Ophelia

Viennese Furbabies said:
It's great that the new vet knows her way about guinea pigs.
Did she take a blood sample before starting the treatment?
At 7 years old Ophelia is allowed to slow down. It's a great age already.
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Yes, she was a lovely vet! As for a blood test, no, and we decided against a biopsy. We don't want to put Ophelia through anything unpleasant as she is so very thin now. As there shouldn't be any negative side-effects from the thyroid medication, we will have our diagnosis if she puts on weight. Otherwise it could be a tumour but the first hypothesis does make sense.
 
KHBz said:
Thank you so much for this, Wiebke. It is really helpful. The vet has actually prescribed Loxicom so we have to go with that, but I guess they are much the same. I will get some glucosamine now.

Although I know it is not good to give ProC continuously, we have been giving her that, in the water, for stretches at a time. I do get the sense that she does slightly better when she has the ProC. Of course, it means that Hamlet has it too, which is why we don't do it continuously.
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Loxicom is the currently used UK brand name for metacam; especially cat strength (0.5 mg/ml). Dog strength (1.5 mg/ml) metacam is often prescribed as rheumocam or arthrocam in the UK. The problem is that only cat strength metacam is licensed for guinea pigs where their need is often in the dog strength range because the metabolise it differently and don't suffer quite the same kidney problems.

The glucosamine can really make a difference but it is not a quick one; it slowly creeps up over the coming week.
 
Ophelia was sitting on the newspaper that I needed to change. Impatient, I tried to ease her off it. Ophelia remained with her bottom facing me, munching hay. I pressed her bottom and she did not budge. She couldn’t be tamer. I ended up having to wait until she wandered away.
 
Supper time. Hamlet came out. Ophelia didn’t. I found her in the greenhouse, a wooden house with one door. Hamlet took some food and went in. Then Ophelia poked her head out and started eating. Hamlet couldn’t get out. I tried poking Ophelia gently to move her. Munching, she wouldn’t budge. I made the motions of lifting her up (but didn’t lift her up). She still didn’t budge. I ended up having to lift up the greenhouse so that Hamlet could reach the bowls. Hiding with food is counterproductive, Hamlet!
 
It is so sad, seeing her curled up like this. When she wants to move, she stumbles. At least she must be 'comfortable' as, although she stopped eating hay yesterday, when I have put piles of forage food, and then a pile of coriander, at the entrance to her cavy cosy, she has eaten it all up. I had been in contact with the lovely vet last week to try to see her again (she has moved to a different branch and I don't drive) but texted her yesterday evening and this morning to say that Ophelia is nearing the end and that it would just cause unecessary stress to bring her in now. Even so, she has said we should bring her in 'sooner rather than later'. No, she stays here now. I wouldn't be surprised if she dies today. :(
 
I’m glad my mother and I are both at home because she was clearly ravenous as she wolfed down so much. Any other suggestions for liquified, calorific food? (She doesn’t like critical care.)

I’m sitting in mini-slave’s room keeping her company.
 
weepweeps said:
If this is her last day at least it’s been filled with coriander and forage. 😘
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And warm nugget mush. And a very supportive husboar. I feared the worst when she took one bite of her supper and then turned away to nap but she’s now eating from her bowl and Hamlet isn’t trying to take any.
She’s also been given snuggle safes in the evenings.
 
PiggyintheMiddle said:
And warm nugget mush. And a very supportive husboar. I feared the worst when she took one bite of her supper and then turned away to nap but she’s now eating from her bowl and Hamlet isn’t trying to take any.
She’s also been given snuggle safes in the evenings.
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I hope she gently floats off over the bridge peacefully in her sleep ❤️
 
The vet has recommended euthanasia because I let her know that has had trouble with her breathing. She took some painkillers and some coriander half an hour ago but is now lying still, not yet asleep. If she doesn’t pass away in the night I think it would be kindest to take her in. What do you think?
However, we would want to take Hamlet for her sake but would it be too traumatising for him?
 
I usually take just the piggy to PTS for the last ride. They are usually not very responsive to other piggies and I feel that it would be to much for any pawholder piggy.

If she has trouble breathing, I would take her to the vet.
But every situation is different and unique, so only you can decide what's best for your lovely girl.
Sending hugs 💔
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
I usually take just the piggy to PTS for the last ride. They are usually not very responsive to other piggies and I feel that it would be to much for any pawholder piggy.

If she has trouble breathing, I would take her to the vet.
But every situation is different and unique, so only you can decide what's best for your lovely girl.
Sending hugs 💔
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Thank you. We really didn’t know what would be best.
 
Ophelia survived the night so we think we’ll have to ring the vet today.
 
She came out, rubbed her nose for food (that’s what Bianca and Ophelia learnt was a way to ask for food), and went to eat some hay. She ate some fresh nugget mush (very little, though), received painkillers, and is lying down again.

IMG_4750.webp

She’s not going to get better but I don’t know whether to wait or take her to the vet today.



(The spoon was taken out after the photo was taken.)
 
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