Truffle and Polo

Truffle saw the vet today. She recommended that we do a urine sample and test for protein and concentration as kidney disease is one of the most common causes of weight loss once tooth issues have been potentially removed from the picture. Tooth root and jaw issues could always still be a factor, but Truffle's teeth look good at the moment. An ultrasound, which can need done while conscious may then be necessary. Bloods can be done but kidney health needs to be balanced against anaesthetic when it comes to guinea pigs as they would never stay still long enough to have a line inserted to draw blood ❤️
She recommended that I feed Truffle plenty of watery veg, ie lettuce and cucumber 👍 and not too much veg like parsley or baby spinach (his favourite 🥬) Truffle is still in OK condition but he has lost a lot of weight and can't afford to keep losing weight. I need to record his weight and diet as well 🐾❤️🙏
 
She discussed how tricky it can be to get a really useful urine sample. Studies on guinea pigs who were shown to have succumbed to kidney failure using post mortem investigations indicated that it is not always easy to diagnose kidney problems in guinea pigs using blood and urine tests. The kidneys studied by PM were diseased but the disease could not be clearly diagnosed during the life of the guinea pig. Truffle was so good and sat perfectly still on the table gazing up at everyone with his unblinking little round black eyes 🥰🐾 When he came home he went straight into his snuggle sack (I had a clean one ready) and slept for a couple of hours) I put him in the hay for a while and he ate some and then went back to sleep some more. I'm glad to say he has been eating again this evening 🙏❤️🐾
 
Increasing fluid intake is important. They enjoy small pieces of sliced raw carrot soaked in filtered water. This food seems to bulk up their stools (which become a bit copper coloured). But of course carrots should be fed cautiously as they are quite sugary 🥕🥕🫑🫑
 
It would be nice if we could buy guinea pig food which helps to rehydrate as pellets are very dry. The cat food producers cook wet food, but piggies eat slowly and all the time in small portions 🥣
 
Truffolo said:
Increasing fluid intake is important. They enjoy small pieces of sliced raw carrot soaked in filtered water. This food seems to bulk up their stools (which become a bit copper coloured). But of course carrots should be fed cautiously as they are quite sugary 🥕🥕🫑🫑
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I've been giving extra cucumber because I saw you say you do it but now Stripe drinks less. But his poo is shinier.
 
Ramia said:
I've been giving extra cucumber because I saw you say you do it but now Stripe drinks less. But his poo is shinier.
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Yes, it does make their poo shinier. That's interesting that Stripe is drinking less 🥒🥒
 
Truffle's pee sample has gone in after some manoeuvring to get it. I took the blankets out of Truffle's cage, removed the ramp and the hay kitchen, swept up and waited. One tiny drop appeared and I sucked it up with the syringe and squirted it into the collection bottle. Not enough. And waited. Truffle and I had a blink first competition. Truffle won 🥰. And waited. Then I put him on a clean tarp in the playpen. I put Polo's blanket over the side and his piggy pillow next to Truffle, who sniffed both very thoroughly without producing a drop. I put his willow house in the playpen, waited, took it out again. And then I cleaned the floor of Truffle's cage with plain water and kitchen towels 🏡. When it was all nice and neat, I put Truffle in his cage. Turned away for a minute and there it was. A nice little puddle on the clean Correx floor. Good boy Truffle 🥒🥒🥬🥬
 
I bought two 600ml water bottles, but the spout size is the same as the 300ml bottle, so it doesn't help to increase hydration. When I was using the giant 1L bottles, I thought I saw my piggies drinking more often, but the giant bottles were almost too heavy for the C&C grids and they leaked alot. My piggies cast scorn on water bowls unfortunately.
 
Truffolo said:
Polo: Mabel this is the tunnel of love 🥰💘👑❤️🐾🌹🌹🌹🩷💘💖❤️❤️❤️💘 I have nibbled your name into the fleece and gaze at it in my comfy bed. I wish you were here and we could keep cozy together, paw in paw as we watch the crisp autumn evenings roll in 🥰🐾🐾🌹 🍂🍁❤️
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My dear Polo I will dream of your handsome face looking out for me from your comfy bed. My paw will then rest on yours as the moonlight gently drifts over us as we snooze after tasty snacks that your hooman set out on a bed of hay. :luv: :luv: 🫑🫑🫑🌛🌛🌛🥬🥬🥬🥕💤💤😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
Love and wheeks Mabel :hug:
 
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