• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here
  • Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Emergency Kit

BearAndPanda

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 14, 2020
Messages
252
Reaction score
64
Points
310
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
I’m thinking of making a emergency kit with things to have for the pigs if they get sick to prevent having the same thing that happened with Nova. I have gotten some syringes and thinking to buy some beaphar or some artificial tear gel. Also I may buy canesten for ringworm as that is what I had gotten from my friend who is a vet for exotic animals. Should I get beaphar or artificial tear gel? Any other things I could add?
 
keeping some 1ml syringes is a good idea. mushed up pellets can be used as a food to syringe to the piggies in the absence of critical care. I personally don’t keep recovery foods in stock as they do go out of date so could be useless if you come to need it.
I would not keep canesten because if you suspect ringworm, then you need to see a vet and get the correct diagnosis and treatment in any event. If you put anything on suspected ringworm before seeing a vet, you can wipe the scene and make diagnosis harder and potentially prolong treatment if you incorrectly treat something.

the guide below may help you

First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency
 
keeping some 1ml syringes is a good idea. mushed up pellets can be used as a food to syringe to the piggies in the absence of critical care. I personally don’t keep recovery foods in stock as they do go out of date so could be useless if you come to need it.
I would not keep canesten because if you suspect ringworm, then you need to see a vet and get the correct diagnosis and treatment in any event. If you put anything on suspected ringworm before seeing a vet, you can wipe the scene and make diagnosis harder and potentially prolong treatment if you incorrectly treat something.

the guide below may help you

First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency
Thank you! I won’t use the canesten and I will keep it for myself
 
I’m thinking of making a emergency kit with things to have for the pigs if they get sick to prevent having the same thing that happened with Nova. I have gotten some syringes and thinking to buy some beaphar or some artificial tear gel. Also I may buy canesten for ringworm as that is what I had gotten from my friend who is a vet for exotic animals. Should I get beaphar or artificial tear gel? Any other things I could add?

Hi!

You may find our first aid kit link below helpful.

Don't keep too much at home in terms of support products with a shorter shelf life and rather get them fresh in an emergency. I find mushed pellets and 'poo soup' (or gut microbiome water for a politer expression) from a healthy companion perfectly servicable to bridge the initial gap in an emergency. Probiotics are in any pet shop and can be got fresh when needed, and recovery formula can be got from online with next day delivery. Many UK vets have a pouch of recovery food if you ask.

What is useful is spare syringes, extra grids for an hospital corner, some vet bed pads for the hospital corner in case of an emergency operation. What do you mean with 'beaphar'; the probiotic? It is a company that produces a number of mostly low dosed pet shop products.

Again, tear drops you can get from a pharmacy or supermarket. Unless you have plenty of piggies and are dealing regularly with hay pokes, it is better to get it fresh if possible. You are fine if you complain at the pharmacy about waking up rubbing your dry eyes at night - the gel is longer lasting, so better for this situation. Pharmacies won't sell human medication for use in animals unless it is a vet's prescription.
I had one year with 8 hay pokes (a couple of them rather nasty) but then hardly any in the last couple of years...

You can find plenty of first aid tips in here: First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency
 
Hi!

You may find our first aid kit link below helpful.

Don't keep too much at home in terms of support products with a shorter shelf life and rather get them fresh in an emergency. I find mushed pellets and 'poo soup' (or gut microbiome water for a politer expression) from a healthy companion perfectly servicable to bridge the initial gap in an emergency. Probiotics are in any pet shop and can be got fresh when needed, and recovery formula can be got from online with next day delivery. Many UK vets have a pouch of recovery food if you ask.

What is useful is spare syringes, extra grids for an hospital corner, some vet bed pads for the hospital corner in case of an emergency operation. What do you mean with 'beaphar'; the probiotic? It is a company that produces a number of mostly low dosed pet shop products.

Again, tear drops you can get from a pharmacy or supermarket. Unless you have plenty of piggies and are dealing regularly with hay pokes, it is better to get it fresh if possible. You are fine if you complain at the pharmacy about waking up rubbing your dry eyes at night - the gel is longer lasting, so better for this situation. Pharmacies won't sell human medication for use in animals unless it is a vet's prescription.
I had one year with 8 hay pokes (a couple of them rather nasty) but then hardly any in the last couple of years...

You can find plenty of first aid tips in here: First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency
What I mean about beaphar is eye gel! Thanks so much I’ll check it right now!
 
PLEASE do NOT use cream for ringworm until you are determined to turn it into a long running exasperating saga! DO NOT treat ringworm on spec and have it seen and treated with apporpriate vet strength products. We have seen too often on here what false diagnosis and false economy with DIY home treatment does, and have had to pick up the pieces on here...
Cream simply never gets at all the spores that are shed in their thousands and cause further outbreaks in other parts of the body; after nearly 15 years of plenty of experience with ringworm on here, we should know, don't you think? You are only ever treating the visible patch while the affected area is actually much bigger. Your exotics friend is unfortunately rather lagging behind in what consitutes appropriate ringworm treatment there. She's obviously not dealt with acute ringworm much herself...

Saying that, ringworm is not so common that you really want to waste money on buying stuff that won't do the trick. Rather save that money for good quality treatment that takes care of the spores and the whole affected area whenever you need it so you can get on top of it once and for all. Always keep in mind that we are seeing more cases of illness here because we are a port of call. If you get pet shop piggies from a branch with an infection problem, then you can reclaim any vet cost for proper treatment from the shop. Outside of that, ringworm is not all that common in well kept, especially indoors piggies. Rescue adoptees from a good welfare standard rescue have passed a mandatory quarantine or any treatment at the rescue and should be free of it in the first place.

Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
PLEASE do NOT use cream for ringworm until you are determined to turn it into a long running exasperating saga! DO NOT treat ringworm on spec and have it seen and treated with apporpriate vet strength products. We have seen too often on here what false diagnosis and false economy with DIY home treatment does, and have had to pick up the pieces on here...
Cream simply never gets at all the spores that are shed in their thousands and cause further outbreaks in other parts of the body; after nearly 15 years of plenty of experience with ringworm on here, we should know, don't you think? You are only ever treating the visible patch while the affected area is actually much bigger. Your exotics friend is unfortunately rather lagging behind in what consitutes appropriate ringworm treatment there. She's obviously not dealt with acute ringworm much herself...
Saying that, ringworm is not so common that you really want to waste money on buying stuff that won't do the trick. Rather save that money for good quality treatment that takes care of the spores and the whole affected area whenever you need it so you can get on top of it once and for all.
Noted. Only going to use canesten for myself from now on
 
What I would recommend getting is F10 disinfectant, either as a spray or as a concentrate. that will one of your best investments.
The latter is not only helpful for deep cleans in the cage area, but it also comes in very handy for disinfecting plastic/smooth cardboard packing, door and cupboard handles, taps and toilets, keys, light switches etc. this year...

Otherwise it is better to save up so you can see an out-of-hours vet at any time (including the middle of the night) and get veterinary first aid treatment from there. Keep in mind that not all of our members, especially from other countries than the UK, do have access to out-of-hours vets or have a reasonable chance to be seen by a vet clinic within 24 hours. Which is why we do have to carry tips for home bridging care.
 
Noted. Only going to use canesten for myself from now on

Canesten is fine for some mild very localised fungal that is not highly contagious - but with better care and more indoors keeping, even that has actually become a lot rarer over the last decade. ;)
 
Back
Top