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Can you help me please, very poorly piggie

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Thanks Vic, I am thinking of perhaps taking him into work, only problem I have is if the MD is there, if he's there I have no chance of giving him a sneaky feed. Vic do you have any critical care in if I can't get any, am leaving now to find some? I only have science recovery and he's not liking that as much, whereas he loves the CC, although not sure why the smell is making me wretch hehe
 
No, I only have the science recovery, you can have that if you need it though. I also have some fiberplex that Murphy was on when he was poorly.

Do you have a pellets you could grind up for him, Murphy wouldn't eat the science recovery so I used to grind him some pellets up and mix it with boiling water, he used to eat it off a spoon.

Forgot to add if you want me to have him on a weekend I will, but I am back on my placement now so I can't help in the week.
 
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Awwww thanks Vic that is really kind, I am ok on the weekend, as I am about, just rushing in and out. I tried everywhere to get some CC, even been over cannock, but couldn't, so I rang st georges and they have SR so they're putting me that aside (I will have to order some off the net today), so i should be fully stocked (Bryn is up the pub so will get him to collect it, being as he is up the town he may as well make himself useful hehe). I asked about fibreplex and she said the vet nurse is on lunch and the lady in reception doesn't know if they have any, so got to ring back in an hour. I just rang Bryn and he was like I'm coming home now, I was like noooo stay there, I think he was as shocked as anything, I am normally telling him to get out of the pub not wait in there hahahaah.

Off to do some home checks now, when I get back hopefully the vet nurse will be back and I will know if I have everything. Thank you xxxxxxxxxxxx
 
sorry i can't offer much more advice than you have already recieved, but i hope he is feeling better soon
 
Thank you, I am a woman on a supermission today, off to give him another syringe feed now, I am so stressed out, it never gets easier having a sick pet.
 
Ok, he's having some veggies, at leats trying to anyway, he was sucking the food off the syringe again.
 
Thanks chuck,

He has just had nearly a whole packet of science recovery, again he is putting his mouth over the syring, he even actually came over to the syringe to start sucking it, so he has his appetite, why is he not eating himself :(, I will try and get into see the piggie expert this week (not sure what days she works), she is at my other vets.
 
I don't think he can open his mouth wide enough to eat himself, could it be a pulled muscle from op? I pulled a muscle in the top my back, bottom of my neck last week from lifting weight far too heavy for m, I couldn't put my neck back for a few days after, could a similar thing of happened to Ernie?
 
I think I am just going to pay to get him seen by the emergency vet today, at the other practice. It's not the piggie expert, but I have just spoke to the vet nurse to speak to the vet that is working at the moment to ask how if she thinks she can help, I'm not paying the best part of £100 to be in the same situation I am in now.

ETA the pig expert isn't in until Tuesday
 
I understand why you're inclined to see the emergency vet. As he isn't particularly skilled though, don't be surprised if he just looks at Ernie and sends you away with Baytril, with instructions to carry on syringe-feeding and just return on Monday (or Tuesday)! I know it is a harsh statement, but it does happen.

A pulled muscle is possible, but every pig reacts differently to dental work. Some are fine straight away, others take a much longer time to recover. Obviously if there is something feeling tight in his jaw it will affect his eating, but a sore mouth is still a reasonable thought. Until the soreness eases, he isn't going to want to eat on his own.

Are you still giving the pain relief, until you are able to get some Daktarin?

Have you tried soaking some of his dry food in water so he can try eating soft nuggets? Will he help himself to some Science Recovery off a plate?
 
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Not really tried and eat it himself, but I have been putting it in a small container so don't think his head would go in, he has tried to eat some veggies himself. He totally has his appetite though, I've not had to force his food, he is more than happy to let me feed him, in fact he was excited about the food this morning. I think I am going to get him seen by the emrgency vets today and pay over the odds, but it's so difficult for me to get to the vets this week as I have so much on at work.
 
The fact he has an appetite is very good; as long as he's happy to keep going, then do! Definitely see if he will take some CC/Recovery off a plate - this may help with while you're at work, as at least he'll be able to eat something by himself. Ideally you need to a employ "piggie nurse" to feed him regularly while you are at work!

There is someone in the Birmingham area who might be able to help if you do feel the vets just aren't getting to the bottom of the problem.
 
I have just quickly read through your thread. My piggy Bug had similar trouble. Have you felt for an abscess? I have been on the Peter Gurney website and he tells of dental problems etc. He says if the pig is otherwise ok, teeth wise etc, think abscess. It is just worth checking, if you haven't done so.

Although, may be your piggy enjoys being spoon fedxx>>>
 
When my piggie had dental work done (vet cut tooth too short and caused more problems than we started with, have now changed vets!) he couldn't pick up food so I used the fine side (the side you would use for parmesan cheese) of a grater and grated carrot and broccolli. Because it was so finely grated I could roll it into little balls and popped them into his mouth. They were very soft so didn't require much chewing. Also I took the small pellets out of a g.pig mix, the ones that look like little pony nuts and softened them with warm water. You can either make it soft enough to syringe feed or a little less water will allow you to roll it into balls to pop in the mouth. I found these were accepted far more readily than the g.pig complete pellets. Good luck!

