Worried about DGPs chances at the vets tomorrow..

[Umlauf]

I'm feeling really down. I have two guinea pigs, but they went to live with my Mum when I moved overseas as she has lots of grass and they have a lovely life here. However last summer, the older one (not sure how old, he was rehomed with us) got a cut on his leg, which over the course of a few months grew into a squishy lump. He has also lost weight and hair.

My DM took him to the vets at pets@home who drained it, but ever since then it's been an open wound. It gets worse, then better, but never totally heals, and as I'm back in the UK visiting, I'm planning to take him to the vets tomorrow (not pets@home).

I'm just dreading it, dreading them saying he needs to be PTS, or dreading them giving me an impossible choice between PTS or expensive, painful, risky surgery.

Sorry no advice but didn't want you to go unanswered. I'll be thinking of you and piggy tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed. Hope it goes well.

A wound that doesn't heal either has an infection, like an abscess or hypergranulation tissue (which is a red,very vascular 'over-repair' tissue where there's a foreign body or the animal keeps licking and irritating the wound)

The weight loss and hair loss is a worry too.
Guineas don't eat if they are stressed, illness can make them lose weight (and in old age )

Get the vet to check his teeth
He might suggest a Vit C supplement
If he gets antibiotics make sure they give you probiotics
Check for mites WRT the hair loss

Unfortunately there might not be anything they can do for your boy. Give him every chance but it might boil down to the quality of his life rather than the quantity.

Good Luck tomorrow

Thank you I know he can't be diagnosed via mumsnet not sure what I hoped to gain from posting!

We have an appointment for 3.30 today and he is currently enjoying his garden run as it's a nice day. He has a companion so I really hope he will be okay for her sake. Thank you for your thoughts!

Best of luck , hope they give you good news.

Also sending you kind vibes for tomorrow, hope your guinea will be OK. IF he is eating, drinking and enjoying life in the run with his companion, he sounds like he is managing, but always worthwhile getting him checked out so he is not in pain/got an infection etc. Good luck :)

Thank you! Mixed news really today. There is nothing that can be done about the bloody mass on his leg, there isn't enough spare skin to be able to stitch it up, and although he has been given another course of antibiotics, as the first one didn't work the vet isn't hopeful. However she has said that he is not an euthanasia case as he seems happy and remarkably unaffected by it. The weight loss happened long enough ago (and hasn't grown worse since) that she doesn't think it is connected to his leg. The plus is that he can stay with his lady friend, and when we notice him stop eating/become lethargic/not himself, then it will be time to take him in, but that could be months away. The infection may or may not spread.

So happy to have been able to bring him back home to his companion today though! He was my first baby and helped me through a struggle with depression a couple of years ago, was there on the morning of my wedding in my wedding photos!! Very special little pig!

Here he is having done a bad home dye job guzzling grass!

aaah, that is such good news, long may he stay happy with his lady friend, he sounds lovely boy. great photo, he obviously enjoys his food...., :)

Glad he's ok for now. I've had loads of piggies and only have had to have one PTS, others all died quietly on their own. Here's hoping boy pig has a fabulous summer with his lady friend!

Awwww lovely picture of your green-and-white guinea-pig

Sounds like your vet is prepared to play it by ear and cover the bases (with the antibiotics) and let your boy have a lovely Spring/Summer hopefully getting a bit of weight on with the grass.

You just need to see how he goes now. Are you going to be back overseas again?
You'll need to get your mum to send you Skype Guinea Mail.

(Makes notes to self how agouti pigs don't get little grass stained bibs. Slightly )