Some People Are So Evil!

[Coco&Luna]

I feel like i have to rant about this cause i'm so upset and angry.
I've had luna since she was found in a tiny cage dumped in a bin at a dump. When i took her home, she had a badly deformed feet from extremely overgrown nails. She walks on the sides of her ankle on one foot. Was told by the vet she had ovarian cyst, pea eye, cuts on her eye sockets, was malnourished Mites/fungal issues. my vets have fixed all of these issues as best as can be.
However, she also hated to be touched and tries to bite you if you pat her anywhere but her head, she had been making grunting hooty noises alot, crying when she poos and somtimes pees, and constantly has her bum soaked with urine, and was generally an unhappy pig. I have tried to treat these with antibiotics which didnt not work and taken her to the vets several times to no avail. Thanks to @Pebble she encouraged me to take her to the vets for xray on her bladder, kidneys, lungs and heart. This was done today, it turned out that everything was fine in these areas. What the vets found was that Luna has been living with a badly fractured pelvis for got knows how long which has healed displaced because she was not taken to a vet when this person did this to her. She cannot lift her back legs to urinate and this is why she gets a wet bum. and the grunting hooting noise is sounds of pain when she moves and the pain when she pees and poos is because the pressure of pushing pushes on her pelvis. I cant believe someone did this to my little girl, I feel horrified. I don't imagine that when you fracture a guinea pigs pelvis that this does not cause obvious pain that this person must have ignored then dumped her in a bin however later.

I feel like crying everytime i look at her thinking of the **** she has been through in her little life
I always knew things were bad for her, but I cant believe this. She's such a lovely wee person too, I wish I knew who it was. Even the vets were interested in who had owned her before me.
I feel guilty too for how long it's taken me to find out what's wrong


WHO COULD HURT THAT BEAUTFUL WEE PERSON!

 

[Cavy Lover]

I know and you have every reason to rant about this. She is a beautiful little girl. How could anyone ever do this to any type of animal. How is she now?

 

[Lilly]

Oh that is just horrific! No wonder she was bitey. Poor girl living with all that pain. Is she getting some sort of pain relief now?

 

[Julesie]

Oh shes gorgeous!

I'm not at all surprised you feel this way. How sickening. Poor girl, shes been through a lot. I'm glad she has you as her loving parent now who obviously cares very much for her. x

 

[ayemee]

Oh thats awful. Poor girl. At least she is with you now and she will have much better care in your hands. Bless her little heart.

 

[worried val of york]

You have every right to feel as you do. It is unbelievable how some people treat animals. Luna looks really cosy now in her photo. Has the vet advised you on how to make her manage with her injury. She will need her bedding changed frequently because of restricted movement. I use vet bed cut in small pieces in areas used for toilets. That way you can try and keep the areas as dry as possible by replacing the damp pieces with clean vet bed pieces. Well done for caring for Luna so much .

 

[piggyfan]

I am so sorry poor Luna has been through all this. Whoever had her previously deserves to be punished. I hope they lead a miserable life. Poor, sweet little girl. You are a wonderful mum to Luna. Please do not feel guilty as there is no way you could have known what was wrong. You have worked hard to get Luna the best care and have saved her life. Hopefully now you have learned what is wrong she can receive treatment. Please feel proud for giving Luna the best care and love there is.

 

[Veggies Galore]

Thank goodness she's got you to look after her now.

 

[Lilly]

@Julesie how did you get your avatar to shuffle photos like that? As I now have 2 lots of 2 boys & the twain shall never meet for photos I'd like to be able to display all of them by doing this. Sorry @Coco&Luna to hijack this thread.

 

[Coco&Luna]

Oh that is just horrific! No wonder she was bitey. Poor girl living with all that pain. Is she getting some sort of pain relief now?

Shes on metacam now long term, I've to clean her bum area every day and they want her back at the vets in 10 days to see how things are for her on the metacam.
I was gunna clean her bum tonight, but she's been at the vets from 8:30 this morning until half 7 tonight, so i've just gave her her metacam and put her in her cosy clean cage to let her sleep and ill do it in the morning. I don't want to upset her any more today.

I know and you have every reason to rant about this. She is a beautiful little girl. How could anyone ever do this to any type of animal. How is she now?

She's fine now she was trembling from being in the vets, but she's just up from a wee nap and is now wheeking for supper, so I think she's ok lol

 

[Julesie]

@Julesie how did you get your avatar to shuffle photos like that? As I now have 2 lots of 2 boys & the twain shall never meet for photos I'd like to be able to display all of them by doing this. Sorry @Coco&Luna to hijack this thread.

I made them animated by using photoshop. =)
If you have photoshop you just click 'window then animation' and on the timeline on the right click 'copy frame then paste frame'

 

[Pebble]

I'm so very sorry to hear this latest news.

