The Pigglingtons

piggieminder said:
Bertie had 2 types of eye drops and Metacam. I came home today and most of the clouding in the eye has gone already. I was presented with a hay seed in a bottle and a beautifully written colour coded time table for drops seven times a day and Metacam twice!
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piggieminder said:
Absolutely! He always worries something will happen while I'm away. We have discussed what he should do and the vets number is in his phone and stuck to the landline. He coped really well and did exactly the right thing.
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He's clearly a Keeper! When I go away, unless Son No 3 is at home, I have to put my piggies in boarding unless it's just for 1 night when I also have to leave detailed instructions.
 
That’s lovely news about Bertie’s eye. Well done to your partner for getting him seen so quickly.
 
So Bertie got the all clear and I've got a hay scratch on my eye! I was brushing off the fleece ready to wash and a bit of hay flew up and landed in my eye. At least I've got some very expensive lubricating gel from the vet, it's for humans too and at £32.60 a small tube it must be good!
 
As Bertie got the all clear from the vet yesterday I thought it would be a good day to try bonding him with Snoopy. He has already been tried with Parker, Snoopy seems to be a slightly quieter character. They were lovely together in the bonding pen for about 5 seconds, then they launched themselves at each other and latched on! I managed to get them apart and held the dustpan between them while they calmed down a bit before picking Bertie up with a wrapped hand. Bertie has a lump of fur missing under his chin and Snoopy has a bald patch on his back. I can't see any broken skin thank goodness. I've lost count of how many potential suitors Bertie has had but this went the same way as most of the others, he gets nasty as soon as they try to mount him. At least I know now that match is not a possibility either.
IMG_1863.webpIMG_1955.webpIMG_1412.webpBertie says I read the book I'm not impressed. I prefer my friends the other side of the fence and not to have share my cage or my comfy beds.
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At Friday's weekly weigh in Timmy had lost 120gms. There had been no indication there was a problem, he had been standing at the bars waiting for veggies and pellets as usual and taking veg from my hand. Of course it doesn't mean he was eating hay or all his veg, Freddie the hoover will have had any surplus and hidden the evidence.
I spoke to a vet (not exotic) on Saturday who said to syringe feed him and try to keep him hydrated as he had been seen for something similar before and an xray and urine tests had not come up with an answer. At that time it was a diagnosis of cystitis. The vet didn't have any appointments and said to phone Tuesday to get an appointment with our usual vet for more tests.
Have been syringe feeding and watering, he's on Metacam for arthritis anyway, he's having Cystease in case it's a cystitis flare although no squeaky weeing or blood spots this time. Fibreplex in case it's a tummy issue.
He started out taking grass and bits of herbs and veg along with the syringe feed. Yesterday he got difficult to syringe and refused all veg etc. His eyes looked very sunken and he was miserable.
This morning he had maintained yesterdays weight and his eyes look more normal, he is moving around the cage a bit and has eaten half a dandelion leaf, a slice of cucumber and a pinch of grass as well as a couple of syringe feeds.
Only another guinea pig owner will understand how much that slice of cucumber, grass and dandelion leaf means!
 
Ah dear Timmy - come on Timmy take it all 🥰
You’re doing everything you can and hopefully it’ll get Timmy back to his normal self 🥰
 
No improvement in Timmy today but no decline either he is so much better than he was at the weekend. Decided to hold off even trying to get a vet appointment at the moment it's way too hot to take him out. Will carry on treating as cystitis unless any other symptoms become apparent and of course will then get an appointment where ever I can while our own vet practise waits for the new staff to start.
 
piggieminder said:
No improvement in Timmy today but no decline either he is so much better than he was at the weekend. Decided to hold off even trying to get a vet appointment at the moment it's way too hot to take him out. Will carry on treating as cystitis unless any other symptoms become apparent and of course will then get an appointment where ever I can while our own vet practise waits for the new staff to start.
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I am very glad that Timmy is still hanging in there. The vets are likely swamped with heat stroke emergencies from the sudden temperature jump.
 
Wiebke said:
I am very glad that Timmy is still hanging in there. The vets are likely swamped with heat stroke emergencies from the sudden temperature jump.
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I was thinking that and also urgent cases from the bank holiday who need help more than we do. I know they were struggling 2 weeks ago when Bertie had his hay poke, so many staff have left, all non emergency operations are having to wait until the new vets start on 1st June. I don't think it's fair to take an appointment when pretty sure the outcome is going to be carry on as you are for now as he is slowly improving. I think I will weigh him twice a week in future to hopefully pick a flare up quicker if that's what this is. We've got plenty of Metacam for him which covers him being in pain which would be my main concern.
 
I put him outside in the run just now, he nibbled at the grass (seems what I pick isn't good enough), ate a sprig of parsley and some coriander. I didn't dare move in case I put him off despite realising I was kneeling in an ants nest. The things we do!
 
piggieminder said:
I didn't dare move in case I put him off despite realising I was kneeling in an ants nest.
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Hope you didn't get bitten! I went into anaphylactic shock last year when I was bitten/stung by some nasty little red ant.

Good that being in the garden seemed to agree with Timmy! Continued good wishes for him.
 
piggieminder said:
I put him outside in the run just now, he nibbled at the grass (seems what I pick isn't good enough), ate a sprig of parsley and some coriander. I didn't dare move in case I put him off despite realising I was kneeling in an ants nest. The things we do!
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Been there and done the ants' nest myself. The things we do for our pets, indeed! :woot:
 
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