gayfurryclown
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi!
TL;DR:
My guinea pig is suddenly very skittish after her spay and I think it has to do with the fact that I’ve had to force feed her and pick her up (which she hates) to give her medication, but I have no idea how else to go about it cuz she refuses to take her meds on her own. Any advice is appreciated!
The long version:
So, my two piggy girls, Kino and Fen, are three days post-op. They’re both on Metacam and the vet gave me Critical Care to feed them the first few days, but they both made it a hill to die on that they would NOT be eating that (which the vet said was okay as long as they’re otherwise eating normally, which they are). Their poops are now solid, appetite is good, and Fen is back to her normal, attitude-filled self, but I can’t say the same for Kino.
Ever since we got back from surgery, Kino is crazy high alert. Her eyes are wide open, body tense, and constantly darting. All around skittish.
I do have theories as to why. Kino did have some diarrhea the day after surgery so I decided to try giving her Critical Care again. It was a huuuge struggle, I tried swaddling her like a burrito but didn’t want to do too much, considering her stitches. It ended up being crazy stressful with not enough success to justify continuing to force feed her, so I stopped. I think it left an impact on her.
On top of that, she simply refuses to take Metacam on her own. Only when I pick her up and hold her in my lap does she take it (and seems to enjoy it), but like most pigs, she absolutely hates being picked up. She’s a clever little stinker and has learned what time of the day her meds are due, so she’s always hiding at that time. I hate to do it, but I’ve had no choice but to reach into her hidey to take her, which I usually avoid at all costs cuz I don’t want my girls to feel their hideys won’t protect them.
All this to say, she’s now very tense, skittish, and not the laidback, confident, brave little piggy I had pre-op. Anyone have any tips and tricks for how to go about this whole mess? How do I rebuild her confidence and maintain it while also giving her the meds? Literally any tips and tricks are appreciated.
Thanks!
TL;DR:
My guinea pig is suddenly very skittish after her spay and I think it has to do with the fact that I’ve had to force feed her and pick her up (which she hates) to give her medication, but I have no idea how else to go about it cuz she refuses to take her meds on her own. Any advice is appreciated!
The long version:
So, my two piggy girls, Kino and Fen, are three days post-op. They’re both on Metacam and the vet gave me Critical Care to feed them the first few days, but they both made it a hill to die on that they would NOT be eating that (which the vet said was okay as long as they’re otherwise eating normally, which they are). Their poops are now solid, appetite is good, and Fen is back to her normal, attitude-filled self, but I can’t say the same for Kino.
Ever since we got back from surgery, Kino is crazy high alert. Her eyes are wide open, body tense, and constantly darting. All around skittish.
I do have theories as to why. Kino did have some diarrhea the day after surgery so I decided to try giving her Critical Care again. It was a huuuge struggle, I tried swaddling her like a burrito but didn’t want to do too much, considering her stitches. It ended up being crazy stressful with not enough success to justify continuing to force feed her, so I stopped. I think it left an impact on her.
On top of that, she simply refuses to take Metacam on her own. Only when I pick her up and hold her in my lap does she take it (and seems to enjoy it), but like most pigs, she absolutely hates being picked up. She’s a clever little stinker and has learned what time of the day her meds are due, so she’s always hiding at that time. I hate to do it, but I’ve had no choice but to reach into her hidey to take her, which I usually avoid at all costs cuz I don’t want my girls to feel their hideys won’t protect them.
All this to say, she’s now very tense, skittish, and not the laidback, confident, brave little piggy I had pre-op. Anyone have any tips and tricks for how to go about this whole mess? How do I rebuild her confidence and maintain it while also giving her the meds? Literally any tips and tricks are appreciated.
Thanks!
