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Guinea Pig with pneumonia

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Bob has really gone down hill last night. He is only taking a small amount of his veggies and not touched his nuggets or water (he normally drinks a fair bit of water)

He seems knacked just lies down where ever he is and his breathing is even harder. :(
 
I'm so sorry, it really does sound like heart, I know I keep saying it but the more I hear, the more it adds up.

Is he on the furosemide once or twice daily?

Regarding syringe feeding, give it a try, if he takes it easily then great, just feed him very slow and steady, it will help him keep a bit of strength if he is going to continue his fight.

Thinking of you. xx
 
He is on furosimide twice a day but only 2.5mg each time. He cant even stand just now and his ears and feet have gone cold.
 
Should I stop the furosemide as its only since I started it that he has stopped eating?

I *** no *** to do
 
TwoPiggies, if I am totally honest, which I hate to be at times like this, it sounds more along the lines of heart failure now. I dearly hope I am wrong. There have been a few piggies who have gone downhill suddenly, no particular warnings, but given your pigs history there's perhaps more reason to believe it may be the case. I'm sorry you are going through this.

I would be inclined to get him wrapped in a blanket and just hold him for a while. Love on him. xx
 
I lost Bob about an hour ago. It was horrible he was in my arms but starting jurking about and he was so floppy he was hard to hold so put him down in his cage where jurked about before he stopped breathing.

I feel awful....its my fault cos I asked for the new med.

I have left Bob lying in the cage in his Igloo so cage mate Sam can say bye. Sam has climbed into the igloo and lying right with Bob.

I feel so bad.
 
Oh I'm so sorry.

Please don't blame yourself. He clearly had something seriously wrong with him and you did your best for him. You'll probably never know exactly what was wrong but you certainly did everything you could, based on what you did know. Nobody could ever do more than that. And even with access to the best guinea specialist in the world, the outcome may well have been exactly the same.

You clearly loved Bob very much but unfortunately sometimes it's just their time, no matter how much we love them and care for them.

It's obviously very raw and will take time to sink in but eventually I hope you will be able to cherish the memories you have and remember the good times. I'm sure Bob enjoyed a wonderful life with you and Sam and felt totally loved.

Thinking of you at this horribly sad time x
 
Just reading back through your thread again...

Whatever was causing Bob to be unwell was clearly at a very advanced stage and had been going on for some time. You'll probably wonder what might've happened if you'd not started the heart med and had waited for a referral to the Uni Vets instead. In this situation it's natural to wonder about the "what ifs". That shows how much you care. But I really doubt if that referral would've made a difference. You probably would've had to wait for an appointment, whilst leaving the condition untreated, and by then it may well have been too late.

The truth is, you'll never know what would've happened if you'd waited, so please don't dwell on it. If it's any consolation, if I was in your position I would've probably done the same and tried the meds. He was very ill and you did your very best, in a terribly difficult situation. Most owners wouldn't have gone to the lengths you did, in trying to find the right help, so he was lucky to have had you caring for him, keeping on seeking answers and not giving up x
 
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I'm so sorry you lost him, my heart goes out to you. I agree entirely with what missy has said in both her messages to you. Please do not blame yourself, from your very first post it was clear Bob was a very poorly piggie, you did all that you could for him. It was just his time, you kept him comfortable and loved him. xx
 
I'm devasted. I have lost a lot of pets but everytime it hurts so much and never gets any better.

I need to think about Sam now, I don't want him to be on his own. He is so chatty and when he is happy he is the funniest wee piggie but just now hes just sitting in his house looking lost. I have had him out for lots of cuddles this morning but hes making wee noises i've never heard him make before :(
 
It's obviously going to take time to get used to things (for both of you) but, when you're ready, perhaps you could get Sam a friend? In this situation, some people find a great deal of comfort in giving a needy rescue pig a second chance and forever home, feeling consoled that at least some good has come from a sad situation. I don't know if you've had rescue pigs before but it's perhaps worth considering, if you do decide to go ahead and get Sam a new companion.

Obviously it's completely up to you, whatever you decide.

For now, perhaps you could put a (babyproof) soft toy in Sam's cage? Some bereaved pigs really seem to appreciate that so it's worth a try. He'll be loving all the extra cuddles too.

I completely understand how devastated you feel. So sorry x
 
It is rabbits I have always had in the past and I always seem to deal with the loss better when I see the bunny left behind getting on with a new friend.

Bob was a rescue piggy and I hadnt even had him a year and by the sounds of it he hadn't had the best couple of years before I got him.

I may get another rescue pig but I always worry of not knowing their medical history and seem to have health problems with rescue pets.

Will defo be getting sam a friend so if anyone knows of any piggys for rehoming in Edinburgh or close by if you let me know that would be good.

I just need to stop crying before I can think about doing anything.

Thanks for the support.

Eilidh x
 
Of course you need time. Don't rush.

I can completely understand your concerns about not knowing the medical history of rescue animals. I guess health problems can occur in any pigs though, regardless of where they're acquired from. I don't know for sure but I'd imagine it's quite common for rescues to take on inbred animals, but there's bound to be a whole range of reasons why people give up their pets - there must also be lots of very healthy animals who've been very well looked after but given up, reluctantly, due to a change in personal circumstances.

Anyway, when you're ready I'm sure you'll decide what's best for you and Sam and only you know what that is.

If you want to, you could keep an eye on the Rescue & Rehoming section of this forum. There's a "Wanted" section there too.

It'll get easier, Eilidh, I promise. You've come to a lovely friendly forum here so I hope you'll stick around x
 
It will get easier, poor thing and poor Sam. Yesterday i got two new boys after losing one about 3 weeks ago and the other two months earlier, i too have the worries about health problems, but i figured these little mites need a home and i can give it, if its for a year or six years i am happy really because we will have shared that time regardless.....better than no piggies ever. Chin up love you were a brill mummy x :)
 
This has been really helpful. My 2 year old Piggy Trixie has had trouble breathing for months now; noticeably since early May when her best buddy Fraggie (my Avatar) died from either pneumonia/URI/heart problem. Trixie always has green dried snot around her nose her nose and sounds full of mucus but her lungs sound ok no rattling or fluid noises. She eats sporadically but doesnt always clean the bowl her weight is around the 3lb mark and I'm weighing her regularly. She eats better when with our other pigs who sadly havent bonded with her so we have a partition bars in the cage so she can touch and smell them but they cant bully her. Apart from the trouble she has breathing and her blue lips she seems fine but does tire easily. The fact that she cant breath worries me though but shes had it so long i dont think its an infection or she would be dead by now. I'm going to change her bedding from sawdust and hay to Megazorb and dust free hay to see if that makes a difference. She is housed in our dining room so is away from drafts or cold. Unless she has a heart problem I'm not sure what else to do. I'm thinking of taking her to the vets, Septrin does help but doesnt stop the breathing problems coming back. Advice welcome. Karen
 
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