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To put to sleep or not to put to sleep

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Cavy2009

Cavy2009

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that is my question.

Mirtle has been diagnosed with two tumours, one on each kidney. I am giving her one drop op metcam a day. The times I think yes do it, an hour later she's running around.

Help..
 
If she is running about eating and has quality of life, and is not surffering I wouldn't but thats just my personal opinion. You will know best... xx

hugs... it's always difficult :(.
 
That's what i thought. She's still interested. She is not refusing food. It's just the vet made me feel like a crap owner for not putting her down on Friday.
 
i wouldn't PTS unless she was suffering really- and you truely know in your heart when she is suffering- ignore the vets they are being silly by making you feel that way x
 
You know Mirtle best. If i were in the same situation i would only pts if my pig was no longer eating/drinking or was in pain & had no quality of life.

The decision is never an easy one & i don't envy you :(
 
That's what I thought. Give her a fighting chance. I know, fingers crossed, she should not be in pain.
 
Sometimes ovarian cysts can be diagnosed as kidney tumours and actually more prevalent in piggies. I would get a second opinion! from a cavy savy vet or rodentologist. There are non surgical ways to sort ovarian cyst out but you may have to travel far and wide to access them!

I would not pts any animal unless their quality of life was impaired.
 
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I'd definitely agree with Joanne. I'm pretty sure that pigs will lose their appetite and stop eating as soon as their pain becomes too great, so if Mirtle is still interested in food and running around then I wouldn't have thought that her pain is unmanageable.

Just a point about the Metacam. One drop a day isn't an awful lot so if that's taking her pain away and she's comfortable enough with that, then it sounds like things could perhaps be a lot worse for her, pain-wise. (I'm no expert though, just my initial thoughts and humble opinion.)

Apparently Vets often prescribe pigs only one drop a day but that is a much smaller dose than many people give their pigs. Also many people prefer to split the daily dose into 2, so it can be given twice a day and therefore spreading the relief better throughout the day. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can advise further on that.

Sorry that you're in this position though. Can't be easy x
 
My gut instict was second opinion. However, she has lost 50g in weight since Thursday.
 
JoanneG111 said:
Might I add, the fact you are asking this question, says to me the time isn't now.
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That's what I was thinking too. Thankfully I haven't found myself in that position before, but those who have do always say that you'll definitely know when it's time.
 
Cavy2009 said:
My gut instict was second opinion. However, she has lost 50g in weight since Thursday.
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Go with your gut, I would be damed if someone told me there was nothing I could do other than PTS... I would be at another cavy savy vet...

I'm sure you never would but do not PTS, without knowing for sure there is nothing you can do... as you would always be wondering what if!
 
Cavy2009 said:
My gut instict was second opinion. However, she has lost 50g in weight since Thursday.
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I have a piggy with renal failure; he drinks huge amounts of water daily & went through a weight-loss spurt but has since stabilised at 850g. He is happy, in no pain, eats well & has no mobility problems & for these reasons he is going nowhere.:) However, i am aware that he could change rapidly but will cross that bridge should & when it happens :)
 
where are you based we maybe able to help direct you for a second opinion? I would not worry about 50g that can be the difference between a full bladder/full gut and empty bladder/empty gut. I would weigh daily at the same time if poss and would worry at a sustained loss or a loss of 100g
 
I have just given a second dose of metacam.
she has never weighed more than 800 g.
 
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I've only ever had a pig PTS a few times and they were suffering and there was nothing else I could do to make them comfortable. I have a pig with kidney failure; she drinks ridiculous amounts (sometimes up to a litre in twelve hours!) and pees constantly, but she eats and loves her food, even though she's a skinny thing. There is no need to assume she is even in pain at this point. :)
 
Cavy2009 said:
I have just given a second dose of metacam.
she has never weighed more than 800 g.
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Are you sure that she needs the extra dose? As I said, some people will give more than a drop per day but I'd check that she needs it and that it's fine to do so, first. I can't see why not but I'm no expert in guinea health x
 
i always felt that at night time the body is at it's lowest ebb. iwas giving Mirtle her dose in the morning. i feel two drops will be better. thanks for the advice x
 
Cavy2009 said:
i always felt that at night time the body is at it's lowest ebb. iwas giving Mirtle her dose in the morning. i feel two drops will be better. thanks for the advice x
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Piggies have such a fast digestive system & it is thought by some vets that if anything we UNDER-DOSE them. I do know someone who has given their piggy 2 doses (under veterinary advice); 0.1ml morning & evening with no problems incurred by the pig :)
 
I don't think there will be. at the minute she is as fussy as 'normal' and perky. So glad i didn't give in, when my heart said yes, but my intuition said no!
 
If she has a quality of life and isn't suffering, then I wouldn't pts. I am sure that she will let you know when she is ready to go. You know your piggy the best and if you feel she is still happy, I would let her live out and enjoy the rest of her days with you. I think that you will know when the time has come to say goodbye and by your recent threads, I don't think neither of you are ready to say goodbye just yet x
 
The line is so often said "you'll know when the time has come". When my first pig, Charlie, was ill with a kidney tumour (diagnosed by xray and full examination), I spent most of those nine months that he lived past diagnosis wondering how I would know if it was time. He had a few days where he was hunched up a little, obviously uncomfortable - but still getting up once in a while and always taking any food he was offered, not in enough pain to stop him eating! Those days are the ones I worried the most about whether it was his time, how would I know whether it was too much for him, whether the tumour was just causing too much pressure internally and causing him more discomfort than was fair. But he always picked up a day later...and I slowly followed suit!

There is simply no way to describe how you know when it's time...you just know. Not a useful piece of advice but there's no other way to say it. It hit me in my heart, my head and my stomach when I realised it really was Charlie's time, quite aside from the symptoms that had developed overnight the night before he was PTS, you don't miss that feeling, it is something quite unlike anything else.

I sincerely hope you don't have to experience this, but as Joanne said, the fact that you are questioning it so much, and the fact that Mirtle is pottering about and eating, it's not her time, not just yet.
 
Laura is so right, when the time comes, you'll know. You won't doubt its the right thing to do. When your pet is helped on its way, with the grief comes a peace - you will feel at peace because you know your pet got the best from you throughout its final journey, and it went to its final rest when it was ready.
 
I had my best friend poppy (rabbit) survive through myxi aged 8 rabbit flu aged 10 and fly strike at 11 and he lived to 13.5 year and every time the vet suggested that he be put to sleep but i knew it was not his time. We hand fed him the last six months of his life and he died in the september which was a bit of a blessing as he hated the winter months. I don't know to this day how i knew but when i woke up that morning i knew poppy was not alright before i even got out of bed and when i went to see him he had had a stroke and i looked at him and i just knew he had had enough! He was pts in my arms and i still miss him to this day but he never suffered, stopped eating through pain etc etc and still managed to chase the dog to the day before.

I am getting funny looks from oh for crying.... believe me you will know!
 
I had to make the decision when we couldn't get on top of the remaining infection of her bladder after her second op despite trying everything - every day was wondering when was the right day... But I knew it when she started going downhill after the last combination of meds my vet could find after her research failed and the pain was coming back.

Believe me that Mirtle will tell you herself when it's time - you will know when she's giving up; until then, keep her going!
 
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