AP: You say we should persist in asking vets for non aneasthetic treatment but I am a bit reluctant to allow a vet who admits he is not experienced in non aneasthetic dental work to practice on one of my g.pigs. I now go to a vet for dental work without GA. My own vet has offered to "have a go at doing it without GA" but as much as I trust my own vet I am unsure about allowing him to do it. It would be much easier for me as I have to travel over an hour to get to the non GA vet
 
I don't think he has an abscess, I have just soaked some pellets going to let them cool down, which is the vets in Brrum?

I have got them my local emgency vets to give me some numbers of places that have exotic vets, I have the numbers for Landstone, Manor vets and Chris Marshall in Shifnal, but it seems they all onlt have routine vets on today. I don't mind paying and I don't mind paying over the odds, but I do mind paying if it's for a vet that can not do anymore than what I am already doing, I want to see an exotic vet

Going to let the pellets cool down and try him with that, I mght be jumping the gun.
 
wind1 said:
When my piggie had dental work done (vet cut tooth too short and caused more problems than we started with, have now changed vets!) he couldn't pick up food so I used the fine side (the side you would use for parmesan cheese) of a grater and grated carrot and broccolli. Because it was so finely grated I could roll it into little balls and popped them into his mouth. They were very soft so didn't require much chewing. Also I took the small pellets out of a g.pig mix, the ones that look like little pony nuts and softened them with warm water. You can either make it soft enough to syringe feed or a little less water will allow you to roll it into balls to pop in the mouth. I found these were accepted far more readily than the g.pig complete pellets. Good luck!

AP: You say we should persist in asking vets for non aneasthetic treatment but I am a bit reluctant to allow a vet who admits he is not experienced in non aneasthetic dental work to practice on one of my g.pigs. I now go to a vet for dental work without GA. My own vet has offered to "have a go at doing it without GA" but as much as I trust my own vet I am unsure about allowing him to do it. It would be much easier for me as I have to travel over an hour to get to the non GA vet
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In the past I have used walpole for consious dentals, I am thinking of taking him there in future, when I spoke to st georges on Friday (after I read what was writen here), they said they do it without ga, but I got a different story today. I am not willing to pay out £100 to go and have them tell me they want to give him another GA so I just asked for the places they refer piggies to, they gave me the three vets I wrote up ther ^. I am thinking somethig might of gone wrong with the dental, but his mouth will move in all directions, so not sure what is going on.
 
He is already on baytril and pain relief, no point in seeing a routine vet, just to be told to carry on. :(
 
OMFG he just ate something out my hand, he just eat parsley and chewed it like a proper pig, I have but some soft pellets in too, omg I can't believe it.
 
Thank you, I was preparing myself for a drive around the country to an exotic vet, I'm going to give him another 40 minutes and then harass him with some more food, need to go to sainsburys and get more supplies, anyone would think I have shares in herbs the way I'm buying them this week, bloomin Bert has been eating them quicker then I can put them down poor Ernie is hardly getting a chance :))
 
SOAD said:
OMFG he just ate something out my hand, he just eat parsley and chewed it like a proper pig, I have but some soft pellets in too, omg I can't believe it.
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great news!
 
Thar's great news! I've been keeping my eye on this thread to see how Ernie is doing.

I hope that he continues to take food from you xx
 
Not had anything else off me yet, going to get him more bits and bobs to eat, just been buying everything that I think he might like, he went for a nap after the parsley, obviously wore himself out :)), thank you so much for the support, I know he's not normal yet, but this is the best thing that has happened so far, he had a proper munchy mouth while eating too, he ate with gusto.
 
Great news, goood to hear he is improving a bit!

It's not a vets in B'ham that I referred to, but a member here. alcesterpigs issaid to be very skilled with guinea pigs, and can do dental work without GA. May be worth PMing him and seeing if he can help at all.
 
Thank you, I was going to try Tom at walpole and if I have no joy there I would deffo be asking about that. Tom used to do them on my 12 year old bun when she was alive and he I know that he use to do piggies, I can remember a convo about it now, although I could of got this wrong. I am going to call him on Monday and ask about it, if I have no joy I will totally be asking. I would like to get Ernie checked again now and a health check, he looks awful at the minute (condition wise) but I think that it's because of the week of stress and also he is covered in syringe food so that is not helping, plus the weight loss that has occured.

He has just ate some more veggies, if I hold them in front of his mouth he will take them off me, should I give him a syringe feed later to help him along?
 
Do keep syringe-feeding for as long as he isn't eating "normally" on his own. The more he'll eat himself, the better, but if it's mainly veggies he's nibbling on now he still needs to regular fibre from he CC/Recovery.

Fingers crossed he has a good night.
 
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