You came on here for advice - you took it.....you got an Xray and you now have a diagnosis. All credit to you and your vet. And actually- (unlike some piggie slaves) at least you now know the cause of Luna's problems/symptoms.

I appreciate the diagnosis has been somewhat gobsmacking (it is to me too!) but it is in no way a reflection on you and your care of Luna....you did the right thing getting the xray

I'm so sorry it hasn;t been better news..and that the news has been such a shock to you.
HOWEVER - You need to be strong for her now as she needs you to help her live a future happy piggie life.

You need to discuss with the vet what care you can give her in the interim that she requires and in order to contribute to her longer term prognosis.
Guinea pigs are very resilient - you will be amazed at how they cope with various deformities/amputations/broken bones rtc
Might be worth putting up a thread in GP Chat for support? Or if you wish, please PM me for a chat on the phone.

You are not alone

Hugs
x

 

[helen105281]

Poor girl, there are some evil pieces of scum in this world unfortunately. At least she is safe now and you know what you are dealing with. I hope the Metacam makes her more comfortable.

 

[Wiebke]

Poor girl! At least now you know what is the matter and can discuss long term care and pain management with your vet.

Apart from cleaning her bum area, I would also recommend to switch cosies twice daily, or get a cosy or a pad that you can turn over so she has a dry surface as much as possible.

There are some people I'd really wish that they were reborn a mistreated pet if only this wouldn't perpetuate the vicious circle...

 

[Coco&Luna]

I'm so very sorry to hear this latest news.

You came on here for advice - you took it.....you got an Xray and you now have a diagnosis. All credit to you and your vet. And actually- (unlike some piggie slaves) at least you now know the cause of Luna's problems/symptoms.

I appreciate the diagnosis has been somewhat gobsmacking (it is to me too!) but it is in no way a reflection on you and your care of Luna....you did the right thing getting the xray

I'm so sorry it hasn;t been better news..and that the news has been such a shock to you.
HOWEVER - You need to be strong for her now as she needs you to help her live a future happy piggie life.

You need to discuss with the vet what care you can give her in the interim that she requires and in order to contribute to her longer term prognosis.
Guinea pigs are very resilient - you will be amazed at how they cope with various deformities/amputations/broken bones rtc
Might be worth putting up a thread in GP Chat for support? Or if you wish, please PM me for a chat on the phone.

You are not alone

Hugs
x

Thank you so so much for all the help you've given me while I've been tearing my hair out, If it wasn't for your extensive knowledge, advice and encouraging this xray i'd still be sitting here clueless.
I will, I'll discuss this with the vet when shes due back in 10 days.
I'm so so grateful, the world needs more of you x

 

[MyGuineaPigPals]

Your an absolute angel the poor girl! She is very lucky to have found you! Can anything be done to heal her pelvis and reduce her pain surgery wise? Or any other method at all? Just give her comfort and love she will learn to be less bitey and love you. She just needs a while to trust. Well done you though. If you need any fleece beds or absorbent pads for her cage and your looking around to buy some, drop me an inbox ill be happy to offer a discount or even a bogof for your poor little girl. I'm really touched by this.

 

[Goth Mummy]

poor girl. It is a great credit to you that you have persisted in searching for a diagnosis. Life should improve for her on metacam. Even if her life is shortened by the pain killers, it should be a more comfortable life and it is quality that is important.
Gentle huges to Luna xx

 

[Coco&Luna]

Poor girl! At least now you know what is the matter and can discuss long term care and pain management with your vet.

Apart from cleaning her bum area, I would also recommend to switch cosies twice daily, or get a cosy or a pad that you can turn over so she has a dry surface as much as possible.

There are some people I'd really wish that they were reborn a mistreated pet if only this wouldn't perpetuate the vicious circle...

I know
Yeah, i was thinking that. I change her fleeces in her bed once a day and a full cage clean 3x a week. But i'm definitely gunna take your advice and do it a few times a day from now on.

@worried val of york just looked it up, vet bed is a great idea! thank you! I'm just gunna buy her some just now, I was actually online looking for a wee present to buy her for her for being so brave, so that can be it! lol

 

[Coco&Luna]

Your an absolute angel the poor girl! She is very lucky to have found you! Can anything be done to heal her pelvis and reduce her pain surgery wise? Or any other method at all? Just give her comfort and love she will learn to be less bitey and love you. She just needs a while to trust. Well done you though. If you need any fleece beds or absorbent pads for her cage and your looking around to buy some, drop me an inbox ill be happy to offer a discount or even a bogof for your poor little girl. I'm really touched by this.

the vets said they want to have further discussion with me if the pain medication doesn't help significantly. But I'm hopeful it will. I'm not sure at all what age she is she, but the vets seemed sure shes about 4 now and I'm terrified of her going through GA. I'm hoping this makes a huge difference to her quality of life and she wont need any surgery.
Thank you so much, that's really really kind of you. I might well do that if your sure. x

 

[Coco&Luna]

@Goth Mummy Does metacam shorten life expectancy by much generally? I was worried about that because its going to be long term, but i'll just have to accept that, I just want her to be happy and comfortable for once in her life.

