syringe, syringe, syringe!

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Lilly

Lilly

Adult Guinea Pig
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Since Peanut Butter's diagnosis finally of a UTI, it seems my life revolves around syringing!

8am syringe .07 mls tramal, then 2.5 mls bactrim into him. It is really difficult to get .07 out of a 1ml syringe. And he doesn't like the taste of Bactrim despite it being a children's unsweetened banana flavour, so that's always a struggle. 10am syringe 2 mls pro-biotic - at least he likes the taste of it.

4pm repeat the tramal and bactrim. 6pm repeat the pro-biotic.

Set the alarm, wake up at midnight, repeat the tramal and pro-biotic.

Two weeks of that! At least I'm spared syringing the critical care. PB's appetite has never diminished. I now empathise with all you other poor slaves having to syringe ill piggies. How do the rescues do it? I'm sure they usually have more than one ill piggy on their hands.

One bright spark, thanks to a post by member Stewybus I bought those medicine pockets from Sarah at Chucklebunnies. They work a treat! No more PB managing to wriggle out of his towel swaddling by the 2nd ml of Bactrim and running up to hide in my hair.
 
a few weeks back I had 3 pigs on various medications...I had colour coded stickers in my diary!
 
It can be exhausting giving meds and syringe feeding, your doing an ace job. Hope Peanut Butter gets better soon x
 
sport_billy said:
It can be exhausting giving meds and syringe feeding, your doing an ace job. Hope Peanut Butter gets better soon x
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Thanks for the encouragement! Not only is it exhausting but I am forever having to tell people no I can't get there until such and such a time because I have to wait the 2 hours to give PB his 2nd med or I have to leave right now because PB needs his 8 hour pain relief. My friends and family know he is a piggy and just roll their eyes. But others get a bit of a shock when they realise who I am talking about. I was late for my monthly lapidary club meeting the other morning and you should have seen the look on people's faces when I gave my excuse. I actually got a chuckle out of it. Thank goodness I have always worked as a freelancer. I don't think a regular workplace would accept my excuse.
 
I know - very few of my friends understand, even my closest oldest friends don't get it. I sometimes put it down to them been men, but I Only have one male friend who really understands what my girls mean to me and luckily he is my boss so he is always good with vets appointments etc... More of my female friends understand as they are animal lovers themselves.
I am so used to the they are only a pig approach off people that I just ignore it now, their lives are worse off for lacking the love a pet can provide. Even though we have these hard times of illness, the positive affect on our lives is totally worth the pain that inevitably comes with being a piggie slave.

What is Lapidary? It sounds exciting!
 
sport_billy said:
I know - very few of my friends understand, even my closest oldest friends don't get it. I sometimes put it down to them been men, but I Only have one male friend who really understands what my girls mean to me and luckily he is my boss so he is always good with vets appointments etc... More of my female friends understand as they are animal lovers themselves.
I am so used to the they are only a pig approach off people that I just ignore it now, their lives are worse off for lacking the love a pet can provide. Even though we have these hard times of illness, the positive affect on our lives is totally worth the pain that inevitably comes with being a piggie slave.

What is Lapidary? It sounds exciting!
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Rocks! I use machines with water and giant saw blades to cut chunks of lovely rocks into slices, slabs and various shapes, which I then polish on other machines with big sanding disks and polishing compounds. It is actually wet and dirt work - have to wear a big rubber apron. But I love the results and I am forever out rock hunting wherever I go. You should see the haul I brought back from my New Zealand trip in March. I actually have a very funny story from a trip to Hawaii years ago. My brother picked me up at the airport on my return home, lifted my suitcase and said " damn it's heavy, what you got in here rocks?", then the light went on and he said "oh you didn't?" Oh yes, I did and he warned me the volcano goddess was going to be very angry with me.
 
Lilly said:
Rocks! I use machines with water and giant saw blades to cut chunks of lovely rocks into slices, slabs and various shapes, which I then polish on other machines with big sanding disks and polishing compounds. It is actually wet and dirt work - have to wear a big rubber apron. But I love the results and I am forever out rock hunting wherever I go. You should see the haul I brought back from my New Zealand trip in March. I actually have a very funny story from a trip to Hawaii years ago. My brother picked me up at the airport on my return home, lifted my suitcase and said " damn it's heavy, what you got in here rocks?", then the light went on and he said "oh you didn't?" Oh yes, I did and he warned me the volcano goddess was going to be very angry with me.
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I just knew it was going to be exciting! Do your have any photo's of your work? I would never be allowed to use something as cool as a giant saw blade machine, I am bad enough with a screwdriver and drill. It sounds a really excellent Hobby/Job to have. Do you sell pieces you make? What do you look for in a rock?

Lol at your Bro! Most people get duty free... You get rocks!

