Conditions I Think Pedro had a Stroke

That is good news, keep up the good work and smother him with love!

spy9doc said:

Ellisa........just curious if you spoke with the vet today? I'm especially interested to follow up on our discussions about his Metacam dosage......and for how long?

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Thanks spy9doc. She said that the dosage she gave is a good starting dose, since he's never been on it before, and we weren't sure how he would react to it. Since he seems to be doing well, I'm going to keep him on it for a while, since that dose is pretty low. If he needs a higher dosage in the future we can up it. Say, if his lump were to get any bigger. If the lump does get bigger, I will have to make a tough decision, but the Metacam will help in the meantime, because I won't be worried about him being in pain. If he is having a bad day, I can also up it. Instead of 0.05 ml I could give 0.1ml. Thanks for all the help and kind words. We just going to take things day by day.

Thanks for the update ellisa, we are thinking of you and Pedro daily and you are both in our thoughts and prayers. Give the little man some hugs and kisses from me, ok ?

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I just wanted to do a quick update on Pedro.
He's not doing too badly today. I had to up his dose of Metacam for the past few days. On the night of the 23rd he had a rough night. I woke up to him screaming loudly, and than chutting. So, I gave him a higher dose of the Metacam. The next night (the night of the 24th) he spent most of his night asleep in his fleece tunnel. He never came out much to eat or drink. He also didn't really want to be touched.
He's been eating pretty well since then. He eats all of his veggies. I am getting very worried, though, because when I did his weigh-in a few days ago he went from 991 grams to 1028 grams. That is quite the jump in a week. I can feel and see the lump getting bigger. I don't know what else I can do other than give lots of love and treats. I'm going to weight him again this evening before his dinner salad. Hopefully there won't be much of a change.

Hey Ellisa thanks for the update I have been wondering if your When had arrived and how you were doing. That is a very big jump in weight for a week and likely the reason for the pain he was voicing that night. I am glad he is more comfortable. You are a lovely caring Mum for him. Best thoughts to you and may the colours infuse you both.

Thank you!
I just weighed Pedro and he's at 1027 grams, so it's about the same as last week. I'm relieved it hasn't gone up more, but I am still very worried about him. I guess we will just continue to take things as they come. I don't think it's worth it to take him to the vet right now.

I just wanted to say "Ditto" to what KiwiCavyAdorer said, you ARE such a good loving Piggie Mum my dear...you truly are wonderful.

His screams must of scared you half to death, huh ?! Ohhhh...poor tweetie....give Pedro some kisses and cuddles from me ( when he's up to it that is...) o.k. honey ?

Thank you kathlaaron, it means a lot to me.
It scared the heck out of me when he was screaming. I will for sure give him cuddles for you. I'm just very happy that he's eating all of his veggies and hay for the most part.

Hello all. I am here again, looking to you all for advice/support.
Pedro has gained 10 grams since my last post, so he is now at 1037 grams. The last week has been horribly rough. Pedro is declining. My mom and I think the time is coming to say goodbye. The past week, his poops have gotten worse. They are coming out in chunks and they are more mushy than what they used to be. Not all of them are like this, but I find random ones throughout the day like this. Everything I check his sac, it looks fine, though. So, the lump must be pushing on his cecum. I haven't fed him anything new, so I don't think it's his diet. With the mushy poops, I decided to give him a bath today. Since he's a Peruvian it can be hard to get a grasp of what the lump really looks like. When I got him wet before shampooing, you could see how horrible the lump has actually gotten. It is bigger than what it was before we got it removed the first time. Once I was done washing him, I put him in his cleaned cage and took all the hideys out so I could blowdry him. That's my method of blowdrying him, since he hates it. He hasn't been very active so I was able to watch him walk around in his cage without hideys. He seems to be limping/favoring the side of the lump.
It is also clear that he is in pain. In the morning when I wake up, before he gets his Metacam, he doesn't come out to greet me anymore. He just wants to sleep in his fleece tunnel. Once he gets his dose in, he still spends the majority of his day sleeping, but he will purr and come out to see me. He's also more skittish. He doesn't want me to pick him up and he flinches. These are the reasons why we think it's time.
On the other hand, though, he's eating like a champ still, and once he's taken the Metacam, he does perk up more. He also purrs more when on the Metacam. My mom says he will purr until the end everytime I pet him because he loves me so much.
I'm just heartbroken and so confused with what to do. I know that I want him to keep his dignity and not be in a horrible wreck once it's time to say goodbye, but I also don't want to say goodbye to him if he has more life left in him than what I can see. Everyone keeps telling me that I will know when it's time, but I honestly don't know what to do. I just love him so much, I want to do whatever is right for him. I know no one can give me an answer with what to do, since I'm the only one who knows in my heart what I should do, but I just wanted some advice or thoughts.
Thanks for much for reading and caring everyone.

Oh, honey Im so sorry you are going through all this. In a way its good that he perks up on the pain meds but in a way its also kinda confusing, because its masking if its getting worse. Did that make since? I do agree with your mom that he will purr until the end because of his love for you. You have done so great so far, and I know that he appriciates it. This is so tough. Whatever you dicide we are here for you. Give Pedro a kiss from me.

Sweetheart you know What you will eventually need to do - the thing you don't know is When you should face it or If you can bear it.

