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The vet said this, but...

Julie138

Julie138

New Born Pup
Joined
Jun 8, 2018
Messages
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Location
South Lanarkshire, UK
Hoping someone can help with my boy.

A few days ago I noticed Ethan-Rayne wasn't quite himself. He was having a few nibbles of his veggies but not finishing anything which was unusual for him. We rescued him three years ago so don't know for certain what age he is but we think about 3 and half/4. He has been impacted for a few months but I know what to do to help him and there's never been any issues.

Took him to the vet two days ago. Now she's not an exotics specialist, we don't have one of those near us but she's always been amazing and our boys have always been given great care. Dont know if she was just having a bad day but I really am not happy this time. I felt like she wasn't listening to me. She did say his breathing was fine and his tummy felt fine. She checked his teeth and said there might be something caught but couldn't really tell without putting him under anaesthetic. Obviously I'd rather not do this as he's older but she wasn't able to do it there and then anyway so she's given me Loxicom - 1.5mg - the one for dogs. I have to give him 0.2ml every day for five days. She said the teeth is causing the impaction?

What I told her was this:

His poop for the last few days is really soft (she wasn't interested in hearing about it and wouldnt look at the sample I took with me)
He's not eating normally but he is making every effort to eat - up begging as usual but just not actually finishing anything
He's drinking normally
Alert and acting ok
One of his eyes developed a weeping/crust (she said his eye was fine - It isn't)

I have been giving him Recovery Liquid Feed aswell. I've also given him his pellets as well as a bowl of pellets softened with water - both of which he's having a good go at.

Any advice would be grately appreciated as I've still got another three days on the Loxicom before she'll see him again.

Thanks in advance and apologies this is so long winded but I'm worried sick about him!
 
Julie138 said:
Hoping someone can help with my boy.

A few days ago I noticed Ethan-Rayne wasn't quite himself. He was having a few nibbles of his veggies but not finishing anything which was unusual for him. We rescued him three years ago so don't know for certain what age he is but we think about 3 and half/4. He has been impacted for a few months but I know what to do to help him and there's never been any issues.

Took him to the vet two days ago. Now she's not an exotics specialist, we don't have one of those near us but she's always been amazing and our boys have always been given great care. Dont know if she was just having a bad day but I really am not happy this time. I felt like she wasn't listening to me. She did say his breathing was fine and his tummy felt fine. She checked his teeth and said there might be something caught but couldn't really tell without putting him under anaesthetic. Obviously I'd rather not do this as he's older but she wasn't able to do it there and then anyway so she's given me Loxicom - 1.5mg - the one for dogs. I have to give him 0.2ml every day for five days. She said the teeth is causing the impaction?

What I told her was this:

His poop for the last few days is really soft (she wasn't interested in hearing about it and wouldnt look at the sample I took with me)
He's not eating normally but he is making every effort to eat - up begging as usual but just not actually finishing anything
He's drinking normally
Alert and acting ok
One of his eyes developed a weeping/crust (she said his eye was fine - It isn't)

I have been giving him Recovery Liquid Feed aswell. I've also given him his pellets as well as a bowl of pellets softened with water - both of which he's having a good go at.

Any advice would be grately appreciated as I've still got another three days on the Loxicom before she'll see him again.

Thanks in advance and apologies this is so long winded but I'm worried sick about him!
Click to expand...
To be honest I’d want to see a different vet for a 2nd opinion.Whereabouts are you located? We might be able to recommend a cavy savvy vet x
 
I'm in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. We've used about three vets in the area in the past but the one we use now was always the best. Dont know what was going on the other day with her though x
 
Julie138 said:
Hoping someone can help with my boy.

A few days ago I noticed Ethan-Rayne wasn't quite himself. He was having a few nibbles of his veggies but not finishing anything which was unusual for him. We rescued him three years ago so don't know for certain what age he is but we think about 3 and half/4. He has been impacted for a few months but I know what to do to help him and there's never been any issues.

