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That Dreaded "c" Word.

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Haha, wow - I do feel special! One of the things I love the most about Rachel is that she's so passionate about her work; and the fact she explains everything to me like I'm an adult and owner - which many vets before haven't done because I'm still young! But she's an absolutely fantastic vet. Thank you so much for shooting her an email though - the fact she called me herself was a really nice surprise. She was all like, "Now shoot me a text over this weekend about her weight, eating and how that little foot is doing! I'm on a course but I'll be checking my phone for it!" Bless her soul.

Pears and apples - Smudge LOVES apples, so we'll give pear a try too! Again we've just got to make sure that she's eating on her own and top her up with hand-feed, but I'm confident we'll get there. Spent most of the afternoon catching up on my lecture notes and doing various tests so I'm just super glad she's alright! Mum's been spoiling her with her absolute favorite - bunched carrot heads! I expect she'll be having a tone of grass and other things too.

I just feel a lot better than this thing is treatable! I was dreading the worst for ages.
 
I'm so pleased that the results were more positive than you were expecting. Come on Smudge. You can get through this.
 
Smudge update (and I wanted the excuse to post another adorable picture ;) )

Was chatting to my vet Rachel over the weekend and she's pleased with Smudge's progress! Smudge's foot has also stopped smelling when we're wrapping it up - so it looks like the infection has pretty much cleared out! No sign of the lumps on her back and sides; but I'll be able to look properly when I go home to see her this weekend. We're also moving all the animals inside (as well as Chappy, my bunny!) this weekend for the winter as we always get them in before Halloween and all the fireworks start kicking off! So all hands on deck (actually, just me...) to ensure that they're all cleaned out, disinfected, and ready to spend the winter inside and spoilt rotten!

Smudge has also gained even more weight - she's shot up and hovering around the 1100g mark now! I think we need to give her a slight diet now; oops! But it's a great sign that she's gaining weight like she is. Her foot is nearly healing up again - she'd opened it pretty deeply but the scab is beginnings to look like it's ready to come off again!

Have Smudge in all her cuteness via FaceTime (she got very confused as to why she could see and hear me through a box!) :

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Haha! bet Rachel laughed when you told her Smudge face times you! - Smudge is looking so good - pleased for you both :yahoo:
 
Only just found this thread so sorry I'm a bit late, but sending Smudge lots of healing vibes. Very pleased to hear she is doing well. She is such a beautiful piggy.
Congratulations on getting to Manchester to do your course.
 
Just gotten home in order to check on her myself - I'm not happy with what I found.

Good news is: Smudge's weight is holding steady. I've just weighed her and she's above 1050. Which is great. I'll keep a rapid eye on her over this weekend. More good news is that her lumps are going - there is none in her neck as far as I can feel, they've moved to her stomach and to the backs of her legs. There's only four lumps now; and while her foot is still open - it looks clean, and it doesn't look infected anymore.

Now for the bad news.

Smudge feels, at least to me - very swollen in her abdodmen. This might be because the infection has moved there; but I have taken some pictures so that hopefully, someone can see what I mean. She doesn't look...swollen, at least when I held her So that her tummy was facing me so I could see - and I don't think she looks particularly swollen from the top, either.

IMG_6092.webp IMG_6093.webp
But again, here are some pictures that you guys can have a look.

I'm also absolutely fuming with my family - Rachel, my vet, sent out more antibiotics on Tuesday as Smudge was about to run out. The card has been through the same day to say that they were at the post office - no one bothered to go and pick that medication up and continue Smudge's Baytril. I would attach a picture to also show you how much blood is in the hutch from where Smudge has clearly been biting at her foot and no one has wrapped it back up - but it'll probably upset younger readers!

To put the icing on the cake; I don't think they've been fed properly today, either. No water in any of their bottles (Rabbit included), no hay - and nuggets had just been recently dumped in so that it looked like they'd been fed! The nuggets are sloppy and overfilled, too - thanks for keeping my bunny on the controller diet!

I'm shaking wih anger right now. There's no way I can clean them out right now as it's so late - I'm just sitting up waiting to see if Smudge wants to eat any hay so I can see if she's eating; but her weight is holding steady so I'm sure she is. As soon as th post office opens up I'll be straight down there to hopefully (if it's even there!) pick up Smudge's Baytril and kick start the antibiotics again. I don't exactly want to go back to University now! I'd pack them and their hutches into my little KA and drive right back up to Manchester!