 

[Goth Mummy]

I dont know that it does @Coco&Luna I was just meaning that you should not worry about that possibility, just get her comfortable. I know that long term anti inflamatory pain relief use can put a strain on the liver of other species (horses, dogs). However I don't think you need to worry about this at all, she needs to be comfortable and that is the main thing at this stage. I do hope that she responds well to the metacam.

I'm sure there are some forum members who have piggies on long term metacam for arthritis etc who can advise?

 

[Coco&Luna]

Ugh, I'm not too worried about it, it's just a risk ill have to take if it means she'll sure she'll live a happy piggy life, like you said quality is always better than quantity. If it was me, id certainly be taking it

 

[Goth Mummy]

My horse has had Bute (anti-inflamatory pain killer) since he was 11 and he is 25 now. Everyone told me to ignore the vet (!) and not to give it to him, to give him herbal pain relief (devils claw) instead as long term use would shorten his lifespan.

I decided I would rather have a happy pain free horse for less years. However he is now 25, and will be 26 in May. He is is pretty old for a horse! He does have an impaired liver function now but that is a minor issue really. It would have been awful to leave him in pain all those years. I often think he will outlive me anyway!

 

[Freela]

That poor thing! It's disgusting what some people will do to animals! I have never understood it. It's not like any forces you to take on a pet... you have to make an honest effort to acquire one, and then you abuse it? Why get it in the first place? I feel so bad for her... at least she now has you and a good home and will hopefully get some pain relief that will improve her quality of life substantially!

 

[Tbag]

Gosh your poor little girl! How horrible. I bet she feels like she has been in heaven since you found her.
I am sorry you didn't get the best diagnosis from the X-ray but as lots of people have said you can still do a lot to make her comfortable.
If you don't have much success with the metacam you could discuss alternate pain killers with your vet, Tramadol perhaps. X

 

[sport_billy]

Utter scum, you have every right to be mad.

I am just so pleased you got her and are taking the best of care of your beautiful little girl.

Cookie is on long term metacam for her jaw arthritis twice a day, she is 5, it can put a strain on piggies kidneys I believe but we weighed out the risks along with quality of life and it is the right trade off to do in our case.

Main thing is finding a pain killing regime that works for Luna. We are all here for you to sound off to.

Love to Luna and a hug to you
x

 

[katie-elizabeth]

Poor little Luna no wonder you are mad, it still baffles me how evil people can be. Things can only get better for Luna now she has a fab piggie mum! Fingers crossed metacam will help x

 

[Pebble]

You have had plenty of suggestions about bedding etc.

Here's my input on ORAL Pain relief options::

Metacam: non-steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID). Normally first choice for pain relief in piggies but not always that effective.
Long term use has been shown to affect kidney function in dogs so vets are wary about prescribing it long term in piggies who may have impaired kidney function (eg urinary/stones issues). Normally given as a once daily dose - but again more progressive vets split the dose and give twice daily for better overall effect owing to guinea pigs increased metabolic rate compared to other mammals.
Cannot be used if steroids are also being given as the two types of drugs (steroids and NSAID) are contraindicated.


Tramadol - an opiate
Starting to be used more in piggies as far more effective than metacam for deep-seted pain including dental, ears, bones, joints and kidney issues ..especially if steroids are also being given
Many Vets are still concerned that because it is an opiate it will slow down a guinea pigs guts (which may already be compromised by the illness) so are reticent to prescribe it. However proper gut stimulants and supportive care for the condition, can be provided.
Tramadol is now prescribed as first point painkiller (as opposed to metacam) for quite a few of my poorly piggies - we have never had to worry that the drug itself has caused any gut problems - and often the pigs get both tramadol and metacam with no ill effect

Buprecare -another opiate
As Tramadol above - being an opiate same things apply re gut issues but these can be managed with the appropriate gut stimulant medications. This drug has been far more effective than either of the above two drugs for both the mite girls and Valentine (my dental piggie who recently underwent a molar extraction) . The issue with buprecare is you need to ensure you give the required doses at regular and accurate intervals as withdrawal can cause senstiivity issues.

Given the diagnosis - I personally would be looking at opiate pain relief (in addition to metacam) for Luna. And I certainly would be challenging my vets to try all types/combos of pain reilef before any decision is made on her future.
HTH
x

 

[Piggly]

Just reading this thread and have to express how shocked I was to read about the xray results of your piggy. So awful for her to have endured such things in her life :'( she is in the right place for proper care now!

@Pebble can I ask what an opiate is?

 

[Pebble]

It's a classification applied to a certain type of drug and how it acts. Morphine is the most commonly known opiate.