Becca91
New Born Pup
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
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- 39
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- Location
- Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Took my two girlies to the emergency vets late on Wednesday as Alice just hadn't been herself... she hadn't been eating as much, and had just been huddled in the corner... Her breathing had become rattley and she sounded rather unwell indeed. She had sneezed a bit the day before but I hadn't really twigged as she had sneezed before with no following illness.
I explained to the vets I had stupidly changed their woodshavings from pets at home to dodson and horrell's own brand. Stupid move, I know, I so wish I hadn't of, believe me... Prior to this I had already taken out all of the shavings, disinfected the cage and put newspaper and fleece down for them - I was already adement I had made them poorly with these new shavings as that was the only thing that had changed.
The vets took a look at them and agreed that Alice did sound very rattley and he also told me Florence was too, but not as bad. He gave them a shot of antibiotics and gave me some Baytril to take with me to administer to both of them, starting from Thursday morning, twice a day (0.2ml). He told me he couldn't be sure whether I had just irritated them by using the shavings, whether I'd given them an allergy or if they had a respiritory infection <-- seemingly so.
Now as I posted last week, my piggies were not very well handled what so ever... They have been getting their medicine twice a day as they should since Thursday morning and have been increasingly accepting of me picking them up. However, it's strange for them all of a sudden to be picked up twice a day, especially when they know it's to be given nasty meds even though I put honey over the end of the syringe!
Florence seems to have made lots of progress, her breathing was never rattley to the extend you could hear it, and she seems to be close to her spritely self again. I keep thinking Alice is improving but then I think she isn't... Her rattley breathing keeps going away and coming back again... Neither of them are eating like they should at all, or drinking for that matter - I have been giving them water through a syringe after their baytril, petrified they are going to dehydrate... They are eating, little bits of hay, say a few pellets and a small piece of pepper (their normal veggies are on offer exactly the same as they always are.) They are passing droppings, slightly squidgier than normal... Last night I was a bit shaken up as Alice dark brown poos were significantly lighter and she must have done a runnier one as when she sat on her fleece she left a mark which I thought was blood! I examined her all over but found nothing, no blood, just a bit of poo on her bum which I wiped and was satisfied it wasn't blood...
I threw a sheet over the cage last night and they seemed to come out a lot more - I think are just baracading themselves in, in fear I'm going to grab them and shove medicine in their mouths, cos they're not use to it at all... They haven't had their morning dose yet as they had it quite late last night, about half ten, so I will be giving it at half ten ish... I have however examined them, particularly Alice as she is the main worry (Florence just relentlessly sticks by her side) And she was mess-free on the rear end. After popping them back in, I went to get the rabbit some spinach and I heard squeeking and they had climbed up the bars for some!
They took it from me through the cage bars (yay!) so that's promising.. I put the blanket back over the cage thinking they may come out as they feel undisturbed and I heard the water bottle going and some munching...
After doing research about this kind of thing, I've read about probiotics to keep them eating? Could I have some info on these please? It could be that they are just scared to come out but then again maybe it's not... They still have quite a bit of baytril left, and I am taking them to my own vet tomorrow morning to see what they have to say...
What do you think? ^ Sorry for the essay, I'm just so worried, and a first time guinea pig owner too! x
I explained to the vets I had stupidly changed their woodshavings from pets at home to dodson and horrell's own brand. Stupid move, I know, I so wish I hadn't of, believe me... Prior to this I had already taken out all of the shavings, disinfected the cage and put newspaper and fleece down for them - I was already adement I had made them poorly with these new shavings as that was the only thing that had changed.
The vets took a look at them and agreed that Alice did sound very rattley and he also told me Florence was too, but not as bad. He gave them a shot of antibiotics and gave me some Baytril to take with me to administer to both of them, starting from Thursday morning, twice a day (0.2ml). He told me he couldn't be sure whether I had just irritated them by using the shavings, whether I'd given them an allergy or if they had a respiritory infection <-- seemingly so.
Now as I posted last week, my piggies were not very well handled what so ever... They have been getting their medicine twice a day as they should since Thursday morning and have been increasingly accepting of me picking them up. However, it's strange for them all of a sudden to be picked up twice a day, especially when they know it's to be given nasty meds even though I put honey over the end of the syringe!
Florence seems to have made lots of progress, her breathing was never rattley to the extend you could hear it, and she seems to be close to her spritely self again. I keep thinking Alice is improving but then I think she isn't... Her rattley breathing keeps going away and coming back again... Neither of them are eating like they should at all, or drinking for that matter - I have been giving them water through a syringe after their baytril, petrified they are going to dehydrate... They are eating, little bits of hay, say a few pellets and a small piece of pepper (their normal veggies are on offer exactly the same as they always are.) They are passing droppings, slightly squidgier than normal... Last night I was a bit shaken up as Alice dark brown poos were significantly lighter and she must have done a runnier one as when she sat on her fleece she left a mark which I thought was blood! I examined her all over but found nothing, no blood, just a bit of poo on her bum which I wiped and was satisfied it wasn't blood...
I threw a sheet over the cage last night and they seemed to come out a lot more - I think are just baracading themselves in, in fear I'm going to grab them and shove medicine in their mouths, cos they're not use to it at all... They haven't had their morning dose yet as they had it quite late last night, about half ten, so I will be giving it at half ten ish... I have however examined them, particularly Alice as she is the main worry (Florence just relentlessly sticks by her side) And she was mess-free on the rear end. After popping them back in, I went to get the rabbit some spinach and I heard squeeking and they had climbed up the bars for some!
They took it from me through the cage bars (yay!) so that's promising.. I put the blanket back over the cage thinking they may come out as they feel undisturbed and I heard the water bottle going and some munching...
After doing research about this kind of thing, I've read about probiotics to keep them eating? Could I have some info on these please? It could be that they are just scared to come out but then again maybe it's not... They still have quite a bit of baytril left, and I am taking them to my own vet tomorrow morning to see what they have to say...
What do you think? ^ Sorry for the essay, I'm just so worried, and a first time guinea pig owner too! x