Took him to the vet two days ago. Now she's not an exotics specialist, we don't have one of those near us but she's always been amazing and our boys have always been given great care. Dont know if she was just having a bad day but I really am not happy this time. I felt like she wasn't listening to me. She did say his breathing was fine and his tummy felt fine. She checked his teeth and said there might be something caught but couldn't really tell without putting him under anaesthetic. Obviously I'd rather not do this as he's older but she wasn't able to do it there and then anyway so she's given me Loxicom - 1.5mg - the one for dogs. I have to give him 0.2ml every day for five days. She said the teeth is causing the impaction?

What I told her was this:

His poop for the last few days is really soft (she wasn't interested in hearing about it and wouldnt look at the sample I took with me)
He's not eating normally but he is making every effort to eat - up begging as usual but just not actually finishing anything
He's drinking normally
Alert and acting ok
One of his eyes developed a weeping/crust (she said his eye was fine - It isn't)

I have been giving him Recovery Liquid Feed aswell. I've also given him his pellets as well as a bowl of pellets softened with water - both of which he's having a good go at.

Any advice would be grately appreciated as I've still got another three days on the Loxicom before she'll see him again.

Thanks in advance and apologies this is so long winded but I'm worried sick about him!
Click to expand...

Hi!

It may be worth seeing another vet with more experience in guinea pigs, even if you have to travel a bit. my piggy savvy vets are an hour away and I used to have to go by train to see them, including coming home with freshly operated piggies that way.
But for any recommendations it would be good if you added your country, state/province or UK county to your details. Please click on your username on the top bar, go to account details and down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and allows us to tailor any advice straight away to what is relevant and available where you are. We have got members and enquiries from all over the world. Thank you!

Can you please have a look at Ethan's incisors? If they are slanted, jagged or inwards growing and no longer self-sharpening, then there is usually a problem with the back teeth. However, you can also see these symptoms if he is struggling to swallow or has a developing blockage somewhere in the digestive tract from the mouth/throat through the guts. Many vets are not familiar with rodent dentals.
It doesn't take a full GA for an investigation, but your boy is not too old for it unless he has a known heart problem. I have had 6 year old sows of mine go through a full operation and know of older piggies that have been successfully operated on.

Impaction can be caused by a no/low fibrous diet in neglected younger boars (can also apply to dietary deficiencies in longer term untreated dental piggies), rarely neutering post-op complications, but most cases are due to weakening muscles at the back end in aging boars.

Here is our recommended vets list. Unfortunately good vets are not evenly spread across the country and we rely on member recommendations. Can you get to one of them? Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
 
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Julie138 said:
Hoping someone can help with my boy.

A few days ago I noticed Ethan-Rayne wasn't quite himself. He was having a few nibbles of his veggies but not finishing anything which was unusual for him. We rescued him three years ago so don't know for certain what age he is but we think about 3 and half/4. He has been impacted for a few months but I know what to do to help him and there's never been any issues.

Took him to the vet two days ago. Now she's not an exotics specialist, we don't have one of those near us but she's always been amazing and our boys have always been given great care. Dont know if she was just having a bad day but I really am not happy this time. I felt like she wasn't listening to me. She did say his breathing was fine and his tummy felt fine. She checked his teeth and said there might be something caught but couldn't really tell without putting him under anaesthetic. Obviously I'd rather not do this as he's older but she wasn't able to do it there and then anyway so she's given me Loxicom - 1.5mg - the one for dogs. I have to give him 0.2ml every day for five days. She said the teeth is causing the impaction?

What I told her was this:

His poop for the last few days is really soft (she wasn't interested in hearing about it and wouldnt look at the sample I took with me)
He's not eating normally but he is making every effort to eat - up begging as usual but just not actually finishing anything
He's drinking normally
Alert and acting ok
One of his eyes developed a weeping/crust (she said his eye was fine - It isn't)

I have been giving him Recovery Liquid Feed aswell. I've also given him his pellets as well as a bowl of pellets softened with water - both of which he's having a good go at.

