Anxiety strikes. Appointment I wish Id cancelled :/

Scooter Pie

Scooter Pie

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi all, just need to talk.

I know others here have anxiety. It's hitting me in the form of feeling stupid that I took one of my pigs to an appointment last night and probably could have cancelled it.

A week ago, a few times a day, she was pawing at her mouth like something was stuck in there. I had a dental pig so it worried me. Couldn't get in till yesterday, and by then she stopped. All along her eating was fine.

Anyway, I can't get away from this feeling that I'm "that client" bringing my pig in for nothing. It was a hard choice bcause I know getting it checked is always good.

So it's just anxiety coming out in this way.
 
From someone who suffers from anxiety I know how you feel, sending you hugs. I try very hard these days to not go over things after they have happened because I know in my mind I never get anything right, from what I do to what I say.
Your vet is not going to be thinking "that client" they would always prefer to check something out than to have someone take a pet to them when it's to late. After all you are paying them, without clients/customers they would make no money!
 
Anxiety is a … (Insert word of choice) Isn’t it?!

I’ve had these discussions with my vet and they always say that they would rather see an animal and say it’s all ok (even multiple times!) than not see an animal that turns out to actually be unwell. This seems even more so with small furries who can get the rough end of the deal when it comes to illness being spotted and owner willingness to get appropriate treatment.
Try not to dwell on it too much, be kind to yourself and know that if your pig is ever unwell, you are going to spot it and get care so fast your vet is going to be super impressed!
 
Hugs from me as well, anxiety is a horrid little liar that will say anything to keep you under its thumb.

I had a similar argument with myself when I took one of mine in for a "snuffle" recently. In the end I made peace with it by reminding myself that I'd rather be an over-worried but attentive pet owner than the client who leaves it too late and makes their pet suffer needlessly as a result. If I was a vet, I know which of those I'd prefer to see! (I appreciate that this is over-simplified but, for me, I find that purposefully black and white thinking leaves fewer gaps for anxiety to chime in.)

I know everyone is different and that anxiety hates logic, but that's my two cents. :) From where I'm sat you did the right thing and, if I were a vet, I'd rather have a diary full of caring pet owners, regardless of whether they'd come in for something big or something small.
 
UGH THANK YOU ALL 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️✨✨✨✨✨

So I don't really know the demographics here. I'm 47 1/2 and have had anxiety since I was 9. Lots of practice with managing it. Now we throw in perimenopause. Maybe 5-10 years of it to go! 🤪🤪🤪

Anxiety is very physical for me and it's closely related to that time of the month. My GYN used to prescribe me ativan Id take as needed. Now the past 2 years Ive had my medical MJ card, because I live in a state that recognizes anxiety as a "serious medical condition" and I use in a few different forms. Not sure what you all think of that or what the laws are in your area 🤓

Talking just feels good. I can see you guys get it.

I also know 100% if I had posted about Sugar's mouth issue, everyone would say to book in and keep the appointment.
 
Oh I do this all the time, I’m sure the vets know my number by now 🤣🤣
The thing with guinea pigs is the little signs can become big issues, so I’m always aware of everything they do. If they sleep too long / drink too much etc I freak out 😂
Especially with one of my girls having bloat and the other lost some weight recently, I feel like I’m constantly on high alert.
 
Big hugs, I have severe anxiety as well and I’m always second guessing myself. they’d rather you take your piggie in and be nothing wrong than there be something small that leads to bigger things or have the what ifs going around in your head. 😁🤗 be gentle with yourself xx
 
Lisanjake said:
Oh I do this all the time, I’m sure the vets know my number by now 🤣🤣
The thing with guinea pigs is the little signs can become big issues, so I’m always aware of everything they do. If they sleep too long / drink too much etc I freak out 😂
Especially with one of my girls having bloat and the other lost some weight recently, I feel like I’m constantly on high alert.
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Oh yeah...guess who's drinking a lot this morning. Me: Well the stress from the appointment I should have cancelled is giving her a tummy ache, hence the increased water...☹️

Luckily I know how to do supportive care if she developed bloat. And the vet would be booked for weeks again anyway...but she would be in touch by email.
 
