Tewdric
Teenage Guinea Pig
Lilith is now around 5 and 1/2. She's been drinking a lot more than ususal. This began slowly in the autumn, and has got more and more noticable over the months since. To begin with she wasn't loosing any weight - but when that sarted dropping, albeit very slowly, I took her to the vet.
We're not in reach of any recommended vets - but the one I saw at the new practice we've moved closer to, I was very impressed with. She asked all the right questions and x-rayed Lil. Nothing showed up on the x-ray (bladder stones, cysts, nothing nasty looking internally etc.) so she said to keep an eye on her weight and behaviour and see how she went. Lil's teeth are fine they were also fully checked. Apart from the drinking, the vet was very impressed with her health and appearance and the fact that she's soooo friendly towards all human beings!
That was back at the end of November. Lilith is still drinking a lot, she's eating like a trooper - hay, pellets, vegies etc. but she's still very slowly loosing weight. I'm suspecting Kidney issues. My vet friend (who is on the reocmmended vets list, but who lives a huge distance away and who I don't like cadging free advice from really) thinks I'm probably right from the description I've given over the phone.
The last few mornings Lil has been slower than usual to get up and come and greet me. Once up and about she's still her usual mad self, still tucking into her food, and still top female in my little herd of four (she chucked the two younger girls out of a hay box containing a snuggle safe and stole their piece of corn on the cob this morning) but I sense she is beginning to feel less well in herself.
How long do I give her? That's really the basis of the long ramble above. When does the slight behaviour change become more serious? I don't want her to be in pain - but I also don't want to pre-empt a situation too soon if she's still happy in herself.
We're not in reach of any recommended vets - but the one I saw at the new practice we've moved closer to, I was very impressed with. She asked all the right questions and x-rayed Lil. Nothing showed up on the x-ray (bladder stones, cysts, nothing nasty looking internally etc.) so she said to keep an eye on her weight and behaviour and see how she went. Lil's teeth are fine they were also fully checked. Apart from the drinking, the vet was very impressed with her health and appearance and the fact that she's soooo friendly towards all human beings!
That was back at the end of November. Lilith is still drinking a lot, she's eating like a trooper - hay, pellets, vegies etc. but she's still very slowly loosing weight. I'm suspecting Kidney issues. My vet friend (who is on the reocmmended vets list, but who lives a huge distance away and who I don't like cadging free advice from really) thinks I'm probably right from the description I've given over the phone.
The last few mornings Lil has been slower than usual to get up and come and greet me. Once up and about she's still her usual mad self, still tucking into her food, and still top female in my little herd of four (she chucked the two younger girls out of a hay box containing a snuggle safe and stole their piece of corn on the cob this morning) but I sense she is beginning to feel less well in herself.
How long do I give her? That's really the basis of the long ramble above. When does the slight behaviour change become more serious? I don't want her to be in pain - but I also don't want to pre-empt a situation too soon if she's still happy in herself.
I lost a piggy once to kidney failure. We didn’t realise until she was in the final stages as she was living with 3 other pigs at the time and I didn’t regularly weigh my piggies back then. But on the morning of her being pts, she wouldn’t take her favourite little gem leaf so I new something was wrong. She too was about 5 xx
