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Specialist Steatitis In Guinea Pigs

Guinea Slave

Guinea Slave

Adult Guinea Pig
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hi guys

My poor girl has just been diagnosed with this. She’s had all manner of tests, X-rays, ultrasound, following severe pain in her abdomen, the results have come back from the lab today. She’s also now gone down with a respiratory infection so she’s on antibiotics, frusol and very high doses of metacam.

She’s eating (thank goodness) relatively happy but clearly v sick. She’s under the care of an excellent piggy vet but I am really interested to see if anyone else has experienced this and what the outcome was? This illness is new to me, apparently it’s common in cats?

Appreciate any thoughts whilst my brain is in overdrive!

Thank you x
 
Guinea Slave said:
hi guys

My poor girl has just been diagnosed with this. She’s had all manner of tests, X-rays, ultrasound, following severe pain in her abdomen, the results have come back from the lab today. She’s also now gone down with a respiratory infection so she’s on antibiotics, frusol and very high doses of metacam.

She’s eating (thank goodness) relatively happy but clearly v sick. She’s under the care of an excellent piggy vet but I am really interested to see if anyone else has experienced this and what the outcome was? This illness is new to me, apparently it’s common in cats?

Appreciate any thoughts whilst my brain is in overdrive!

Thank you x
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Steatitis is also called 'yellow fat disease'; it is an inflammation of fatty tissue and generally linked to a diet too high in fat and is fairly common in cats, reptiles and mink.

I have never come across it in guinea pigs before, to be honest. We have definitely never had a diagnosis of this in the time this forum has been running.

I am very sorry; you must be very worried!

@furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse @helen105281 @Jaycey @Freela
 
Thanks Wiebke and for putting link up, I should have done that!

Yes I have never heard of it. Her two sisters (they are triplets) are fine so it cannot be food related as they share the same diet. I’m confounded. However it maybe that no ones really ever tested Guineas before? We just thought it was a tumour and as I have this great vet we decided to aspirate the lump and found this. All bloods show her as very healthy otherwise.

Very worried as she is the sweetest Guinea you could imagine. She’s spent two nights in hospital but back home now thank goodness.
 
As far as guinea pig veterinary knowledge is concerned, we are pushing boundaries all the time. In the last ten years, veterinary medicine has made enormous strides. Guinea pigs have gone from totally under-researched 'little rodents that hardly feature in a general vet's curriculum' to being gradually taken more seriously in the last 4-5 years. This process is still ongoing with so many new diagnostics available that have come across from the huge advances in human medicine.

But pushing the boundaries means that there are even larger new horizons all the time, and that any new diagnoses are not necessarily any easier to treat when you are in completely new territory with a species. And it is never comfortable when your piggy is a 'pioneer' and literally a 'guinea pig' as far as treatment is concerned. :(

I wish you all the best! Please take consolation in that your girl has at least got a diagnosis and is getting some treatment which she would not have had otherwise, so you and your vet are giving her a far greater chance than she would have otherwise had. ;)

I would recommend to cut out any high sugar and fatty foods from her diet; switch to a minimum of grain-free pellets (1 tablesppon per piggy per day) and drop any fattening and high sugar root vet, sweet corn and fruit from your girls' diet. The disease may not necessarily be food related, but if you can help it from getting worse by removing any risky foods, then that would be one potentially contributing angle closed off. I would aim for a diet similar to the one we recommend for diabetes. While food may not necessarily be the main factor in your case, it could still be a contributing factor.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Thanks Wiebke. Fortunately she is insured (currently at £1,000 bill!) and I am going to throw everything st this for her and any other piggy who we may help along the way.

Appreciate the food link, I’ll study it now.

She doesn’t have any fruit in her diet as ironically is not a foody at all. Her favourite food is hay she hates tomatoe, peppers, any fruit and tends to prefer lettuce and cucumber and dill. They are all on the rate watchers diet as one is susceptible to stones. She’s on supreme selective Guinea food which she does eat but it’s low in sugar and I think grain free.I’ll check. I really am mystified. She’s also the least fat of any of them! Has always been a skinny little thing.
 
Guinea Slave said:
Thanks Wiebke. Fortunately she is insured (currently at £1,000 bill!) and I am going to throw everything st this for her and any other piggy who we may help along the way.

Appreciate the food link, I’ll study it now.

She doesn’t have any fruit in her diet as ironically is not a foody at all. Her favourite food is hay she hates tomatoe, peppers, any fruit and tends to prefer lettuce and cucumber and dill. They are all on the rate watchers diet as one is susceptible to stones. She’s on supreme selective Guinea food which she does eat but it’s low in sugar and I think grain free.I’ll check. I really am mystified. She’s also the least fat of any of them! Has always been a skinny little thing.
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Your girl may already naturally have developed a dislike for any foods that are not good for her. ;)

I once saw a list of foods high in histamine; it was more or less a collection of all the foods that I really dislike - no wonder since at some point I'd become allergic to histamine itself (sadly some time before anybody knew you actually could), so I know from my own experience that this can happen.
 
