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Specialist Need Help...

Rafael Magliano said:
Thanks for the concern! You weren't harsh at all.
I hope we improve it soon. I don't know if you read it, but I took my first piggie friend, bobbie flay, to a vet who said he was specialized in rodents. He look at him, measured his temperature, looked at his teeth and said he was weak, just that. Injected him a multivitamin and prescribed an oral one. Flay died a couple of days later.
Now I'm skeptical and I'd rather do what you tell me than taking my little friends to a vet here. Until I find one that's really a pro.
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So sad... I do understand why you're afraid to go back there, I wouldn't want to either. I had an incident a week and a half ago where someone wanted to inject one of my girls with penicillin, which would have killed her.

Have you tried posting on the Guinea Lynx forums to ask for vet recommendations there? I know there are some Brazillian members who post there.
 
Oh, I know - there was a time when all piggy illnesses were being diagnosed as scurvy, and ridiculously high doses of vit. C prescribed left, right and center. Need I mention scurvy was the only guinea pig condition included in the standard veterinary curriculum? Scurvy was really the only thing they knew how to treat, and so they treated for it...

I think Mishka's right, you should take a look at Guinea Lynx's recommended vets section:
Veterinarians: Brazil - Guinea Lynx Records

Or send a personal message to a forum member from Brazil. They may know someone.
 
Mishka said:
So sad... I do understand why you're afraid to go back there, I wouldn't want to either. I had an incident a week and a half ago where someone wanted to inject one of my girls with penicillin, which would have killed her.

Have you tried posting on the Guinea Lynx forums to ask for vet recommendations there? I know there are some Brazillian members who post there.
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Not yet, I'll try it.
The problem is that Brasil is a huge country. I'm sure that in Rio, that is 2 and a half hours away there will be some vets.
It's a long trip. Imagine the amount of stress to the little guys.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
Not yet, I'll try it.
The problem is that Brasil is a huge country. I'm sure that in Rio, that is 2 and a half hours away there will be some vets.
It's a long trip. Imagine the amount of stress to the little guys.
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Potentially, yes, but there are ways to transport piggies a long way if that is your only option. I was speaking to another member about this yesterday, she was telling me she travels for hours with her little ones on the train to get them to the best vet care and they tolerate it very well.
 
RosieMaia said:
Oh, I know - there was a time when all piggy illnesses were being diagnosed as scurvy, and ridiculously high doses of vit. C prescribed left, right and center. Need I mention scurvy was the only guinea pig condition included in the standard veterinary curriculum? Scurvy was really the only thing they knew how to treat, and so they treated for it...

I think Mishka's right, you should take a look at Guinea Lynx's recommended vets section:
Veterinarians: Brazil - Guinea Lynx Records

Or send a personal message to a forum member from Brazil. They may know someone.
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I'll try it!
Did you see how uncapable the vet her was? He didn't even mention scurvy. Not even asked for exams.
 
I don't think the trip would affect them - we travel frequently with our three, and for longer than 3 hours, and they've never had any issues
 
RosieMaia said:
I don't think the trip would affect them - we travel frequently with our three, and for longer than 3 hours, and they've never had any issues
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It's good to know.
She's showing signs of improvement though, I will wait a couple of days and keep on treating her like i'm doing. I still have two days of vit. C to give her before it completes a week of treatment.
In the meantime I'll look for a vet.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
It's good to know.
She's showing signs of improvement though, I will wait a couple of days and keep on treating her like i'm doing. I still have two days of vit. C to give her before it completes a week of treatment.
In the meantime I'll look for a vet.
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Here are our travelling tips: Travelling with guinea pigs

I know of guinea pigs who are making an 8 hours car journey each way to see a specialist vet for their chronic dental treatment all the way from Scotland down to north of London, but that is admittedly the extreme! But it is doable.
I've been on over 3 hour train journeys with piggies from 7 weeks of age to over 9 years old, as well as with freshly operated piggies. The longest car journey I have undertaken myself was over 6 hours each way.

all the best for finding knowledgeable care.

Sorry if my post didn't get posted. It's been often very hectic on the forum with a very ill piggy of my own to get through a life-threatening situation. I am moderating in my own free time for no monetary reward, by the way, as all mods are on this forum.
 