Sooner or later is really up to you. I am the one who has always taken our animals to the vet at the end, or called the vet. Even in my very early teens, so I know from a lot of experience what you face and my heart goes out to you and I hope some of the strength I've had to find.

For me it's a gift that I can finally ease their pain, and I know that it will be as heart breaking this week as it will next week.
Here are two different experiences I faced. This one was when I called an animal communicator to ask when, I didn't want to cause pain or suffering more than what was already happening, but I hadn't reached that state of "just knowing that today is the day" but it was so difficult that I felt it would be better sooner than later, this was a horse with a broken elbow caused by an owner disrespecting instructions for safe introductions into my herd, and doing her own thing when she knew I was off the property... The animal communicator said that she was told - "there is no further lesson or value in my continued being here, I would leave". And so I arranged the vet to call that afternoon. This experience gave me a great sense of relief to end suffering sooner.

There is an experience I'll share with you, even though it will probably cause you to cry...This was our dog child Pip, who like Pedro had had a tumor removed and it had grown back and spread... there was a time one day that she looked at me in a way that I 'just knew' the time was the Time and I put it off because, because, because and then I had this strange experience where I was thinking of her still asleep in our bed and I heard in my head as clear as a bell her pleading, when I looked she had begun to bleed to death. We were at the vet 7 minutes later. I feel so guilty to this day that I made her endure 3 more days when I had already reached that stage of absolutely just knowing, I should have found a way to make my husband face up to the inevitable, but it was his first ever animal who he loved completely and he did not want to lose her. I knew what it takes and I felt that this was a first in a life-time event for him and that he should live it. Of course I made the fast decision to go to the vet, but I let him decide and instruct the vet once we were there. The vet said that with high intensity nursing we could get another 6 months out of her at the most. My husband could not make her go through with more of it for the sake of his holding her. So he decided then to release her, at the stage she was at.

Then I will leave you with one last experience, this was a drastic situation, a horse had been poisoned with pesticides I did not know had been sprayed in her paddock, her hoof capsules started to part from her feet. I wanted to put her down to end her suffering, but I had the strongest feeling inside me that she did not to go, was not willing to be put down. I called another animal communicator, and they told me that she said her gift to me was the level of learning and understanding I would achieve by committing and seeing her through this, she did not want to go and she said she would come through it with difficulty but very well. Everyone was telling me that she could not survive and I should put her down immediately. Everyone but the horse that was... you know what - she came through, she did it with grace and dignity and 10 years on people still speak in awe about her, those that had a hand in her rehabilitation.
And she did gift me something nothing else could have given, in this case I had to go against what everyone else was saying and just listen to and trust the horse.

Pedro purrs because he loves you, there is no doubt of the love between you two. Could you maybe think of giving him pain meds during the night? Or would that be too soon between doses? That is all I can think of that might help you face his mornings. Big hugs to you Dear and loves to Pedro. You are wise and right that no-one can tell you When, that is between you and you beautiful Pedro. But we are here to help in what ever small ways we can, with love.

@SpazNMeos momma: Thank you so much for your kind words. I will give him a big kiss for you. I do worry that the pain meds might be masking if he is getting worse. I don't want to keep him on meds forever just to benefit myself, so we can be together longer. I hope that made sense.

@KiwiCavyAdorer: Thank you so much for all the advice and caring words. It sounds like you have been through a lot with similar situations. I know that in my heart it is getting close. I can feel it more this week than last week. I think Pedro knows too, because when I hold him he sort of looks at me and mellows out like he knows what's going on.

I know the time is coming soon. I don't want to keep him going on pain meds just because I want him to stay. I would never do that. I just want what's best for him. When the time comes, I will fully understand that I am doing it for him. I believe that putting an animal out of their suffering is the most selfless thing anyone can do. I just don't want to jump the gun, if that makes sense. I feel that a time is coming soon where I will just have to let go, because that will be best for him. I have only had to go through this one other time, with my dog. All of my other animals have gone on their own terms. The last week of my dogs life was the hardest week I had ever gone through. When we took him to the vet to let him go, it was the most touching moment I have ever experienced. We took him in to the vet, and he actually started to wag his tail. Now, this was a dog that hardly wagged his tail, he just couldn't be bothered. I really do believe that he knew it was his time, and he was glad to go.
I feel like I am a hot mess crying all the time, and I am trying to be strong for Pedro. Thank you so much everyone. I don't know how I would get through this difficult time without my family, and of course you all.

@spy9doc, thank you so much for caring. Over the past few days I have started to come to terms that I need to help Pedro let go soon. Even though it kills me, I know the time is coming.

Ellisa you are welcome, if you can feel the difference in the feeling of it from last week to this week you have nothing to worry about - you will discern the Time, you are already realizing and mentioning the different feels of the process it will become very clear to you and then it will feel right, but Spy9Doc has a point - one that I shied away from bringing up.

And luckily you have that wonderful thankful experience with your dog, that must give you tremendous strength having witnessed the gratitude and knowingness of the Time!

Pedro has now crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. I will miss him so much. Thanks for all the help and support, everyone.
Here is his memorial thread: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/memory/67931-goodbye-sweet-pedro.html#post594080

Ellisa, hugs from me Dear, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.