I'm writing this with a heavy heart. I had to euthanize my guinea pig yesterday. I had brought him in to his regular vet two days ago, and she said he needed to be euthanized because his breathing sounded bad, and she speculated that he had lung fibrosis or organ failure. I felt she was probably right, but I just couldn't bear to do it. He's always bounced back from illness before. So she said she would inject him with fluids, an appetite stimulant, a painkiller, and an antibiotic. But now I realize from looking at the invoice that he never got an antibiotic. She sent me home with the painkiller and appetite stimulant, as well as Critical Care, but I could barely get any Critical Care into him.
I took him to a closer vet to have him euthanized after he deteriorated over the course of the day; he was clearly hungry but could barely eat and seemed to be groaning when he tried. He listened to his lungs beforehand and said afterward that it was probably lung inflammation (i.e., pneumonia?) I don't understand why his initial vet didn't inject him with an antibiotic. Seems like, if we were going to make the effort to try to save him and his lungs sounded like they had fluid, that we would want to give him one. He also said that since he had wry neck (from an ear infection two years ago) that he was probably prone to other things going wrong.
I am kicking myself for leaving the vet without confirming that he'd gotten the antibiotic and not getting a take-home prescription for them. I have called them and talked to a receptionist who confirmed that he wasn't given antibiotics and that the doctor's instructions didn't include them, and am awaiting a call back from that vet.
Does this sound like medical error to anyone else?
Vet mentioned antibiotic during exam, but didn't put it in the order
Could anyone tell me why it's a bad idea? She also said it was more likely to be organ shutdown than pneumonia, that infections "generally happen in younger pigs." That seemed unlikely. The other weird thing is that she seemed to have forgotten overnight that I had called her about taking him in to another vet for euthanasia yesterday; she asked me if he was doing better (?!)
Unfortunately, she was right that I should have put him down sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, she was right that I should have put him down sooner rather than later.
The pig was likely at least 6 and probably closer to 7. I adopted him and his cagemate from a city shelter and they said they were both two years old at that time. His cagemate is still healthy and robust and always has been; the one I lost had been sickly from day one, with an untreated and presumably undetected UTI (I noticed and got him treatment).
I switched to this hospital for its small animal/exotics vets (switched from a bird and exotic hospital that missed my guinea pig's UTI), but it looks like the female vet doesn't specialize in small animals or exotics at all! She told me she has seen a lot of guinea pigs in the condition that mine was in, and that they nearly all died shortly after being seen.
The vet who euthanized the pig supposedly specializes in small animal medicine. He had a much better bedside manner.
What is the difference between small animal vets and exotic vets? Am I supposed to seek out exotic vets?
I switched to this hospital for its small animal/exotics vets (switched from a bird and exotic hospital that missed my guinea pig's UTI), but it looks like the female vet doesn't specialize in small animals or exotics at all! She told me she has seen a lot of guinea pigs in the condition that mine was in, and that they nearly all died shortly after being seen.
The vet who euthanized the pig supposedly specializes in small animal medicine. He had a much better bedside manner.
What is the difference between small animal vets and exotic vets? Am I supposed to seek out exotic vets?
SHOP AMAZON