Hazel (left) and Ginger.  Two diabetic guinea pigs.

I had been doing urine tests at home on Hazel and, as a precaution, I tested all of the guinea pigs. We discovered that Ginger, Hazel's half-sister, was also diabetic. I put out a plea on the Internet for information and I was contacted by a number of diabetic piggie owners who told me about an oral medicine that works for most diabetic guinea pigs. Here in Canada, this drug is called Glyburide.

My vet was reluctant to use the oral meds at first, partly because we'd had unusually rapid success with the insulin, partly because the oral meds only work infrequently in cats and almost never in dogs. However, after consulting with another vet who is using the oral meds successfully on a guinea pig client, our vet agreed to give it a try. We had the medication compounded with fruit flavouring added, and the piggies loved to take it.

Ginger responded immediately to the low starting dose we put her on. Hazel needed her dose increased slightly, but responded well within a couple of weeks after switching from the insulin. We continued taking the piggies to the vet for frequent blood tests to monitor their glucose levels. Eventually I purchased a glucometer and learned to do the blood tests at home, along with the ongoing home urine testing. After a couple of months of "low-normal" BG readings, the vet suggested that we cut Hazel and Ginger's glyburide doses in half by eliminating their evening dose.

Ginger continued to do well on the half-dose of medication, with future BG readings in the high-normal range. Hazel's body kicked in so well that we had to take her off the meds altogether. She had a hypo incident -- violent shaking and staggering around, trying to eat but not being able to stand still long enough to chew and swallow. We gave her some syrup and hand-fed her fruits, veggies and wheatgrass until she stabilised. She's been off the medication since July 2000 (4 months after starting them), with her glucose levels controlled by diet alone and with BG readings consistently in the mid-normal range.

Informal discussions with other diabetic guinea pig owners made me aware that approximately 1/3 of diabetic piggies eventually lose the need for medication to control their glucose levels.

In August 2001, almost 18 months after starting the glyburide therapy, Ginger also lost her need for the medication. Her hypo symptoms were not as severe as Hazel's -- she seemed a bit "off", lethargic and nervous. All blood glucose tests since taking Ginger off her meds have been normal.

We continue to monitor both Hazel and Ginger with weekly urine tests.

Diet changes we made include the following: - no treats with added sugar, though we were allowed us to continue providing a small quantity of fresh fruit or unsweetened juice every day - no high-fat foods such as seeds and corn - increased fibre in the form of unlimited quantities of hay -- we had to reduce the amount of green food we were offering the piggies to encourage them to eat more hay

-- Contributed by Patricia Simon, February 2002
For more information about diabetes and guinea pigs, please see Patricia's site.

         
Contributed February 2002
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