Going to have to take my gorgeous GP to the vets

[noyouhavehadawee]

I posted about Lola last week she had developed a saggy neck and has been quite lethargic at times, put it down to old age and the heat (she is 6). We were giving her a love in tonight and noticed under her neck that she now has bald patches. It almost feels leathery but not like a lump - I have googled and thought perhaps its just where her new double chin scuffs the floor but now am wondering if she has an absess. I am going to book her in the vets tomorrow though she doesn't seem in pain I am worried the stress or if they drain her might finish her off . Please send happy vibes for Lola

Here Lola catch these xxxx ((((( )))) I hope she feels better soon

Happy grass munching xxx

Poor Lola, hope she feels better soon. (((Lola)))

does she have a lump in the neck 'skin' ?

Two of my old pigs (when I was a child) had firm, smooth lumps under their chins. They were like a grape in size and shape, not attatched to anything and smooth.

An abscess will feel warmer because of the infection, be painful to touch and when it ripens there will be a 'point' where the skin is weakest and it can burst. (Of course it's not easy to feel under the fur that they insist on wearing )

Draining it shouldn't be stressful though, it's the whole 'going in a carrier and going to the vets' that she'll grump about.
Hopefully it's just a fatty lump.

its more like bald like hard skin on your heal, not a lump as such more a area, she didn't get upset when i touched it. Aw i hope its nothing , dd and i would be devastated . i am at work tomorrow so will try and get her in after school. transport shouldn't be to bad its a two min car trip in her blue boy full of hay - more a gay munching adventure

Sending you and lola all good wishes and hope u get on ok at vets x

Ps if she is not in obvs pain or disress and is happy enough eating and drinking dont worry too much.

Sending Lola good vibes and un-mumsnetty (((hugs))) to all of you.

Sending you and Lola lots of good parsley scented wishes that she's ok.

thanks were in at 5.40. i wonder if i should take Charlie with us too just for boy company or will the vet think i am crazy . i just popped home between work and school pick up and she was resting at the bottom of her ramp in the sun.

If you have room is the carrier then taking Charlie will give her a bit of moral support.

Good Luck

I'd take Charlie too, simply so she doesn't come back smelling strange and he doesn't recognise her. My vet's getting used to me turning up will all three of mine for this reason.

Charlie (who is also a girl btw) was dancing in the garden so missed out on the trip . The vet said Lolas body was like a hovercraft with fluid pooling around her lower, probably odema and possibly kidney failure and the beginning of the end . i ended up having both children with me so she didn't labour on that point. She did say to confirm diagnosis and to see if we could do anything to reduce it she needed a urine sample which she did when we got home so i just ran it back round. Results should be back tomorrow. She said she looked happy enough and not in distress and she wasn't particularly worried about her balding neck - it was probably because now her fat chin is accessible to her mouth. Anyway we will see what tomorrow brings.

she has put on 200galso which is basically the fluid odema she is retaining.

Bless her- she is an ageing lady though so I guess these things will creep up on her.

Your vet might give her a diuretic to get rid of some of the fluid (bear in mind her kidneys and heart will have to work a bit harder to shift the fluid).
Hopefully it can be managed to keep her comfortable and enjoying life.

Bless her she sounds like such a sweetie hope the vet can make her more comfortable it doesnt sound as if she is in pain and as long as she is having a quality of life and is eating and enjoying her fellow guineas she will carry on for as long as she can....spoil her rotten!!

Oh, fingers crossed.

Sooooooooo today the vet has rang and said Lola has low albumin levels and is hypo protein anemic and there is not a lot she knows they can do for her as an old lady and that where the fluid is around her bottom half eventually it will be round her chest cavity and will go in her breathing organs then its curtains for Lola . She said while she is happy she can tootle on as normal living her lovely life but as soon as she shows no interest in interaction, food or is making raspy noises, difficult in breathing we need to take her back in to be PTS as dying with this condition wont be pleasant. She is ringing a small exotic specialist at the university to see what they might be able to prescribe if anything and is getting back to me. I have googled quickly to find some info and come to nothing but I am about to go out for a few hrs so a bit rushed. If anyone has any advise feel free........... she mentioned giving her protein rich foods as she isn't replacing what shes losing quickly enough. DD is not impressed at all at this news. I was hoping she would just slip away I really don't want to have to be the doer of death but then im not a total horror that I would let a small creature suffer. My poor little Piggy . I am going to get her the most massive bunch of celery and spoil her something rotten - and Charlie so she doesn't feel left out too.