Any advice would be grately appreciated as I've still got another three days on the Loxicom before she'll see him again.

Thanks in advance and apologies this is so long winded but I'm worried sick about him!
Click to expand...
I’ve just looked on the vet locator and there’s some recommended ones in Scotland but don’t know how far or accessible they are to you.Ill copy and paste them on here now.

Scotland

Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital
58 Duke Street
DarlingtonCounty
Durham
DL3 7AN
01325 620968
Cats & Exotics Practice, Darlington | Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital
 
Taylor Vet Practice
Laura Cawley
East Kilbride Surgery
Glasgow
Strathclyde
G744JY
01355 222791
Taylor Vets - Cathkin, East Kilbride & Clarkston

Taylor Vet Practice
Laura Cawley
Clarkston Toll Surgery
Glasgow
Strathclyde
G76 7RB
0141 638606
Taylor Vets - Cathkin, East Kilbride & Clarkston

Taylor Vet practice
Laura Cawley
Smithy House
Glasgow
Strathclyde
G735QU
01416343183
Taylor Vets - Cathkin, East Kilbride & Clarkston

Ashgrove Vets
Kevin Barclay
1 Belmont road
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
AB253SR
01284486444

Gilmoor Veterinary Clinic
Deborah Stafford
81 Durham Road
County Durham
DL16 6JW
01388 811311

Gilmoor Veterinary Group
Deborah Stafford
39 Sunderland Road
County
Durham
DH1 2LG
0191 386 4477

Apex Vets
Glenn
Winchester Avenue
Falkirk
FK6 6QE
01324 829989

Inglis Veterinary Hospital
Romain Pizzi
20 Halbeath Road
Fife
KY11 4LA
01383 722818
 
I phoned five vets yesterday but none are specialists :( I'm currently working my way through a Google search to hopefully find someone. And his front teeth look fine.
 
Gem789 said:
I’ve just looked on the vet locator and there’s some recommended ones in Scotland but don’t know how far or accessible they are to you.Ill copy and paste them on here now.

Scotland

Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital
58 Duke Street
DarlingtonCounty
Durham
DL3 7AN
01325 620968
Cats & Exotics Practice, Darlington | Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital
Click to expand...
 
I will do :) Feel slightly better already having just spoken to the lady on reception. The vet we're seeing specialises in small furrys and guinea dental and is a piggie mama herself. Ethan-Rayne's just demolished some liquid feed, tried to eat the syringe aswell and he's having a go at the hay pile. I still feel sick but he seems to be ok-ish! xx
 
Julie138 said:
I will do :) Feel slightly better already having just spoken to the lady on reception. The vet we're seeing specialises in small furrys and guinea dental and is a piggie mama herself. Ethan-Rayne's just demolished some liquid feed, tried to eat the syringe aswell and he's having a go at the hay pile. I still feel sick but he seems to be ok-ish! xx
Click to expand...
At least he still has an appetite which is a good thing!
 
Julie138 said:
I will do :) Feel slightly better already having just spoken to the lady on reception. The vet we're seeing specialises in small furrys and guinea dental and is a piggie mama herself. Ethan-Rayne's just demolished some liquid feed, tried to eat the syringe aswell and he's having a go at the hay pile. I still feel sick but he seems to be ok-ish! xx
Click to expand...
How did it go at the vets? x
 
A HUGE thank you to everybody who took the time to comment earlier. Ethan-Rayne had his check up and I was right! I'm so glad I listened to my gut as I knew the first vet was wrong and just dismissed me. Gem789 - I cannot thank you enough for posting the list of specialist vets for me - you are a star! Laura Cawley at Taylor Vets in East Kilbride is just fantastic! We were with her for nearly an hour. She checked every single part of him (and gave him snuggles!) Shes a piggie mama too which helped so much. He has to go for a dental tomorrow morning but she has him on other pain meds and antibiotics and its like we've got our boy back already. Having his teefies 'burred' in the morning but he's doing great! Bless you all! Julie (and his equally worried Daddy) xx
 
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