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Sheila's not well

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Guinea pig slave

Guinea pig slave

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Sheila, our golden oldie beautiful girl is not herself again and I'm expecting the worst 8...
She pulled through from trachitis and pleurisy last year but today, very suddenly has little interest in her food so have syringed a small amount of Recovery and a small dose of Ranitidine - she munched her way through some washed dandelion leaves about half hour ago.
Her breathing is laboured and she looks so tired but has no signs of URI etc. - she's just not Sheila so am keeping her warm with heat pads and tempting her with her fave veggies and some Timothy hay which she has had tiny nibbles of.
I'm worried it may be her teeth but know she wouldn't survive a GA due to her age (est. around 4-5 years old) and I promised myself I would not put her through the stress of things but feel I am playing god with my baby.
It's breaking my heart and I'm in bits but if the worst is going to happen, I want her in her comfort zone with Bruce Huspig.
What are peoples views on this ?
 
Laboured, heaving breathing, apathy and loss of appetite are signs of acute heart failure. I have lost two younger, apparently healthy piggies with suddenly appearing symptoms like these; one of them is Telyn, the aby in my avatar.

I am very sorry and my thoughts are with you; it is ever so hard to decide whether it is worth putting a piggy in that situation through the stress of a vet trip (one of my piggies died there) or to let nature take it course. :(
 
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It sounds like heart failure to me too. If it was my pig I would take her to the vets, and maybe try to weigh up what you would want in this situation if you were her. We do sometimes put our own human emotions into our pigs. Letting nature take it's course can be long and drawn out and that is not fair on the pig.
 
Thank you Wiebke, we're in such a dilemna to take her to our Vet but my heart is telling me to keep her home where she is warm and comfy.
I have to work later today but my OH is coming home to stay with her.
She's asleep atm - this has hit like a bolt out of the blue as there has been absolutely no symptoms of illness and we've always been over zealous with her health due to the scar tissue she has from the pleurisy last year :(
Sheila has always been a bit 'special' to me, such a lovely piggy with her big eyes and wiggly ears when she eats :)
I'm feeling physically sick at the thought of losing her but don't think she'll bounce back from this set back.
 
Oh no Tracey, So sorry to read this. Sorry i can't offer any advice. Lots of love to Sheila. If there is anything we can do let me know. Big hugs to you x x x
 
Trace, i dont have any advice to give, but wanted to say I'm here if you need a chat, i know exactly what you are going through, lots of love/hugs to sheila, you & your partner. Only you know what needs to be done, and i know whatever decision you make it will be the best/right one...thinking of you...
 
I am so sorry you have to go through this. How awful for you. My thoughts are with you.
 
So sorry you are in this difficult situation :(

My only thoughts are that it's very hard to tell what's wrong with a guinea sometimes. If you go to the vet will she likely need x-ray, blood work etc to establish what is going on? Is this something you want to do? If she is very ill, is in distress or discomfort then that becomes another issue & requires rethinking if vet help is needed for end of life care. Only you know her best & can decide the best course for her.

Sending all the best to you & Sheila xx
 
She doesn't appear to be in any distress or discomfort, just lethargic and eating a little of her breakfast was an effort - so not like her at all.
I've given her Recovery and will continue hand feeding etc. I think our decision to keep her home was not taken likely and we always take them to the Vet at the slightest hint of illness but feel the stress would be too much for her.
It's something we've dreaded since we've had the piggies and know we have to face it at some point with them all but it's incredibly hard...I keep thinking she'll start bouncing around in a minute...:(
 
4-5 isn't to old for a pig, I know my decision to refuse a blood sample because of a GA ultimately caused my Bette to lose her life as we missed what was going on and I lost her earlier than she should have left IMO. I personally would never deem a pig to old for a GA my P was over 5 and had a 1 hour and 45 minute GA not to mention a major operation, my logic was if he didn't have the operation he'd die and it's a kind death to go on an operation, the operation was his only chance.

Only you know your pig and well everyone has opinion's about GA's, I'd hate for anyone reading this thread to think a 4-5 year old pig can not with stand a GA it all depends on the pig. My Fred has regular dental's under GA, twice - three times a year and he's always came round remarkably well he's now over 4 and has been having GA's for over a year. However if other health complaints are going on this can obviously effect the decision and the outcome of a GA, but I wouldn't deem them to old without at least consulting with a vet perhaps at the very least call your vets? Not all symptoms are obvious to us slaves. It may well be your Sheila doesn't have teeth complaint's and it is her time, no one can make a diagnose what's going on with Sheila at this moment and time but she may well have a chance you just don't know.

I'm sure you will make the right decision for your Sheila and my thoughts are with you, only you know what is best for your pig.
 
Just a thought, I would probably get a urine sample & pop it down to the vets to be dipped. It's completely non-invasive & might show up if she has a urine infection or anything odd going on. As you know, sometimes things like this just make them a bit generally sad but don't really have much in the way of symptoms.

If you took her to the vets I expect they would give you a course of Baytril or similar 'just in case' & see how she responds. Have you tried her on Metacam to see if this relieves any symptoms & makes her more keen to eat?

Just thinking aloud here really as while she is a good age, I wouldn't really see her as old.

I know you wouldn't take the decision not to take her to the vet lightly, I wasn't at all suggesting that & hope you didn't think that's what I was saying in my other post...

How is she doing now?

Best wishes,

shiny :)
 
I lost my beautiful Bo this year. I took her to the vets thinking her ovary cysts were back, the vet told me to wait and see. She seemed tired and slower and suddenly took a turn for the worst not eating, tired and the next day laboured breathing. She died at the vets as I left her there to be treated, she was there overnight. It is likely her heart failed as her lungs were white on X-ray. I wish I could have comforted my dearest piggy in her darkest hour and I regret it so much, I needed to give her a chance though as life without her was going to be unbearable.

Would get you piggy looked at by a vets then try to decide the best thing from there. X
 
Our beautiful Sheila left us for The Bridge tonight at 8.50pm 8...
Will do a Rainbow Bridge thread for our sleeping beauty when I can get my head around her sudden passing, the whole family are totally devastated. We will be taking her to the Vet in the morning to arrange her cremation.
I feel numb.
We popped her back in her pen to be with Bruce Huspig for a time before wrapping her in her favourite fleece blanket.
Thank you all for your kind words x>>
 
I am so so sorry. How devestating. Please PM me if you need to talk. I am here for you.x
 
oh no Trace - i am so sorry and lost for words - you know i am always here if you need to talk. My thoughts are with you all Sleep tight Sheila x
 
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So sorry Trace. Lots of love to you, Russ and Bruce. I know how much she means to you. If you need to talk we're always here. So sorry once again, she was a very loved little girl, who had the most devoted piggie parents ever.

RIP Sheila
x x
 
I am sorry to hear of your loss. It can be very tough to lose a loving piggy. I cremated my Bo and it was the right thing for me.
Take care, keep strong. X
 
Oh no, so sorry about Sheila. Hope you are ok xx
 
So sorry to read this thread, sleep well little piggy x
 
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