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Old pig with weight loss

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CiaraPatricia

CiaraPatricia

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Hey guys, I haven't been around here in ages but I really need advice.

People might remember my old sheltie pig Meeko, who I got from the ISPCA last Spring. I always suspected he was very old and while he always seemed happy and bright, he has never been fat, never skinny either, but not as fat as guinea pigs are usually, I put this down to old age. But I noticed he drinks a lot, so I thought maybe diabetes or kidney disease. Well I just started thinking that lately.

And in the past week or two he has dramatically lost weight and is really skinny. :( :( :(

He has a great appetite and eats loads, doesn't get bullied for food, has water always available and hay too, his front teeth are fine and he seems to eat fine. I know weight loss is a sign of chronic kidney failure, and diabetes.

My main problems are, finding a vet that knows about guinea pigs (only one I know is way up the country and I don't drive, so not possible). I could go to a normal vet, but not sure how much they'd do for a guinea pig, and I know it's difficult to test them for diabetes right?

Also I know diabetes is treated with insulin injections, twice a day I think (for dogs and cats anyway)? And I dunno if it'd be fair to be injecting him all the time, for the rest of his life. Especially when I fear it could be kinda end stage diabetes . . . though he doesn't have cataracts.

And if it's kidney disease, there's no cure right? I know he could have a special diet and medication to help, but he is old and I know it won't save him.

And if it's just old age combined with the cold weather lately, well not much I can do, but feed him up and keep him as warm as possible.

I've started to give him more veggies, oats and sunflower seeds to feed him up and hopefully he gains weight.

Can you guys think of anything else it might be? Oh, worms maybe? My other pigs are fine and fat. But Meeko is the only old one, I think he's very very old, I really can't imagine him lasting much longer. :(
 
Oh, by the way, I am asking my vet about it tomorrow.

Also, does anyone know how to treat worms in guinea pigs? Can you use something you'd use for dogs or cats?
 
I was wondering where you'd got too! I missed seeing your piggies.
I'm sorry to hear Meeko isn't doing too well. I hope is is just his age and the winter and nothing serious, but it doesn't sound good :( I'm sorry I can't offer any help or advice, but good luck with him and I hope he gets better soon :).
P.S not sure on worms either, but I know you can give Nexo 450 orally but not sure if it work on worms. Ivermectin is usually used for internal parasites but don't know quantities etc for pigs.
 
sorry to hear Meeko is losing weight - re the worming we wormed our guinea pigs with Xeno 450 a couple of times - it did seem to work with Jules who had been losing weight but we know think it may have been something else working on him at that time too and not worms - he drastically lost weight though and wasn't eating at all as it was a huge abscess he had - if your piggy is still eating thats a great sign - you could try syringe feeding science recovery to try and build him up a bit more or oats are a good source to build up piggies but not in any great amount as oats are very high in calories

hope vet visit goes ok tomorrow x
 
Hey, good to see you around, although I am sorry you are having so much worry over Meeko.

Credible thoughts on the kidney and diabetes possibility, the symptoms can match up, but other illnesses are credible too.

I see you have considered worms. Piggies can get worms but they are very rare; when I speak of worming them routinely I am actually meaning the routine treatment of internal parasites. More info on this thread:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=47407

There is another active thread at the moment you may find useful to read through, the same suggestions I have made for that pig, can also go for Meeko.

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58789

To summarise, consider:

1. Systemic parasites
2. Systemic fungal

And run a urine test either before or after trying the above ideas, as the results of a basic test on urine test sticks can indicate if diabetes or impaired kidney function may be involved.
 
Thanks guys :)

I'll ask the vet about worming, and also about a urine test.

I'll see how that goes anyway, and let everyone know how he got on.
 
Well I asked my vet for her opinion while at work experience, she did say she doesn't know much about guinea pigs (hardly any vets do in Ireland, and they're not very popular pets really) but she thought it was unlikely to be any kind of worm or parasite because he was thin for a long time, but then suddenly got very skinny. Also his poo is fine, and he is bright and alert and all.

She said she would research it for me and I've been researching more, and am sure it must be either kidney failure or diebetes. :( I'm doing more research and thinking about what I will do . . . and whether a normal vet can do anything to help. Like I'm not sure what kind of tests they can do (I don't want him being put under anaesthetic or getting blood drawn) and I totally forgot to get a urine dipstick test :( but will soon.

I was reading on a few websites that diabetes is very easy to treat, but then on one website I saw

"It is useful to note that at this time there are not insulin treatments for diabetic guinea pigs, so if diabetes is diagnosed, treatment is limited to keeping one’s piggy as happy as possible."

Does anyone know if that is true?

