Should I have Dilly PTS?

[SweetJo]

Dilly is at the vets now with my hubby.

I'll try and explain as best I can.

She has tissue damage in her nose and throat from a previous stubborn infection so is now prone to URIs.

Her breathing is bad again so she's at the vets. Vet says we should consider having her PTS cause she's always going to have problems.

He said it could be her lungs, her heart or cancer, he doesn't know. He's given her a steriod injection to make her more comfortable while I decide what to do.

This vet practice is on the recommended list of vets on here, however I don't know if that particular vet is one of the piggy ones.

Should I get a 2nd opinion? Dilly is 4, hasn't lost weight and is still eating well.

We spent £200 in January trying to treat that infection. I know money shouldn't be an issue, but it is. I cannot afford £200 every 2 months. I don't know what to do

 

[Pawz]

We spent £200 in January trying to treat that infection. I know money shouldn't be an issue, but it is. I cannot afford £200 every 2 months. I don't know what to do

Please don’t feel bad about the financial side, as much as we love our pets it’s not always possible to spend large amounts as part of a long term plan. I took in a supposed to be healthy rescue kitten at the start of the year who cost me over 500€ by the time I surrendered it back the following month, it’s next owner then spend over 600€ in a month before she too said “ok it has to go back”. Both households felt awful at giving it back but with no cure in sight it was not possible for either home to keep handing over money to various vets indefinitely. In fact I am still paying vet fees trying to restore the health of my other cats that were impacted by the whole fiasco.

I would say possibly get a 2nd opinion on Dilly before you make any decisions and if it is lifelong treatment you are looking at then please take into account her quality of life as well as the financial situation..

Sending you lots of hugs and hoping a 2nd opinion might bring you some better news. Fingers crossed it’s not as serious as first though and you don’t have to contemplate that terrible decision

 

[piggieminder]

Sending you hugs, this is such a hard decision to have to make.

I too think a second opinion would be a good idea and agree absolutely with everything @Pawz has said. Taking the financial side away from the problem PTS may be the best option for poor Dilly, sometimes this is the greatest way we can show our love for our furry friends.

 

[SweetJo]

Thank you for your replies. My hubby made an appointment at the same practice, but with the piggy vet for Friday morning.

I'll see what she says, then go from there.

Hearing her breathing is horrible but then when she runs to her bowl for food, she looks so happy. This is heart breaking.

Its

 

[DM030819]

@SweetJo Has she had any x-rays or scans to confirm what has happened? Have you tried using a nebuliser to see if that helps at all?

It's such a hard decision to make as what works for some pigs may not help others.

 

[SweetJo]

@SweetJo Has she had any x-rays or scans to confirm what has happened? Have you tried using a nebuliser to see if that helps at all?

It's such a hard decision to make as what works for some pigs may not help others.

She has had xrays. The first one in January showed fluid on her lungs. The second one showed the fluid had gone but scarring showed up in her nose and throat. The vet today said the problem sounds to be more her throat than her lungs.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Sending hugs, it’s an awful decision for you. I’d get a second opinion with the piggie vet, then you can make an informed decision. Some vets still don’t always see small animals as treatable I think x

 

[DMS260820]

I have had a boar live like this, he was two when i rescued him from a school, and lived to 6 years old like this. He done fine, the noise just sounded bad, but he was still happy and eating and running about, he did get two uri's and one case of pneumonia. I think it was linked, he had scarring on his lungs too. It was stones that ended him at age 6.

It never crosssed my mind to have him p.t.s but i dont know how bad your pig is to be fair

 

[Swissgreys]

I think that when to put to sleep is always a very personal decision, but if it is made with love and the best interests of your pet at heart then it is never the wrong one.

Only you can really judge their quality of life, and of course only you know about things like time and financial limits in your own home.

I am in the awful situation right now of having two sick animals, and 2 separate vets appointments with different vets this week to discuss the options.
I would desperately love someone to step in and help me make these decisions, but at the end of the day it is up to me to decide what is best for each of them.

I think if you have any doubts a second opinion with a guinea pig is the absolute best way forward, as they should be able to offer some professional guidance to help you decide what is best.
I hope that whatever you decide you are able to be at peace with it - your girl is very lucky to have such committed and concerned owners.

