After anesthetic questions?

[sport_billy]

Pithc our pig has had a general Anesthetic todya while her teeth have been looked at and some on the bottom filed down.

She came round about 1pm and we collected her at 3.30pm. I put her back in cage with her sister but at the opposite end and she's just lay there for the past 1:30 hrs.
I left some watermelon by her head which she just nibbled at 5 mins ago. She then literally dragged herself into the wooden hut with Putt in it (down the other end of cage)

While i'm pleased that she wants to be close to her sister, I am worried as Putt keeps knocking into Pitch and just ran into the Hut at full pelt straight through Pitch.

1)Should I keep them seperated for the evening?

2) Will Pitch be getting enough fluid as I don't think shes going to eat much and certainly not get to Water bottle anythime soon.

3) How long do pigs take to get over anesthetic?

4) The vet said she wouldn't be out the woods with the anesthetic until 24hrs... Is this the case? Is there a chance she could have a late reaction?

Sorry for all the questions, but we've never had a pet have anesthetic before and it is sooo scary...

 

[Wiebke]

I would separate until the piggy is fully awake and in control. How well and quickly piggies come round from GA can be very different - even with the same piggy.

If you are worried about food/water intake, you can syringe water. You can also soak pellets in a bit of warm water to create a mush which can be spooned or syringed. A bit of grass or parsley is usually the best thing to titillate the appetite.

After a dental, guinea pigs often have a sore mouth and struggle with eating. Try to give a bit of painkiller (short term you can get children's nurofen 0.2 ml from the pharmacy - but wait until tomorrow whether it is necessary as Pitch is still full of stuff today). Piggies can be quite sleepy after all the stress, others can still have fits and not full control of their limbs at first. That is why it is better to separate. You can also control the food intake better that way. Please weigh daily; a fluctuation of 30g from one day to the next can be down to full/empty belly/bladder - what you are looking for is a trend.

Here is more info:
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36634
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36533

I hope that Pitch will be better by tomorrow!

 

[sport_billy]

Thanks Weibke, will check out those links straight away.

I just seperated them and when I lifted the Wooden Hut what we call the 'centreparcs villa' up they where huddled together... I really thought I was doing the wrong thing as Pitch looks so poorly and obviously wanted Putt by her.

But the upside was she then ate some watermelon by her head and started to crawl forwards, I managed to hand feed her 2 more cubes of Watermelon, 3 parsley leaves and lots of celery leaves! she also nibbled some cucumber. She then started to put her head down so I've put a wooden bridge over top of her to give her somewhere to sleep in dark....

I am going to put them back together before bed as she really seems to want Putt with her, I'm also going to sleep in the room with them tonight, they may need some tiny earplugs with my snoring though!

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

oh i do hope shes ok, give her lots of loving x

 

[sport_billy]

Have just seen the whole of the pitch!

She has been taking food off us through the night and has just managed her first proper amble around the cage taking time to munch through some hay. Her hairs all fluffed up and she seems to be back to her normal self.
I think this has been tired her out though and she has flopped down in the pigloo at the other end of the cage to where she has been.
thanks to evryone for your support.|)

 

[Wiebke]

I am glad that she's recovering; I was mainly worried about Putt running over nad into Pitch.

 

[sport_billy]

Yes, that was a big worry! Putt is the more skitish of the 2. It was great advice to seperate them and allowed us to check Pitch was eating and weeing.

They were fine when back together late last evening and lay against each other for majority of the night.
I slept on floor by them and Putt has now put in a letter of complaint over my snoring!

 

[Ruth]

If you are willing to travel and you need more help on the teeth in the future you could go see Paul in cookhill. Its an hour away [36 miles] but worth it.
He will do the teeth at home without a GA, so much better for your pig.

He has saved many a piggie on here!

 

[sport_billy]

Thanks Ruth, unfortunately neither of us can drive... It's on my list of things to do.

Pitch seems to have gone a little backwards over the past 24hrs. She is eating hay and nibbling Cucumber but refusing to eat very many parsley leaves or celery leaves. she hardly ate any tea yesterday. But has had around 8 Celery and 4 parsley leaves this morning.

She is shying away from my hand and ignoring food by turning her body around. She seems to have lost all trust in me that she had, which I suppose is understandable.
It was nigh on impossible to catch her last night to weigh her. She must have a good memory of what happen we we picked her up friday morning to take her to vets.

She is also making a lot of teeth noises, almost like chewing with nothing in her mouth.
I am thinking of trying to syringe feed, but is this necessary while she is eating hay and cucumber? I don't think i'll be able to get her unstressed enough to sit on my lap.

 

[Wiebke]

Guinea pigs need more food than you think. They are usually quite painful and sore after dental problems. You could get children's nurofen from from the pharmacy (0.2 ml) and syringe that.

It is important that you weigh daily on your kitchen scales to make sure that recovering piggies are OK and eating enough. Daktarin oral gel can also help; it is available from a normal pharmacy, too. Just do not say that you need it for guinea pigs!

If your piggy is nibbling only and not happy with her teeth, I would try and hand feed.

 

[sport_billy]

She eat lots of whole sprigs of parsley and coriander now on two separate occasions. She wont take them of us but if we poke them out the hay manager will gladly pull out and chomp!
I think she might just be sulking and letting us know that shes upset with us!
Will weigh her later but she seems happier.
thanks

 

[flo simpson]

i would give some bach flower remedy- rescue remedy in water xx

 

[sport_billy]

thanks will try that - but what do suggest for the pig?|)