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2 piggies having a GA and X-rays tomorrow - packed lunch question!

Tangle

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As per title, both our girls are going in for X-rays tomorrow and will be anaesthetised for the procedure. Jemima is also going to have some dental work done while she's under.

The vets have asked us to take food (and have said we're welcome to provide any favourite blankets, hides, cuddly teddybears, etc, to help them feel at home).

Can any one advise whether I need to take them 2 separate boxes of food or if one to share is fine. And what should I put in it - veg or dried food or both?

Trying to be practical and calm, but fretting more than a little :(
 
Also, would it be prudent to try and pick up some critical care while we're there, or is there unlikely to be an issue on that front if they're not having surgery?
 
I usually take a small box with their favourite veg and a small box with a few nuggets. You could take a little bag of the hay they are used to as well, just a handfull. The vet nurse can give it to them or not as they think best. It's always worth having a just in case sachet of recovery food at home, I like to keep one or two in for peace of mind. Your vet will give it to you along with any medicines he thinks you may need this time. Good luck tomorrow.
 
I usually take a small box with their favourite veg and a small box with a few nuggets. You could take a little bag of the hay they are used to as well, just a handfull. The vet nurse can give it to them or not as they think best. It's always worth having a just in case sachet of recovery food at home, I like to keep one or two in for peace of mind. Your vet will give it to you along with any medicines he thinks you may need this time. Good luck tomorrow.
Thank you :). So just the one box for them to share?
 
I only send one to share it's a sandwich box size. It's up to you really the nurses will give them what they think anyway, my vets have veg in their fridge but they say to take a little bit from home so they have something they are used to.
 
With the recovery food. If you are considering getting from the vet I would just buy it if the vet tells you you need it or would be prudent to have it. It's not going to be cheap from the vet so if you were thinking of buying some to have on the off chance I would buy it online at a later date
 
I'd just take a box to share, my piggies always go with a friend and I only send one box, definitely worth having some recovery food on hand I always get some from the vets, best of luck to your girls 💞
 
I always keep a packet of Critical Care in, just in case of emergencies, they usually have good dates on them. Favourite veggies, pellets and a little bit of hay in small boxes for packed lunch, so they keep eating x
Sending best wishes to your girls, get well soon x
 
Best of luck at the vet for your piggies! One packed lunch to share is probably fine, if one is having dental work you might want to chop the veg into thin strips to make them easier for her to manage post surgery (Blod's post dental packed lunch had beansprouts and grated sweet potato and long thin strips of spinach as these are her favourites and dont need much chewing!). Personally I would have some recovery food and 1ml syringes at home just in case, especially after a dental, but you can always use mushed up pellets if not x
 
I took easier to eat veg after my piggy's dental ops, like parsley and lettuce rather than pepper or celery.
My pig preferred his own mushed up pellets to critical care.
Good luck.
 
Thank all.

They’ve called - all awake, eating and ready to collect 😁. And they’ve a nice clean bed at home to go back to :)

Vet wants to have a chat when I collect them but I’m assuming that’s normal? Hoping they d have told my husband on the phone if they found anything sinister as I’ll have the kids with me when I get there...
 
Well that wasn't a fun drive home! But we did get some answers:

Fudge may have heart issues after all. It seems to be fairly enlarge on the X-Ray. So she's started on a diuretic and will continue with the Sulfatrim and Metacam, and see how she does.

Jemima did have a selection of sharp edges and spurs on her pre-molars and molars, which have now been tidied up. She also had some shading in her lungs. So the working plan for the moment is to figure if two pigs are living together and one has some kind of respiratory infection it wouldn't be terribly surprising to find the other did as well. So she's also going to have Sulfatrim and Metacam.

They seem happy to be back. Both have been nibbling hay, although Fudge more enthusiastically than Jemima. Do we figure that as long as they are eating something then we can go to bed and try and get some sleep ourselves, or do they need more monitoring than that?
 
Personally I would give her a syringe feed before you go to bed and then leave them in peace until the morning.
 
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