I can absolutely relate. I have anxiety as well and sometimes the only thing that puts my mind at ease is when I hear the vet say there is no issue. I try to think about the stress of going to the vet and if it's worth putting a piggy through that whenever there is a minor issue I am concerned about. I am usually on the better safe than sorry side of things, but things like this forum and other online resources can help relieve some of the stress. One of my girls chipped both of her top teeth yesterday evening and I've been stressing about it since. I know now that it's not a big deal in most cases, but my mind always goes to the worst case scenario and the "What if." I've been thinking all day whether or not I should still take her to be seen, despite all signs saying she is doing just fine. It is a hard feeling to combat. I think a good vet who is in it for the right reasons will never be judgemental about owners feeling concerned for their pet, especially smaller fragile pets like piggies.
 
h.h.lovecraft said:
I can absolutely relate. I have anxiety as well and sometimes the only thing that puts my mind at ease is when I hear the vet say there is no issue. I try to think about the stress of going to the vet and if it's worth putting a piggy through that whenever there is a minor issue I am concerned about. I am usually on the better safe than sorry side of things, but things like this forum and other online resources can help relieve some of the stress. One of my girls chipped both of her top teeth yesterday evening and I've been stressing about it since. I know now that it's not a big deal in most cases, but my mind always goes to the worst case scenario and the "What if." I've been thinking all day whether or not I should still take her to be seen, despite all signs saying she is doing just fine. It is a hard feeling to combat. I think a good vet who is in it for the right reasons will never be judgemental about owners feeling concerned for their pet, especially smaller fragile pets like piggies.
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Aww do you have a thread going about her teeth? I can comment there. Ive been through that. 🙂
 
Don’t feel bad about being a caring owner, if there were more owners like you who cared deeply about their pets the world would be a far nicer place.
I’m sure your vets don’t think that at all, it’s the people who neglect their pets who they despise
 
You did the right thing getting your piggy seen. Don’t over think it. Easier said than done I know. ❤️
 
Good for you getting your piggy seen.
I remember a discussion with my previous vet about taking in a guinea pig and nothing being found.
Merab had been wheezing and honking all day so the vet fitted her in at the end of surgery.
She stopped wheezing. She stopped honking .
She swore at the vet when a thermometer was stuck up her bum.
Nothing at all was wrong 😑
I felt like a bit of a fool but my lovely vet said that they would rather see a guinea pig and find nothing than deal with one where the owner had left it too late.

You have probably been labelled as a gold star ⭐️ owner because you are attentive and caring with your piggies.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Good for you getting your piggy seen.
I remember a discussion with my previous vet about taking in a guinea pig and nothing being found.
Merab had been wheezing and honking all day so the vet fitted her in at the end of surgery.
She stopped wheezing. She stopped honking .
She swore at the vet when a thermometer was stuck up her bum.
Nothing at all was wrong 😑
I felt like a bit of a fool but my lovely vet said that they would rather see a guinea pig and find nothing than deal with one where the owner had left it too late.

You have probably been labelled as a gold star ⭐️ owner because you are attentive and caring with your piggies.
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I had another appointment almost exactly like this with one of my other girls! Distressing respiratory sounds all day, then it stopped before the appointment. Lucky for me they found some hay up her nose that might have caused it.

Thank you all for the support! It is amazing what anxiety can do to our self image.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Good for you getting your piggy seen.
I remember a discussion with my previous vet about taking in a guinea pig and nothing being found.
Merab had been wheezing and honking all day so the vet fitted her in at the end of surgery.
She stopped wheezing. She stopped honking .
She swore at the vet when a thermometer was stuck up her bum.
Nothing at all was wrong 😑
I felt like a bit of a fool but my lovely vet said that they would rather see a guinea pig and find nothing than deal with one where the owner had left it too late.

You have probably been labelled as a gold star ⭐️ owner because you are attentive and caring with your piggies.
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Sounds like an appointment I had with Bruno, I took him to the vets because he hadn’t been to the toilet in a while… I was just in the middle of telling her how he hadn’t been weeing either and then the cheeky fluffy bum does a massive wee all over the table 🙄
 
I always look on it as money well spent when I take one of the pigs to the vets and they can find nothing wrong. It reassures me that they have been thoroughly checked over. And we have almost all had episodes where our four legged friends give us cause for concern but then behave as if nothing ever happened when they get to the vets. Evie did just that to me last week when I thought I was losing her on Friday but by Monday she was back in apparently rude health, enjoying a massage from the vet!
 
I've taken them to vets many times when there was nothing wrong. I took Spike once and the vet said he was probably the healthiest guinea pig she'd ever seen. He was sat on her lap loving the fuss he was getting. Whenever he was quiet after that we said he just wanted to see the nice vet again!
 
I feel for you. I have anxiety too, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety in my teens. It's like obsessive, weapon-grade worrying. It's not fun and the pandemic has really exacerbated the problem, which I previously had fairly well-managed.
 
Tigermoth said:
From the vets point of view it’s an appointment slot paid for. They won’t care one way or another. Except to be relieved that they aren’t faced with doing a dental.

Also in the peri menopausal/ pre existing anxiety club 👍
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I’m in that club too ☹️
 
Scooter Pie said:
Hi all, just need to talk.

