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Very sick little guinea pig

Kylie80

Kylie80

Adult Guinea Pig
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I've spent all day at the vet with Coco. I woke up to some soft poo's in the guinea pig cage with Coco covered in poo and very swollen looking and having no interest in food, rushed her to the vet and because their vet who deals with small animals was away we got referred to a small animal hospital half an hour away, she had a xray and a ultrasound and they ultimately found out she has a large tumour which the vet thinks is inoperable and possibly seeping into her blood stream or something making her sick, she also has a little bloat. The vet encouraged me to take her home over the weekend so everyone at home can say their goodbye's and take her back in to have her put to sleep Monday. I have been sent home with critical care and Metacam and something to give her an appetite. The nurse thankfully showed me how to syringe feed as I have never done it before but I'm really stressing about the painkillers though and accidentally overdosing her. I also feel like maybe bringing her home was not the best decision for her as I don't want her to suffer. Is there some nack to make the syringe feeding easier, they have given me this enormous syringe and I need to feed her 60mls a day but 20mls each feed.
 
I am so sorry to hear this.

I think it unlikely that you are going to get 20ml into her in one sitting. You will see from the guides I’ve linked in below that little and often is the way to do it. Syringe a few ml every 2-3 hours throughout the day and night, not 20ml three times a day.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Regarding whether it is the right decision to bring her home, then that needs to be your call in conjunction with your vets advice. See how she is doing once the pain meds kick in, with the syringe feeds and her general well-being in between and take it from there. We are here to support you.
 
There will be many on the forum who appreciate how hard it is for you. I had to syringe feed/ give water / meds to my Dougal every couple of hours for a couple of weeks before he passed away. Try and pace yourself over the weekend and rest as much as you can. As Piggies&buns says we are here to support you.
 
I’m so sorry to read this.
Please don’t worry about overdosing your piggy with painkillers. It’s important to keep her comfortable at this time.
Can you get a much smaller syringe eg from a pharmacy and use that for feeding. Large syringes don’t really work well for piggies. The syringe feeding guide really is a big help so have a good read and see if you can get some tips and techniques from that. I’d just aim for little and often if that’s all she will take. Please don’t stress yourself too much over volumes. I’ve had to syringe feed many times over the years and when I stopped counting the number of syringes full that had been eaten I became a lot less stressed by it all.
I hope you can keep your girl comfy and all say your goodbyes.
 
Sorry to hear about Coco. You will find 1ml syringes alot easier to use than the enormous syringe you have been given. Follow the Syringe Feeding Guide that has already been linked in for you. I had a read of it when I syringe fed for the first time and it is easy to follow. It is written for complete novices.
 
So sorry that you are going through this with sweet Coco.

I am going to start by saying that this is my own opinion, and I am certain that there will be others out there who disagree.

You did everything right by seeking prompt and specialist treatment for Coco.
But if her condition is terminal and you have bought her home to spend some short but precious time with her, then please don't stress about syringe feeding right now.
For the next 48 hours keep her comfortable, clean and dry (as possible without stressing her).
Hold her if she seems comfortable with that, and respect her wishes if she doesn't.
Offer her all of her favorite foods in any quantity she likes.
Make sure she has hay, pellets and water nearby.
Offer water and critical care in small amounts and often, but if she refuses then I would respect that too.
Right now keeping her guts going by struggling to syringe feed her a set amount will just be stressful for both of you, and will not change the outcome on Monday.
Give her as much pain killer as possible to keep her comfortable.
If you think she is suffering it is ok to call the vets sooner.
Cherish every minute, but be led by Coco - she will let you know what she needs.
 
Thankyou everyone for your support. So far she is taking her critical care like a trooper and seems to like the flavour although the first few tries ended up all down her chin and all over me but she ate a nice amount and tomorrow i will definitely be getting the 1ml syringe. She’s such a good little girl and lets me do whatever I need to do with her with very little fuss, I’m sure she must be very stressed though and Patchy is very quiet, I think she knows something is not right with her sister. I forgot to mention that Patchy got a clean bill of health today which is very good news.
 