That’s fascinating isn’t it? Interesting how our natural instincts can kick in without us even knowing.
 
I too am sorry to hear about your poorly piggy. Huge hugs :wub:
I’m learning things all the time and even though it’s not nice to hear your piggy is poorly, I’ve found this a very interesting read as it’s something quite rare in Guinea pigs. Thank you for sharing this.
I wish you all the best & please let us know how you get on. x
 
Hoppity.K said:
I too am sorry to hear about your poorly piggy. Huge hugs :wub:
I’m learning things all the time and even though it’s not nice to hear your piggy is poorly, I’ve found this a very interesting read as it’s something quite rare in Guinea pigs. Thank you for sharing this.
I wish you all the best & please let us know how you get on. x
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Thank you Hoppity x
 
Abi_nurse said:
Sorry to hear your piggie is poorly. Certainly not something we see particularly in piggies. And usually only something we can be associated with surgery or trauma usually. So sorry to hear she and your are having a rough time time.
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Thanks Abi Nurse. When you have seen this what was the prognosis?

We are very uncertain of the cause. We also found out she has cystic ovaries, one very close to the site of the lump. But we’re not sure if this is connected or not.
 
Guinea Slave said:
Thanks Abi Nurse. When you have seen this what was the prognosis?

We are very uncertain of the cause. We also found out she has cystic ovaries, one very close to the site of the lump. But we’re not sure if this is connected or not.
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I think if you can keep on top of the pain then prognosis is okay. If it's locally then is there a chance she could have it removed? If extensive and in many places I would be more worried.

It would be unusual for the cystic ovaries to be the cause but not impossible I suppose? Very little research or knowledge on this disease in piggies unfortunately.
 
Thanks
Abi_nurse said:
I think if you can keep on top of the pain then prognosis is okay. If it's locally then is there a chance she could have it removed? If extensive and in many places I would be more worried.

It would be unusual for the cystic ovaries to be the cause but not impossible I suppose? Very little research or knowledge on this disease in piggies unfortunately.
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Thanks. I'm not sure re removal, I think it is one lump so I guess thats possible. I'll speak to the vet. I think we'd need to do it soon though as I worry that she will get weaker.

So far she is doing ok but her appetite is diminishing which is really worrying me. I dont want to have to syringe feed her as her breathing is laboured, she also HATES it. She is on Frusol and Metacam but we dont know if its the pain or respiratory infection thats causing the breathing issue. Of course if you cannot breath properly then eating is tough as well ;-(

I woudl normally give her some Metatone tonic but I am worried it would make the disease worse due to the sugar content. Poor girl is getting exhausted.
 
Sadly I’ve just had to rush her to hospital. She rapidly went downhill and I found her collapsed, and v v cold. We still think it’s pain so they have her in intensive care and will be putting her on very strong painkillers. Very sick girl at the moment please send any healing vibes you have to spare, she needs lots. I can’t bear to lose her.
 
Thank you everyone. I’ve asked the vet to call me overnight if things worsen, let’s hope she’s stabilised. Poor girl, I feel terrible that I was at work all day as she got worse. She was ok this morning
 
Fingers very firmly crossed for her!

Please do not feel guilty for what you cannot foresee and therefore cannot prevent. Your girl is blessed to have such a caring owner that has gone beyond what anybody would expect already.

Keep in mind that a good owner is not god; you can only ever do your best - you cannot heal, make miracles happen and foresee the future. You have done everything a good and loving owner should do. Irrespective of the outcome, you have not failed her.

We would all prevent any suffering in any way if we had that option, but we can only ever do so in the frame of our daily life and commitments.
Your feelings of guilt are perfectly normal; we all have them. If anything, they are a reflection of your love and care, and your strong sense of protection and responsilibity. But they are in no way a reflection of failure!
 
Wiebke said:
Fingers very firmly crossed for her!

Please do not feel guilty for what you cannot foresee and therefore not prevent. Your girl is blessed to have such a caring owner that has gone beyond what anybody would expect already.

Keep in mind that a good owner is not god; you can only ever do your best - you cannot heal, make miracles and happen and foresee the future. You have done everything a good and loving owner should do. irrespective of the outcome, you have not failed her. We would all prevent any suffering at all, but we can only ever do so in the frame of our daily life and commitments.
Your feelings of guilt perfectly normal; we all have them. If anything, they are a reflection of your love and care, and your strong sense of protection and responsilibity. But they are in no way a reflection of failure!
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Wiebke you are such a huge support, thank you. Xx
 
Sadly she passed away early hours this morning. She had improved and the vet had left her for 10 minutes to check in another patient and she’d passed away in her sleep, without pain. Her two friends were apparently each side of her as she passed which gives me great comfort. I just wish I could have said goodbye myself.

Goodbye my sweet darling Trixie, you will be missed by your family terribly. Run free. x
 
I am so sorry, that's very sad. It's lovely that her friends were so caring of her at the end.
She had a good life with you and you and your vet did all you could for her, sadly it was her time to go. Sending you hugs.
 
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