My 10 year old guinea pig is paralyzed.?

Question

About 2 weeks ago i woke up and i noticed that my guinea pig hadn't moved at all during the night so i took a look and i noticed that neither of her back two legs moved. So i fed her and petted her and the next day she was pretty much back to normal... about the attitude anyways. But for a few days now she can't move at all, only her head. So, is there any hope of recovery or has age finally kicked in? Since i really don't want to put her down either, i mean I've had her since first grade... and I'm in high school now :(. Every time i go to her (feeding, cleaning, chatting and so on) she seems kinda happy to see me so I'm not even sure if she wants to be put down... Anyone with some personal experience would help greatly. Oh, and she isn't in any pains either.

Thanks in advance,

Drake.

Answer 1

Pets are rather related to their owners after long years of partnership. They understand your attention/look and showed affection thro' their eyes when they are sick. I had the similar experience with my rabbits and g.p. till they were all gone. Many, many years of friendship and eventually they have to go. I let them go peacefully and naturally because we are friends.

Answer 2

You have to face the hard facts of life your poor guinea pig has led a good life,now its her time to meet her fellow guinea pigs in the great blue sky  

Answer 3

Given her age, I think there's a possibility she may have had a stroke. I would recommend a vet for an opinion on what exactly has happened. Only a vet can tell you whether she is, in fact, in pain or not.

Keep in mind that whatever has caused her to not be able to use her legs more than likely means that she cannot feel them. Sometimes animals who cannot feel limbs will chew on them, so I would be sure to watch for that. I would also keep an eye on her bowels, to make sure that everything appears to continue working correctly.

Please consider her quality of life. Unfortunately, sometimes still eating well and enjoying attention cannot counteract an unfortunate situation, such as not being able to move anything beyond the head. If you decide not to have her put to sleep, she will need extra attention. You will need to make sure she stays clean and you will need to take care so that she does not get sores from inactivity. The worst part about owning a pet is that sometimes, you have to make the really hard decisions. Nobody can make the decision but you, but keeping an animal around for selfish reasons is, well, selfish.

Answer 4

if she is doing okay and eating, i don't see a reason to have her put down. i had a cat that had no bones in its back legs [probably from inbreeding, they were barn cats] and it was still a great friend. id say to let her stay alive.

hope it all works out.

about 6 to 8 years. more for a healthy inside guinea pig.

Answer 5

Awww... that brought a tear to my eye!

I'm sorry to say, but she is very very old, and her age has kicked in. Do not put her down, spend a lot of time with her, cherish every moment of it, she enjoys you, you enjoy her. I think you should just do what your doing, and she'll be fine. Your really lucky to have a guinea pig that old!