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Help my piggie is not eating and losing weight

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Please do not go to work. He needs regular food and if you go to work he will be without food for a long time.
 
The piggy is currently getting treatment from a specialist, but unfortunately I don't think the owner is coming back on here due to comments that were upsetting. If they do come back, can everyone try to remember that they are a good owner who has sought medical treatment for their pet please?
 
Little Pig said:
The piggy is currently getting treatment from a specialist, but unfortunately I don't think the owner is coming back on here due to comments that were upsetting. If they do come back, can everyone try to remember that they are a good owner who has sought medical treatment for their pet please?
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I offered advice and a temporary place at my sanctuary so that her piggie could receive treatment from the best guinea pig vet. I gave my phone numbers so she could call and get advice. I don't like to blow my own trumpet but I do have tremendous experience and a great success rate with dental piggies but she never took me up on my offer to have a chat. I don't see how any of that was upsetting and I am somewhat hurt that she thinks the forum didn't treat her well. I am still willing to help her and she is very welcome to call me with regard to why she feels so upset by the forum.
 
Furryfriends, I don't think it was your posts that were viewed as upsetting. However, one post in particular (by Amanda) was in my view overly harsh given the circumstances - i.e. this person is trying their best, unlike some people who come on here and don't take them to the vets or follow up. Comments that the owner shouldn't go to work were also unhelpful - some people have to go to work and I'm sorry, but my HR departments or managers would not be sympathetic to "I can't come in, I have a sick guinea pig".

I'm all for being blunt and to the point when it is called for on this forum, but really don't believe that this owner deserved it. This owner has taken their pig to the vet, came here for advice and has subsequently surrendered (temporarily) the care of their guinea pig into the care of a dental expert.

On a related note. I personally find it upsetting that Simon and the dental sanctuary often seem to be presented as the only option, along with the (unwritten) implication that you are a bad or uncaring owner if you chose not to telephone a stranger or hand your guinea pig over to them. This might not be intentional, but it is there nonetheless. I feel that owners are often pressurised too much about this and it quite often makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Yes, Simon is a great vet and yes, the work that Furryfriends does is amazing and is something to be applauded, but it is not the only option for dental pigs. Other vets in the country can (and do) perform dental work to a high standard and alternatives should not be discounted so readily.

If one of my guinea pigs had dental problems, I would not take them to Simon. He is very far away from me and I don't drive. I also wouldn't hand my pig over to the sanctuary (or anyone else). This is not a reflection on Furryfriends, but because I would not stand being away from my pigs like that. Does this make me a bad owner? I don't think so as they would still receive the treatment and care they need, but it seems like a lot of people on here would view me as such.
 
I am so sorry. I never meant to upset the OP. I was just trying to be helpful and I was concerned about her and the guinea pig. Please tell her how sorry I am and I never meant to cause her to leave. :(
 
I am glad to hear that the piggie is being treated by an expert, and we are all hoping to hear positive news soon enough, regardless of what has been said :) x
 
Little Pig said:
On a related note. I personally find it upsetting that Simon and the dental sanctuary often seem to be presented as the only option, along with the (unwritten) implication that you are a bad or uncaring owner if you chose not to telephone a stranger or hand your guinea pig over to them. This might not be intentional, but it is there nonetheless. I feel that owners are often pressurised too much about this and it quite often makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Yes, Simon is a great vet and yes, the work that Furryfriends does is amazing and is something to be applauded, but it is not the only option for dental pigs. Other vets in the country can (and do) perform dental work to a high standard and alternatives should not be discounted so readily.

If one of my guinea pigs had dental problems, I would not take them to Simon. He is very far away from me and I don't drive. I also wouldn't hand my pig over to the sanctuary (or anyone else). This is not a reflection on Furryfriends, but because I would not stand being away from my pigs like that. Does this make me a bad owner? I don't think so as they would still receive the treatment and care they need, but it seems like a lot of people on here would view me as such.
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It is not a case of labelling people as bad owners, but anything regarding Simon is recommended through tried and tested experience. He is not an 'exotics expert' tagged onto a vets because he's dabbled in the care of guinea pigs. His practice treats only cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and small furries so he has fine tuned skills when treating these animals and does it day in, day out. He has treated many, many dental pigs - knows what a piggy's teeth should look like, rather than assuming they are the same as a rabbit's - and can treat 99% of cases without using a GA. As he has treated so many pigs with so many issues, he is willing to think outside of the box with regards to treatments and will keep going as long as the pig still has a good quality of life, rather that just declare that the pig needs to be PTS when the text book runs out of things to tell him.

When an owner comes to the forum stating that their pig isn't eating/is losing weight/is sitting just looking like they're giving up on life, then unfortunately, time is of the essence. Getting an appointment later in the week, or just seeing how it goes just isn't an option with these temperamental creatures.

I am actually offended your comments regarding the Sanctuary. Not for one minute has it been suggested that people are bad owners if they do not 'hand their guinea pig' over to Debbie. All that is being given is an offer. People ask for advice on here and someone with incredibly vast experience of nursing dental pigs back to health has offered to speak to them on a one to one basis. There is no pressure to hand over pigs, but it is another option that could be available to people, should they wish to take it up. Owners are not pressured, but are given the facts. A few hours can make a huge difference in the recovery of a pig when they are ill. It can be a difference of survival or not.

If an owner has a good vet nearby that they trust, then normally they are not on the forum in a panic about what to do with their pig. People are willing to take their pig to see vets recommended by forum members that they have never met before, so where is the difference? As in this instance, sometimes people are far away from Northampton, or they are too busy with work and other things to be at home to feed and medicate their pig throughout the day and night. (Which is where I was willing to meet the owner halfway and transport their pig at any time of the day or night, whichever was convenient for the owner - if they had wished to take me up on it). All Debbie is offering is a service where she can do this on behalf of the owner. Look after the pig until they are stable enough with whatever condition they have to go home. It is being made out to be something of a sinister offer, which could not be further from the truth.

With the Sanctuary, Debbie is often up throughout the night, taking care of different animals. She puts her life on hold for these guinea pigs - she can't just take time off due to the responsiblity she has. I don't think anyone is aware of how much work and dedication Debbie puts in to the welfare of the animals in her care. It is hard enough with one sick animal, but multiply that by the number of pigs she has and you might have some realisation of the time and effort involved.

It might appear that the Sanctuary is pushed to be the only option, but have you ever thought why? I don't see a queue of people forming around the country, living close to excellently qualified vets, willing to help out in the same way. It's not the only option, but it is the only one that is kindly being offered to piggy owners in need.
 
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Any more news on this little piggie, Rachel feel free to offer my syringe feeding to the lady.

Quite a few of my rescued piggies have had dental work carried out by Lynn at Palace Piggie Rescue in Crawley, she has from what she does saved their lives and they can eat for themselves.

I would also use Titch and Chris in Hastings, experience and knowledge is fab. They have also saved 2 lives for me and then promptly adopted one of the piggies and their mate.

The rescue uses 2 exotics vets who have a wealth of experience of guinea pigs alongside knowledge but still do dentals under GA so I don't use them.

I for one have only just seen this post and would always offer to syringe feed around the clock, just too busy with the 40 pigs and 8 buns here at the rescue to check all posts but please do offer my services.
 
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