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I think it might be time 😞

Lazw

Lazw

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone,

So I've posted previously this year about my guinea pig Bramble who is almost 6 years old. She was diagnosed with cutaneous T cell lymphoma back in March this year, and she has done so well since until recently. It has progressed much more slowly than either I or the vet had expected, but she has begun to lose weight ( was maintaining a steady 870g but is now 810). I've just been in to check her again today and she has 3 red raw patches on her back where I presume she is biting at her skin as it is now bothering her, she is bald from the ribs down and the skin around her bottom area is beginning to crack. She's been at the vets this week as one of her front teeth has splintered so she has been regularly having this filed to prevent eating issues, but I did note to the vet that her toenails are starting to become weak and brittle too and the vet believes this to be a systemic effect of the cancer. She's still bright in herself but I have noticed more frequently is taking herself to the corner of her enclosure and hunching up, generally just not looking her usual happy self although this isn't all the time.

I think I know what the answer is at this point, my poor girl 😔. I just wanted to see if others were thinking that, given the history I've just shared, it might be the best time to let her go before she deteriorated further. I feel so guilty but I've left it too late once before with another piggy and it was absolutely horrendous- I won't let her suffer like that. So I guess my question is, what episode you do? Does now sound like the right time to let her go? She's such a special piggy and I think that's what's making it so hard.
 
Perhaps it is. She seems to be uncomfortable from the raw skin and cracked skin and may be having episodes of being tired and possibly in pain. It's probably difficult to know what is going on inside and whether there might be an issue about to cause her pain building up. You have a good vet. This is a difficult time of year as you would probably want your regular vet to do the euthanasia. Being close to Christmas can influence decisions. I personally would be guided by whether she is able to eat normally as once this goes and if this is an illness the piggy won't recover from, then it is probably time to let go, but she might have a couple of weeks left to live before the time arrives. Wishing you comfort with your decision, it is not an easy one 🙏
 
Truffolo said:
Perhaps it is. She seems to be uncomfortable from the raw skin and cracked skin and may be having episodes of being tired and possibly in pain. It's probably difficult to know what is going on inside and whether there might be an issue about to cause her pain building up. You have a good vet. This is a difficult time of year as you would probably want your regular vet to do the euthanasia. Being close to Christmas can influence decisions. I personally would be guided by whether she is able to eat normally as once this goes and if this is an illness the piggy won't recover from, then it is probably time to let go, but she might have a couple of weeks left to live before the time arrives. Wishing you comfort with your decision, it is not an easy one 🙏
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Thank you for your reply. I have a vets appointment booked for 3.45 today for someone to take a look at her and help me make the decision. It's the chewing at her skin until it's bleeding heavily that is making me think it's kinder to act now than wait until she's stopped eating etc, I think she must already be in significant pain or discomfort 😞
 
Thank you everyone ❤️. Just an update, I took bramble to the vet and he did a thorough physical exam and said apart from the cancer and the skin sores she was in "excellent" condition and he definitely doesn't think she's ready to go just yet- I cannot tell you what a relief this was to hear some optimism even if I know we're still looking at PTS at some point. He has prescribed her 0.65 cat metacam once a day (weight 810 so quite a high dose I think?) and topical betamethasone for her back. I'm also using coconut oil now on the scaly patches as I'm worried they may be itchy. She's definitely perked up on this new regimen and is hopping around like a baby piggy which is so lovely. Her back is healing nicely now although she is still nipping at herself so I will wait and see how this goes. She's still eating like a horse, we have another quality of life review booked for the second week in January with our usual vet so I'll see how she goes. Thanks everyone for your support. Photo of my lovely old piggy attached so you can see what we're dealing with. Lymphoma is such a nasty illness 😔
 

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I’m pleased she has such a good quality of life still. Every day is a gift. Spoil her rotten. ❤️
 
Wheekallweek said:
Glad she's still a bit of quality time left! Our Libby had lymphoma, it's a horrible thing isn't it 😔
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It's really horrible. We're more fortunate than a lot though as hers has progressed slowly so far. I'm hoping it stays that way. So sorry about your Libby 😞
 
Lazw said:
It's really horrible. We're more fortunate than a lot though as hers has progressed slowly so far. I'm hoping it stays that way. So sorry about your Libby 😞
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Yes, Libby's was quite quick... We noticed she was a bit wobbly on her back legs at the same time we noticed her enlarged glands. By the time we got the results of the biopsy of one of the lumps she had already lost the use of her back legs and only had another week or so before we had to let her go 😢 This was her in happier times!
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I hope you have much longer with your special girl - make this Christmas the best one yet ❤️
 
Guinea pigs live for today so give her lots of happy today’s.
Make good memories and take lots of pictures.
Be gentle with yourself and enjoy each day you have with Bramble
 
I hope you have a bit of time with her yet.

I recently lost my long haired male syrian hamster, Kulfi to this awful disease.
 
Wheekallweek said:
Yes, Libby's was quite quick... We noticed she was a bit wobbly on her back legs at the same time we noticed her enlarged glands. By the time we got the results of the biopsy of one of the lumps she had already lost the use of her back legs and only had another week or so before we had to let her go 😢 This was her in happier times!
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I hope you have much longer with your special girl - make this Christmas the best one yet ❤️
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Such a beautiful piggy ❤️
 
Thanks everyone for your support and for sharing your stories too. Bramble's skin is looking much better after a few days of the betamethasone. I'm also using coconut oil and some bepanthen on the dry patches and her skin is looking so much more comfortable now, the sores have almost healed completely and she's even gained a little weight! Not sure if that's the metacam or the skincare that's helping but I'm so so grateful to our lovely local vets who have been managing this since all the many investigations she had at the start of the year.

We switched from a specialist exotics vets who I was beginning to get unhappy with after our lovely vet there left to move away, to our local vets4pets and they are absolutely unbelievable. I used them as a one off for an eye issue as they had same day appointments and was so impressed I switched to them completely. They seem to be really knowledgeable and every vet I've seen there already "knows" Bramble before they've even met her, from their weekly clinical discussions. She's featured quite heavily in those apparently as quite an interesting case due to it being cutaneous t cell lymphoma, the first they've seen in a guinea pig at their practice. Whilst she was still undergoing ultrasounds, biopsies etc to figure out what was wrong, the vet even contacted our old vet who works down south now to support with finding out what was going on and for recommendations for investigations. Feeling very grateful for having discovered them!

Hope everyone who's celebrating has had a lovely Christmas and thanks again. 🎄
 
Good to hear about her skin and weight, well done. Great that you now have vets you trust and who are so invested in Bramble, that does make a difference to the experience, and it’s so important you feel supported and listened to as owners, knowing they will work in partnership with you in her best interests.
 
Excellent news. Thank you for the Christmas wishes ❤
 
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