Senior pig with health issues

[Gabe's Mom]

Hi everyone! Hopefully I'm posting this correctly! I have an eight year old male guinea pig who is struggling with severe arthritis. We are seeing a vet who does see guinea pigs, and we have a follow up this Friday. Gabe is eating and drinking, but movement is very painful for him. He is pooing with normal shaped poos, but not nearly as much as normal. He is on meloxacam twice a day for pain. He has some minor bloat, but nothing worrisome. He is my 14th rescue piggie so we've dealt with many, many health issues over the years. The vet is talking about him possibly having an intestinal infection. I have never dealt with that one. The infections we've had were UTIs or URIs and they went downhill fast. He wants to put him on antibiotics, because of some gas in his belly and smelly poos. Gabe always has smelly poos. lol We have almost lost Gabe a few years ago to severe bloat due to antibiotics. He can not take SMZ or Baytril. He does somewhat well on Azythromycin. Friday will come down to some serious decisions as to quality of life with this amount of pain and being on pain meds daily. Also, if antibiotics are worth a risk. I guess my question is, have any other owners seen an intestional infection in their pigs? If so, what were the symptoms? Thank you! I appreciate any thoughts!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone! Hopefully I'm posting this correctly! I have an eight year old male guinea pig who is struggling with severe arthritis. We are seeing a vet who does see guinea pigs, and we have a follow up this Friday. Gabe is eating and drinking, but movement is very painful for him. He is pooing with normal shaped poos, but not nearly as much as normal. He is on meloxacam twice a day for pain. He has some minor bloat, but nothing worrisome. He is my 14th rescue piggie so we've dealt with many, many health issues over the years. The vet is talking about him possibly having an intestinal infection. I have never dealt with that one. The infections we've had were UTIs or URIs and they went downhill fast. He wants to put him on antibiotics, because of some gas in his belly and smelly poos. Gabe always has smelly poos. lol We have almost lost Gabe a few years ago to severe bloat due to antibiotics. He can not take SMZ or Baytril. He does somewhat well on Azythromycin. Friday will come down to some serious decisions as to quality of life with this amount of pain and being on pain meds daily. Also, if antibiotics are worth a risk. I guess my question is, have any other owners seen an intestional infection in their pigs? If so, what were the symptoms? Thank you! I appreciate any thoughts!

Hi and welcome

8 years is a grand age and a testament to your good care.

Arthritis is being treated with glucosamine which coats the joints and helps to regain some degree of mobility in but the most advanced cases. This is accompanied by long term dog strength (1.5 mg/ml) metacam - you can give up to 0.4 ml twice daily to a 1 kg piggy as the upper limit. This could then be extended into strong unlicensed painkillers like gabapentin or tramadol. The regained quality and life-prolonging zest for life outweigh any long term life shortening concerns at the sharp end of old age.
Guinea pigs metabolise metacam and other meds differently and do not seem to be affected by kidney problems as other species. None of my own long term arthritic oldies ever died of kidney failure although a number of my piggies not on metacm have died from it.

I have had (currently have again) a number of older piggies with more severe arthritis who are on long term glucosamine-based liquid dog joint care (I use a UK brand so you would have to source your own). Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement and not s a medication, so it is generally not prescribed. It also takes several weeks to build up in the body; the same as metacam.
A couple of my oldies ended up with runaway arthritis (they were both around 8 years and extremely frail by then) and had to be euthanised. But at that stage you can never choose what gives first in the body - the immune system or an organ; only that it very often happens very fast.

Here is our oldies care tips and information collection which you may find helpful: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

You may also find thise care guide particularly helpful: Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

All the best for your boy!

 

[Gabe's Mom]

Hi and welcome

8 years is a grand age and a testament to your good care.

Arthritis is being treated with glucosamine which coats the joints and helps to regain some degree of mobility in but the most advanced cases. This is accompanied by long term dog strength (1.5 mg/ml) metacam - you can give up to 0.4 ml twice daily to a 1 kg piggy as the upper limit. This could then be extended into strong unlicensed painkillers like gabapentin or tramadol. The regained quality and life-prolonging zest for life outweigh any long term life shortening concerns at the sharp end of old age.
Guinea pigs metabolise metacam and other meds differently and do not seem to be affected by kidney problems as other species. None of my own long term arthritic oldies ever died of kidney failure although a number of my piggies not on metacm have died from it.

I have had (currently have again) a number of older piggies with more severe arthritis who are on long term glucosamine-based liquid dog joint care (I use a UK brand so you would have to source your own). Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement and not s a medication, so it is generally not prescribed. It also takes several weeks to build up in the body; the same as metacam.
A couple of my oldies ended up with runaway arthritis (they were both around 8 years and extremely frail by then) and had to be euthanised. But at that stage you can never choose what gives first in the body - the immune system or an organ; only that it very often happens very fast.

Here is our oldies care tips and information collection which you may find helpful: Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

You may also find thise care guide particularly helpful: Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility

All the best for your boy!

Thank you so much! That is all very helpful! We sadly had to euthenize our 8 1/2 year old, Iris, several years ago. She had stopped walking for nearly two months. We tried everything but she was getting bedsores despite our care. Still was bright eyed and always talking to us! I don't want to make another decision like that.