How to you know when to say enough is enough

[AlexPiggy]

My 6 and a half year old girl has been bleeding (intermittent blobs of blood with some thick clotty bits- quite a large volume I would say) since Sunday evening from her lady bits. Poo is normal, wee might be a bit uncomfortable with hunching, but urine looks clear and not bloody.

Vet started her on antibiotics and metacam, and had a sensible conversation about treatable causes (best case- UTI gets better with antibiotics) vs things that would need surgery, and given her age we decided to treat what we can and see how she goes, rather than investigate things for surgeries that we absolutely wouldn't want to put her through.

She had been running around her usual self, and vet was optimistic that she was eating, pooing, weeing, behaviour pretty normal. After a day and a half/2 days of antibiotics and pain killers she doesn't seem better, but infact I felt she looks more uncomfortable (and have looked at the post about signs of pain in guinea pigs which confirmed this), although she is still eating, pooing, weeing, she is moving more slowly and her posture is looking more uncomfortable.

Vet said that if this hasn't improved in a week we need to make some hard decisions, but right now I'm feeling awful for making her suffer for 2 days I'm not sure I can put her through this for a full week. The blood is awful to see and gets all over her as she lies in it, and she is just looking so uncomfortable.

Her metacam is cat metacam (0.5g/ml) and she is having 0.4ml of that 1x per day, is that a suitable dose given how much pain she is in? Is that the max or can I ask the vet for some more?

I think I know where this is going, so struggling to see optimism that the antibiotics will kick in and she will start feeling better. At her age all I want is for her to be comfortable for whatever time she has left. It's heartbreaking seeing her like this.

I'm not sure the purpose of my posting, I suppose I'm wanting so share how tough it is seeing her like this in limbo. Come on antibiotics, do your thing and sort her out.

 

[Wiebke]

My 6 and a half year old girl has been bleeding (intermittent blobs of blood with some thick clotty bits- quite a large volume I would say) since Sunday evening from her lady bits. Poo is normal, wee might be a bit uncomfortable with hunching, but urine looks clear and not bloody.

Vet started her on antibiotics and metacam, and had a sensible conversation about treatable causes (best case- UTI gets better with antibiotics) vs things that would need surgery, and given her age we decided to treat what we can and see how she goes, rather than investigate things for surgeries that we absolutely wouldn't want to put her through.

She had been running around her usual self, and vet was optimistic that she was eating, pooing, weeing, behaviour pretty normal. After a day and a half/2 days of antibiotics and pain killers she doesn't seem better, but infact I felt she looks more uncomfortable (and have looked at the post about signs of pain in guinea pigs which confirmed this), although she is still eating, pooing, weeing, she is moving more slowly and her posture is looking more uncomfortable.

Vet said that if this hasn't improved in a week we need to make some hard decisions, but right now I'm feeling awful for making her suffer for 2 days I'm not sure I can put her through this for a full week. The blood is awful to see and gets all over her as she lies in it, and she is just looking so uncomfortable.

Her metacam is cat metacam (0.5g/ml) and she is having 0.4ml of that 1x per day, is that a suitable dose given how much pain she is in? Is that the max or can I ask the vet for some more?

I think I know where this is going, so struggling to see optimism that the antibiotics will kick in and she will start feeling better. At her age all I want is for her to be comfortable for whatever time she has left. It's heartbreaking seeing her like this.

I'm not sure the purpose of my posting, I suppose I'm wanting so share how tough it is seeing her like this in limbo. Come on antibiotics, do your thing and sort her out.

Hi

BIG HUGS

Seeing a beloved one suffer and feeling helpless is one of the worst things we can experience.

The metacam is on the low side. You can give a 1 kg piggy safely up 0.4 ml twice daily of three times stronger dog strength metacam (that is the equivalent of 1.2 ml of cat strength metacam twice daily) and still have a little leeway up. Unfortunately, only cat strength metacam is licensed for small rodents and some general vets will not prescribe dog strength metacam. They will also not necessarily be aware that guinea pigs metabolise metacam differently and that they do not suffer the kind of kidney damage that other species do.

For any end of life decisions, you may find these two links below helpful in working out where you stand and in clearing your head. These guides don't make easy reading but they can hopefully help you cutting through the emotional turmoil you are currently in so you are able to know where you are standing on the several issues that are playing into any decision and that all have their own right but which we all weigh differently. There is unfortunately no right or wrong where you are now but only you as the owner can call the shots. It's both at the same time a privilege and a terrible burden.

Take your time to sleep over it so you know where your heart lies so you can live with your decision for the long term past the inevitable soul-searching that comes with the loss. What you are currently experiencing is both the shock new and the onset of your own grieving process, so that is a lot to deal with at once emotionally.
Operation or Terminal Care/Euthanasia? - Helpful Questions to Ask Ahead or in Hindsight
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs (the chapter Terminal illness also deals with the question when to call it shots)

None of us ever wants to have to have to make those kind of decisions. Your reaction is perfectly normal when grappling with the shock that this illness may not have a happy ending. Try to be kind with yourself and to give yourself space, as much as you can. It perfectly OK to not be OK right now.

My thoughts are with you and your beloved one. We are here for any questions and for moral support for as long as you wish.