I Really Want To Make An Emergency Kit!

[TheCavySlave]

So I've been reading a couple of threads where piggies are ill, and I think the worst thing in a situation with an ill piggy is being unprepared, so, I want to have a special kit ready with things like Critical Care and syringes- can anyone help me form a list? The kind of thing where if a piggy suddenly became ill, I could help his recovery at once. That could help me worry less. Thanks!

 

[WafflesCupcakes]

Hmmmm. Not sure. They are pretty small, unlike rabbits, cats and dogs so I'm not sure you could bandage them if they were bleeding. I think all the medicine you need would be at the vets.

Maybe keep a kit of toys though, and change the toys in their cage every other week. So they don't get bored.

 

[orangeinepig]

So I've been reading a couple of threads where piggies are ill, and I think the worst thing in a situation with an ill piggy is being unprepared, so, I want to have a special kit ready with things like Critical Care and syringes- can anyone help me form a list? The kind of thing where if a piggy suddenly became ill, I could help his recovery at once. That could help me worry less. Thanks!

I have an assortment of different size syringes, critical care/Recovery Plus however I am always afraid of hay pokes and have been searching for creams that can soothe hay pokes however I would also be interested in a kit list

 

[TheCavySlave]

I have an assortment of different size syringes, critical care/Recovery Plus however I am always afraid of hay pokes and have been searching for creams that can soothe hay pokes however I would also be interested in a kit list

Yes, I've heard a lot about hay pokes. We've been okay so far, touch wood

 

[acapae]

I was actually looking for first aid kit recommendations last night as I have a bunch of stuff for other people, so I was wondering what I should add for piggies.
There's this reference post: First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

I have a number of things which aren't on that list (painkillers, sub cut fluids etc. as my vets trust me to do things asap to increase survival chances and still go in), but the main emergency supplies for me to add are a food suitable for syringe feeding (wondering about that is why I started looking in the first place) and metatone (which I've never heard of before).

I have an assortment of different size syringes, critical care/Recovery Plus

Are those the main two syringe feeding foods? What's the difference between them/ is one better than the other to have in reserve in the first instance?

 

[orangeinepig]

I was actually looking for first aid kit recommendations last night as I have a bunch of stuff for other people, so I was wondering what I should add for piggies.
There's this reference post: First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs

I have a number of things which aren't on that list (painkillers, sub cut fluids etc. as my vets trust me to do things asap to increase survival chances and still go in), but the main emergency supplies for me to add are a food suitable for syringe feeding (wondering about that is why I started looking in the first place) and metatone (which I've never heard of before).


Are those the main two syringe feeding foods? What's the difference between them/ is one better than the other to have in reserve in the first instance?

I believe they both are good however I went through critical care so fast with my ill guinea pig that it was much easier and cheaper for me to just buy a box of 10 sachets of recovery plus from my vets. My vets also trust me due to the fact I actually volunteer there for work experience so I believe I should be able to also get ahold of the things you have stated above

 

[Flutterby]

The emergency Kit listed above is very good!

 

[Guineapig lover]

How often do piggies get sick? This forum is great but it's making me a bit paranoid! It's a bit like when
I went to weight watchers all I did was think about food.

 

[acapae]

How often do piggies get sick? This forum is great but it's making me a bit paranoid!

I don't know the answer to that as I'm new to keeping them. But the main thing to bear in mind with any animal care forum is that people pretty much only post new health threads when there's a problem. People don't post to say "my pet is healthy and fine" as there's unlikely to be a question to gather opinion on. Which, if you take at face value, can imply that animals are always sick.

You could think of it sort of like a reverse iceberg - you see the relatively small bit of illnessness, but not the much larger amount of good health, feining you into believing that the bit you see is all there is.

 

[sport_billy]

I don't know the answer to that as I'm new to keeping them. But the main thing to bear in mind with any animal care forum is that people pretty much only post new health threads when there's a problem. People don't post to say "my pet is healthy and fine" as there's unlikely to be a question to gather opinion on. Which, if you take at face value, can imply that animals are always sick.

You could think of it sort of like a reverse iceberg - you see the relatively small bit of illnessness, but not the much larger amount of good health, feining you into believing that the bit you see is all there is.

Spot on reply

 

[Kit06]

Amongst other things I keep Critical Care fine grind in (I find this easiest to syringe), some probiotics of some sort, some fibreplex, ivermectin and imaverol and lots of spare syringes.

I went years and years with my piggies not requiring any first aid or veterinary care but recently as they've all got older (and probably bad luck) I have been to the vets more times than I care to mention and spent an absolute fortune (in the £1000's) on vets fees. I think this is something to think about when people first start out with a couple of piggies and then decide to add more and more to their herd. It's easy when they are all well but if you have one (or two!) ill and you end up having to go to the vets and syringe feeding through the night etc it becomes expensive, time consuming and emotionally hard work!