Both my parents are funnily enough out drinking (!) tonight. Anyway; I'm just hoping I'm overreacting about Smudge being swollen, but apart from that she seems fine. Grrr!
 
DoragonHinansho said:
Just gotten home in order to check on her myself - I'm not happy with what I found.

Good news is: Smudge's weight is holding steady. I've just weighed her and she's above 1050. Which is great. I'll keep a rapid eye on her over this weekend. More good news is that her lumps are going - there is none in her neck as far as I can feel, they've moved to her stomach and to the backs of her legs. There's only four lumps now; and while her foot is still open - it looks clean, and it doesn't look infected anymore.

Now for the bad news.

Smudge feels, at least to me - very swollen in her abdodmen. This might be because the infection has moved there; but I have taken some pictures so that hopefully, someone can see what I mean. She doesn't look...swollen, at least when I held her So that her tummy was facing me so I could see - and I don't think she looks particularly swollen from the top, either.

View attachment 53552 View attachment 53553
But again, here are some pictures that you guys can have a look.

I'm also absolutely fuming with my family - Rachel, my vet, sent out more antibiotics on Tuesday as Smudge was about to run out. The card has been through the same day to say that they were at the post office - no one bothered to go and pick that medication up and continue Smudge's Baytril. I would attach a picture to also show you how much blood is in the hutch from where Smudge has clearly been biting at her foot and no one has wrapped it back up - but it'll probably upset younger readers!

To put the icing on the cake; I don't think they've been fed properly today, either. No water in any of their bottles (Rabbit included), no hay - and nuggets had just been recently dumped in so that it looked like they'd been fed! The nuggets are sloppy and overfilled, too - thanks for keeping my bunny on the controller diet!

I'm shaking wih anger right now. There's no way I can clean them out right now as it's so late - I'm just sitting up waiting to see if Smudge wants to eat any hay so I can see if she's eating; but her weight is holding steady so I'm sure she is. As soon as th post office opens up I'll be straight down there to hopefully (if it's even there!) pick up Smudge's Baytril and kick start the antibiotics again. I don't exactly want to go back to University now! I'd pack them and their hutches into my little KA and drive right back up to Manchester!

Both my parents are funnily enough out drinking (!) tonight. Anyway; I'm just hoping I'm overreacting about Smudge being swollen, but apart from that she seems fine. Grrr!
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Hi! Just reading about smudge and had a quick question- over how many days did she gain that 200g? Its just that as i was reading through and saw the weight gain and thought "thats an awful jump" then read she has a swollen tummy.. Does she feel like shes retaining fluid in her abdomen? Or does it feel like a normal chubby piggy belly?

I could be completely way off the mark and she could just be gaining weight which would be excellent, but just a thought with her now having a swollen tummy.

I would also check she isnt bloated this evening causing her tummy to be bigger- a bloated tummy sounds hollow when tapped and poo production is usually reduced or non existant. If shes bloated, she will need a vet for gut stimulants.

If she isnt bloated and you arent sure if her tummy is normal or not, i would make sure she is eating properly i.e clearing her usual plate of veggies, eating normal amount of pellets etc and point regularly. If shes not eating and pooing normally yet is holding this weight or gaining and the tummy remains i would definately get it checked out.

All the best x
 
Adelle said:
Hi! Just reading about smudge and had a quick question- over how many days did she gain that 200g? Its just that as i was reading through and saw the weight gain and thought "thats an awful jump" then read she has a swollen tummy.. Does she feel like shes retaining fluid in her abdomen? Or does it feel like a normal chubby piggy belly?

I could be completely way off the mark and she could just be gaining weight which would be excellent, but just a thought with her now having a swollen tummy.

I would also check she isnt bloated this evening causing her tummy to be bigger- a bloated tummy sounds hollow when tapped and poo production is usually reduced or non existant. If shes bloated, she will need a vet for gut stimulants.

If she isnt bloated and you arent sure if her tummy is normal or not, i would make sure she is eating properly i.e clearing her usual plate of veggies, eating normal amount of pellets etc and point regularly. If shes not eating and pooing normally yet is holding this weight or gaining and the tummy remains i would definately get it checked out.

