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kidney disease

piggiemummy03x

piggiemummy03x

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can people please shed some light on kidney disease in piggies, symptoms to look out for, if there’s tests we can do to check?

just concerned with my girl now being on metacam for life..

i have tried to find threads but struggling.

thank you x
 
The symptoms of kidney issues are increased thirst and urination, lethargy and loss of appetite.
However, Metacam doesnt affect/damage piggies kidneys in the way it affects cats. The fast metabolisms of guinea pigs can be thanked for that. There are many owners on here who have/had piggies on long term metacam and have never had kidney issues as a direct result of metacam.
 
piggiemummy03x said:
can people please shed some light on kidney disease in piggies, symptoms to look out for, if there’s tests we can do to check?

just concerned with my girl now being on metacam for life..

i have tried to find threads but struggling.

thank you x
Click to expand...

Hi

Unlike with other species, long term metacam is not usually causing kidney disease in guinea pigs, hence why you struggle to find information. It's as simple as that.

Guinea pigs metabolise metacam differently (much faster) and the benefits in gain of quality of life (including a longer life through renewed zest of life) outweigh considerably any drawbacks in the vast majority of cases.
Of course you will always find somenegative experiences if you look hard enough and dig around long enough since no medical treatment works 100% but these are pretty rare in this instance, considering the numbers. ;)

Please take a deep breath and try not to over-research - for the sake of your own mental health and your piggy's welfare, who will also profit if you are not constantly fretting and chasing worst case scenarios.

PS: I have had a number of arthritic oldies on long term metacam (some of them on a considerable dosage well as those who needed it for sterile cystitis); whereas any piggies of mine that had susupected kidney trouble (in years gone by before diagnostics were more advanced) were not among their number but among those of mine that never needed metacam. This experience is mirrored by other regular forum members.
 
My boy has been on metacam 8 months and will be for life.
 
My Eleanor had kidney disease. She urinated a lot more than her friends, lost a lot of weight and drank lots of water. On the day we found out which was the same day we had to help her over the rainbow bridge, her blood was very dilute as was her urine. I just assumed she had lost weight due to her age and as she lived with 3 other guinea pigs, we didn’t realise just how much water she was drinking and urinating until after she died because the water bottle was no longer being emptied and the bedding wasn’t so wet.

But as others have said, please do not worry about Della being on long term metacam. I’ve had piggies on it long term and they were absolutely fine.

Please do not look for things with Della otherwise you’re going to make yourself ill. She’s doing well after her surgery x
 
Red and Brillo have both been on Metacam since October 2022. They have no kidney problems, they wouldn't be with us now if not for the Metacam, their arthritis would have been too painful to live with. They are vet checked every 6 months.
 
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