• 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

I Am So Upset And Feel So Stupid

Status
Not open for further replies.
Stayc1989

Stayc1989

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Messages
967
Reaction score
1,329
Points
625
Location
Derbyshire UK
My Guinea pigs have been scratching quite a lot lately and I have taken them to 2 different vets about it. Today I took them to a new vets that I haven't been to before and I was given some spot on treatment called xenex ultra spot on. Anyway I always research things before using them and this time for some stupid reason I didn't and now my frankie pig has had some kind of reaction and I am so upset and blaming myself.

Firstly I'm blaming myself for not reading the reviews first because the majority of the reviews about this product say their pets had this "reaction" to the product and 2 I am blaming myself because he was going mental for about half an hour and I just thought he had got something stuck in his ear but I couldn't see anything, so he was suffering for half an hour before I washed it off at 3.10am. I feel like such an idiot and I am really upset about it.

He has calmed down abit now I have bathed him but how can I have been so stupid not to read the reviews before giving this to my babies I am in tears about it but I swear to god if he dies I am going to sue this company for selling dangerous products. Most of the reviews are saying their pet had this reaction so how can it still be available if it's dangerous? They all had the same symptoms too like banging their head, attacking the owners, red skin, running around the cage, and it wasn't just Guinea pigs it was rabbits, and rats too! I am so angry/upset/distressed about it and there's no chance of me getting any sleep tonight now or getting the images of him banging his head all over out of my head! How can they do that to people's pets all he keeps doing is running away from me now and I darent put him back in his cage incase some of the product rubbed off him into his pigloo and he gets it on his skin again but I can't wash all the cage and accessories until the morning because I have just woken the whole house up by screaming and crying about it and everyone's just got back to sleep. I am going to ring the vets first thing in the morning they open at 7 so going to get him checked out I hope he doesn't hate me now I feel so guilty :( but I definitely gave him the correct dosage I made sure.
I feel like such a bad owner because it's taken me ages to get him to trust me and now he's running away from me I think I've really upset him and I can't stop crying :(
 
I'm afraid I don't have any experience of this but I just wanted to say that you weren't to know what would happen and please dont beat yourself up! You used a product that was prescribed by a vet, someone you want to be able to entrust the health of something very important to you with, and you haven't done anything wrong. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along a little later but please try not to panic x

I hope your piggy is feeling more comfortable now x
 
He just won't go back in his cage now I put him in again and he went mad again so I've had to wake everyone up again and bath him again and his skin, where I put the drops is bright red looks like it's burnt his skin so I've got him wrapped up in a dry towel on the bed he looks so tired and I just feel so awful about it, if I'd have read the bad reviews I'd never have used it X
 
Would you be able to take him back to the vet to have the area checked ?
 
Yeah I'm going to ring when they are open, I thought they opened at 7 but they don't open till half 8, he's just sleeping under some clothes that are hung over the bottom of the bed, he's eaten some hay but he won't eat anything else and I keep trying to give him a drink but he won't have any, I'm going to get some cucumber and see if he will have a piece of that to keep him hydrated, I think he's really tired he must have been up since midnight because that's when I fed them and went to bed and he woke me up about half 2 bless him I feel so sorry for him X
 
I have never read of this reaction before, and I would think there are many many people who don't know. It certainly isn't your fault and we have all known what we could have done with the benefit of hindsight. And yet you also did what you should have done. You persisted in finding help for your piggy and gave the product prescribed by the vet - the one who should have known about the likelihood of the reaction.

Can I suggest making sure he gets plenty of fluids?

I see you are in Derbyshire. Are you close enough to Alfreton Park vets to take him there?

Huge huge hugs to you, it really rips your heart right out when something like this happens, but you are neither negligent or stupid, you are very much a caring owner who persisted in getting treatment for your piggies.
:hug:
 
Thank you, yes I can get there are they any good? I have just bathed him again because it's so hard to get off its really greasy stuff I think it's all out now, I've bathed his friend too who I used the same stuff on but he didn't have this reaction but frankie wouldn't go near him for some reason I don't know if he could smell it or something, I have given him some cucumber and he's had a bit, do you think I should try and give him some water by syringe? X
 
I can vouch for Alfreton Vets, a couple of my guinea's went there last year, someone from the forums kindly took them and my son, you would need to ask for Ellie who's the exotics vet :) I really wish I could get a couple of our guinea's there to see her, one of them has tumors and it would have been nice to know what the best option is rather than being given a list of things we can do.
 
Hopefully you can get him seen this morning, the vet may be able to give you some pain killers for him too. I think there may have been other cases on here over the last couple of years, would be worth doing a search as it may give you an idea of how long it takes for the bad reaction to wear off.
 