Also, someone said that insulin is injected into the muscle, and Meeko has hardly any muscle . . . but I guess it can be done if you learn how . . . I'm just not sure if I would want to inject him twice a day for the rest of his life, or just to accept that he is very sick and very old. That sounds horrible, but I don't mean it to be. :( I don't want him to suffer either by having diabetes, if he does, and starving :(

Also does anyone know if most guinea pigs with diebetes get cataracts? Cos Meeko seems fine.

Also, I've been thinking. Meeko was always slightly thin and always drank a lot since I got him (he had seen a vet just before I got him for mange so I never thought there was something wrong, just thought it was cos of old age and not having a good life before I got him, last spring) but now he has really suddenly lost loads of weight and is drinking loads more.

And does that sound like diabetes? Would diabetes get so much worse so suddenly? My teacher (a vet) was teaching us about kidney failure recently, and to me it sounds more like kidney failure, but I obviously don't know at all . . . it just happened so suddenly. Does anyone know which is more common in guinea pigs, diabetes, or kidney failure? I know diabetes is common, and kidney infections/stones are common, so either I guess?

Sorry I know I'm asking a lot of questions that people might not now, but I'm more just thinking to myself . . . and wondering what vets might be able to help, or will they just dismiss it.

For now, I have brought him indoors, to my bedroom, and am totally spoiling him wiht veggies and cuddles. :) He is very happy and not suffering. I know that for diabetes you should cut back on sugar and fat, but I have to get him to gain weight, so I'm not cutting back, unless I find out it is diabetes.

I have a feeling that whatever it is, it is bad, and that he does not have much time left, but I want to make him happy and comfortable.

I'm sorry if I sound terribly callous and cold for saying things like he's old and I think he will die. I'm not just dismissing it because he's old or because he's "just" a guinea pig, I really care about him, but I don't want him to suffer at all, and I'm not sure if much can be done for him :( I wish there was some easy solution though, to find out what was wrong and treat him in a way that wouldn't stress him out or cause him pain etc.

I'll let ye know what's happening, and I'm going to weigh him everyday and hope he starts gaining weight now he's indoors and I'm trying to feed him up.
 
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Oh and I am going to ask my teacher who's a vet, tomorrow, for her thoughts. Hopefully she has some idea . . .
 
If you think it could be diabetes, and it does sound possible, then try fattening him up a bit with complex carabohydrates. I mean rolled oats.
Banana is also good, complex sugars and a good source of potasium which can be lost from the body if your piggie is weeing a lot - which I am assumiong he is because of drinking a lot.
Try to avoid simple sugars and try to keep his general sugar intake to regular small doses. Eg, if you want to treat him to a bit of melon them divide it into tiny pieces and spread out the giving over the day.
I think the advice I'm giving here is simply based on making life easier for his kidneys and pancreas.

I also think you're totally right with the treats and the cuddles. Piggies love to be loved, like anyone else, and he will thrive on extra attention!

Best of luck, Sarah
 
Thanks so much Sarah :)

I have been giving him oats to help him gain weight and he loves them drool hopefully I'll start to see his weight going up a bit. :)
 
Hi guys. Sorry I never replied but I haven't felt like talking about guinea pigs recently after two losses. 8...

First Moxie died suddenly. He was less than a year old, and had seemed fine the day before. He always used to run up to me squeeking the loudest and he had been just like that that day. I have no idea why he died, so it was such a shock and really upset me. My pigs are outdoors, but it wasn't very cold (it was 4 degrees that night and the shed is warmer than outside). They had had loads of food that day, they still had water. He hadn't shown any signs of illness. :( Though my friend suggested it could have been from GI problems because I had fed them oats the few days before that, and even though he's always been fine with oats, it is possible. Or I guess it could be lots of things. But I kept blaming myself.

And poor Meeko died Christmas day. It turned out he did have kidney failure and there wasn't really anything I could do for that. :( I thought he would live longer, maybe a few months, because he seemed so happy and alert, but I guess he probably had been sick for a long time, even before I got him.

So now Cenci (the other boy) is living alone, but he's next door to the girls. I'm not going to get any more boys because I have enough animals. I considered getting him neutered but thought it was too risky because I don't trust vets around here with him, to be honest. There are no smallie specialists! And anyway I already have to save up to get my two kittens spayed and have very little money.

So I just thought I'd let everyone know in case anyone was wondering. It's been very upsetting for me, but I'm just glad that I gave Meeko a few months of a happy life after rescuing him. And I hope Moxie didn't suffer . . .

Thanks for all your help :)
 
so sorry to hear that you lost two piggies in such a short time :( you did everything you could for them both

run free little piggies have fun at the bridge xx

hugs to you Ciara xx
 
Thanks guys :)

I kinda took it hard, and am now kinda worried when I open the shed if they'll all be alright . . . but I'm sure in a few weeks I won't be as worried. The other pigs seemed to miss them at first, but after a few days were back to normal. :)
 
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