Senior Guinea Pig Concerns

[cavycrew]

Hi,
It's been a while since I've posted anything here. For the most part, my piggies have been fine. However, my older guinea pig Fred (he is now 6 years old), has been running into complications - unfortunately, I'm not sure how much time I have with him left.

As of recent, he seems to be visibly in pain. I'm chalking it up to arthritis due to the vet suggesting that this is overwhelmingly common in older guinea pigs, and nothing seemed to be concerning about him during his vet check-up.

However, he is now very puffy and spiked up, visibly uncomfortable. He doesn't lay down and chooses to sit down instead. He moves, however, he hops more like a bunny rather than moving his legs regularly like a normal guinea pig. I've checked his feet and he has a red sore on his foot. Not bumblefoot, I'm suspecting urine scald. I've been putting Neosporin on it from time to time but it doesn't seem effective. I've ordered vet wrap so the Neosporin will stay on his foot for longer.

He is eating and drinking just fine, albeit much slower and sometimes he doesn't finish all of his veggies. A scale was also ordered so I can weigh him daily, he's gotten much lighter over the years and now I'm starting to become concerned. I have ordered critical care and I've also been giving him joint support treats, but he doesn't seem too interested in them.

When he is fed, he becomes confused with his surroundings and tends to lose track of where his food is. His eyesight is bad, not blind, but it's much worse than before. I know there's nothing much to be done regarding this and guinea pigs are okay without their eyesight, but I still thought it would be important to bring up.

He has been put on Meloxicam by the vet and has been taking it since January 31, 2026. I've not seen much progress so far, not better and not worse.

Let me rundown his current symptoms:
- Puffed up fur
- Abnormal walking (hopping like bunny)
- Refusal to lay down
- Slightly firm belly
- Red blister on foot (not bumblefoot)
- Sitting still for long periods of time
- Poor eyesight
- Doesn't finish all of his food
- Poos get stuck (this has been a thing for a while due to his weakened muscles, however, he manages to get his poop out on his own; sometimes we will help him though)

I have an appointment for my other pig this weekend for a recheck, but I'm gonna try and see if I can get Fred in as well to check for possible bloat. I'm not asking for diagnosis, simply just to see if anyone else has/has had senior guinea pigs with similar issues, and what the next step was.

I'm doing my absolute best to help him, but I'm not sure how much time I have left. It breaks my heart and I feel like I'm already grieving his loss. I don't know when euthanasia should be an option. All of my past guinea pigs have suddenly died on me without me expecting it and I think that makes it much harder. However, I don't just want to end his life at my own expense, what if he still has time left here? I just don't want him to be in pain, it's so obvious he is. It breaks my heart. I'm trying my best to help, but I feel like I'm failing him.

Any words will help, I deeply appreciate it.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

He is displaying signs of pain, and all of these symptoms can be attributed to arthritis.
Older boars can suffer with Impaction due to weakened muscles and arthritis pain can also contribute to them not being able to expel poops properly.

If you suspect he is now also suffering with bloat then he would need to be seen by a vet today - bloat can’t wait.
Don’t feed him any veg if you think he is bloated.

Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble

What dosage of pain meds is he on?
Is it once or twice a day?
Cat or dog version? (Dog being stronger so can be a better option if you have a knowledgeable vet)
Piggies can tolerate high doses and metabolise it quickly so if he is on a dose which is too low for his needs then it isn’t going to help much.

It is normal for older piggies to lose mass but if he is now feeling lighter then he is definitely not eating enough hay and hasn’t been for a while.

Check his heft (guide below explains) and step in with support feeding him straight away (you can use mushed pellets in the absence of critical care).
The weight checks are very important so it’s good you can step in with daily weight checks.

I hope he is ok

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

 

[cavycrew]

I’m sorry to hear this.

He is displaying signs of pain, and all of these symptoms can be attributed to arthritis.
Older boars can suffer with Impaction due to weakened muscles and arthritis pain can also contribute to them not being able to expel poops properly.

If you suspect he is now also suffering with bloat then he would need to be seen by a vet today - bloat can’t wait.
Don’t feed him any veg if you think he is bloated.

Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble

What dosage of pain meds is he on?
Is it once or twice a day?
Cat or dog version? (Dog being stronger so can be a better option if you have a knowledgeable vet)
Piggies can tolerate high doses and metabolise it quickly so if he is on a dose which is too low for his needs then it isn’t going to help much.

It is normal for older piggies to lose mass but if he is now feeling lighter then he is definitely not eating enough hay and hasn’t been for a while.