Kylie80 said:
I've spent all day at the vet with Coco. I woke up to some soft poo's in the guinea pig cage with Coco covered in poo and very swollen looking and having no interest in food, rushed her to the vet and because their vet who deals with small animals was away we got referred to a small animal hospital half an hour away, she had a xray and a ultrasound and they ultimately found out she has a large tumour which the vet thinks is inoperable and possibly seeping into her blood stream or something making her sick, she also has a little bloat. The vet encouraged me to take her home over the weekend so everyone at home can say their goodbye's and take her back in to have her put to sleep Monday. I have been sent home with critical care and Metacam and something to give her an appetite. The nurse thankfully showed me how to syringe feed as I have never done it before but I'm really stressing about the painkillers though and accidentally overdosing her. I also feel like maybe bringing her home was not the best decision for her as I don't want her to suffer. Is there some nack to make the syringe feeding easier, they have given me this enormous syringe and I need to feed her 60mls a day but 20mls each feed.
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Hi!

20 mls is a huge ask even for a recovering guinea pig in my experience. In the very ill, you usually struggle to get 5-10 ml in every sitting.
If possible, please feed every 2 hours during the day and at least once during the night with any guinea pig that is not eating at all on their own so you can ideally get up 60 ml into your piggy over the course of 24 hours, but 40 ml in a real crisis may be more realistic. Just enough to keep the gut going and get a piggy through a life threatening crisis.

In a terminal piggy, you just keep her going with what she is willing to accept, but you do no longer force any feed into them for the sake of keeping them alive past what their own body will allow. It is a tough decision, but please keep your girl's interests and comfort in her last days foremost in mind . When the chips are down, guinea pigs are small animals with rather frail bodies.
You can't overdose on painkillers, as that no longer matters - comfort comes before length of life. Rather spending the last hours/days in as little pain as possible than living weeks in agony!
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children (Contains a chapter on looking after terminally ill piggies and the ethical/care/emotional challenges that come with that; you may find it helpful to cope with the situation).

Here are our crisis care advice and our syringe feeding guide with tips on amounts and frequency of feeds adjusted to the severity of the situation with lots of practical tips. The emergency and crisis guide also has a chapter on how to look after a piggy when the body is starting to close down; how to spot the signs and when to stop feeding etc.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

20 mls is a huge ask even for a recovering guinea pig in my experience. In the very ill, you usually struggle to get 5-10 ml in every sitting.
If possible, please feed every 2 hours during the day and at least once during the night with any guinea pig that is not eating at all on their own so you can ideally get up 60 ml into your piggy over the course of 24 hours, but 40 ml in a real crisis may be more realistic. Just enough to keep the gut going and get a piggy through a life threatening crisis.

In a terminal piggy, you just keep her going with what she is willing to accept, but you do no longer force any feed into them for the sake of keeping them alive past what their own body will allow. It is a tough decision, but please keep your girl's interests and comfort in her last days foremost in mind . When the chips are down, guinea pigs are small animals with rather frail bodies.
You can't overdose on painkillers, as that no longer matters - comfort comes before length of life. Rather spending the last hours/days in as little pain as possible than living weeks in agony!
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children (Contains a chapter on looking after terminally ill piggies and the ethical/care/emotional challenges that come with that; you may find it helpful to cope with the situation).

Here are our crisis care advice and our syringe feeding guide with tips on amounts and frequency of feeds adjusted to the severity of the situation with lots of practical tips. The emergency and crisis guide also has a chapter on how to look after a piggy when the body is starting to close down; how to spot the signs and when to stop feeding etc.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your reply and the info.
 
I am so sorry to hear this. Sending you and your piggies my very best wishes at a very difficult time. Xx
 
Kylie80 said:
Thank you so much for your reply and the info.
Click to expand...

End of life care is a very heart-breaking, emotionally/physically and often lonely as well as draining task and time. I sincerely hope that the guides can help you with both the emotional/ethical side as well as the practical aspects; especially in view of the time difference.

Take good care of yourself as well! The grieving process starts the moment you realise that death is a stark reality or an impending certainty.

let your girl take the lead and tell you what she wants and is comfortable with; that is the best gift you can make her, apart from having her pts if her pain and suffering is becoming too much.
 
