Teasel - Is it time?

[Augustus]

Sorry for the long post, but I want you to have all the info.

Still having trouble with Teasel. Her Bumblefoot is responding to the meds and Gorgeous Guineas ointment. Of course the Bumblefoot would have a better chance of clearing up if she didn’t get her feet encrusted in poo and have to have them soaked to get it off.

I think she might be in pain, she makes a kind of wheezing noise when you pick her up.... The sound she makes is similar to a wheeze, but more like a silent ‘owwwww’ intake of breath when something hurts. She's on Calpol at the moment. If she's in pain, then I don't want to keep her here. Does it sound to you like she is? The 3 I lost last year went V quickly, so I don't know.

It’s possible that she has another infection, but she’s just finished a course of Baytril, so that should have taken care of anything nasty…. But I’m not a vet, so we’ll have to see.

She weighed 600g last Saturday, but when I weighed her this Saturday, she weighed 535. I had hoped that she would start to gain once on the meds, and it did rise slightly on Weds, but had gone down again.

She's eating like a horse, but won't put weight on. Apart from that, she’s bright enough to nick food off of Basil! She has acquired a taste for sweetcorn and I got an avocado for her yesterday…. Still a bit hard, though, so she’s not keen. Basil wants his with Prawns and a nice vinaigrette. He’s got a bit of a wait coming!

She’s pooing and peeing okay. Moving about, just VERY thin.

Vets first thing Thursday I wanted to wait for the course to finish and can’t get Teasel an appointment tomorrow…. Not with a nice vet, anyway. There’s one I don’t like and he’s on tomorrow. So if she can soldier on with the Calpol, I’d rather she did and see a vet that is Hoggy friendly.

What do you all think?

Thanks in advance.

Samantha

 

[Sue G]

So sorry about Teasel, Samantha, and I hope someone here will be able to help with some answers for you.

 

[Stinklepig]

By eating like a horse, how much and what exactly is she eating?

And in terms of poo, it's not just that there is some, but that it's healthy too. Are they a normal size/ shape and firm?

Baytril plays havok with the guts which might explain a thing or two, but also conditions such as bumblefoot can hit the appetite so although she may be eating something, it might well not be enough and she might be struggling to digest it properly too.

It doesn't look good, but I wouldn't give up so long as she hasn't - If she's eating and drkinking and interacting then in her head she's still managing, and that's what counts in my opinion.

 

[madmush]

I have a guinea pig called Jerry. He is 4.5 years old & dying. He has severe bumblefoot, which I decided not to treat with antibiotics as I want him to have a happy life before he goes, without loads of vet appointments & being prodded & poked around.

Jerry, like Teasel is losing weight, although he does still weigh over 800g. He too is very thin & bony. Jerry can still manage to get to behind the sofa in the lounge & loves his cuddles. x) He does squeak & guinea-swear when I am checking his feet,:{ but it passes & I am sure the guinea-swearing helps him!

My advice is enjoy the time you have with Teasel. Time with our piggies is so short - no matter how long we have them. As long as they are happy, eating & drinking, then I would keep her at home. Whether you decide to have her pts or not, is up to you. Personally I don't, because I want my piggies at home with me when they pass over the bridge. It's a personal choice.

Love your Teasel & my boys are sending hugs & squeaks her way xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>

Michele
x

 

[Augustus]

Thanks all

Went to the vet with Madam yesterday.

He had a listen to her chest and he says it's not an infection, he thinks she probably has a tumour in her lung which is causing the gasping, wheezy noise. This would also explain the weight loss (she's down to 517g). He said that she's not in pain, which is the thing that worried me and that while she's moving about and eating, she's okay.

Basically, as long as she's eating and enjoying life, she's okay, but obviously if she stops eating, we'll have to think again.

I was impressed that he said quite firmly that he didn't want to put her to sleep, but I said wanted to be sure that she wasn't suffering and that was all. Thr trouble is that the last 3 who went last year all went very quickly, so this is a bit new to me.

Sorry I didn't answer you Stinklepig but she's eating: grass, dandelions, cabbage, chard, carrots, apple, a bit of melon rind, sweetcorn, had a nibble at avocado, a little bit of spinach, kale, more grass and has her face in the oatbowl on a regular basis.

