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  • ONE THREAD per pig please!
    We really want your pig's history all in one place to help you. Please don't start a new thread for a new issue. Just reply to your old one. We can edit the title for you if needed.

Sick Chippy Medical

barbaramudge

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I know the rule is one thread per pig so you can see their medical history but it wouldn’t let me add to Chippy’s medical “eye removal” thread due to inactivity. I’m not sure how I’m suppose to handle that but it said create a new thread so maybe an admin can help me link them?

Chippy is now a senior piggie, we estimate him to be about 5 1/2 (I’m going to double check my dates and may edit that) and has been in great health since his eye incident and subsequent removal. Late Sat/early Sunday morning (4am ish) I noticed Chippy was very wobbly. He had eaten veggies with everyone else, had had no behavior changes prior, nothing had been amiss beforehand. It seemed to last an hour and then he was right as rain again. I checked him over for any new or previously missed lumps or anything else and found nothing. No coughing, sneezing, discharge, itching, hair loss, nothing. He has lost weight over the last year but nothing huge and following along the same lines as my other pigs as they have aged. I was keeping an eye on him of course and hours later I saw him start bobbing his head up and down a bit so I got up and went to the cage. I said his name and went to touch him and he stopped and kinda looked around like he was very confused. I pet him a second, I didn’t want to pick him up immediately, and he went to turn around and kinda wobbled and fell over a bit. He got himself righted but was still wobbly. I got him out and checked him over and cuddled him. He was less wobbly but still not right.

This has happened a couple more times over the last few days. He is 100% still eating, hay, pellets, veggies and drinking water like a champ. He is more wobbly though and as of Monday night/early Tuesday morning has started having diarrhea. Like I said, he has been eating and drinking fine on his own, though I had been giving him a low dose of metacam because while I felt it was probably neuro, I wanted to be sure if he had any pain or inflammation in his back joints that I had it covered. I’m not sure why the diarrhea. I had lost one of my boys to something similar that was neurological which is why, given his age, and the fact that he was eating and everything on his own I hadn’t taken him in.

I guess I’m looking for thoughts since I don’t have any “guinea pig friends” to talk to about it. I’m really conflicted. If you read any of my medical posts you will see that I have been a “do all the things” pig Mom. Over the years though I feel like I have learned and realize that may not always be for their benefit and I’m leaning towards that being the case here. I have no intention of letting him suffer. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain is still eating etc. I was thinking I would treat as palliative for now but am open to others thoughts. Thank you in advance.
 

bpatters

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You copy the URL of the old thread and put it in the first paragraph of the new one. If you'll post the old one here, I'll add it to your paragraph above.

I'd try a vitamin C supplement for him and see if that does anything. Aim for about 100 mg. a day for a week, then cut back to 35-40 mg. It may indeed be neurological, in which case probably nothing can be done, but the vitamin C is worth a shot.
 

barbaramudge

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You copy the URL of the old thread and put it in the first paragraph of the new one. If you'll post the old one here, I'll add it to your paragraph above.

I'd try a vitamin C supplement for him and see if that does anything. Aim for about 100 mg. a day for a week, then cut back to 35-40 mg. It may indeed be neurological, in which case probably nothing can be done, but the vitamin C is worth a shot.
He went drastically downhill shortly after I called the vet this morning. I went to make another cup of coffee and came back in to find him on his side not able to right himself and looking very confused. I got him right side up but this time he couldn’t regain his balance and was having trouble lifting his head. I made the hard call to ring the vet back to move our appt up to confirm what I thought and let him go. I wasn’t actually sure he was even going to make it to the vet appt but he did and the vet confirmed as much as he could that all evidence pointed to neurological. Captain Chippy is sailing the open seas now, Captain of his own ship. Thanks for your help just the same @bpatters as always.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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I am so sorry to hear little Chippy is gone, @barbaramudge. You've always gone above and beyond for your pigs and it saddens me to know Chippy's journey is finished.

Rest in peace at the Rainbow Bridge, Chippy.
 

Anawilliam850

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I'm sorry to hear that Chippy has been experiencing some health issues. It sounds like you're a dedicated guinea pig mom and are trying to do what's best for him.

Based on the symptoms you've described, Chippy's wobbly gait and diarrhea could be indicative of a neurological issue or an underlying health problem such as an infection or gastrointestinal issue. It's important to have him examined by a veterinarian experienced with guinea pigs to determine the cause and provide appropriate treatment. If he is in pain or discomfort, it's also important to manage that as best as possible.

It's understandable that you're conflicted about what to do, but it's important to consider Chippy's quality of life and well-being. If he is in pain or suffering, it may be best to consider palliative care to manage his symptoms and provide him with comfort in his senior years.

If you're unsure about what the best course of action is, I would recommend consulting with a veterinarian to discuss Chippy's symptoms and options for care.
 

bpatters

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barbaramudge

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I am so sorry to hear little Chippy is gone, @barbaramudge. You've always gone above and beyond for your pigs and it saddens me to know Chippy's journey is finished.

Rest in peace at the Rainbow Bridge, Chippy.
I appreciate that. So close to the anniversary of Colonel Mustards passing and a passing of one of my older girls in November. Piggies just don’t stay with us long enough. Chippy was such a sweet boy. We miss him terribly already.
 

spy9doc

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I appreciate that. So close to the anniversary of Colonel Mustards passing and a passing of one of my older girls in November. Piggies just don’t stay with us long enough. Chippy was such a sweet boy. We miss him terribly already.
Barbara..........I was so delighted to see you posting on our Forum. I'm not around nearly as much as in the past. I'm SO sorry that it is under these circumstances. Fly free over the Rainbow Bridge, Captain Chippy! 🌈🌹 You certainly were loved.
 

barbaramudge

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Barbara..........I was so delighted to see you posting on our Forum. I'm not around nearly as much as in the past. I'm SO sorry that it is under these circumstances. Fly free over the Rainbow Bridge, Captain Chippy! 🌈🌹 You certainly were loved.
Thank you! I have missed you all as well! Life has just been a mess for a long time now it seems. I’m going to try to comment and post more regularly. I really have missed this place! Hope you are doing well!
 

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