I know others here have anxiety. It's hitting me in the form of feeling stupid that I took one of my pigs to an appointment last night and probably could have cancelled it.

A week ago, a few times a day, she was pawing at her mouth like something was stuck in there. I had a dental pig so it worried me. Couldn't get in till yesterday, and by then she stopped. All along her eating was fine.

Anyway, I can't get away from this feeling that I'm "that client" bringing my pig in for nothing. It was a hard choice bcause I know getting it checked is always good.

So it's just anxiety coming out in this way.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you shared about this. Anxiety runs deep in myself and my family as well. I can relate as I often feel like I'm the nervous piggy parent always rushing my piggies to the vet. But on calmer days I can recognize that this is just an anxious thought and that in reality I am a very caring piggy owner who takes good care of my piggies. I'm sure that you are too! Please be kind to yourself and remind yourself that you are a very good piggy parent. Deep breaths. Hang in there! Hugs.
 
Of course you did the right thing taking her in x
She might have had something stuck in her teeth and finally got it out herself. There are some nuggets that are ring-shaped and a few posters have had issue with these getting wedged on bottom incisors!
One day she might have to go to the vet when she's feeling really poorly and vulnerable and she won't be so frightened because she'll remember last time everything worked out just fine 💕

Scooter Pie said:
Anxiety is very physical for me and it's closely related to that time of the month.
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In my early 40s a gynae put me on the progesterone mini-pill called Cerazette with the goal of stopping my monthly cycles which it is supposed to do in most cases (although whether she meant most women all the time or all women most of the time I'm not sure). Anyway 95% of my pointless perimenopausal anxiety and paranoia lifted within a week or two. I just take it once a day and will be 50 this year. She said I can stay on it as long as I like. She even said I could double up if necessary and take 2 a day but actually that made me feel a bit weird so one was fine. Downsides? Daily bleeding for the first 2 years (hence the doubling experiment) but didn't care! I was happy to find and treat the cause rather than struggle to treat the symptoms. In the UK Cerazette is free because it's actually a contraceptive. I don't know how that might go down if you're Catholic but maybe because you are taking it for something other than birth control it'd be OK..?
 
Scooter Pie said:
Aww do you have a thread going about her teeth? I can comment there. Ive been through that. 🙂
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I did make one, but from the advice I recieved on here and from watching her, I have already come to the conclusion that she will be just fine. Her teeth are already looking better from all the hay she has been chomping on and she never stopped eating or changed her behavior at all. Of course I had to go in panic mode when it happened and assume the worst!
 
(((Hugs))) I too suffer from terrible anxiety but a vet would rather see an anxious owner and there be nothing wrong than an animal on deaths door because the owner didn’t see a vet fast enough.

I once took my piggies to the vets worried they had mites but it was just dry skin.

Be gentle with yourself. You did the right thing getting her checked
 
You did absolutely the right thing to take your piggie to the vets. It’s better to be safe than sorry and demonstrates what a good piggie parent you are. I suffer from anxiety and during lockdown rushed Stanley to the vets because he was making a funny sound when eating. The vet said he was as fit as a fiddle (Stanley not the vet 🤪) and the problem resolved within a couple of hours ? Hay dust up his nose. Have you tried to engage in mindfulness exercises? I make cards, do jigsaws, adult therapy colouring etc. I find it distracts me having anxious thoughts. I think it’s been a lot harder for us anxious folks during the pandemic. I live alone and the only people I saw during lockdown was my postman, neighbour and till assistants in Morrisons ☹️. Do explore various ways of managing your anxiety. You need not suffer alone. We are here to support you. Good luck
 
As everyone else has said, better safe than sorry. With how often I'm at the vet I often question the reasons I'm going in, my anxiety doesn't help either, I almost didn't take my boy Paddington in yesterday, I figured his armpit lumps were probably nothing, I was imagining things, I only kept the appointment because I've been really struggling to clean out his cyst on his back lately and figured it would just make my life easier to let my vet do it. Turns out he may have lymphoma :/ so it's just as well I didn't choose to cancel it.
Same happened when Delilah just seemed "off" nothing specific, but my vet found a golf ball sized ovarian cysts!

Sometimes our spidey senses are bang on, sometimes they're not, but its better to have them checked over for nothing, than to miss something that could be life threatening.
 
weepweeps said:
I wish there was just an off switch. Lol
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piggieminder said:
I do too!
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How are you with needles? I had acupuncture when my hot sweats were just unbearable. It turned them off just like a tap for 4-6 months. When I was well into the menopause and the hot sweats were even worse, it took a couple of weeks to kick in. You can't feel the needles go in at all they are so tiny. It is quite expensive but sooooooooo worth it.
 
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