To euthanise or not to euthanise

[fairynosleep]

Hi everyone.

After having to put my other piggie to sleep in August from a suspected pneumonia that was not responding to antibiotics, we are now struggling with my lone pig’s own URI symptoms.

After a few weeks of monitoring her for symptoms the vet gave her the all clear, and then after a few attempts to find her a friend (unsuccessfully) - we decided that the best thing for her was to find her some neighbours who could keep her company, and perhaps one day introduce them.

This past couple of weeks we have been nebulising her 3/4 times a day and giving her metacam twice a day but after no improvement and slight decline in her laboured breathing (she is bobbing a lot and her flanks moving when she breathes)

the vet gave us 3 options - to do scans and know definitively what’s wrong, although because she is showing symptoms like my previous piggy it’s almost certainly the same thing.

To try anitbiotics and mucus loosener, although she said once it gets to the stages of laboured breathing it can be tricky to fully eradicate the uri and since she is on her own it may not be possible to get her companions.

Lastly, euthanasia. Since it is not guaranteed she will get better on the antibiotics, and the vet seemed to think that in most cases at this point it is about managing the symptoms of the infection and making sure she is comfortable enough to have a quality of life until she reaches a point where she will need to be PTS - however, because she has no companions and will not be able to have any companions as long as she has a contagious illness - she seemed to think that euthanisa now would also be a kind option.

She said she would agree with any of the options, but I do seem to be leaning towards euthanising her as she is not a very human oriented piggie and clearly is missing having companions. She is becoming more reserved and lethargic, still eating and drinking but not active like she was before with her companion. My other piggie also reacted very badly on baytril and had to be syringe fed, which she hated and declined a lot while treating - I do wish I had considered euthanasia sooner with her as her condition was so bad with pneumonia. Although we could keep her comfortable- what quality of life is being alone for a guinea pig?

I just want to be making the right decision, and would love your in put if you have any experience similar to this…

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone.

After having to put my other piggie to sleep in August from a suspected pneumonia that was not responding to antibiotics, we are now struggling with my lone pig’s own URI symptoms.

After a few weeks of monitoring her for symptoms the vet gave her the all clear, and then after a few attempts to find her a friend (unsuccessfully) - we decided that the best thing for her was to find her some neighbours who could keep her company, and perhaps one day introduce them.

This past couple of weeks we have been nebulising her 3/4 times a day and giving her metacam twice a day but after no improvement and slight decline in her laboured breathing (she is bobbing a lot and her flanks moving when she breathes)

the vet gave us 3 options - to do scans and know definitively what’s wrong, although because she is showing symptoms like my previous piggy it’s almost certainly the same thing.

To try anitbiotics and mucus loosener, although she said once it gets to the stages of laboured breathing it can be tricky to fully eradicate the uri and since she is on her own it may not be possible to get her companions.

Lastly, euthanasia. Since it is not guaranteed she will get better on the antibiotics, and the vet seemed to think that in most cases at this point it is about managing the symptoms of the infection and making sure she is comfortable enough to have a quality of life until she reaches a point where she will need to be PTS - however, because she has no companions and will not be able to have any companions as long as she has a contagious illness - she seemed to think that euthanisa now would also be a kind option.

She said she would agree with any of the options, but I do seem to be leaning towards euthanising her as she is not a very human oriented piggie and clearly is missing having companions. She is becoming more reserved and lethargic, still eating and drinking but not active like she was before with her companion. My other piggie also reacted very badly on baytril and had to be syringe fed, which she hated and declined a lot while treating - I do wish I had considered euthanasia sooner with her as her condition was so bad with pneumonia. Although we could keep her comfortable- what quality of life is being alone for a guinea pig?

I just want to be making the right decision, and would love your in put if you have any experience similar to this…

BIG HUGS

I am so very sorry that you are in this unenviable position when there are only hard choices left.

We cannot tell you which way to go; that is your sole owner's privilege and burden.
However, what we can help you with is working out for yourself where you emotionally stand through a series of questions to make any decision with a clearer mind, if not a less hurting heart.

There are no rights or wrongs in this kind of situation but a weighing up of different factors in play and how you weigh them personally. Lack of companionship is very much one of the valid quality of life aspects that are in play - you have to decide for yourself how important this is for you personally in combination with the general quality of life she will have, her life expectancy, how much time and financial resources you have to keep her stimulated and medically supported for the longer term etc.

We can discuss specific aspects of this further or clarify any remaining issues if you wish after you have worked your way through these links which you will hopefully find helpful for yourself, so you will have a better foundation to stand on first.
- Operation or Terminal Care/Euthanasia? - Helpful Questions to Ask Ahead or in Hindsight
- Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

Where we can help actively is supporting you emotionally during your journey, whether that is end of life care or pts (putting to sleep) so you can minimise the emotional backlash in the form of doubting or questioning yourself and just easing the whole intense soul-searching process that comes during any terminal care and then more massively at the start of any grieving process for any loving owner.

