Poor Oreo

[melsey3]

Hey everybody, hope you are all doing okay!
we have had a pretty rubbish year with our guinea pigs this year, my whole herd were struck with a really nasty URI and sadly 6 passed away, despite being under the vets, and being given all the care we could muster together as a family, as well as hundreds of pounds spent on vet fees.
Death really has ruled this household this year!
First it was the children's grandad on their fathers side, then it was 2 of my guinea pigs, followed by one of my rabbits, followed by another 2 Guinea pigs, followed by losing my stepmum, followed by a further 2 Guinea pigs, and now Oreo is fighting for his life, so am pretty certain we will lose him over the next 24 hours. We had 2 months virus free, but as said Oreo is really, really bad with one.

What I want to know is whether anybody has managed to recover a guinea pig who you think is beyond help? I wanted to have Oreo put to sleep yesterday because of how much weight he has lost (Emaciated), how weak he is, and how poorly he is, but the vets had no space! I had him on Baytril for a week, but it was having no effect whatsoever, apart from keeping him stable! We were given a new antibiotic to try with him, but since then he has gone really downhill. We now have him on 0.1mls metacam, recovery food from the vets, as the pellet mush I was giving didn't seem to help, 0.25mls zithromax twice a day, and I am syringe feeding water at every feed as well! This is being done every 3-4 hours night, and day. He started off by being enthusiastic with the food, and water, but now he is really not interested, and when I do finally manage to get some food into him, he struggles to eat it! He is an indoor piggy, and has tonnes of hay in his cage, and water and food available to him. He hasn't eaten or drank anything independently since last tuesday, which is when I started with the force feeding (a mixture of GP pellets, baby food and water) I really am at a loss! So any advise will be greatly received! As stated Oreo is under vet consultation.

 

[melsey3]

Just wondering whether it is worth doing 0.2mls baytril again once a day, and 0.25mls Zithromax once a day, so usuing the two hand in hand! Anybody else done this?

 

[Free Ranger]

Oh my goodness what an awful year for you. Sorry I have no experience with zithromax but someone will be along soon. A couple of questions:
Metacam: is it the 'dog' or 'cat' version (1.5mg/ml or 0.5mg/ml). Is this for specific pain like UTI or URI or just to cover general discomfort. You might be able to up this dose - whether it will make any difference to poor Oreo or not I don't know.
Did they give you any probiotic to try and balance out the effect of antibiotics on the gut?
And is he very old?
And how are his teeth? If a pig has been slowly eating less and less hay the teeth can overgrow in a couple of weeks which makes both manoeuvring food in the mouth and chewing very difficult. You probably won't be able to look into his mouth but sometimes the incisors have got so long they can't close the mouth properly... is there any indication of this?
I'm tagging @Piggies&buns and @Wiebke who have more knowledge
Sending hugs

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry for your losses, both human and piggies. That must have been even harder given the goings on this year.

How much of mushed pellets can you get into him? It sounds like it’s not enough if he’s emaciated. When they don’t eat enough hay they lose weight. It’s usually then we have to step in and syringe feed, aiming for 60-90ml in a 24 hour period. How much weight has he lost?

I would think about his quality of life and whether it is worthtrying to get him back to his former self. It’s a tough decision that I hope I don’t have to make.

Wishing you all the best with your Oreo

I’ll also tag @Piggies&buns @PigglePuggle

 

[piggieminder]

Sending Oreo healing vibes and my very best wishes to you. What a dreadful year you have had.

 

[PigglePuggle]

I'm very sorry to hear this, and if he is emaciated and miserable to the stage where he wont even take recovery food it may be time to make the tough decision. I would not combine baytril and zithromax unless the vet specifically suggested that, but one thing I can see is that if you typed the metacam dose correctly, 0.1ml, that is far too low to have any effect. Is this dog or cat metacam? Dog metacam is 3x stronger than cat metacam. At any rate he could safely have 0.4mls dog metacam, or 1ml cat metacam, twice a day to keep him comfortable- maybe you could ask the vet on the phone?

 

[melsey3]

Thankyou for your responses, sadly I have literally just lost him! I feel terrible, as he suffocated on his food, I don’t know how many days he had been storing it in his mouth for, It was last night I started to hook some of the food I could see in his mouth out gently. When he passed his mouth wouldn’t close, so we tried to get some more of the excess food out, and there was a fair bit (we couldn’t get to all of it)! I currently feel like i’m a bad owner . I know this is probably silly, but it’s how I feel! To say I got hysterical would be an under statement, I had a complete emotional breakdown! I tried so hard to help him, but feel like I ended up killing him instead! This hasn’t happened for over 28 years when I accidentally aspirated one of my guinea pigs when I was 16 years old! I’m not even sure how this error occurred if I’m honest, I should have realised he wasn’t swallowing properly yesterday, as he was a lot slower, and was really weak. I know I have to try and be kind to myself, but not sure how to at the moment! Sorry I am telling this all to you, I guess I’m seeking reassurance so to speak!

I will be so glad to get 2020 out of the way, we have lost so much this year, I pray that this is the last in a while, though I know that is not very likely, as many of my piggies are over 5 years old now, my eldest being 7 and a half

Thankyou for being here for me.

 

[melsey3]

I'm very sorry to hear this, and if he is emaciated and miserable to the stage where he wont even take recovery food it may be time to make the tough decision. I would not combine baytril and zithromax unless the vet specifically suggested that, but one thing I can see is that if you typed the metacam dose correctly, 0.1ml, that is far too low to have any effect. Is this dog or cat metacam? Dog metacam is 3x stronger than cat metacam. At any rate he could safely have 0.4mls dog metacam, or 1ml cat metacam, twice a day to keep him comfortable- maybe you could ask the vet on the phone?

