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Train advice...

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PAMELAKT

PAMELAKT

Adult Guinea Pig
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Right, Rufus is still not able to eat well after his back teeth op on thursday. He can still only eat soft food, and isn't attempting much of that.

I can't keep taking him to the vet to be knocked out everytime, while they continue to not get the teeth correct.

There is a vet in Reading who specialises in pigs, and is able to do dental work without anaesthetic (Jenny Towers - Tilehurst Vet Centre.) This is about 63 miles from me.

I'm not the greatest driver with new places, but I may have a go. If I wimp out, there is a train which can take me to Tilehurst .8 miles from the vets so I can probably walk from there. This will take about 1 hour 40 mins each way.

Will this be too stressful for him? I'm not sure how pigs are with trains? Would he be ok in his travel case for that long plus obv the time at the vets?

Is this a good idea?! I just can't think what else I can do, no doubt if I take him back to the same vet they will just say they need to knock him out again... surely he should be eating better by now?!

Advice needed!
 
I would definitely say try a new vet from who you are using! I became a guinea pig owner only a small 4 months ago and haven't run into any problems with my guinea pig yet other than she only wants to try celery to eat! I don't know how a train would mix with a guinea pig but I do know my guinea pig copes well with car rides as along as they don't have rock music on! She hates it and gets scared. She probably likes popish music because thats what she was listening to in the pet store. Sorry I got really off topic! The best I can say is go with what you think is right!
 
Well I've booked him in for Monday... just need to figure out how I will get there :/

I hope this is going to be worth it, but she seems a much more guinea pig friendly vet....

What a nightmare!
 
Guinea pigs can travel. A car is usually nicer, but I have been on the train for several hours with guinea pigs. If necessary keep him fed and hydrated with syringe food.

A good vet is worth it!
 
I'm terrified of driving there.... wish I had my Dad he would take me :(

I'll try pluck up the courage to drive it. The train has like 2 changes, it would be a nightmare with an animal :...
 
With two changes, driving would be better - think that you are doing it for your piggy and you will find that you can do for others what you wouldn't just for your own sake!
 
Is there anyway we could get this piggie brought up here to see Simon. He really is the expert with regard to guinea pig dental work. Your piggie would be very welcome to stay here as a temporary resident of the sanctuary while he gets treatment from Simon. I have had piggies here from Cardiff, Exeter, London who have now all returned home well again. I currently have a guinea pig here from Maidstone and she is already looking so much better after just one treatment. I am hoping she will be able to go home very soon.

Please feel free to call me at any time to have a chat. x
 
Aw I'm sorry you're piggie isn't doing well, but I will say I have heard good things about Jenny, I hear she's lovely and very knoweldgeable so I think the drive will be worth it. Just set out with loads of extra time, going somewhere new can be nerve wracking eough without the pressure not to be late. Have you got a sat nav? or could you borrow one from a friend or something? This helps me with my nerves. Failing that i used to print a route finder and sellotape it on the dashboard. Good luck with everything :)
 
I do have a sat nav - but even I can still mess that up!

Oh I don't know, its an awful long way & he'd be parted from his brother if I sent him up country! I think I will see how Monday goes, and if it doesn't go well I will have to reconsider as I am fast running out of options.

I just don't understand why he even has this he is such a good eater & chewer!
 
PAMELAKT said:
I do have a sat nav - but even I can still mess that up!

Oh I don't know, its an awful long way & he'd be parted from his brother if I sent him up country! I think I will see how Monday goes, and if it doesn't go well I will have to reconsider as I am fast running out of options.

I just don't understand why he even has this he is such a good eater & chewer!
Click to expand...

Brothers, sisters, friends etc are all welcome too! xx
 
Hi

I don't like driving long distance either but I find a SatNav really helps. Also thinking about it is far worse than actually doing it. I am sure you will be fine once you start driving.

Harli
 
I assume the vet is in a large town and its the traffic and the unfamiliar area that's putting you off? Had you thought of driving to the outskirts of town and then getting the bus or train through the busy bits?
 
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It's ok, I'll grit my teeth & get on with it... I just hope the vet can do
Something same day...

My friend works in a big vet centre & has asked all the vets this morning & all have said it's cruel to do with no anaesthetic & I should think about his quality of life.

Why are they'll so ignorant!?
 
PAMELAKT said:
It's ok, I'll grit my teeth & get on with it... I just hope the vet can do
Something same day...

My friend works in a big vet centre & has asked all the vets this morning & all have said it's cruel to do with no anaesthetic & I should think about his quality of life.

Why are they'll so ignorant!?
Click to expand...

Some of these vets should come and meet the Sanctuary guys and see the great life they have despite having ongoing dental issues, and then tell me it's cruel! What I do is to enable piggies to live a good life whilst undergoing treatment for dental issues, and if at any point it becomes a case of just prolonging death then I am a firm believer in euthanasia. The sanctuary is about extending good quality life and will never advocate letting a piggie suffer.

I really wish I could educate more vets regarding this.
 
I know I am quite mad about it actually, what a narrow minded point of view.

