Seen the vet today

[fortifiedwithtea]

Took Shai to the vet today. Latest symptom is she is passing a lot of blood in her urine. Had this before with Coco and a course of Baytril and Metacam cleared it up.

Millie came along for the ride because Shai gets very stressed if she is parted from her friend. I also took a naice bag of salad leaves, that didn't last long

We talked over Shai's baldness, weight loss, fluid retention. Ruled out mites and fungal infection. Suggested Cushings Disease. Vet agreed it is a possibility and would also account for water infection. Other possibility is ovarian cyst, but on feeling her tummy the vet couldn't find any lumps.

So what to do. We could arrange for an ultra-sound scan and blood test. The question is then what do we do with the diagnosis? Treatment for Cushings is regular blood tests requiring her to be gassed to sedate everytime. We feel it wouldn't be kind to put her through that.

So we assume it is Cushings and make Shai as comfortable as possibility without treating for the disease. Shai has Baytril and Metacam to hopefully cure the urine infection. She is eating and still happy with life. From now on we are keeping her pain free on Metacam and giving her favourite veg.

I know we only have a few weeks or months with her. Hoping she passes peacefully in her own hutch with Millie by her side. She's been a sweet little guinea.

Sorry to hear this fortified.. Poor Shai has had a lot to contend with medically. I'd do exactly what you're doing and just make her comfortable and let her get on with a busy piggie life as long as she's happy to do so. It would be a lot of upset and stress for her and her friend every time she needed treatment. Far kinder to leave her alone as long as she's happy.

My boys send her (slightly chewed) parsley and lavender hugs and we all hope she's happy and comfortable.

my piggies send their wheeeks of comfort for a fellow sufferer. one of my guinea pigs had recurring mites and it wasn't nice. she had 7 attacks in 2 years. but she is now doing well

Thanks for the good wishes. The girls are enjoying the run again today. Shai must be the only piggy in the world not to like Metacam. We only found that out today because yesterday she had all her medicines by injection. It hurt, she screamed

I thought she would be like Coco who loved Metacam

Oh shit, dramatic turn for the worse!

DD1 looked in the hutch at the right time to see Shai collapse so she called me. Shai got to her feet and staggered about shrieking. Then she curled up in a corner and started fitting. Millie knew something was wrong and started intensely washing Shai's face.

I've made up a very soft bed of towels topped with fleece and laid Shai on it. She has rallied a bit and is eating hay. Millie is trying to snuggle up with her.

I feel the end is close. I hope she passes at home peacefully

Oh, just saw this, poor Shai

I read the first bit and immediately thought if it was one of my hogs I don't think I'd want to go down the sedation/blood test route (pigs really don't like needles or having their quicks clipped to get a claw blood sample)

Then saw she'd taken a downturn. Was she shrieking because she panicked at not being able to move herself?
Hopefully she'll have a quiet night , little soul.
The next few days and ( hopefully weeks) will make your mind up one way or the other . If she keeps eating 'n' peeing 'n'poohing its a good sign but I guess if she doesn't and life gets to be a struggle, there's your answer .

They are dear little creatures but it doesn't make it easy when you have to make tough decisions n their behalf.

All 70hog paws crossed

Thanks 70.

TBH I don't know why she shrieked. DD1 immediately said she must be in pain we'll have to pts. But as I'm epileptic I disagree. I have been known to make awful noises , no pain involved I'm just away with the fairies.

As I write, Shai is at their water bottle. They've both been cuddled up in the bedroom. Shai was feisty enough not to want to share at first and Millie looked pretty hard done by.

Things are calm and settled at the moment.

Yesterday was ok. No more fits. Shai doesn't like the syringe in her mouth, making medicine giving a bit of a battle. She enjoyed lap time and a strawberry but as soon as I put her back in the hutch she had a wee with a lot of blood. And more blood in the evening but not so much. I cleaned the hutch twice yesterday.

She seems to know the blankets are for her. She is not willing to share with Millie.

I've looked at her this morning. She is sitting quietly in the bedroom, head down and hair (what's left of it) fluffed up. I don't think she ate much last night, there is too much veg by the bedroom doorway.

Once DD2 is gone for school, I'll give her some Metacam. An hour or two early but I don't think it matters at this stage, I think she needs pain relief.

Millie is bright and up and about this morning; eating. Millie came to the front of the hutch asking for more food even though there's plenty in the hutch already, typical Millie. I found her a couple of parsley stalks

Sounds like she's going into a quiet phase, this might be her winding down .

She sounds like she doesn't mind a cuddle but doesn't want to be disturbed (they are contrary) is she sort of "rubbery" when you pick her up?

Hopefully Millie will keep vigil and protect her (they can be fiercely protective over a cagemate).
YY to the Metacam, you might not even get the full dose into her mouth but it will help.
Have you tried diluted Rbena, some pigs love it when they're unwell.