Wiebke said:
Here are our travelling tips: Travelling with guinea pigs

I know of guinea pigs who are making an 8 hours car journey each way to see a specialist vet for their chronic dental treatment all the way from Scotland down to north of London, but that is admittedly the extreme! But it is doable.
I've been on over 3 hour train journeys with piggies from 7 weeks of age to over 9 years old, as well as with freshly operated piggies. The longest car journey I have undertaken myself was over 6 hours each way.

all the best for finding knowledgeable care.

Sorry if my post didn't get posted. It's been often very hectic on the forum with a very ill piggy of my own to get through a life-threatening situation. I am moderating in my own free time for no monetary reward, by the way, as all mods are on this forum.
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Thank you for the info, @Wiebke
If somehow I can be of any help for you, just let me know.
 
I found out what is happening to Galak after all.
Her teeth aren't straight. I just say it, I dont know if it changed from the last time I checked. But they are not straight. :/
 
Do you mean the incisors (the front teeth)? Or did you somehow manage to see the back teeth? Sometimes the back teeth, if they've ingrown severely, can be seen forming an arch above the tongue

If the teeth are the issue, I'd advise you to continue syringing her, and get in touch with a vet with good references. I see there are veterinary dentists suggested on Guinea Lynx's page, so I imagine a trip would be helpful.
 
She must see a vet. Please, take her to the one that's far away, if that is the nearest exotic. I am begging you. I lost my beloved pig in August due to her teeth. Every minute was agony for her and us, and she was so ill by the time we found what was wrong and got them planed, she was too ill to recover from the surgery. The sooner you can get her to the vet the better her chances. Please. I don't want you to go through what we did. Just take her, she will okay on the journey if you prepare well.
 
I'm sorry for the delay, I've been busy lately.
Yeah, @RosieMaia. Her incisors are a little crooked, not much, but I think it may be the problem. Along with the food and stuff that I have already changed.
@Mishka I'll find a good vet soon. Thank you for all the help, the good thoughts and everything.
About the pup, It's certainly a sow. I press above the genitals, nothing pops out. I compared her with Galak, it's pretty much the same. I reintroduced her to the ladies house. She's now happy again with her mother and sisters.
She was so sad by herself, it broke my heart to look at her like that.
Pancetta, Gialla, Galak, Bacon, Flay Jr. e Maluquinho send their loving regards.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
I'm sorry for the delay, I've been busy lately.
Yeah, @RosieMaia. Her incisors are a little crooked, not much, but I think it may be the problem. Along with the food and stuff that I have already changed.
@Mishka I'll find a good vet soon. Thank you for all the help, the good thoughts and everything.
About the pup, It's certainly a sow. I press above the genitals, nothing pops out. I compared her with Galak, it's pretty much the same. I reintroduced her to the ladies house. She's now happy again with her mother and sisters.
She was so sad by herself, it broke my heart to look at her like that.
Pancetta, Gialla, Galak, Bacon, Flay Jr. e Maluquinho send their loving regards.
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The incisors being crooked like that indicate she is favoring chewing on one side. This can be down to either issues with her molars overgrowing or an abscess. Both of which will kill.

Keep pumping food into her, and bear in mind, wasting even hours to find a vet in a situation like this can mean the difference between life and death. I know you're looking, but I want to stress how potentially lethal a situation she's in.
 
Mishka said:
The incisors being crooked like that indicate she is favoring chewing on one side. This can be down to either issues with her molars overgrowing or an abscess. Both of which will kill.

Keep pumping food into her, and bear in mind, wasting even hours to find a vet in a situation like this can mean the difference between life and death. I know you're looking, but I want to stress how potentially lethal a situation she's in.
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I understand. Thanks for the concern, @Mishka. I'll keep on trying until I find a vet.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
I understand. Thanks for the concern, @Mishka. I'll keep on trying until I find a vet.
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I'm really, really rooting for you. I really am. I so badly want her to be okay, you have no idea. If I come across harsh, I don't mean to. I am very frightened for your sweet girl. My Crumbs that died in August was the sweetest, gentlest little girl, and when I lost her to this issue. it honestly broke my heart. I will never be the same again. I don't want that for you.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
I'll find a good vet soon. Thank you for all the help, the good thoughts and everything.
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@Rafael Magliano, please, please don't wait any longer and contact a vet today.