All the best x
Click to expand...

I just had that thought - I listened for several minutes while tapping; but I didn't hear anything. Nothing that sounded Hollow - she didn't seem to mind me feeling it until I applied gentle pressure. I've literally been home for about 2 hours; as as far as I know - Smudge has been eating and drinking normally; as well as her output has been normal. She gained the 200g in about a week?

Keeping an eye on her and I'll see how she is in the morning.
 
I'm so sorry.....

But sadly, Cassy is correct.

Just be gentle to her, love her, photos, and her favorite foods too!

Try parsley, my pigs love it to death.

Do reasearch on DIY crafts and treats, learn how to give piggies back massages, just do every thing possible to make her feel AWSOME.

Just keep to your normal routine. Fresh water and hay, that great stuff.

Best of all, tell her you love her. Try harder. Fight for her.

I hope both of you feel better. I send you my prayers.
 
I have heard with the whole Cancer thing that IF you have the genetics for it that haveing invasive surgaries ( Includeing ones where they look FOR cancer) Can actualy cause it to flare up!
 
As far as I am aware it is only with spindle cell cancer that surgery can make an existing cancer more aggressive and spread throughout the body / spread quicker (and this is because my vet is the same as DorogonHinansho's - Rachel Mowbray -) and that is why a competent vet will take a biopsy - I know this because Bumble had cancer - was biopsied by Rachel Mowbray to look for spindle cells and then the cancer removed when it was confirmed that it wasn't spindle cell cancer - as Smudge has already had a biopsy done it is unlikely that it is cancer.
 
All clear! Phew!

Smudge, I love you loads - do you think you could please not give me a heart attack?

I'm joking; I love you. Her scab came off earlier today too - very nice underneath! Wrapped it back up again to just make sure she can't reopen it! The wound is deep; but clean and nice on the inside.
 
Popping in one more time to give one final Smudge update!

Went back to see SuperRachel (I freakin' love that lady) - well, I say me - Mum had to take her for me as I'm currently stood at the top of the valley in Grange-Over-Sands sampling Biodiversity! :xd:

Got the phone call just now, it took a while as Rachel took more samples of Smudge's lumps and ran them under the microscope, just to be safe and to ensure that they haven't changed into anything sinister. It turns out that the lumps that are left are in fact harmless fat lumps! There is still one tiny lump of infection inside Smudge, it's kind of a mixture of a fatty lump and infection - Smudge is on another month's worth of Baytril just to ensure that the infection is all flushed out, but she's gained a lot of weight - Rachel picked her up and apparently the first thing she said was, "You've gained weight! Have to start restricted you soon!" :xd:

Smudge's foot is now all clear of infection and practically healed - but we're keeping it wrapped for a few more weeks before we let her loose on it, probably when she finishes the Baytril. We just don't want there to be any chance of her ripping herself open and getting another infection. Her foot is actually beginning to loose swelling - Rachel thinks that when my old vet practice dug the scab out to "flush it" (her face when we told her what they did was legendary) they'd actually made it so that Smudge had a deep route infection which we've probably been battling with from the start. Since she's all clear, the swelling is going down! It was always be a...ahem..."mutant" foot as Mum likes to call it! (I call it her "lucky" foot, that's slightly nicer!) But it will be closer to original size. There's something definitely genetically...not right with Smudge, so she may have a shortened life span - but that's okay, we just need to take each step as it comes.

A quick note to thank you guys again - you've been amazing support as always! I wish I had as much knowledge as some of you older members so I could help out, too - but I think I'll need a few more years of having piggies and a lot more knowledge before I'm confident enough to input. Maybe one day! I think Smudge here has taught me more about Guinea Pigs than all my previous piggies put together, but she's definitely made me a better owner. I know what to look for; how to hand-feed, medicating and most importantly - trusting my instincts.

You guys are awesome. Let's see if Smudge can have a few months off and just be able to run around without a dressing on at one point, huh? :tu:

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That is amazing news!
So glad little smudge us almost all clear of any infection at all!
Super, duper, fabulous!XD
 
Aww, that's the same foot Bumble had bandaged for months because of his bumblefoot - my other vet Iain (who referred me to Rachel years ago with Nuggets spinal problems) called it his boxing glove! So pleased she is sorted.
 
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