I wanted to get him put to sleep yesterday, but my vets couldn't fit him in, and they were the only ones who were open until 7! We have no emergency vets nearby ( i don't drive), and I simply couldn't have afforded to get a £20 taxi there and £20 back, and pay for him to be put to sleep at emergency vet fees, my vet bill had already reached above £150, and currently my money situation wouldn't allow anymore to be spent out, this is going to all change real soon, and my life is going to turn around significantly. I love my animals so very much, and do everything I can to help them, even if it leaves my family short of money occasionally, but this time I simply couldn't. Had the vet been available yesterday I was going to get him put to sleep, but sadly they weren't I cried when they said they couldn't fit me in, as didn't want him to suffer anymore, I can't stand seeing guinea pigs in that state, it breaks my heart.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m so sorry for your loss. You did the best you could for him so please don’t feel bad about how he passed. You did try but circumstances were against you. Take good care of yourselves. That is a lot of losses to bear in one year.

 

[melsey3]

At least he is at peace now, and won' be suffering anymore, he will finally get to join his brother Nutmeg (we lost him last year, and his mum Bourbon who we also lost last year due to Lymphoma) Fly free My precious boy Oreo , and have fun at the rainbow bridge with your piggy family, and all your other guinea pig, and bunny friends whom we have lost. We will miss you so very, very much precious one. Love always your human Mummy, and your human brother and sister. xxxxxx

 

[Chili pig]

Melsey3 you did the best you could but sometimes it just isn't enough. Oreo passed at home with you by his side where he was meant to be. I'm sorry it has been such a sad year for you. Keep your chin up, focus on the happiness you have and don't blame yourself.

 

[melsey3]

Oh my goodness what an awful year for you. Sorry I have no experience with zithromax but someone will be along soon. A couple of questions:
Metacam: is it the 'dog' or 'cat' version (1.5mg/ml or 0.5mg/ml). Is this for specific pain like UTI or URI or just to cover general discomfort. You might be able to up this dose - whether it will make any difference to poor Oreo or not I don't know.
Did they give you any probiotic to try and balance out the effect of antibiotics on the gut?
And is he very old?
And how are his teeth? If a pig has been slowly eating less and less hay the teeth can overgrow in a couple of weeks which makes both manoeuvring food in the mouth and chewing very difficult. You probably won't be able to look into his mouth but sometimes the incisors have got so long they can't close the mouth properly... is there any indication of this?
I'm tagging @Piggies&buns and @Wiebke who have more knowledge
Sending hugs

He was 5 years old! No, no probiotic was prescribed, he has had a lot of respiratory and dietary issues over the last few years, but vets were not overly concerned as his lungs were always clear. When he was taken to the vets, they thought it may have been allergy related. In the last 2 years he has had a URI twice. Eating was always pretty bad, and a visit to the vets confirmed his teeth were slightly overgrown but not worryingly so. We then got him onto a food which sustained him really well until this last couple of weeks, and if you had asked me 2 weeks ago , how he was doing, I would have said to you that he was actually healthier than he had been in a long time! We were actually fortunate we got him to 5 I think, there were several episodes of having to syringe feed him noight and day, and everytime he prevailed, I think we have known for sometime that we wouldn't have him for much longer, but it was what happened to him at the end of his life that has really upset me, I feel like such a bad owner.

 

[melsey3]

Melsey3 you did the best you could but sometimes it just isn't enough. Oreo passed at home with you by his side where he was meant to be. I'm sorry it has been such a sad year for you. Keep your chin up, focus on the happiness you have and don't blame yourself.

He was in my arms, and we were having that very last hug! That is one thing I didn't want to deal with again, handing my beloved pet over to be P.T.S and not being able to be with them! 3 out of my now 7 piggies had to be handed over like that because of Covid-19, as did my beloved bunny Joey, it was traumatising for everyone, particularly Joey, as he wouldn't let them put in the needle, and so they had to bring him out to me, to calm him down, where thye tried to do it whilst I was holding him, but in the end they had to take him away again and put him down under anaesthetic.

 

[Merab's Slave]

So sorry for your loss and all that you have lost this year.
What a rotten time you’ve had.
Holding you in my heart

 

[Free Ranger]

He passed at home and although not in ideal circumstances these things can happen so easily. He is at peace now and he would not be blaming you - it seems he was coming to his end whatever had happened. A vet trip would have been stressful for him and it is awful handing them over. You saved him from that fear at least. Try not to blame yourself because sometimes in life there just isn't a right choice - we just have to make the necessary one and live with it. Sending love

 

[SavyCavyGirl]

I am so sorry. It sounds like Oreo has come to the end of his life, which is always hard to hear. I think you should just make him as happy and comfortable as possible before it’s time for the vet to put him to sleep. I am so sorry- sounds like such a bummer year. Sending love

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry for your loss

 

[Rivervixen]

I’m so sorry you’ve been through so much, rest in peace oreo x

 

[rhymer]

So sorry you have had such a heart breaking year with so many losses.
He passed in your arms surrounded by love.
Sending you massive hugs.
Sleep tight little Oreo.xx

 

[Free Ranger]

I've been thinking about you since yesterday... it was an awful thing that happened on top of so many other awful things and I really felt for you. I had to syringe my poor Ivy this year to try and give her a chance and she also aspirated food and got a URI. She got over it with treatment but whatever was causing her swallowing issues just got worse and in the end she was pts. Even though she was ready to go by that time I still get upset thinking about my lovely vet carrying her inside in the box with her fluffy hair poking through the vents. It is so hard to say goodbye. I really hope you are coming to terms with things today. Be kind to yourself