Roxanne1
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi all,
I am a new member. This is my first post. I've been combing the internet for some time now. Often landing here. So, this is the forum I've decided to join, thinking I might have the best chance of help here.
I have four pigs. Well my son and daughter have two each. Two boys in one room. Two girls in another. One of the girls, Fluffy, has been scratching for about 4 weeks. Upon noticing this she was separated from her sister. Three other piggies are asymptomatic.
Took her in to the vet 6- 10. They put her on Sulfatrim for 10 days. Tape test. No visible improvement. On 6 - 28, at vet's, she was given Ivermectin. Tape test negative. Microscopically, negative. No visible improvement. On 7 - 5, took her in to Exotic emergency. Given second dose of Ivermectin, Gabapentin, Erofloxacin and Metcam. It is now what, July 9th, still no visible improvement. Just worsening. How long does this ivermectin take for crying out loud?
What started as a little scratching, turned to big open sore on back between shoulder blades, to a sore on each forearm , a couple of little ones here and there, and most recently to thinning hair, and sores, on top of her back. Sores are a little rounded and irregular. Itching. Itching. Itching. I can't even count how many times I've put her e cone on. I do not leave it on at night because she puts her front paws in and I am afraid she will strangle herself, or constrict her chest or abdominal cavity- but she wears it all day as she sits atop the kitchen table where I am watching her. I tried to cut a short sock and put it over her body , slide her into it, but she quickly rid herself of that. She twitches, she cries when touched and held. Two days ago I thought things were looking up, improving. She seemed less bothered, a little more calm. I thought she was pulling through. Today she is just as itchy as ever. I don't know what to do. I adhere to the prescription regimen. I bathe her once as prescribed. I changed to paper bedding. I've scrubbed her cage. I am careful not to cross contaminate with other piggies. Very careful.
This is one of my daughter's piggyies She is away. She will be home on Wednesday. I had so hoped to heal this piggy, for piggie's sake and for her sake. I didn't want her to see her piggie still suffering like this. I am waiting for a doctor call. I don't know what to do. It is so hard to sit there and watch piggy suffer. To not even be able to comfort her by holding her, unless I hold her very very gently and carefully. And even then I usually irritate something somewhere. And, she is alone with no friend in her cage. It's awful for her. It's awful for me, to not be able to help her. I just sit and hold her and cry and hope that something works soon. Any advice, suggestions, any hopeful sharing of your going through the same thing and it did work it just took longer than this? I sit and think is it possible that I am going to have to put Fluffy to sleep for mites or a fungal skin condition, over something like this...is this where it is heading, can it possibly be? I don't know what to do. Please share anything you might think is helpful or hopeful..... Thank you, Roxanne
I am a new member. This is my first post. I've been combing the internet for some time now. Often landing here. So, this is the forum I've decided to join, thinking I might have the best chance of help here.
I have four pigs. Well my son and daughter have two each. Two boys in one room. Two girls in another. One of the girls, Fluffy, has been scratching for about 4 weeks. Upon noticing this she was separated from her sister. Three other piggies are asymptomatic.
Took her in to the vet 6- 10. They put her on Sulfatrim for 10 days. Tape test. No visible improvement. On 6 - 28, at vet's, she was given Ivermectin. Tape test negative. Microscopically, negative. No visible improvement. On 7 - 5, took her in to Exotic emergency. Given second dose of Ivermectin, Gabapentin, Erofloxacin and Metcam. It is now what, July 9th, still no visible improvement. Just worsening. How long does this ivermectin take for crying out loud?
What started as a little scratching, turned to big open sore on back between shoulder blades, to a sore on each forearm , a couple of little ones here and there, and most recently to thinning hair, and sores, on top of her back. Sores are a little rounded and irregular. Itching. Itching. Itching. I can't even count how many times I've put her e cone on. I do not leave it on at night because she puts her front paws in and I am afraid she will strangle herself, or constrict her chest or abdominal cavity- but she wears it all day as she sits atop the kitchen table where I am watching her. I tried to cut a short sock and put it over her body , slide her into it, but she quickly rid herself of that. She twitches, she cries when touched and held. Two days ago I thought things were looking up, improving. She seemed less bothered, a little more calm. I thought she was pulling through. Today she is just as itchy as ever. I don't know what to do. I adhere to the prescription regimen. I bathe her once as prescribed. I changed to paper bedding. I've scrubbed her cage. I am careful not to cross contaminate with other piggies. Very careful.
This is one of my daughter's piggyies She is away. She will be home on Wednesday. I had so hoped to heal this piggy, for piggie's sake and for her sake. I didn't want her to see her piggie still suffering like this. I am waiting for a doctor call. I don't know what to do. It is so hard to sit there and watch piggy suffer. To not even be able to comfort her by holding her, unless I hold her very very gently and carefully. And even then I usually irritate something somewhere. And, she is alone with no friend in her cage. It's awful for her. It's awful for me, to not be able to help her. I just sit and hold her and cry and hope that something works soon. Any advice, suggestions, any hopeful sharing of your going through the same thing and it did work it just took longer than this? I sit and think is it possible that I am going to have to put Fluffy to sleep for mites or a fungal skin condition, over something like this...is this where it is heading, can it possibly be? I don't know what to do. Please share anything you might think is helpful or hopeful..... Thank you, Roxanne
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