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Is my guinea pig dying of old age, or something else?

J

j3nn4.d

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My guinea pig is four years old and she will be turning five in three months. Yesterday, it seems a switch had turned on internally. She has always been an energetic, fun pet, and she eats a ton. In these last four and a half years, i have met her dietary needs as well as provided her with vitamin c. She is very responsive to her cage mate, and to my family and I. She squeaks and reacts to every noise we make. It seems that yesterday morning she wasn’t herself at all. Her breathing is becoming labored and hacking, her fur is puffing, and she’s lost the strength she once had to chew onto any fruit or vegetable, even a pellet or hay. I’ve tried to hydrate her by using a bowl, spoon, and syringe. She will lick some of the droplets, but she soon becomes disinterested. She’s losing her balance, and, although she has been a healthy guinea pig throughout her life, it seems that yesterday she lost all of her strength and character. She has been unresponsive to most noises we make and the only responses she has are later than they used to occur when she was healthy. She doesn’t squeak to her cage mate, or chatter her teeth. She’s not talking to her at all. Today, i crinkled a bag, and she did perk up, but soon dismissed it. She’s been facing corners of her cage and staring at walls and backsides of her hidey. Her posture is becoming hunched. Last night I noticed twitching within her arms and legs, nothing too sporadic . I bathed her yesterday with her partner and i noticed her eyes were dulling, not as wide and curious as they once were. I have been reading about different illnesses, and i think she could have a respiratory sickness, but i feel like she has not had all of those symptoms. Is she on her way out? If so, what should i do to comfort her?
 
j3nn4.d said:
My guinea pig is four years old and she will be turning five in three months. Yesterday, it seems a switch had turned on internally. She has always been an energetic, fun pet, and she eats a ton. In these last four and a half years, i have met her dietary needs as well as provided her with vitamin c. She is very responsive to her cage mate, and to my family and I. She squeaks and reacts to every noise we make. It seems that yesterday morning she wasn’t herself at all. Her breathing is becoming labored and hacking, her fur is puffing, and she’s lost the strength she once had to chew onto any fruit or vegetable, even a pellet or hay. I’ve tried to hydrate her by using a bowl, spoon, and syringe. She will lick some of the droplets, but she soon becomes disinterested. She’s losing her balance, and, although she has been a healthy guinea pig throughout her life, it seems that yesterday she lost all of her strength and character. She has been unresponsive to most noises we make and the only responses she has are later than they used to occur when she was healthy. She doesn’t squeak to her cage mate, or chatter her teeth. She’s not talking to her at all. Today, i crinkled a bag, and she did perk up, but soon dismissed it. She’s been facing corners of her cage and staring at walls and backsides of her hidey. Her posture is becoming hunched. Last night I noticed twitching within her arms and legs, nothing too sporadic . I bathed her yesterday with her partner and i noticed her eyes were dulling, not as wide and curious as they once were. I have been reading about different illnesses, and i think she could have a respiratory sickness, but i feel like she has not had all of those symptoms. Is she on her way out? If so, what should i do to comfort her?
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Hi!

Please always contact a vet asap if your piggy is not right if you want to be in with a chance of saving its life!
Sadly it sounds like your piggy is in multiple organ failure by now. Hunching is a symptom of major internal pain. :(

Here are our care tips for the interim, inlcuding how to look after a dying piggy that you can't have seen immediately, if necessary for euthanasia/pts. Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Please always contact a vet asap if your piggy is not right if you want to be in with a chance of saving its life!
Sadly it sounds like your piggy is in multiple organ failure by now. Hunching is a symptom of major internal pain. :(

Here are our care tips for the interim, inlcuding how to look after a dying piggy that you can't have seen immediately, if necessary for euthanasia/pts. Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Click to expand...
Thank you for this advice so much :)
 
I highly doubt this is old age as she's not that old. Please have her seen by a vet as an emergency. Ideally you should have done this as soon as you saw she was so unwell yesterday/the day before as piggies can go downhill very quickly
 
She is displaying signs of being ill and in pain (hunching, refusal to eat are classic signs of illness/discomfort.) This requires a prompt vet assessment, as guinea pigs are good at hiding symptoms, by the time we see changes in behavior they are already quite ill and can deteriorate quickly. A sudden change in behavior like this in a middle-aged animal is not attributable to aging. Please see a vet as an emergency!
 
Can only echo what others have said.
She needs an emergency vet now.
Keep us posted.
Holding you in my thoughts
 
As above, please see a vet as an emergency. Your piggy is clearly in pain and discomfort!

She is only a few months older than my Ellen. She is definitely not dying due to old age but rather an illness that may be treatable but only if you see a vet NOW
 
Hi, i’m sorry for not responding to any of you sooner! My girl passed soon after i posted that. I want to thank all of you for being concerned for her. Although i’m a little sad i’ve accepted it and i know i gave her a good life in the last four and a half years.
 
So very sorry to hear this.
You did all you could for her but sadly, with piggies, they hide illness so well it can be too late when we see something is wrong.
Be gentle with yourself and give yourself time to grieve.

If you feel like it post s tribute to her on the Rainbow Bridge thread
 
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