Sick To euthanize or not to euthanize...

As long as he seems alert and has an appetite, I'd give him more time. They lose their appetite when they're really sick. I've lost two guinea pigs to stones. The first one was about 10 years ago and he wasn't a candidate for surgery because his age and weight. We had him euthanized when he no longer wanted to eat and appeared to be in pain. The second one was a guinea pig I adopted from craigslist in 2012. Within months of getting her, she showed signs of a UTI or stones. Xrays didn't show stones. She was treated for a UTI and got better but a couple of months later it started up again. This time xrays showed stones. We scheduled surgery and was on an antibiotic and pain meds but she passed a day before the date. In most cases, it seems that stones form again after surgery because in a lot of cases, it's genetic. Pain meds are very effective so as long as he appears to be in good spirits, I'd continue the pain meds an antibiotic and probiotics but also keep your vet close at hand in case things change. Your vet it the best judge of how he's doing so you might want to arrange check ups to see what your vet thinks.

I'm sorry your family is going through this.

Animals have a way of telling you when they have had enough. Keep him comfortable and lots of treats and love.

I think the pain meds are a reasonable option, with this one warning: Bladder stones can move into the urethra and completely block the flow of urine. It backs up quickly, the bladder is very distended and very painful. That would require an emergency trip to the vet, and the pig would be in pain regardless of what you give him. Just something to consider when making your decision.

However, bladder surgery isn't terribly expensive, at least here. I think Flourish's was about $400, but that included the initial x-rays, and repeats to make sure the stones were still there, plus all the meds we needed.

Thanks so much for the kind replies. This helps - I guess we'll keep going for a bit.
We are watching closely to make sure he's pee'ing/pooping - if that stops - yes - we'll be rushing him off.

So sad. I agree keep him comfortable and give him even more love and cuddles. Make his last days more special with more treats is what I would do.

So here we are about ten days later...
Patch is going along. He's still getting daily doses of Meloxicam. After starting to eat more and putting on some weight, he is now not eating as much and has lost weight again. He's still heavier than he was when diagnosed (he's around 700g - he was 630g at diagnosis).
He stays in one place for long periods of time (indicating he's uncomfortable I think).

Anyway - how long should we keep this up? How do we judge whether he's "doing ok" or really miserable?

Thanks!

heispatch said:

So here we are about ten days later...
Patch is going along. He's still getting daily doses of Meloxicam. After starting to eat more and putting on some weight, he is now not eating as much and has lost weight again. He's still heavier than he was when diagnosed (he's around 700g - he was 630g at diagnosis).
He stays in one place for long periods of time (indicating he's uncomfortable I think).

Anyway - how long should we keep this up? How do we judge whether he's "doing ok" or really miserable?

Thanks!

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Does he seem to enjoy his snacks? Sleeping more or being less active might be due to the pain meds so I wouldn't be as concerned about that. If he stops eating and starts sitting, facing a corner or you hear whimpering, I'd say it's time. You might want to ask the vet about splitting the pain meds into twice daily doses instead of once a day so he doesn't experience discomfort when the meds start wearing off.

Yup. Good advice, @pinky . When Shammy's cancer came back, he had lost a lot of weight and started sitting facing the corner. Was still responsive, active and eating but he would easily fall over and not be able to get back up without assistance. I knew his time was close. It was evening when this happened and I promised myself that if he made it through the night, I would take him the next day after work to help him across the rainbow bridge. I got home from work the next day and he had passed.

No advice, but want to offer (((HUGS))) to your family, especially your little girl. This is the horrible part that comes with having pets. It's never easy.

I just lost my girl last week to a heart problem and a collapsed lung. The vet told me I would know when the time came. Trust me, you will know. She quit eating the day before. I was trying to find a vet that morning when I realized it was the day. She was blue around the lips, breathing slow. I was holding her, telling her I loved her, trying to find a vet to run her to quickly since our exotic is 25 miles away. She didn't make it, and crossed the rainbow bridge in my arms. It was SO hard, those last gasps for air. I don't know which was worse, but I am now glad that she was here at home, in my arms where she knows I loved her and did everything I could for her. She lived 2 months with me instead of that cold backroom at Petco alone and in a 10 gallon fish tank.
Bless you for doing all you could. May that bring you comfort. Hugs to you and your family.

Thanks All,

When we present him with something a little novel, he readily wolfs it down, but will barely touch his usual hey and feed.
He does sometimes face a corner - we'll have to observe him more and see how much he does this. He also squeaked a few times this evening and seemed to be shifting his backend around as though trying to get into a more comfortable position. My daughter says he has squeaked like this a few times.

I guess some more careful observation is needed looking for these signs.

Thanks again,

Paul

We lost a piggie a few months ago under similar circumstances. She became pretty thin, but was still interacting with us and didn't seem miserable. The last 24 -36 hours of her life she mostly slept in a hidey and didn't seem too uncomfortable. We knew when we went to bed that night that she would probably be gone in the morning, and she was. We considered euthanizing her, but felt that death is a natural part of life and that we could keep her with us instead. If she had been squealing in pain I would have taken her in, but instead she sort of faded away.

My support is with you. I just lost my baby Monday after surgery to remove his bladder stone. He was a year old. I think you're doing the right thing by keeping him comfortable until it's time. Apparently Bladder stones are genetic a lot of the time and can reoccur after removing them. Much love and support <3



(sorry if my message at all seems lacking in emotion, I'm a bit numb from his loss but when I read this I just really wanted to give you my support since I just had this problem.)

Don't have much advice, but I just want to add that I am very sorry your piggy is ill and that you have to consider these things. Sending hugs and comforting vibes.