General Aging

[3cpiggies]

My older piggie Camel is definitely getting older and it makes me a little bit sad. Her hair is actually getting whiter. Her butt is a light red color and it has been getting white. I think it has been a more gradual thing but I really took notice of it today since my sister who hasn't seen her for a while pointed it out. I don't think she is that old being five and I have always told her she has to make it till at least 6 but I am just a worry wort. I want her to have a long healthy life for her, but for me as well.

She still has a lot of spunk and has no problem putting the young ins in their place when they get rambunctious. She is definitely the top pig and she has only had a slight uri that did not clear up completely until a combination of meds was used, so I do feel really lucky that she has been a great piggie, but I still just want to turn back the clock.

I figure since she is an older piggie that I should bring her to the vet more often for general checkups just to try to catch any potential medical problems before they become a big problem. She had an x-ray about half a year ago just to check for heart problems, bladder stones, ovarian cysts, and whatever else the vet could think of to check for. Am I paranoid or is this a good idea? Her cage mate died suddenly from a heart attack almost a year ago so I worry that something like that will happen again, hence all the worry.

 

[HannibalLecter]

My girl just turned three, and her black bum has gone slightly gray for the past 10 months, it's not necessarily a sign of aging.
As their life expectancy is increasing with proper care they often live to be 7-8 now, 4-5 is seen as middle aged.


A yearly vet visit is fine if it calms you down. How did you find out her cagemate died of a heart attack? An autopsy?

 

[3cpiggies]

Yeah she was acting really strange so I took her to the vet and she died in my arms on the way. When I got there the vet did an autopsy because I just had to know what was wrong. She immediately suspected it was her heart and she found out that the heart was very enlarged and there was fluid. She had had some of the symptoms and signs of heart problems, but I didn't realize or even know that something could be wrong. The vet was very nice and caring about the whole thing, but I really just felt awful. So now I admit that I can be a bit paranoid and have read everything I can about what could happen to a piggie so I know all the early warning signs so I can go to the vet right away. I love guinealynx.com and wish that I had read everything before and really connected the two.

 

[Skippie]

I'm a little worried about her bottom going white? It might be totally normal, don't get me wrong, but I have never heard of that before. That being said, I think doing a little extra "routine" care with her and the vet isn't a bad idea. To me, 5 is just starting to get old. I have a 6.5 year old and I am really seeing his aging now. I think doing an x-ray or taking her in more often for check-ups is a nice way to give you peace of mind and keep track of how she is doing. Remember though, you can't prevent everything from happening. I'm very sorry about your loss. I lost my 4 year old male two weeks ago.

 

[3cpiggies]

Yeah it is her butt area is going a bit whiter since it is a ginger color. Just about the rest of her is already white so she can't go white or grey there. I really wish that I could prevent everything from happening as I'm sure everyone wants to do. I am definitely going to take her to the vet for checkups more often even though my family thinks I might be a bit crazy. I don't have children or any other big expenses except the piggies so I figure why not. Camel doesn't mind the vet unlike the young ins who just won't stay still.

She is definitely a spunky piggie who demands veggies every time she hears a bag or the fridge. It makes me incredibly happy when all three start running around and squeaking. Camel doesn't run at super top speed any more but rather she scurries on over making chortling squeaking noises which I find pretty funny.

 

[Skippie]

Oh! When you said her bottom was turning white I thought you meant the skin..hence why I was a little worried! I understand now though! I worry like crazy about my pets too. My family also often thinks that I am going "over the top" by taking them with me on trips, feeding them quality food, etc.. Those who judge you though are probably not good pet owners. Animals are so special and those who don't understand that are missing out more than they could ever know!

 

[3cpiggies]

Thanks everyone for the support. I love that this website is filled with the best Guinea pig owners and people that really care about animals.