I think I really wanted to know how soon but she didn't really say....

Oh very sorry to hear this news - it sounds like your vet is really helpful and has given you the best advice, poor little Lola. It might be that she carries on like this for some time, remember she doesn't know what you know, so will be utterly oblivious, until the time comes when she has no appetite and kind of gives up the ghost. Sadly, guineas go downhill very quickly, loss of appetite and no eating means they deteriorate markedly almost overnight. I know you don't want her to suffer, it is awful when they suddenly become ill after such a long and happy life. Out of my 9 girls, I had to make the decision to put two to sleep, both ovarian cysts, and it is a heartbreaking thing to do, so final. In hindsight, I wish I had just let them die peacefully at home, in their cages, with as much love and reassurance as possible, as this would be their fate in the wild -the others literally died overnight in most cases, but don't let her linger if you think she is in bad pain. Hopefully she will have many more happy and food filled days with you and will slip away in no distress. This is the downside of having and loving a dear pet, we will all be thinking of you and dear Lola. X :)

PS in terms of food = protein is a tricky one for guineas as most of it comes from their pellets , most fruit and veg not terribly high in protein, but what about things like spinach, broccoli, etc. To 'spoil' our girls I 'occasionally' gave them a bit of bread and butter which was usually devoured like there was no tomorrow. Probably not very healthy, but quite high in protein - Im not even sure whether you could tempt her with a bit of milk - I know Fortfied gives her guineas cups of tea - not sure with or without milk, but tea would give her some strength too.
Bless her.

Sadly Lola sounds a lot like my very special Old Boy. He passed in January. I had to have him pts and it was one of the worst days of my life . But if its any comfort to you he went very peacefully.

The last year of his life he became very skinny. But didn't lose appetite. To keep his weight up I fed him extra sweet corn and beetroot because its high calorie. In his last months he developed a thirst and I couldn't leave a [cuppa] on the floor without him necking it. He put on weight but it was only fluid retention. He was a free range house piggy. So I used to pour him some too, yes with milk no sugar . I know he didn't have long and thought well a little of what you fancy does you good .

His last week he didn't eat so much. As a treat I gave him 'high tea' with his girlfriends overlooking the garden - see profile pictures. It did encourage him to eat but that night he went down hill and next morning I had to say the final goodbye.

BTW I don't give my other piggies tea. Tried it on one of them but she didn't like it.

Protein is difficult in a guinea-pig diet. Most protein rich foods (meat, cheese, eggs are not guinea suitable)

Alfafa hay is high is protein and calcium so it's usually only recommended for pg sows/nursing sows and mini-pigs. (I do occasionally give some to the lardy boars as a treat to supplement the boring winter diet when there's no grass, but a rare treat)

Rodents with Attitude suggests you can give pure cranberry juice as a diuertic (makes you pee ) so that might be worth a try in small quantities.

I haven't given The Resident Boars tea but my first guineas used to help themselves to the dregs of my dads cup (milk and sugar) They obviously didn't read Guinea-Pig Care Guides

I took your tip on fattening food for scrawney pigs fortified and gave my boys sweetcorn and beetroot over the winter. They still have it now as it's still in season.
The scoff banana too.

GP2 put a bit of winter beef on- now it's warmer he's starting to lose the winter fur and the winter fat . Guess that's just him

thanks for all this

she loves a banana, hasn't had beetroot actually and we are growing some so will check how its growing. she pees for England so not sure about the benefit of cranberry juice though we do have some in and i will try anything except tea and biscuits