Amysguineapigs
Teenage Guinea Pig
I’ve been having a 5 week battle with my 4 1/2 year old guinea pig, Teddy. It started with a light limp on his back legs then gradually he’s been losing weight, was a healthy 1200g now 990g. Because he’s lost most of his mobility, he can walk if he really has to but ‘bunny hops’. Put him on metacam to see if it helps but it didn’t so not likely arthritis.
We have a great cavy savvy vet and she x rayed Ted but sadly was inconclusive...although she did see arthritis in his knees and the base of his spine (coccyx) is arched compared the average pig. She said potentially something degenerative, spondylitis or a mass/tumour which x rays don’t always show. We did think maybe injury as his friend Noah has knocked the wooden house over many times but there’s been no improvement and metacam doesn’t help. He’s had steroid injection, anti inflammatory but nothing has helped, and he’s on joint medication. I’ve been speaking to my vet over text and she suggested hydrotherapy, getting him to swim a little, so I’ve done that twice so far but he struggles to move his one back leg.
So everyday, 3x daily for five weeks I’ve been syringe feeding, it’s been very difficult, he’s keen for food and loves food still but he just won’t move for it so we have to bring hay to him etc. If it wasn’t for me syringe feeding he’d die of starvation. He’s on emeprid, and infacol so he doesn’t bloat. His friend Noah who’s 2 is becoming inactive and misses having an active pig, Noah is neutered and we have two girls, I thought about just moving him in with them but that’s not fair on Teddy, although I don’t think he really cares about Noah being there right now.
I have been thinking about pts but feel like a failure to myself and Teddy. I’m a veterinary nursing assistant but yet still don’t know what the right thing to do is, I’m not convinced Teddy is happy, who would be just sitting in a house all day… it’s no quality of life. My vet said last week give it more time see if he improves but so fair there’s been no improvement, he can’t even stand up for long periods of time, he has to lay down. I’m at a loss...
We have a great cavy savvy vet and she x rayed Ted but sadly was inconclusive...although she did see arthritis in his knees and the base of his spine (coccyx) is arched compared the average pig. She said potentially something degenerative, spondylitis or a mass/tumour which x rays don’t always show. We did think maybe injury as his friend Noah has knocked the wooden house over many times but there’s been no improvement and metacam doesn’t help. He’s had steroid injection, anti inflammatory but nothing has helped, and he’s on joint medication. I’ve been speaking to my vet over text and she suggested hydrotherapy, getting him to swim a little, so I’ve done that twice so far but he struggles to move his one back leg.
So everyday, 3x daily for five weeks I’ve been syringe feeding, it’s been very difficult, he’s keen for food and loves food still but he just won’t move for it so we have to bring hay to him etc. If it wasn’t for me syringe feeding he’d die of starvation. He’s on emeprid, and infacol so he doesn’t bloat. His friend Noah who’s 2 is becoming inactive and misses having an active pig, Noah is neutered and we have two girls, I thought about just moving him in with them but that’s not fair on Teddy, although I don’t think he really cares about Noah being there right now.
I have been thinking about pts but feel like a failure to myself and Teddy. I’m a veterinary nursing assistant but yet still don’t know what the right thing to do is, I’m not convinced Teddy is happy, who would be just sitting in a house all day… it’s no quality of life. My vet said last week give it more time see if he improves but so fair there’s been no improvement, he can’t even stand up for long periods of time, he has to lay down. I’m at a loss...