Hey everyone,
As you might know, Lulu has been battling a chronic illness - an infection in the inner ear (bullae) - that she has never fully recovered from. This thread has followed the struggles, the ups and downs, of her living quality. Lulu recently had an episode, and was placed in ICU for a couple days. She returned to "stable" condition, and has been home since. But yesterday, she had imbalanced equilibrium again, and I took her back to the vet for blood work.
The blood work showed she has low white blood cell count, which implies her immune system is down, and no longer fighting the infection like it was. If not for the medicine - doxycycline, meloxicam, and meclizine (we stopped Tramadol) - she would be in worse shape. Today, she has been recuperating from her recent trips to the vet: sitting "puffed up," sleeping, lethargic, etc.
The doctor and I had a long and interesting conversation about Lulu. He told me, "95% of guinea pigs who exhibit head tilt and inner ear infections don't live past a year." Lulu has lived two years. She's exceeded the amount of time that most pigs do in her situation, and thus, the symptoms we're seeing are making doctors scratch their heads. The doctor simply doesn't know the best way to treat Lulu, other than supplying the medicines that are [currently] working. In fact, he is now trying looking for immune system boosting medicine that can be given to guinea pigs.
In all, I feel like I've come to terms with Lulu's condition, and have grieved her passing - even if it hasn't happened yet. I don't want to give up on Lulu, but I also don't want her to suffer. No parent wants their pets to suffer like this. I feel like the big decision is on the rise, and I will do what I can until that happens.
Any advice, support, or otherwise is appreciated.
SHOP AMAZON