Our hand-me-down guinea pig isn't doing well. (No, we didn't want a guinea pig.)

We've had a lot of animals over the years, dogs, cats, horses, goats.
Chickens. (The one that flew into the dog pen didn't last long.)

Most have lived to a fairly old age, and we seemed to be able to make a decision if they needed to be put down.
As long as they were eating and drinking, for instance, we waited for them to go.

We've had the piggy for about a year and a half. We took him to the vet for check-up and claw trimming not long after he came to live with us.
She said he was probably fairly old, and that his vision wasn't great.
Now, his eyes are cloudy and have white spots in both.

This week he went about 3 days in a row hardly eating or drinking - and he's now pretty thin.
Very unusual for him - he loved to eat - all day long - food and hay - lettuce, apple, watermelon, carrots, etc,

Until yesterday evening. He ate some. Drinks a bit. From a bottle a day, to now very little.
Today, he acts interested in eating, may have eaten a bit, and did eat a bit this evening.

We don't know if he's suffering.
When is it morally acceptable to put a pet down?

Adding - we did try to take him to the vet on Friday - but there was no doctor in the office until Monday.
Because guinea pigs are classified as 'exotic' not very many offices even treat them.

I don't think it's a moral question at all, it is merely a question of sentiment and emotional attachment, that is all.

I do not believe that we should extend the suffering of a beloved pet, going days without food for a small animal like your little pig tells you that he is not well. Speak to the vet on Monday, if you must have him euthanized know it is a kindness, take some pictures - trim some of his fur and save it in an envelope, many vets will do paw prints for you to keep. It is not easy, but, you gave him a nice life.

It is important to understand that animals kept in captivity live longer than animals in the wild but they also get ailments more often than an animal in the wild. When animals living in the wild start to get old, they become slower than they were, and they end up getting gobbled up as prey. Animals in the wild do not die of old age.

Thanks for your thoughts, both of you, Doom and kage.
We don't want to over-treat to extend, nor to under-treat for his comfort.

Not much cage cleaning required now - from many times a day to very little.
He's still here - he came out of his house for the morning Vit C cookie (biscuit) - which he really can't eat now.
And went over to check out the food dish ...

for wisdom.

Thank you Blueyedmule.
The piggy thanks you too.

He seems to be doing better - better than he was anyway.

I took his house out of the cage yesterday so he might move around a bit more.
I guess he was mad - he bulldozed his 2 stuffed animal friends around and slept next to them
since the house wasn't in there. And ate more than he had been eating.

I put the house back in for sleeping last night, but I plan to take it out again today.

L.

I am glad your pet is doing better.

Thank you!

Abscessed tooth.
Surgery to drain it, and the vet smoothed off rough edges on other teeth.
He's still groggy, but happy to get home to his house, drinking water, and trying to eat a bite of banana.

bless his heart... glad he's doing better

Thank you fs.
I feel so awful for not getting him to the vet sooner.

He was eating soft foods pretty well, and drinking water again, so I thought it was the tummy ache and that
he was on the mend. Maybe he will be now.