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Safe Over The Counter Pain Relief

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Claire W

Claire W

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I know that it isn't advisible to home treat guinea pigs without seeing a vet but I am just wondering if there is any kind of safe pain relief that can be given in an emergency?

Nothing has happened, all my guinea pigs are fine but I am currently replenishing their first aid box.

When Emma had her hay poke injury a few weeks ago, it happened late afternoon at the weekend when the vets were closed. Thankfully I already had an unopened tube of eye drops and metacam so was able to start treatment straight away.

It is in these situations I am thinking of I guess as if there was something seriously wrong, I would see an emergency vet.
 
I think there are but I think it would be very hard to say what the correct dose would be as vets prescribe Metacan according to weight. I don't know how to work out the correct dose for anything else :( Maybe if someone knows it would be better for them to send you a pm :) Maybe ask your vet for a big bottle of Metacam so you always have some handy just in case! When mine are prescribed it I get the big bottle anyway so in an emergency I would have some to hand. I would see my vet first though :)
 
Personally I don't think this thread needs deleting - it was a valid question. One of those things that many folk may have wondered and did not know the answer.

Now we do know the answer so all is good. This forum is all about learning the best thing to do for our piggies and so I think we have learned something from your question. Well done for asking about it and not just trying to figure it out on your own!
 
Claire W said:
Thanks for the replies. I was just curious and would always see a vet if I had a piggy in pain :(

Can a mod please delete this thread?
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Hi Claire. As @AbiS has said, I'm sure many of our newer members have wondered this too, so I think it would be helpful for them if we keep the thread. Metacam, prescribed by a vet, is really the only painkillers a piggy should receive :)
 
It always bothers me that you can't even keep something as simple as metcam in your first aid kit, just until you can get to see a vet, prime example is a bank holiday weekend like this one. If it was something serious then I think the majority of people on here would seek a vet sooner rather than later, but if it isn't life threatening, you are simply helping to relieve the syptoms until you can get some help.
 
I always have Metacam to hand as one of mine is on a low daily dose for chronic bladder issues so if I needed to I could use it for pain relief as well if she developed a UTI over a weekend, I also have Septrin & have started her on them before on a Sunday before getting her down the vets the next day, as we probably know these things tend to start up when the vets are shut on a weekend ;) In my case I would not class it as an emergency needing a vet call out, a vet visit once they open would be sufficient.
 
I am also lucky that we always have Metacam to hand too due to Phoebe though she doesn't need it as much anymore. I was able to use it yesterday when Millie stopped eating though she is now back to normal. Obviously she is going to be checked out. Our vets let us give it as needed if the pig has had it before.
 
I don't worry about keeping a first aid kit as my vets is a rural practice and has someone on call 24/7 365. ;)
 
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