Poor Shai. Hope everything is peaceful for her. Must be confusing for Millie, although I'm sure she understands in some way what is going on. She sounds like a devoted nurse.

Shai still with us and has deteriorated. She is now struggling to eat. Very much wanted the grass I picked for her this morning. Both her and Millie were straining their noses out the hutch for it. It was a treat for after medicine. Shai fights the syringe with everything she's got. But feeding her grass was pitiful. Her head flopped down as I held her wrapped up I a blanket and she could only slowly eat one blade at a time.

She's hunched up to poo and passes tiny skinny poos a bad combination of Baytril and low food intake.

Constantly passing blood. I've been cleaning the hutch twice a day for the last few days. Millie's sat in it and will need a bath when this is all over.

I have come to the conclusion that Shai will need to be pts either today or tomorrow. This is not what I wanted for her but I don't think the Metacam is controlling her pain

The wonders of Metacam Shai has rallied. The sun is shining the grass is dry enough for piggy fun. The girls are in their run and Shai is able to make her happy noise. She's also eaten some hand picked dandelion leaves. Hope that gives her something to poo with.

I'm no expert but I think Madam has been suffering from Kidney Stones.
The Baytril did bugger all. Bleeding up to yesterday and I topped her up with extra Metacam.

Today no blood loss. I cleaned the hutch and there was a lot of white powdery deposits on the blankets and I think at least one stone.

We might still loose Shai. She is extremely thin and not eating right but is more keen on food tonight than she was 24 hours ago.

Poor Shai. It's good that she's interested in food again. She does like to keep you on your toes.

If she's peeing out chalk it sounds more like bladder stones.
I don't know how easy a kidney stone would pass from a guinea-pig but the tubing from the bladder to the outside is shorter.
If its irritating the bladder lining that can account for the blood.

Is it worth trying out only very low calcium foods see if that helps? Or if you think she's on the way to The Bridge you might just want to say "What the heck. Spoil her and keep her topped up with painkiller"

We had a false dawn. We are 400 miles away, DD2 is on a sport related training weekend. Of course Shai waited until after we'd flown to go down hill again. Leaving DD1 to do the last kind duty a pet owner can do.

I got a phone call Wednesday night to say Shai was in agony, having seizures and very cold. I expected her have to gone by the morning but she was still with us. I gave instructions to DD1 to keep her warm and syringe a little water in her mouth.

Morning came and vet apt made. Shai dosed up on Metacam perked up and ate a little grass in the garden. DD1 had a wobble was she doing the right thing. But I explained Shai would relapse again and we couldn't allow that.

Shai was pts; not the end I'd hoped for her but it was very swift. Once she had gone blood poured out her body and the vet said she could feel a huge tumour.

Millie went along to the vets and had a goodbye sniff. She was ok at first but is now looking sad and lonely.

DD1 is taking this very hard. Its a big thing to deal with when you're 18, home alone

DD2 still doesn't know, we can't disrupt her training. So I'm in for a difficult conversation with her and the following day will be her birthday. Losing Shai is bound to ruin her birthday. Really crap timing

Shai is being cremated and when we have her ashes she will be buried with Coco.

RIP Shai. We loved you very much. You could make your happy pop pop noise right up to the end. The tumble dryer with the short cable is legendary. We miss you

Ohh, sad news all round

It sounds like your DD1 handled it admirably, yes it is a huge decision to make but her brief improvement was due to the Metacam, so only a temporary reprieve. Once the effects wear off, she's back to square one.

A huge tumour sounds like there was really nothing that could've been done (and it sounds like that was the cause behind the hair loss too) but as you say, its hard to feel in a guinea-pig belly, well protected by their fatty bits)

If she was eating and pottering it sounds like she was pretty happy in her last days, but when they do take a rapid downturn, then yes the options are limited.
It sounds like the only humane thing you could've done, and she went quickly with her cagemate on standby duty.

Of to The Bridge now , NaughtyGirl. There are many that have crossed before you, waiting for you.
Lots of cuddles and parsley for Millie and for your DD1 and DD2.
Maybe tell DD2 after her birthday, you'll all have had time to process it.

And the lady who had the piggies to assess her little baldy legs, maybe let her know the outcome, then it gives her more information if she encounters similar.

Complex little ratbags aren't they

Am all welled up here at this news.
So sad to hear it.But definitely the correct decision.
Off to give M&S a cuddle.

Well done DD1 for keeping a cool head and doing the right thing even when your heart is saying No. I'd be very proud of her for coping so well. Poor Shai - at least it was quick at the end and she rallied enough to enjoy her last few piggie pootlings. I hope Millie is coping okay. I'm sure DD1 is coping brilliantly with her too.

Good luck with breaking the news to DD2.

All the fernie boys send slobbery hugs and half chewed parsley kisses to you and Millie