Madmush, saw your post about Jerry, so we're obviously in the same boat. Can recomment happy feet from Gorgeous Guineas, it's taking Teasel's feet down beautifully.

Samantha

 

[Glynis]

Oh Samantha i'm sorry chick, i do hope Teasel picks up again for you xx>>>xx>>>
I hope you can be with her if and when this all happens, poor little lady we just don't have enough time with our furries do we? SHe does sound a fiesty girl, and a total darling heart so have fun with her, have lots of cuddles and chat to her constantly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Loads of hugs for you and heaps and heaps of gentle kisses and wheeeeeeeeks for the little Teasel xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>

 

[cherryredcutie]

Hiya,

sorry to hear about Teasel, but as long as she is eating and not in pain that's a good sign. I have read that Manuka honey might be good for bumble foot here

I would be careful with giving her avocado, I am sure I read that they are no good for guinea pigs when not ripe and some sorts can be toxic.

 

[gracie]

i know how hard this can be when there's nothing you can do
i wish i'd been able to keep my piggie at home though, i just had a few days with her until she had to be PTS to avoid any suffering
it was so hard saying goodbye =[
if i was you i'd spoil her rotten! enjoy the time you have with her, you'll have so many nice memories knowing you made her comfortable and happy <3

 

[Goldie]

Still having trouble with Teasel. Her Bumblefoot is responding to the meds and Gorgeous Guineas ointment. Of course the Bumblefoot would have a better chance of clearing up if she didn’t get her feet encrusted in poo and have to have them soaked to get it off.

I think she might be in pain, she makes a kind of wheezing noise when you pick her up.... The sound she makes is similar to a wheeze, but more like a silent ‘owwwww’ intake of breath when something hurts.

Hi Samantha

Sorry to hear about Teasel - as long as she is happy and eating ok, then I think that was probably good advice from the vet. Just see how she goes along/

Bumblefoot can be an on-going problem. Milly, who I adopted from the RSPCA, has this condition. She had it when handed into the RSPCA, it cleared up just prior to me getting her and then it got worse again shortly after. She was on Baytril continuously for one month but it still didn't heal too well.

That was back in December. She is still troubled with it, but I am coping with it by bathing her foot regularly and spraying it with Savlon antiseptic spray which coats it nicely.

It is weird that no matter how clean her hutch is, she will always manage to get a lump of poo stuck on the bumblefoot. Then when I bathe it, the bumblefoot opens again and off we go again .... very annoying! :{

Keep us posted to how Teasel gets on.

 

[alcesterpigs]

Has any one suggested it could be something as simple as hay fever?
I am a liitle bit wary of believing that it could be "a tumour in the lungs".
Have she been prescribed Septrin at all?
A dose of Frusimide would help the excretion of fluid on the lungs.
Try some Sudafed expectorant, it may help shift any mucus present in the lungs.

 

[Stinklepig]

Has any one suggested it could be something as simple as hay fever?

If they do, then I deeply hope nobody suggests soaking hay to keep teh dust down, as I was told to do earlier this week!

I am a liitle bit wary of believing that it could be "a tumour in the lungs".

Without an x ray or scan I'd be inclined to agree. If there's reason to suspect a respiratory problem, there needs to be proper diagnostics to find out what. A best guess is just that, and could be as wrong as it could be right!

Still, regardless of anything else it sounds like she's eating and being fine in herself, which has to be a good thing

 

[Augustus]

Teasel is still with us and will have to go back to the vet (!).

She was there on Thursday and both she and Basil were a bit on the itchy side, so I covered that (I wanted to be sure that in her current state, she'd be strong enough for treatment). The vet said to use the back of the neck anti-bug drops but I couldn't get any on Friday. Popped out on Saturday, came back and she had pulled all the fur off her bottom. Her skin looked quite pink and healthy (between pluckings), but you can see all of her backbones.

She currently has aqueous cream on the skin to keep it supple with 1 drop of lavender in a tsp of the stuff in it. She had the drops and seems more comfy.

Samantha