Losing a cagemate and a pet

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piggypatrol

Post   » Sat May 11, 2019 8:30 pm


So I had 3 piggies 1 seperated (Oswald) and two were cagematea (Oliver and Hamlet) so yesterday hamlet passed while he was at the Guinea pig hospital. I’m weighing Oliver to make sure he isn’t getting I’ll or feeling depressed. Maybe I’m just paranoid because I just lost a pig but he has lost a few ounces ( he was 2.5.8 on May 7th and 2.1.4 on the 11th however they were at different times of the day) is that normal flucuation? He and Oswald have also caused each other bloodshed twice in the past now so I don’t think they will ever be compatible. Besides getting Oliver a new cage mate down the line what can I do so he doesn’t get in a slump? Sorry for the long post. This death has been hard on both me and my partner

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat May 11, 2019 9:46 pm


I don't recognize the 2.5.8 and 2.1.4 notation. Is that pounds or kilograms? I assume pounds, and the second number is ounces? But what is the third?

piggypatrol

Post   » Sat May 11, 2019 9:56 pm


2lbs and 5.8 oz and 2lbs and 1.4 oz sorry

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat May 11, 2019 10:34 pm


Thanks for the clarification.

That can be a normal fluctuation if you're weighing at different times of the day. But you're really just wasting your time and effort doing that. The only way to get a reasonable idea of weight is to weigh at the same time of day, preferably early in the morning before breakfast, and track it over time. That's the time of day when you'll be weighing the most pig and the least food, and some unknown amount of pee and poop.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat May 11, 2019 11:11 pm


As I mentioned in your other thread, do watch for signs that he has decreased appetite or activity. Love on him and spoil him as much as you can. Depending on how bonded he was with Hamlet, it may take some time for him to adjust to living alone. Some guinea pigs do better alone than others, so just remain watchful.

Be sure to take time for yourself to grieve, too.

piggypatrol

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 12:09 am


Thank you everyone very much I will keep a habit of weighing him in the morning when I wake up and I’ll be sure to love and give him extra attention. And I will take care thank you, I do need to sleep more have t slept much last few days haha

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 9:08 am


Sounds like a good plan.

Did you let your original veterinarian know the outcome? While it's hard to say for sure what happened, I feel like this vet never should have prescribed Buprenorphine.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 10:30 am


Ditto.

piggypatrol

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 1:59 pm


these were the results the dr got when she sent the xrays to a specialist. I got this when he passed the next day. The medicine did say to apply to the gums but one of the receptionist said it wouldnt be harmful if he swallowed it and he did end up swallowing it. I really dont want to think of the possibility that I had any part in killing him, I really tried the best I could do.

Requesting Doctor: Dr. Heather Ontiveros
Patient Name: Hamlet
Species:
Gender: Breed:
Age:
Weight:
GuineaPig 3Yr 3Mo
Male Guinea pig 1.90 Lb
Radiology Report (4623369-15/Exotic Radiographs)
IDEXX Telemedicine Consultants
radiology | cardiology | specialty services
Completed 05/10/19 08:06 PM
HISTORY: Exotic Radiographs Only
Presented 17 April for soft stools and decreased appetite. wt 2.3 lbs Had course of albon. Stools are formed, appetite is
good, pet was eating hay during exam. owner had eliminated carrots, but added them back when pet was not gaining
weight. Weight today is 1.9, with BCS 2-3/9, eating, ingesta in mouth, discomfort on abdominal palpation. Given LRS 12
cc SQ, buprenorphine 0.3 mg/ml 0.14 ml po q 8-12 h, metoclopramide 0.25 mg po q 12 h. discontinue carrots, hand feed
oxbow critical care to supplement intake.
WHOLE BODY: A right lateral and ventrodorsal whole body views are available for interpretation (JPEG files).
FINDINGS: The bone quality and mineralization are adequate for this species, and no fractures are noted. No pulmonary
nodules or consolidation are noted, and the cardiac silhouette is considered within normal limits. The caudal margin of
the liver is not visualized due to generalized reduced coelomic detail. The stomach contains a moderate amount of
heterogeneous debris, presumed ingesta. No evidence of a GI tract obstructive pattern or radiopaque foreign material is
noted. The kidneys and urinary bladder are not visualized on either view.
CONCLUSIONS: Reduced abdominal serosal detail—rule out peritoneal effusion, reduced abdominal fat, or less likely
peritonitis
RECOMMENDATIONS: If not already performed, a complete blood count and plasma biochemistries are highly
recommended to evaluate this patient’s systemic organ function. If the bloodwork is normal, and the clinical signs persist,
an abdominal ultrasound is recommended. A fecal floatation could also be considered, but fecal parasites are rare in pet
guinea pigs in my experience. Similar to domestic dogs, oral metoclopramide is not likely to be effective in rabbits or
rodents and would need to be administered as a constant rate infusion. The pharmacokinetics of oral and parenteral
buprenorphine have recently been evaluated in guinea pigs—a dose of 0.2 mg/kg has to be administered IV every 7
hours or orally every 4 hours to maintain plasma concentrations that provide analgesia. Therefore, oral administration is
not logistically possible for most owners and is not a recommended in this species. If analgesia is still desired, I would
recommend meloxicam 0.5 – 1mg/kg PO BID, if no renal impairment. Continued fluid administration and oral syringe
feeding is also recommended.
Reference: Sadar, Miranda J., et al. "Pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine after intravenous and oral transmucosal
administration in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)." American journal of veterinary research 79.3 (2018): 260-266.

1-800-726-1212
9200 SE Sunnybrook Blvd., Suite 460
Clackamas, OR 97015
IDEXX Telemedicine Consultants
P: 951-242-3118
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
24537 Sunnymead Blvd.
Sunnymead Animal Hospital
Dr. Heather Ontiveros

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 2:53 pm


I am so sorry you lost Hamlet. Its so sad when they pass so young. I hope comforting Oswald will also help you.

piggypatrol

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 3:46 pm


Thank u. He definitely was the life of the room and it’s very noticeable him being gone but i gotta keep going for my other two piggies sake

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun May 12, 2019 6:31 pm


You did NOT do anything wrong. You tried to get help for him, and trusted the veterinarian to be knowledgeable enough to provide the right treatment.

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