 

[CTWC]

What an awful position to be in it must be the so upsetting, as mentioned above read through the links and we can all take it from there

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry. Sending you hugs. Whatever decision you make will be the right one as you will have made it with love at the heart of it.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Baytril doesn't agree with all piggies for sure. Has she been given any antibiotics at all? There are lots of others to try, azithromycin is a popular one for respiratory infections, as is sulfatrim.

You know your piggy best

 

[piggieminder]

I am sorry you are finding yourself in this horrible situation.
I don't know which Bristol vet you are going to but mine recently gave me Doxycycline for one of my boys with pneumonia. It took 6 weeks to clear it but it worked. We go to the exotics department at Highcroft on the Wells Road. Both Paige and Caralise are very good with piggies.

 

[fairynosleep]

I am sorry you are finding yourself in this horrible situation.
I don't know which Bristol vet you are going to but mine recently gave me Doxycycline for one of my boys with pneumonia. It took 6 weeks to clear it but it worked. We go to the exotics department at Highcroft on the Wells Road. Both Paige and Caralise are very good with piggies.

Thank you everyone,

I do think we will try her with antibiotics and the mucus meds. Yes, we also go to Highcroft exotics and they also treated our last piggie. I think we will give it a go with her meds and see if there is any improvement - but what they were saying is that it will be hard to get to a point where they can give her the all clear to be introduced to other piggies. And as she is a lone pig at the moment, and not very human oriented, it is quite a sad existence.

 

[Merab]

Holding you in my heart
This is such a difficult time for you.
Hugs

 

[CTWC]

Thank you everyone,

I do think we will try her with antibiotics and the mucus meds. Yes, we also go to Highcroft exotics and they also treated our last piggie. I think we will give it a go with her meds and see if there is any improvement - but what they were saying is that it will be hard to get to a point where they can give her the all clear to be introduced to other piggies. And as she is a lone pig at the moment, and not very human oriented, it is quite a sad existence.

Is what she has definitely contagious?

 

[hayethusiasts]

My thoughts are with you. And your piggie

 

[SB24]

Bless you it's not easy at times is it being a owner.

One step at a time see how your little piggies responds to the new antibiotics and then see.

Illness will have some part to play in how unsociable your little one is at the moment.

How old is your guinea pig and before this Illness how was it on its own after losing the other one?

Ideally yes they should be together with other pigs however a lone boar (I don't know about female guinea pigs) can be happy. If given a lot of attention from owners and a lot of stimulation from other avenues. I have one guinea pig he lives in our living room and is very happy. I know this through his behaviours. In fact I describe his behaviour of that of a little dog as he knows his name and is very clever.

Don't loose hope yet.

God bless

Natalie and Woody xx

 

[OM91]

The best advice I ever had from an exotic vet was: "You know your piggie. Go with your gut."

Our Bunny lost his brother in December and wasn't much of a people's piggie. He really wasn't doing well.

Now, despite chronic bladder stones, he loves his solitary life in his enclosure next to our bed with regular human interactions.

He completely changed and is the happiest we've seen him for a long, long time.

If you have doubts about euthanasia, maybe those doubts are there for a reason and are worth listening to.

But you'll know when enough is enough. I really hope she improves soon. URIs can be notoriously drawn out. One of ours had treatment for three months before we saw a drastic improvement.

 

[fairynosleep]

Is what she has definitely contagious?

Yes I believe URIs themselves are quite contagious, and considering my last piggie had the same thing and she is now showing symptoms it does make sense - the vet also mentioned about needing to give her the 'all clear' before introducing her to others. Our rescue also didn't allow us to adopt any until she was symptom free for at least a few weeks the last time we tried to introduce her to other piggies, about a month or so ago. Our vet suggested that she may have had it since my last piggie passed, but because she was stress free she may have been able to cope with the illness relatively well - but after the stress of losing her companion, being alone for about a month now, and the stress of meeting other piggies, it could have allowed the illness to 'take over' if that makes sense.

 

[fairynosleep]

Bless you it's not easy at times is it being a owner.

One step at a time see how your little piggies responds to the new antibiotics and then see.

Illness will have some part to play in how unsociable your little one is at the moment.

How old is your guinea pig and before this Illness how was it on its own after losing the other one?

Ideally yes they should be together with other pigs however a lone boar (I don't know about female guinea pigs) can be happy. If given a lot of attention from owners and a lot of stimulation from other avenues. I have one guinea pig he lives in our living room and is very happy. I know this through his behaviours. In fact I describe his behaviour of that of a little dog as he knows his name and is very clever.

Don't loose hope yet.

God bless

Natalie and Woody xx

Thank you! Yes I think you're right! It definitely could have contributed to her aggression with the others. She's about to turn 3 next month, and to be fair, she seemed to be doing okay - I think our last piggie was quite a moody lady and was quite dismissive of her. But she always seemed to crave her company, even if it was not returned haha.

She's been on antibiotics for a day now - just feeling so nervous about baytril. Our previous piggie completely stopped eating and quickly declined after starting, had to step in with syringe feeding round the clock for 2 weeks, but fingers crossed it doesn't affect her in the same way! She does seem in a better state than our poor piggie was.