Sorry I am taking this thread totally off topic :))
 
sport_billy said:
I just knew it was going to be exciting! Do your have any photo's of your work? I would never be allowed to use something as cool as a giant saw blade machine, I am bad enough with a screwdriver and drill. It sounds a really excellent Hobby/Job to have. Do you sell pieces you make? What do you look for in a rock?

Lol at your Bro! Most people get duty free... You get rocks!

Sorry I am taking this thread totally off topic :))
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I'll post some photos in a separate thread later on just for you! It's a hobby and I don't sell any pieces although plenty of my fellow club members do. I just can't bear to part with them! If I have a big enough chunk and I can get more than one lovely piece out of it, I often give the extras away to family and friends. You'd be surprised how many people I've got interested in rocks after they saw my stuff. I've even got a friend of my son's who works for a bulldozer crew bringing home any interesting looking rocks he has dug up just in case I might like it.

As to what I look for, it is really any rock that has interesting patterns to it. Out fossicking I usually carry water because you can only see colours and patterns when you wet the rock. For some rocks I specifically go to mining areas where I know I can get the type of rock I'm after. For example we have a "thunder egg" type of rock at a local mine that the public can fossick after paying a nominal fee for a mining permit. These are actually round chalky looking things that you can dig up with a pick and shovel. The beauty is when you cut them open because no two are alike and each has its own colourful patterns inside some even with crystals growing within. I'll be sure to include some of them in the photo upload.
 
After Minky's op yesterday, I'm giving her 2 meds by syringe twice a day. She's getting 0.5 ml of Baytril in Abidec drops + 2 ml of Metacam in the morning & evening.
 
Stewybus said:
After Minky's op yesterday, I'm giving her 2 meds by syringe twice a day. She's getting 0.5 ml of Baytril in Abidec drops + 2 ml of Metacam in the morning & evening.
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Ahhh the days of Baytril at only .5 ml! Peanut Butter was on that for almost a month but it did very little to reduce his enlarged lymph nodes. When we finally discovered it was a UTI through urine sample he was put on Bactrim (Septrin) at 2.5ml. Where I was able to squirt in the .5ml before he could protest at the taste, the 2.5ml is proving a challenge. He has constant sticky chin fur from trying to let it dribble out of the side of his mouth.
 
I have memory issues due to having MS, so medicating myself and the pigs is a strict organized challenge. I use Outlook to set all dosages and reoccurring items, so I can delete each when it's done. I never dismiss a reminder that pops up, just snooze it, till it's done, as I often get up to do it and return without having it done. I also keep a syringe on a spoon next to the medication bottle or pills, so I know what is what.
 
Pigjes said:
I have memory issues due to having MS, so medicating myself and the pigs is a strict organized challenge. I use Outlook to set all dosages and reoccurring items, so I can delete each when it's done. I never dismiss a reminder that pops up, just snooze it, till it's done, as I often get up to do it and return without having it done. I also keep a syringe on a spoon next to the medication bottle or pills, so I know what is what.
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You're doing really well then coping with MS and taking such great care of your piggies. I've seen your amazing cage themes on youtube! A friend of mine's mum had MS so I have an idea of how debilitating this disease can be. All the best in your management of it.
 
How's PB doing?
I feel your pain with the syringing, I am having to give Esme septrin in the morning and her furosemide and syringe feed if she is feeling a bit gassy/not producing much poo- touch wood she did loads this morning and then furosemide in the evening and more syringe feeding if needed.
Then I give her a dose of metacam if she is a bit gassy to encourage her to eat, and some fibreplex to get her gjts going again.

She has fallen out with me at the moment, and will only take metacam willingly from the syringe anything else she puts up a huge fight.
Rosie also has metacam for her back legs each morning too, it's hard work when they are poorly.
 
klee said:
How's PB doing?
I feel your pain with the syringing, I am having to give Esme septrin in the morning and her furosemide and syringe feed if she is feeling a bit gassy/not producing much poo- touch wood she did loads this morning and then furosemide in the evening and more syringe feeding if needed.
Then I give her a dose of metacam if she is a bit gassy to encourage her to eat, and some fibreplex to get her gjts going again.

She has fallen out with me at the moment, and will only take metacam willingly from the syringe anything else she puts up a huge fight.
Rosie also has metacam for her back legs each morning too, it's hard work when they are poorly.
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PB is doing well so far, we have 9 more days to go with his new medical regime before we can test him again. Poor Esme, hope she gets back to good health soon. I am at least spared the syringe feeding as PB's appetite has never been affected despite his UTI and regular dental problems. PB is staring to fall out with me as well. Into the second month of syringing and he is starting to hide whenever I put his carrier down into his cage.

Ah Rosie, the pensioner! She should live a long time yet you take such good care of her.
 
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