Check his heft (guide below explains) and step in with support feeding him straight away (you can use mushed pellets in the absence of critical care).
The weight checks are very important so it’s good you can step in with daily weight checks.

I hope he is ok

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

Hi,
I'm not sure if it is bloat. The only sign of that is his tummy is a bit firm, and it tends to rumble from time to time, however, his stomach has always done this, since he's always digesting food. He's definitely lost mass over the years, but I feel like its getting worse, so I will start giving him mushed pellets in the meantime to help him out when eating. Good thing is he's great when eating his pellets and whatnot, and enjoys pea flakes just as much as his perky younger brother. He eats hay as well, but of course, I can't tell if its enough because I haven't been able to weigh him yet.

The vet said to give 0.09ml by mouth every 24 hours, it is Meloxicam for dogs. The bottle itself is quite small, 1.5 mg.

I hope he is okay too. I am very worried.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s normal to hear tummy noises but Feeling firm is more of concern.
Sometimes older piggies can start to have trouble with veg (or even particular types of veg), so do review things.
As I say though if you are at all concerned about his digestion then do see a vet as soon as possible.

It’s good that it’s dog version (that amount of cat version would be useless for a guinea pig) but there is certainly leeway upwards in his dosage (dependent upon his weight and clinical need) so definitely speak to the vet about pain management.

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck at the vets Fred. Maybe with a high dose of pain medication he will perk up and have many more happy days with you.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

The problem for your vet is going to be working our whether all those symptoms are primary or whether they are secondary (caused by an underlying issue) that knocks on the surrounding organs and body areas by pain or physical pressure.

I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed for Fred and you!

 

[GuineaDobbin]

Unless Fred (who is adorable) is a featherweight that is a minute dose.

Gentle massage and vibration can go a long way with a bloaty pig, i would recommend that as an interim aid until you can get to the vet.

 

[Freela]

It does sound like potentially pain... what dose of meloxicam is he on? And how many times a day? Guinea pigs have fast metabolisms and a once-a-day dose may be out of their system relatively quickly. It's also possible to trial another medication and see if that helps- one of my pigs in the past was on tramadol for pain with good effect.

All the best and hope you can find something that works for Fred!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,
I'm not sure if it is bloat. The only sign of that is his tummy is a bit firm, and it tends to rumble from time to time, however, his stomach has always done this, since he's always digesting food. He's definitely lost mass over the years, but I feel like its getting worse, so I will start giving him mushed pellets in the meantime to help him out when eating. Good thing is he's great when eating his pellets and whatnot, and enjoys pea flakes just as much as his perky younger brother. He eats hay as well, but of course, I can't tell if its enough because I haven't been able to weigh him yet.

The vet said to give 0.09ml by mouth every 24 hours, it is Meloxicam for dogs. The bottle itself is quite small, 1.5 mg.

I hope he is okay too. I am very worried.

Hi

That is a cosmetic dosage.

A 1kg piggy can have safely up to 0.4-0.5 ml of dog strength metacam twice daily in the case of severe pain.

We have had this dosage repeatedly prescribed for member piggies by exotic vets. Guinea pig metabolise meloxicam/metacam differently to other pet species. Especially in older piggies, the life prolonging benefits they get from a higher dosage really do outweigh any potential long term kidney damage.

Several of my own oldies have been on fairly high lonmg term metacam dosages for advanced arthritis.

 

[cavycrew]

Hi

That is a cosmetic dosage.

A 1kg piggy can have safely up to 0.4-0.5 ml of dog strength metacam twice daily in the case of severe pain.

We have had this dosage repeatedly prescribed for member piggies by exotic vets. Guinea pig metabolise meloxicam/metacam differently to other pet species. Especially in older piggies, the life prolonging benefits they get from a higher dosage really do outweigh any potential long term kidney damage.

Several of my own oldies have been on fairly high lonmg term metacam dosages for advanced arthritis.

I have weighed Fred today. He is 1lb and 12.8 oz, if my calculations are correct that is 0.817kg. The last time he was weighed, he was around the same weight, but physically feels a bit lighter than before.

I'll see what I can do. I've got critical care coming later tonight for me because he doesn't seem to want to eat hay. I'm going to get him to the vets this Saturday and see what the next steps are. I don't want him to be in pain anymore.

Thank you all for the advice so far, I will give updates and answer any questions that may come my way

 

[cavycrew]

Unless Fred (who is adorable) is a featherweight that is a minute dose.

Gentle massage and vibration can go a long way with a bloaty pig, i would recommend that as an interim aid until you can get to the vet.

I will try to massage him. I'm not sure if it's bloat still, it's speculation from me, but I'll still try this regardless to see if it's any help to him.