For you to be able to see a change in her incisors means that the teeth problem is very advanced. She should have seen a qualified vet the moment the problem started, any delays are depriving her of her chance to fight this and survive. This isn't something for which you can afford to just sit back, wait and see, she's running out of time and starving right now (even if you're syringe feeding).
 
Hey, @Mishka. How are you?

Things are apparently better. Galak is showing lots of signs of improvement on her conditions.
She's asking for food, she doesnt look down and depressed anymore. She even tries to rob the othe's food. She's walking the whole cage.
Eventhough she's eating by herself, I still separate her from the others at least three times a day to syringe feed her and give her some grass.
I'm not sure, but it seems that her chewing is getting more normal. But I still can spot some difficulties in it.
Her pee is fine and her poo has the right shape and it's normal sized. Relatively to her size, of course.
One little stupid question, do we have to sedate the piggie in order to make a x-ray? I'm asking you thet, because I have a vet friend, maybe we could try it, but if we have to sedate her, it would be too dangerous!
 
Rafael Magliano said:
Hey, @Mishka. How are you?

Things are apparently better. Galak is showing lots of signs of improvement on her conditions.
She's asking for food, she doesnt look down and depressed anymore. She even tries to rob the othe's food. She's walking the whole cage.
Eventhough she's eating by herself, I still separate her from the others at least three times a day to syringe feed her and give her some grass.
I'm not sure, but it seems that her chewing is getting more normal. But I still can spot some difficulties in it.
Her pee is fine and her poo has the right shape and it's normal sized. Relatively to her size, of course.
One little stupid question, do we have to sedate the piggie in order to make a x-ray? I'm asking you thet, because I have a vet friend, maybe we could try it, but if we have to sedate her, it would be too dangerous!
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You're doign a good job of keeping her going. OFC she still needs a vet desperately.

If she's well behaved, they should be able to x-ray her without sedation. I have only had a piggy sedated once for taking images and that's just because she was so distressed she wouldn't sit still and kept trying to run off the table.

Sedation for x-rays is not like full anesthetic either. It's a bare, bare whiff of gas and they're awake again within minutes. But the likelihood is this won't be necessary. It'll really depend what images/positions they need. A skull x-ray should be easy enough.
 
Mishka said:
You're doign a good job of keeping her going. OFC she still needs a vet desperately.

If she's well behaved, they should be able to x-ray her without sedation. I have only had a piggy sedated once for taking images and that's just because she was so distressed she wouldn't sit still and kept trying to run off the table.

Sedation for x-rays is not like full anesthetic either. It's a bare, bare whiff of gas and they're awake again within minutes. But the likelihood is this won't be necessary. It'll really depend what images/positions they need. A skull x-ray should be easy enough.
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With a x-ray I will get the answer if it's a teeth or an abcess, won't I?
 
Rafael Magliano said:
With a x-ray I will get the answer if it's a teeth or an abcess, won't I?
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It will certainly help, yes. It will show if there are issues with her molars/any areas of infection. A competent vet will do their best to look in her mouth with an otoscope while she's awake and may be able to make the diagnosis simply with this. It depends, piggies like to hold food in their mouths and this can stop them being able to see the teeth.
 
FYI the reason Galak is doing better is because she likely had scurvy coming on from her poor nutritional status. This would be my guess anyway, because this is what happened to my Crumbs. Keep doing what you're doing, because all the food you can get into her will give her a better chance of recovery in the very likely event she needs dental surgery.
 
Mishka said:
FYI the reason Galak is doing better is because she likely had scurvy coming on from her poor nutritional status. This would be my guess anyway, because this is what happened to my Crumbs. Keep doing what you're doing, because all the food you can get into her will give her a better chance of recovery in the very likely event she needs dental surgery.
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Yeah, I thought that was the case too. I'll keep doing it as long as I can.
For the rest of her life if she needs it.
 
Rafael Magliano said:
Yeah, I thought that was the case too. I'll keep doing it as long as I can.
For the rest of her life if she needs it.
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Hopefully that won't be necessary. I am 99% sure that her issues will be her molars. I'd be willing to lay money on this. And if it is, she may need regular molar planing the rest of her life. But even if she does, there is no reason she cannot lead a good quality of life. A dear friend of mine has a senior guinea pig who has molar planings every 6 weeks and he is back to eating normally within 24 hours after surgery.
 
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