Seizure emergency-Can't reach vet

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LoveMyPigPig

Post   » Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:32 pm


Just took my 4 1/2 year old female, Molly to a a 24hr veterinary hospital with seizures but I am concerned there may be nothing they can do for her and it might be better to bring her home to die in familiar surroundings. They are giving her oxygen and "anti-seizure meds" but told us to expect she may not last the night. We were told she probably had "illius" (sp?) from not eating and regularly passing waste, but she was pooping and peeing at least a little as recently as this afternoon, so I questioned if that was a correct assessment.

It is late Friday night, so we can't reach her vet, who specializes in exotic animals. We were given two emergency numbers. One, it turns out, only takes dogs and cats, the other was reluctant to take a guinea pig and referred us to this hospital. They do not specialize in exotic animals, but are the only place in the city that will take any small animal 24 hours.

Two weeks ago, she was treated for a respiratory infection and blood in her urine. Baytril seemed to clear up the respiratory problem, but she was not eating, so she spent two nights at the vet. They did x-rays and she had a mass in her uterus/ovary, but it shrunk almost gone so the vet suspected it could be something like a "false pregnancy" that would clear up, but she recommended spaying as soon as she was well. After about five days we took her off the Baytil and Metacam because the vet they it might be hurting her stomach and she was lethargic. (She would only eat fresh grass and not hay, pellets, or anything else offered). In the last week she greatly improved and each day was eating more foods as they were offered and showing interest in things going on outside her cage. She was also drinking and peeing, and her tiny, hard poops, started growing larger and softer.

We noticed her a little more lethargic today, but she was drinking last night, peeing and pooping, and ate a little grass and half a baby carrot today. I took her out to hold her this evening, and was noting that she has lost weight when she suddenly went limp and started jerking, having a seizure or convulsions. When this continued at regular intervals over half an hour, we started calling the vet numbers. She was alert the entire time until we dropped her off, though convulsing regularly.

It's now11:30 and her vet doesn't open until 9:00am tomorrow. Again, just trying to decide if it's best to go back to the hospital and bring her home if there's not really anything the hospital can do to prolong her life or ease her passing that we couldn't do at home with loving attention and prayer.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:03 am


I'm sorry you're faced with such a hard decision. If I were in your place, I'd probably opt to euthanize her rather than have her continue with the regular seizures.

The failure to eat is a really bad sign, and can cause all sorts of problems on its own. That can also be painful, as guinea pigs continually secrete stomach acid, and with no food to speak of going through the stomach, they can develop painful, sometimes even fatal, ulcers.

Whatever you decide, just keep telling yourself you're doing the best you know to do, and that's all anyone can ask. You've been good piggy parents, and you're faced with a really hard decision.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:52 pm


I am so sorry she is having such serious problems. We are thinking of you.

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