 

[VickiA]

I agree that the second opinion is a good idea. The decision whether to PTS or not is one you have to weigh up carefully with your vet, so it’s best to be absolutely sure.
Any decision either way made in the best interests of your girl and made with such care and love will not be wrong. But whatever you decide you have to be sure you are happy with the decision. Huge hugs as you deal with this.
Hugs to you too @Swissgreys as you have to make decisions, too.

 

[GPTV]

Good luck at the vets on Friday, I would definitely go for a second opinion too.

See what your options are, think about Dilly's quality of life, her chances of recovery, managing her general health & yes unfortunately your finances will have a bearing on your decision.

A Few things I would discuss with the vet & consider if she was mine would be...
Is it a form of URI caused by an allergy to bedding/the type or quality of hay being used - wood shavings or sawdust can cause problems, mostly because of the chemical reaction of the urine on the wood. Pine is very fragrant generally.
Any air fresheners /washing products /candles /incense sticks/ plug in fragrances you use.

Is it fluid retention mostly/generally causing her to crackle, could it be managed with a diuretic or nebuliser?

Does she have a healthy heart/kidneys, cardiac & renal problems can cause a build up of fluid too.
My Ellie was diagnosed with a definite heart murmur by stethoscope (although it can be difficult to diagnose this way)
An ultrasound could be an option & cheaper than some exploratory treatments (also less invasive)
Consider a trial of ace inhibitor tablets (Fortekor /nelio) if it is cardiac related, see if there's any improvement & the tablets aren't excessively expensive If they do work.

As far as cost goes, could you get the vet to write you a prescription & then buy many medications online at a considerable discount.
I just bought some Xeno online for £19... The vet was going to charge me £33 for the same thing. Or remend eye gel was £7 online or £12 from the vets!
Some vets charge for a prescription but it may still work out far cheaper.

My orca is on the mature side of life & she's always been very nasally generally, she whistles & crackles a bit, but still has a real zest for life
The vet wondered if she had been in contact with bordatella as she was in a rural setting & outside before I got her.
She eats like a horse & shouts at me for food, she doesn't seem to notice she wheezes a bit sometimes... Usually when she's relaxed funnily enough.

Whatever decisions you make I'm sure you'll make with her best interests at heart.

Let us know how u get on.
A hug & Positive vibes being sent your way (you too @Swissgreys )
Love the girls & I
x

 

[SweetJo]

Good luck at the vets on Friday, I would definitely go for a second opinion too.

See what your options are, think about Dilly's quality of life, her chances of recovery, managing her general health & yes unfortunately your finances will have a bearing on your decision.

A Few things I would discuss with the vet & consider if she was mine would be...
Is it a form of URI caused by an allergy to bedding/the type or quality of hay being used - wood shavings or sawdust can cause problems, mostly because of the chemical reaction of the urine on the wood. Pine is very fragrant generally.
Any air fresheners /washing products /candles /incense sticks/ plug in fragrances you use.

Is it fluid retention mostly/generally causing her to crackle, could it be managed with a diuretic or nebuliser?

Does she have a healthy heart/kidneys, cardiac & renal problems can cause a build up of fluid too.
My Ellie was diagnosed with a definite heart murmur by stethoscope (although it can be difficult to diagnose this way)
An ultrasound could be an option & cheaper than some exploratory treatments (also less invasive)
Consider a trial of ace inhibitor tablets (Fortekor /nelio) if it is cardiac related, see if there's any improvement & the tablets aren't excessively expensive If they do work.

As far as cost goes, could you get the vet to write you a prescription & then buy many medications online at a considerable discount.
I just bought some Xeno online for £19... The vet was going to charge me £33 for the same thing. Or remend eye gel was £7 online or £12 from the vets!
Some vets charge for a prescription but it may still work out far cheaper.

My orca is on the mature side of life & she's always been very nasally generally, she whistles & crackles a bit, but still has a real zest for life
The vet wondered if she had been in contact with bordatella as she was in a rural setting & outside before I got her.
She eats like a horse & shouts at me for food, she doesn't seem to notice she wheezes a bit sometimes... Usually when she's relaxed funnily enough.

Whatever decisions you make I'm sure you'll make with her best interests at heart.

Let us know how u get on.
A hug & Positive vibes being sent your way (you too @Swissgreys )
Love the girls & I
x

I have made a note of those questions, so I won't forget anything! Thank you so much for sharing those, I am terrible and my mind always goes blank at the vets.