 

[cavycrew]

It does sound like potentially pain... what dose of meloxicam is he on? And how many times a day? Guinea pigs have fast metabolisms and a once-a-day dose may be out of their system relatively quickly. It's also possible to trial another medication and see if that helps- one of my pigs in the past was on tramadol for pain with good effect.

All the best and hope you can find something that works for Fred!

Hi, here is what I said earlier in this thread regarding his dosage:

The vet said to give 0.09ml by mouth every 24 hours, it is Meloxicam for dogs. The bottle itself is quite small, 1.5 mg.

It's a very small dosage. I'm going to see if I can either get another medication for him or up his dose.

Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it

 

[cavycrew]

Good luck at the vets Fred. Maybe with a high dose of pain medication he will perk up and have many more happy days with you.

Thank you for the kind words. I deeply appreciate it. It has been very hard lately.

 

[Freela]

Hi, here is what I said earlier in this thread regarding his dosage:

The vet said to give 0.09ml by mouth every 24 hours, it is Meloxicam for dogs. The bottle itself is quite small, 1.5 mg.

It's a very small dosage. I'm going to see if I can either get another medication for him or up his dose.

Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it

It does seem like a small dose and once a day is often not enough for guinea bigs, it's better to give half-doses twice a day. Even my piggie on an opioid still got it every 12 hours! I hope he feels a lot better with more regular meds. Please keep us posted, we're all rooting for Fred!

 

[weepweeps]

Thank you for the kind words. I deeply appreciate it. It has been very hard lately.

It’s so stressful when they are ill.

 

[Wiebke]

I would discuss pain levels; your current one is rather low. All the best with it. The amounts I have cited are those for major acute pain; a good long term maintenance dosage should be about 33%-50% once daily of it.

 

[cavycrew]

Hi everyone. A decision was made between us and the vet and we ultimately decided that it was best to put him to sleep. On the X-rays they found that his kidneys were large and irregularly shaped. He was visibly uncomfortable so we thought it would be in his best interest to let him pass peacefully, and so he did.

I am so crushed. He was my baby, I always talked about him constantly, no matter what. I had him for 6 years and he's been through so much, and now it's time for him to rest and cross the rainbow bridge with the rest of his brothers so he can see them once again. Thank you all for the wonderful advice and helping give some support during this time. I hope you all understand.

 

[Truffolo]

Very sorry to hear your lovely Fred has passed. You released him from pain out of love, but it is still very hard ❤ Rest easy at the bridge little one

 

[Rivervixen]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Fred knew how much he was loved

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

I'm very sorry. Sleep tight sweet Freddy!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone. A decision was made between us and the vet and we ultimately decided that it was best to put him to sleep. On the X-rays they found that his kidneys were large and irregularly shaped. He was visibly uncomfortable so we thought it would be in his best interest to let him pass peacefully, and so he did.

I am so crushed. He was my baby, I always talked about him constantly, no matter what. I had him for 6 years and he's been through so much, and now it's time for him to rest and cross the rainbow bridge with the rest of his brothers so he can see them once again. Thank you all for the wonderful advice and helping give some support during this time. I hope you all understand.

BIG HUGS

You have made exactly the right decision. Once the kidneys go seriously wrong, there is sadly nothing you can do. Fred was in major pain and would not have got any better.

Letting a cherished one make their journey to the Rainbow Bridge is the most loving but at the same time the most heart-breaking decision you can make - but when the chips are down would not rather bear the pain ourselves to spare a beloved one any further suffering.

Be sad but please do not feel bad. You have given Fred a happy long life filled with love, good care and company; that is how piggies measure their lives by. What you sadly can never choose what from, when and under what circumstances the end comes.

Fred's brothers will know that he has been very ill and has gone to die away from them, like it is their instinct. They should be sad and subdued but you should not worry about any pining.

It is OK for you to not be OK for a little while. Give yourself the space and time to digest the shock (and it is always a shock when you have to make that decision) as well as the pain of your loss and to getting used to no longer having Fred around. It is going to take some time.

We now have a new End of Life and Bereavement section where we provide ongoing communit support for owners during the most difficult of times. You are welcome to join us there for as much and as long as you need to so you have a place where you are fully understood and can talk about your issues.
End of Life and Bereavement Support Corner

However, if you find that you struggle to sleep or function in daily life for longer or would like to speak to a trained volunteer, the Blue Cross (UK animal charity) has now got several platforms for free support.
Pet Loss Support

My thoughts are with you.

 

[weepweeps]

Popcorn over the bridge with your brothers gorgeous Fred.

Sending you hugs @cavycrew