Thank you very much I will ring them now, I had a search through and there has been quite a few on here that have said their piggies have had reactions but I can't comment on them to ask how long it lasted or if the Guinea pig survived I am absolutely heart broken incase he dies X
 
I've just rang alfreton vets and Ellie is off today they said I could go to see someone different or book back in at the vets that prescribed the treatment, he's just hiding under his pigloo and I don't want to stress him out by moving him he's been up all night, my boyfriend has just rang chapel vets in Chesterfield by what he told me they seem to have seen this before and said if I take them both down they can give them something to ease the discomfort so he's booking them in now X
 
We are home :) the vet gave him something to ease the pain, I'm not sure what as I walked out as I was crying thinking he was going to die, but she checked them both over and said they are really healthy and checked their fur under the microscope and said they don't have mites or anything so she thinks the reason they were so itchy was something to do with their hay so I am going to change them to fleece bedding, and give hay in a hay rack, she also said that she has seen reactions to the xenex ultra before and even though it says it is suitable for Guinea pigs she wouldn't advise it, and he's not going to die she said he should be feeling abit better over the next couple of days and not as sore, thank you very much for all your help I can't thank you all enough I was so devastated. What's the best way to use fleece bedding shall I put puppy pads down first and the fleece on top? And where can I buy some nice fleeces from for them thank you x
 
Glad they have seen the vet.

You can use puppy pads, towels or even washable incontinence bedpads, which is what I use. I haven't bought fleece in a while but most of mine is from Dunelm. Vetbed is an option too, it is pricey to start with but worth it in the long run. It would need something underneath it like you do with fleece.
 
I'm glad it's good news .

If you are going to use fleece, it is a good idea to put something absorbant underneath so, puppy pads area great idea.

I bought my cage liners from Ziggy's Piggies . another good place to look is C and E cosies
 
I am so sorry you and your guineas have had this horrible experience. Everyone has different preferences with their fleece and under layers. I like vetbed with puppy pads and newspaper underneath as it's easiest for me. I also have some fleece pads which I made with a double layer of wadding on the inside. You can get some lovely fleeces in places like Asda, the Range and B&M Bargains. B&M also have 100 puppy pads for £12.99 at the moment. Don't forget to wash the fleece 3 times in non bio powder and no conditioner before you use it to help it wick the wee away.
 
Thank you very much :) I'm off shopping for the piggies thank you for letting me know about the washing instructions that's really helpful :) Frankie pig is eating his favourite food now baby sweetcorn and a bit of cucumber, he's hiding in his pigloo though but that might be because he's tired after a sleepless night poor little baby X
 
Poor Frankie, it's a good sign he's eating, he'll be a bit quiet for a while though I expect.
There are lots of threads in the Housing and Enrichment section on fleece when you've got time to browse, also a sticky bedding overview at the top. I forgot to say I put white vinegar in the final rinse when I wash the vet bed, it helps soften it and cleans the machine too. You'll also need a stiff brush to get off hay and hair before washing. Some people use a horse blanket bag or an old duvet cover to put the fleece in to save hair in the machine but my fleece is too big to get anything else in the machine with it so I have to brush it very vigorously in the garden first.
 
I am so sorry - sadly, it has not yet made the full round at vets that while xeno is a good quality product, experiences with xenex in guinea pigs are negative.

It hope that they get over it well. Please let the vet clinic know that there has been a bad reaction, so they can report it back to the provider/producer and notify any vets in their clinic not to use it anymore on guinea pigs.
 
She has just called me to ask how we got on with the first treatment and I told her he'd had a bad reaction she's also given me the phone number of the provider and said she is going to contact them and I should too, she was so apologetic and I'm not blaming her at all I am blaming whoever claims this product is safe for small animals (what it's intended for) I have read up on it and it has killed some rats and mice (also what it's intended for) it has devastated me and I would not wish for any pet/owner to go through this terrible ordeal I have also left a review of xenex ultra on Amazon telling people not to buy it, there was loads of people on there saying it had done this to their pet and I managed to talk to a lady (through the ask a question page) about her experience with this product because she had left a review of it saying her 3 Guinea pigs had also had this reaction to it and she said they were ill for a week and they had to be kept in a dark quiet room to recover but they are all still alive thank goodness.
Thank you very much I will take a look at the housing and enrichment section now :) X
 
Stayc1989 said:
My Guinea pigs have been scratching quite a lot lately and I have taken them to 2 different vets about it. Today I took them to a new vets that I haven't been to before and I was given some spot on treatment called xenex ultra spot on. Anyway I always research things before using them and this time for some stupid reason I didn't and now my frankie pig has had some kind of reaction and I am so upset and blaming myself.

Firstly I'm blaming myself for not reading the reviews first because the majority of the reviews about this product say their pets had this "reaction" to the product and 2 I am blaming myself because he was going mental for about half an hour and I just thought he had got something stuck in his ear but I couldn't see anything, so he was suffering for half an hour before I washed it off at 3.10am. I feel like such an idiot and I am really upset about it.

