• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

They Do Like To Worry Us!

piggieminder

Forum Buddy
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
15,388
Reaction score
28,390
Points
2,125
Location
Bristol, UK
Last night I thought Rusty had laboured breathing, his sides were going in and out rapidly and his head was bobbing up and down. This morning he was still doing it, I showed him to my partner who agreed the breathing was not normal. The only appointment the vets had left was a very expensive emergency slot, I took it as I thought this was too urgent to wait until their next regular appointment on Friday. I handed Rusty over in the carpark with a note explaining all the relevant details. The vet phoned me and asked for a description of what he had been doing, she had given him a thorough examination and could find nothing unusual. The vet said he is very healthy and has got over his stone operation beautifully. When we got home I had a good look at him and he was breathing normally with that 'what' expression guinea pigs are so good at. He is now on watch at home, I am to take him back for a scan if it happens again. I'm really hoping we don't have to make a return trip.
 
Oh come on Rusty! What a cruel trick to play on your slave. Glad he is okay and I hope it wasn't anything!
 
Glad he is ok! Piggle was trying this with me this morning too, both she and Blodwen were just treated for a URI 2 weeks ago and this morning... honking again! Luckily it stopped as soon as I said the word "vet" so I think she just hoovered up her scatterfeed breakfast too fast... don't they like to worry us though!
 
Thanks all. I'm so glad I showed him to my partner this morning, otherwise I'd think I had a sleepless night due to my imagination. After what happened to Spike last year, 5 different vets and still lost him to pneumonia in December I'm still on guard.
 
A few weeks ago none of my three touched their hay all day. Of course I went into panic, rushed out across town and went to about three shops to buy a selection of different hays. Came home soaking wet from the pouring rain juggling bags of hay and they were all sitting stuffing their faces with the hay that had been there all day. They looked up at me as if to say oh hi.....you ok there?! Aggghhhh!
 
Just to play devils advocate....

I had similar, my older girl Squeak has off and on been like this, a bit bellowy, head nodding etc. A year ago when I first adopted her I got her checked as I just wasnt sure and they said she was fine and not to worry, but I was always not 100% sure.

Having lost a beautiful girl a while ago I think you go into a heightened level of anxiety and awareness. I decided I still wasnt happy so took her to my proper guinea savvy vet. He looked at her and said he wasnt too worried but would check her chest, he said she was a little laboured and to give her some antibiotics as she may have a mild infection. But I just knew she wasn't right and I was convinced it was her heart (have had a few like this).

I took her back a week later and no improvement and said I thought it was her heart. Again, they weren't sure so agreed to do an xray a few days later. Turns out she does have a bad heart, loads of fluid in her chest etc and could have gone downhill very quickly.

Now she is on heart meds and frusol she is a different guinea pig, so much happier and livelier, I have had her a year and this the best I have seen her. She does vary day to day and I vary her Frusol on that basis but it keeps her stable.

So my long winded point is, if you are not sure just check anyway because you know your piggy better than anyone and it just might be a sign to keep an eye out for in the future.
 
@Guinea Slave I absolutely agree we do know them best and I've been proved right several times after returning to the vets when not happy. I too have a favourite vet who knows me well and has picked up problems other's didn't spot, she says I pick up things so early they are only detectable by someone who knows the animal. Unfortunately she works part time and is always booked up for weeks. If I'm not happy with Rusty in a day or two we will be booking an appointment for a CT scan.
 
@Guinea Slave I absolutely agree we do know them best and I've been proved right several times after returning to the vets when not happy. I too have a favourite vet who knows me well and has picked up problems other's didn't spot, she says I pick up things so early they are only detectable by someone who knows the animal. Unfortunately she works part time and is always booked up for weeks. If I'm not happy with Rusty in a day or two we will be booking an appointment for a CT scan.

You are so like me! I think people think we are neurotic but so often been proved right. I'm like it with cars and boats too. Confounded many a mechanic lol!
 
I agree with the fact that we know our animals best. I knew there was something not right with Meg despite her seeing 3 different vets at the Practice (they are good with guinea pigs and see alot of them they just aren't guinea pig specialists). She still wasn't right despite this so I took her to see the Maddocks up in Northampton and they diagnosed what was wrong. So you do need to keep pushing. Meg is now on palliative care.
 
So sorry @piggieminder I’d totally missed this, so glad Rusty’s ok and hope he doesn’t have anymore issues. A gorgeous sweet little angel you are Rusty :love: x

Definitely agree with everyone that you just know, with my two special girls this year I just knew that just weren’t right, I’m so glad I got them in when I did. Even if not the happy endings I’d hoped for! :doh:
 
He's looking really good and happy. He has that look on his face that says 'What hole did you just crawl out of'. He has this way of tucking his front feet underneath himself when you look at him and doing a sideways movement with his bottom jaw. His whole demeanour says he thinks I'm an inferior being.
 
Aah it’s good he’s looking happy :)
But I’m sure there’s some mummy love squeezed in there too!
I can’t even touch Luigi! Not even joking! But he’s him so :blink::wub:
 
Back
Top