Thank you everyone for your replies, they are much appreciated. I will update tomorrow x

 

[GPTV]

Specialist - Advice for a wheezy pig

Have a look at this link, the thread may have some similarities - ask the vet tomorrow & see what they think
If she has throat issues, might be worth getting her checked for oral thrush too, hopefully rule a simple problem out if it's not that (often noticed with a dirty dishcloth smelling breath)

Good luck tomorrow & hope you can sort something out.

x

 

[SweetJo]

So, we went to the cavy savy vet, and she doesn't think Dilly is ready to be put down yet.

She doesn't think it is her heart, or allergies (I can't remember why she thinks that, I'm terrible at remembering, sorry!)

She's put her back on Septrin (that worked last time, after Baytril didn't), and something beginning with F (I don't have the bottle with me) to get rid of any fluid. We're going back in a week.

She wanted to put her on a small amount of oral steroids but I was reluctant to do that so I suggested an inhaler or nebuliser. She said try an inhaler first.

So we spent £60, so including Tuesday that's £80 this week. She will have to be on some form of medication pretty much all of the time I believe.

We now have to decide whether to cancel our holiday (down south for a week in June) to pay for her medicines, borrow more money from our parents, or have her put down due to the cost. We're leaning towards borrowing more money. It's so hard

 

[DMS260820]

So, we went to the cavy savy vet, and she doesn't think Dilly is ready to be put down yet.

She doesn't think it is her heart, or allergies (I can't remember why she thinks that, I'm terrible at remembering, sorry!)

She's put her back on Septrin (that worked last time, after Baytril didn't), and something beginning with F (I don't have the bottle with me) to get rid of any fluid. We're going back in a week.

She wanted to put her on a small amount of oral steroids but I was reluctant to do that so I suggested an inhaler or nebuliser. She said try an inhaler first.

So we spent £60, so including Tuesday that's £80 this week. She will have to be on some form of medication pretty much all of the time I believe.

We now have to decide whether to cancel our holiday (down south for a week in June) to pay for her medicines, borrow more money from our parents, or have her put down due to the cost. We're leaning towards borrowing more money. It's so hard

I strongly disagree with putting a pig down that can still lead a happy life, so sad. If your going to do that, you may aswell hand the pig to a rescue. Try looking up chronic rhinitis. Could be this.

 

[sport_billy]

I am sorry you are going through this.

Could you ask the vets about a payment plan? Perhaps help spread the cost?

Sounds like the vet is trying a diuretic which will be furosemide i would imagine to remove any fluid from the lungs, sending Dilly lots of love

 

[DMS260820]

I have had a boar in the same condition as this, permanent damage to somwhere in his nasal area. The wheezing just sounds worse than what it is.

Antibiotics( baytril) cleared it up, then the wheezing came back, everytime.

 

[SweetJo]

I have had a boar in the same condition as this, permanent damage to somwhere in his nasal area. The wheezing just sounds worse than what it is.

Antibiotics( baytril) cleared it up, then the wheezing came back, everytime.

That's what we're expecting to happen. It will just keep coming back, which is why the vet on Tuesday suggested PTS. Do you mind me asking what happened with your little guy?

 

[SweetJo]

I strongly disagree with putting a pig down that can still lead a happy life, so sad. If your going to do that, you may aswell hand the pig to a rescue. Try looking up chronic rhinitis. Could be this.

The issue is the vets don't think we will be able to keep her happy for that long. I would never put down a healthy happy pig, but seeing her when her breathing is bad is horrible. They said it will be medications to keep her comfortable until they no longer work.

I did think of a rescue but if I can't afford the treatment, how will a rescue?

I will look up the chronic rhinitis, thank you

 

[DMS260820]

The issue is the vets don't think we will be able to keep her happy for that long. I would never put down a healthy happy pig, but seeing her when her breathing is bad is horrible. They said it will be medications to keep her comfortable until they no longer work.

I did think of a rescue but if I can't afford the treatment, how will a rescue?

I will look up the chronic rhinitis, thank you

Sorry, i hope you work something out.

 

[DMS260820]

That's what we're expecting to happen. It will just keep coming back, which is why the vet on Tuesday suggested PTS. Do you mind me asking what happened with your little guy?

My boar ended up just living with a crusty eye, noisy breathing and sneezing. But he wad still wheeking, popcorning and ru ning around . So it was probably not as bad as your little ones.