He has calmed down abit now I have bathed him but how can I have been so stupid not to read the reviews before giving this to my babies I am in tears about it but I swear to god if he dies I am going to sue this company for selling dangerous products. Most of the reviews are saying their pet had this reaction so how can it still be available if it's dangerous? They all had the same symptoms too like banging their head, attacking the owners, red skin, running around the cage, and it wasn't just Guinea pigs it was rabbits, and rats too! I am so angry/upset/distressed about it and there's no chance of me getting any sleep tonight now or getting the images of him banging his head all over out of my head! How can they do that to people's pets all he keeps doing is running away from me now and I darent put him back in his cage incase some of the product rubbed off him into his pigloo and he gets it on his skin again but I can't wash all the cage and accessories until the morning because I have just woken the whole house up by screaming and crying about it and everyone's just got back to sleep. I am going to ring the vets first thing in the morning they open at 7 so going to get him checked out I hope he doesn't hate me now I feel so guilty :( but I definitely gave him the correct dosage I made sure.
I feel like such a bad owner because it's taken me ages to get him to trust me and now he's running away from me I think I've really upset him and I can't stop crying :(
Click to expand...
Omg I have that same one for my pigs I've used it twice but had no reaction may I ask how many drops did you use on him, I'm a little nervous about using this product now it was sold to me by a pet supplier where I get my hay and bedding from
 
Tangerine49 said:
Omg I have that same one for my pigs I've used it twice but had no reaction may I ask how many drops did you use on him, I'm a little nervous about using this product now it was sold to me by a pet supplier where I get my hay and bedding from
Click to expand...

Please do not use it and switch to xeno instead. Xenex is a cheap shortcut that is not worth the risk; we have had several people coming on here with bad reactions. :(
 
Wiebke said:
Please do not use it and switch to xeno instead. Xenex is a cheap shortcut that is not worth the risk; we have had several people coming on here with bad reactions. :(
Click to expand...
Oh my I thought at £15 that it was suitable I will purchase the other immediately! And tell my supplier as much!
 
Wiebke said:
Please do not use it and switch to xeno instead. Xenex is a cheap shortcut that is not worth the risk; we have had several people coming on here with bad reactions. :(
Click to expand...
Which xeno is best please?
 
Tangerine49 said:
Which xeno is best please?
Click to expand...

It depends on the weight. Xeno is now being sold in three strenghts.
xeno 50 spot on for piggies under 800g
xeno 200 spray for guinea pigs between 800g-1200g
xeno 450 post-on for guinea pigs over 1200g
Follow the instructions on the label.

Please do not use ivermectin as a preventative for a mange mites outbreak. It can lead to resistence. Rather treat an outbreak properly with three rounds at the recommended interval.

Mange mite eggs are present in most guinea pigs's skin. They are usually kept well under control by a healthy immune system, but can make an appearance whenever the immune system is lowered or not working full due to illness, stress, pregnancy etc. Young shop/breeder guinea pigs are particularly prone as their immune system is not yet fully developed when their short lives are completely upturned.
We have got worrying reports of developing resistence to ivermectin in the last few years. In a really bad outbreak, the most effective way to treat mange mites are injections of ivermectin.

Please do not home treat on spec and make sure that you have got the right diagnosis, as you can otherwise do more harm than good.
 
I was advised to give them 3 each as they weigh 140kg no please don't use it, I'd hate for any more pigs to go through this he's still not 100% right and the lady I spoke to on Amazon has told me it could take 7-10 days for him to fully recover. 3 out of 4 of hers all had this reaction she said she contacted local rescues and told them to make people aware of it which I am also going to do tomorrow and we are both going to try to get Amazon to stop selling it too I am going to email them tomorrow, I'm also going to sign up to other small pet forums and tell them not to use it either as it has also affected rabbits, mice and rats and some resulted in death. I will not stop until this thing is off the shelves it's deadly and it's so easy to get hold of X
 
Stayc1989 said:
I was advised to give them 3 each as they weigh 140kg no please don't use it, I'd hate for any more pigs to go through this he's still not 100% right and the lady I spoke to on Amazon has told me it could take 7-10 days for him to fully recover. 3 out of 4 of hers all had this reaction she said she contacted local rescues and told them to make people aware of it which I am also going to do tomorrow and we are both going to try to get Amazon to stop selling it too I am going to email them tomorrow, I'm also going to sign up to other small pet forums and tell them not to use it either as it has also affected rabbits, mice and rats and some resulted in death. I will not stop until this thing is off the shelves it's deadly and it's so easy to get hold of X
Click to expand...
I won't be using it again so relieved you posted this thank you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top