I am so sorry to hear this about Coco. :(

I had to syringe feed my piggy Maple (who passed away a week ago unfortunately) & I also recommend using a smaller syringe.
I had a bigger one & it took a lot longer. It took me about 30mins each feeding. I had to split the feedings up (fed every 2hrs). Try not to give too much in one sitting. Give as much as she will take.

It was difficult, but what you are doing for Coco is amazing and she will appreciate it. She knows you are doing all you can for her. Spend as much time as you can with her. Hugs to you both.:hug: It is not easy spending their last moments with them, but she knows she is loved.
 
Sending you a big hug and healing vibes for Cocoa, syringe feeding is grim, I did it for 6 weeks a few years back but it’s worth it, my Ted is still here and fighting fit now, don’t loose heart x
 
So sorry about Coco.
I can only echo the advice you’ve been given.
Holding you in my heart as you fill her last hours with your love
 
Thank you for all the advice and well wishes. Sadly Coco passed away overnight. My main focus right now is Patchy and giving her lots of love as I am sure this is a very difficult time for her also. I am wondering though if I should change the liner and bedding and put down clean bedding for her so it doesn't have Coco's scent everywhere, I don't really know what to do now lol.
 
So sorry to hear about Coco. It is heartbreaking when they are poorly. So sorry for your loss and sending a big hug x
 
Kylie80 said:
Thank you for all the advice and well wishes. Sadly Coco passed away overnight. My main focus right now is Patchy and giving her lots of love as I am sure this is a very difficult time for her also. I am wondering though if I should change the liner and bedding and put down clean bedding for her so it doesn't have Coco's scent everywhere, I don't really know what to do now lol.
Click to expand...

HUGS

I am so sorry!

Please don't change the bedding unless the other piggy has been carrying an infectious problem (which Coco hasn't); still having the scent of her companion is a comfort for Patchy right now. guinea pigs don't grieve less deeply but generally they cannot afford to mourn for as long as survival needs to go on.

We have got lots more tips and information what you can do for Patchy now and in the coming days and weeks in this guide here, including information on acute pining, when to introduce/rescue date for new company/quarantine etc: Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility

Here is the guide for you to help you through this difficult time: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
 
I’m so sorry for your loss :(
Definitely read the guide on guinea pig bereavement (Looking after a bereaved pig). I’d keep the bedding in, Coco’s scent will be soothing to Patchy as she deals with losing her friend. I imagine Patchy has inspected Coco’s body, this means Patchy is aware her friend has passed and can move on with another friend knowing that Coco hasn't just disappeared. Make sure Patchy is eating/drinking and still moving. Getting her a new friend as soon as is generally the best option, but an absolute necessity during acute pining which is when the pig seems to be giving up on life by not eating/drinking due to grief. This doesn’t always happen but it can. When my pig died, my other boy just seemed really lonely and I could tell he was sad over the death of his friend. The very same day I had my pig pts, we rang a local rescue and set up a bonding session so that I knew the remaining pig would be okay as companionship is so important. I believe the remaining pig was alone for no more than 3 full days before he left to choose his new friend. He seemed to get his spark back almost instantly. You don’t have to act so quickly if you don’t feel it’s necessary, however getting a new pig after about a few weeks is recommended. I know it feels like you may be replacing Coco, but first and foremost you are protecting Patchy’s well being. I took the death of my pig really hard, but I found having a new addition helped me a huge amount.
I really hope you and Patchy are doing okay, you did your absolute best and Coco was probably really pleased she got to stay home, in her safe space, when she passed.
 
I am so sorry to hear about Coco. :( You did everything you could for her.

Honestly, keeping Coco's scent around is probably the best thing for Patchy right now.
I put Maple's blanket in with Maisie after she passed away, Maisie loves laying near it & sniffing it. It's comforting for her. She doesn't understand that her sister is not coming back, but I can tell she likes having her 'close' to her, just by her scent being around still.

Lots of hugs to you & Patchy in this difficult time.:luv:Be kind to yourself.
 
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