[Gpdd] Health: diabetes and short check in

[Mieke Staaks]

Hi everyone,

A short check in from me.
Unfortunately we lost Binky in the new year, he had trouble eating, his ear
was all swollen with blood (a blood ear: haematoma) and he was definitely
not feeling well. We had fed him with critical care and very did some work
in his teeth hurt it wasn't enough...
The girls did a little post on the undercover guinea pig blog about keeping
warm (we had snow that lasted for a week, which is unusual for the
Netherlands). You can read it here:
https://undercoverguineapigs.blogspot.com/2021/02/are-you-all-keeping-warm.html?m=1

I just came back from the vet to have Linn's eyes checked, both her eyes
are turning white. It seems to be cataracts and we found glucose in her
urine. The vet thinks she had diabetes.
Now I also found that normal levels of glucose for cavies are between 3 - 7
mmol/l and Linn had 5.6mmol/l
So does anyone know what is normal in guinea pigs? Maybe I am worrying for
no reason and her glucose level is just as it should be? I hope anyone here
knows.
Next on my list is mailing 'the guinea pig' vet in Belgium, my vet supplied
me with her email address. I hope she can tell me what normal levels are
and if Linn's levels deviate from that and if so what a possible treatment
for diabetes would be .. Linn does not seem to be bothered by any of it and
doesn't seem to be in pain and definitely finds food and water just fine
despite the poor eyesight.

Grtz from the now rather sunny and warm Netherlands (we had the snow only a
week also),
Slave Mieke and the guinygirlz
Cookie and Linn