I would never keep him if I considered it would be cruel, but I won't be giving up at the first hurdle!

Grrrrrrr
 
PAMELAKT said:
I know I am quite mad about it actually, what a narrow minded point of view.

I would never keep him if I considered it would be cruel, but I won't be giving up at the first hurdle!

Grrrrrrr
Click to expand...

I had a very special piggie called Archie! He passed away on the 10th April this year, almost two years after he was destined to be pts by a vet in Doncaster. It was said he had lost the swallow reflex and could not recover. Well Archie lived two more fantastic years here at the sanctuary, thanks to Simon Maddock and the wonderful care he received from all at The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic.

Anyway, back to your piggie, what is the current situation? How is he doing at the moment?
 
Hi. I am in Salisbury and can help with getting piggies up to Simon/Debbie if need be. I am around on Sunday if a train can be organised if that helps at all?

xx
 
Hi Pamela

I am going to see Simon in Northampton next week with my own pigs...either tues or wed....

I completely understand and sympathise about the driving.

I will PM you with further details

x
 
Hmm well he is still only able to eat soft food. He can actually eat finely chopped stuff like pepper, cucumber and cherry tomato but is now turning up his nose at that. However I know he can eat it because he takes the odd bit. He is liking banana, grape, and I was told to try him on oats which he loves but he only manages small amounts. I have critical care (which he DETESTS!) and am juicing veg also he likes that.

I don't think his tounge has free access, he sort of makes funny shapes when he chews like he is dislodging something.

In himself he is pretty good, coming out to see me & climbing half out the cage to be fed.

Thank you for the wonderful offers, aren't you all lovely! This vet I have booked with on Monday I think is the next best thing to Simon (hopefully) so I will see what she says. Apparently people travel from all over to see them, so I am hoping she will be able to have a really good look. As its 63 miles away I think I will try that first, depending on what the verdict is I may have to send my little man up north :{
 
Best of luck with your trip!

Alternatively, I can vouch for both Debbie and Simon Maddock - I enjoy cuddling her permanent residents and meeting her temporary ones whenever I can on my own trips to Simon Maddock (for which I take the train).
 
Best of luck, just to add, ive travelled with piggies on trains, buses and taxi's etc many many times, and even on the london underground (noisey down there) and theyve all been fine.

x.
 
Hi,

A lot of my family live in Reading (some actually in Tilehurst), so if you want any help with landmarks etc, let me know and i'll ask them (if you decide to drive that is)
Helen x
 
Great, she was lovely the vet & did a slight trim of his back teeth for me but said they were actually quite good original vet had done good job. Did his fronts which had regrown within the week. But she discovered he has a lump under his jaw which she suspects may be an abcess in the bone from one of his front teeth. His back teeth aren't a problem it's the front.

He has pain relief & anti inflamatory & anti biotics which he'll need for 4 weeks to try get rid of the abcess.

I gave him pain med soon as I got home & he has already had a little to eat tonight, he had stopped trying altogether the past few days so he obv is in pain.

So will see how he gets on over next few days as that all kicks in. He's currently in a mood because he hates the anti biotic.

She was very pig friendly tho very keen to help & very interested & really seemed to kno her stuff they have the equipment there to do teeth with no anaesthetic so pleased I went, just hope this abcess thing goes away ;/
 
Having dealt with tooth root absceses in the many dental pigs I have at the Sanctuary, we have found that Zithro-max (all one word but forum won't accept it unless hyphenated for some reason) is the very best antibiotic to use when dealing with abscesses. When are you seeing Jenny again? Do you think she would consider using this antibiotic if the baytril doesn't work? I am sure Simon would speak to her to explain about dosage etc.
 
I'm sure she would yes, I am a bit confused. He has had a couple of bits this morning but not very interested in eating still - yet he is filling his face up on his brothers poops! I understand why he's doing it, he's after the nutrients but why doesn't he eat for himself then?! And also I put him in his travel cage to feed him (so his brother doesnt scoff it all) and he's biting the bars when he gets bored surely he wouldn't if he was in pain?!

Do you think he has something else wrong?!

It is a nightmare getting anti b in him if anyone has a tip other than fruit juice it'd be very welcome!
 
Dental work can cause the mouth to be a little bit sore for a while, so I don't worry if they don't eat immediately after treatment. Where exactly is the lump that Jenny could feel? What pain relief is he having? Did Jenny check him over completely from one end to the other, as often dental issues can be secondary to something else? Did she feel around his eyes, checking that there is no pressure felt behind them? Does Jenny file or clip the teeth? With regard to the baytril, it does taste horrible, but it is important to get it in and you do need to be quite firm in how you do this. I hold the head very firmly so they can't try and dodge the syringe and syringe it straight in.
 
She did yes & found the lump under his jaw under his right bottom tooth. She burred the teeth I think she took him out back so I didn't see but the receptionist when I rang said they can burr them without anaesthetic.

The pain medicine is called Rhymadill or something it's actually used in dogs but she said she finds it a better pain killer than metacam...

Do you add fruit juice to the baytrill?
 
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