrying is really terrible.

You make such a great work with Della, but you have to find a way for you to be a human to.
Holding you and Della in my thoughts 💜
 
Just want to offer some support. I know its such a rollercoast caring for a sick pig.

My Joe was so stressed out after a dental he didn't eat any or enough hay for five long weeks. He also hated the syringe and didnt eat critical care of his one. I was very happy when I could give him 10-15ml in a row, most meals I had to fight him for 8-10ml. The vet said he was a nervous little wreck and prescribed him gabapentin. it really helped him with that pain/stress. After seven weeks I could take him off the gaba as he was eating by himself and gained some weight. Before the gaba I was just as exhausted as you are, and that constant worrying is really terrible.

You make such a great work with Della, but you have to find a way for you to be a human to.
Holding you and Della in my thoughts 💜

is Joe fully recovered now? that is amazing news, how did you know to carry on? was their signs? i feel she isn’t giving up, shes still bright, being a monkey and loving her veggies, but she still is experiencing pain and i cant give her buprenorphine forever to help with that. its so hard to know what’s right. can you recall the dosage he was on? weve had gaba before but i didnt feel it did much.. only 0.09ml though so maybe it wasn’t enough?

thank you💖
 
thanks, i will try, its more by the time iv done the meds in the day, iv not eaten or showered so doing that at like 3/4 in the morning🥲

okay so if jig the timings dont move more than an hour each way?
and maximum you can do is 4 hours if necessary, anything over this skip a dose? is that still taking into consideration the not moving more than 1 hour at a time? sorry my brain isn’t working😅

I'm sorry to hear about your cancer, i hope everything is looking up and your on the road to recovery.

how long is it fair to keep a pig going solely on critical care? i know everything is always my decision but surely there is a point thats deemed not fair anymore? i would do this forever if i had too, but i need to think whats fair for Della too..

You can give 8 hour meds within the space of 7-9 hours from each other and use that leeway to move hours around to fit better into your own life so you don't have to shower in the middle of the night and have as long a period of unbroken rest as possible. But ideally you make any changes in the timing within the one hour plus or minus frame in order to not upset your regular schedule.

If you need a larger gap around your working day, then that is also permissible. It is about finding a practical and practicable longer term compromise that works for you as well as your piggy unless your vet or doctor insists that the medication really needs to be given on time. Most medication doesn't fall into this category, thankfully.

In a pinch (if you have forgotten or are unable to keep to the regular schedule), you can give a one-off dose early or late, as long as it is more than 4 hours from the previous or next dose; if it comes closer to that in your regular timetable (less than half the prescribed interval) then you have to skip it.

This rule also applies to antibiotics or any human meds, by the way.
For twice daily meds you should not give them closer than 6 hours to each other.
;)
 
Have you tried the Burgess Excel dual care? Perry and Lola both had that one recently and loved it which made things a lot easier because they’d eat it from a bowl/spoon.
 
I’m so sorry. It’s so tough feeing around the clock. At one point, I was having to syringe feed my Ella every two hours so I appreciate how exhausting it is.

But try giving Della her last feed at around midnight and her first feed around 6am and perhaps a bonus feed if you wake up for the loo. She’ll be fine with that break and it will give you chance to get a decent sleep too. You need to take time out to look after yourself as you’ll be no use to Della if you over exert yourself and burn out x
 
is Joe fully recovered now? that is amazing news, how did you know to carry on? was their signs? i feel she isn’t giving up, shes still bright, being a monkey and loving her veggies, but she still is experiencing pain and i cant give her buprenorphine forever to help with that. its so hard to know what’s right. can you recall the dosage he was on? weve had gaba before but i didnt feel it did much.. only 0.09ml though so maybe it wasn’t enough?

thank you💖
Joe came around and lived a happy life for a couple of months until he sadly got a bladder stone and didnt recover from the GA.
For me it was the same things as your describe; my boy was there. He clearly wanted to live and enjoy his life again. I saw that spark in his eyes.

He was prescribed a very high dosage; 0,15ml x2/day. I never gave him that much after giving him 0,15 once. He was out of it and he didnt have the second syringe that day, and the next day at the vets we decided to split that dosage to 0,7 x2. He was still very wobbly and drowsy, but he started to eat hay again. After a week I went down to 0,5 x2, then 0,3 and the last week he was on 0,1 x2.
Before bladdersurgery he was on 0.5 gaba x2/day, 1300g. He didnt tolerate metacam very well, but for him gaba worked well.

When I syringed him I gave him a little spring of basil every 3-4ml to make it easier. I also mashed some of his pellets or squeezed some juice from a cucumber in the critical care to make it a bit more interesting.
 
its an exhausting time.ive got two piggies i am syringe feeding.i give the meds 8 hours apart approx,6am,2pm and 10pm.i time the feeds near these med times.give each pig 10mls or 15mls at a time depending on how well they are taking the feed.40mls to 60mls is fine for me.as i need to rest between 11pm and 6am.sometimes rescues can find someone to help with feeds,if you have a local one.i live alone and have no one to help.i try not to stress,or the piggies can feel this.
if i was nearer i would offer to help,i like syringe feeding,as it can give you a closer bond.I'm not under estimating the stress you are under.getting into a routine can help you.
i really hope your piggie turns a corner.:hug:
 
RE grass yes introduce slowly increasing amounts I'll try to attach the link. Perhaps one of the experts could advise if once she is eating 'unlimited' grass as such it would replace the critical care if she maintains her weight then perhaps it would increase her confidence and she might try soft hay 🤔
 
i try not to stress,or the piggies can feel this.
This in spades unfortunately, at least in my experience. I get stressed and nervous and can't simply turn that off and the guineas would feel that. Sometimes mantra chanting beforehand or even during syringe-feeding/giving meds would calm me and them and make it all a little easier. Nursery rhymes especially lullabies sometimes too!

Animals all notice that I don't exactly channel authority so they do what they want and unfortunately giving off authoritative vibes doesn't suddenly simply occur when you need it. I don't know if anything like these two points applies to you? You don't have to say. I do find it a bit helpful to accept as much as I can that that's how I am, rather than haranguing myself over being stressed/nervous and not being authoritative.
 
I agree,ive anxiety and depression under a psychiatrist.
Its very difficult,but ive had alot of experience with ill guinea pigs and that really helps my confidence.
I do understand its not an emotion you can turn off easily.x
 
Back
Top