Dusty_bugs
Teenage Guinea Pig
Hey guys, quite a manic week but manged with the help of a wonderful friend on this forum!
Leeland had a little pee infection a bit ago, but it put her off her food in a big way so we were worried it was more. I started on the oxbow crit care and pestered her with fresh veggies non stop. She was also on baytril and the left overs of DT's metacam for comfort. The vets were concerned that because her mouth was *FINE NO PROBLEMS* it was bladder stones not just cystitis so took her in overnight and gave her an x-ray.
She came back the next day and the vets said she ate fine, her mood was up. We're gonna take her off the meds she's on (2 days before her course was even up!) and they put her on emprid and infacol instead, they also said I was to give 3x2ml of pineapple juice and her crit care to subsidise her veggies and hay. When I got her back... she didnt eat. She also developed a little brown/pink colour on the tip of her tongue (now gone white with a bit sticking off it) but I figured that they had knocked her out to look in her mouth and what with all the scopes... etc.
I took her in for a check up and mentioned that she was not responding to veggies, infact she managed an 1/8th of a grape the day before, her stress levels were up and she was 100% off hay. Critical care was the only thing she was having.. and this is where it turned into a blame circus!
The woman I saw said the reason she is off her food is because I have stressed the crap out of her with excess syringe feeding (I do 20ml's a sesh 4 times a day, then her meds, plus water to rinse) - for the consistency this is the max amount for oxbow per kilo anyway and I'd rather do little and often to keep her gut moving. she said this as she repeatedly got out the pig, put her back, got her out, put her back. I offered to open the carrier so the pig didnt need ripping out every time and she said no. Then she asked if I had metacam left, I said maybe one dose.. she said.. hmm save the stress of the mouth feed I'll inject it instead!
I mentioned the weight fluctuations, that I weighed her every morning before first feed of the day, I also mentioned that some suggest twice a day. She went nuts and said "don't be silly,you wouldnt weigh yourself 3 times a day. You're just worrying yourself". IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY! She must have formed the opinion that I was a hysterical ninny because her following advise was, no mouthfeeding, just throw in LOTS of fresh veg, don't get her out and if you have to make it the once (because the fact that she is more vocal and explorative can also indicate stress?!?!?!?!). Stop all meds.. see you 3 days. I was so concerned that I rang up the operating surgery that kept her straight after, to talk to a different vet that was familiar with the case. She agreed that getting her out would help keep the guts active, but the moment I dropped the the fact I had just seen the short irish woman she said, lets just see how she does. She dropped 40 grams overnight and her eyes were crusted over. I was LIVID.
So I went to the emergency vet the next day and the woman said put her back on the crit care, give her more baytril (for the bleeding that had developed on her tongue, arguably my pipette, her teeth or the myriad of vets who checked her mouth with a scope this 2 weeks) and we'll get an 'exotic' specialist on monday - don't care what he is as long as he knows his pigs. Oh and guess what, the vet I saw the previous day... was the owner of the practice! I nearly curdled.
So since then she's back up 20grams, she's miraculously more compliant on the syringe feed, I've been massaging her tummy to help the food along because she hasnt any gut stimulants, but it works. Her tummy feels full and we have an apt. at 14.30 with village vets. I'm NEVER taking the girls back there for anything more complicated than a pee infection. The guys at the bottom of my road are fast, and a few of them I really like, but that is it.
Leeland had a little pee infection a bit ago, but it put her off her food in a big way so we were worried it was more. I started on the oxbow crit care and pestered her with fresh veggies non stop. She was also on baytril and the left overs of DT's metacam for comfort. The vets were concerned that because her mouth was *FINE NO PROBLEMS* it was bladder stones not just cystitis so took her in overnight and gave her an x-ray.
She came back the next day and the vets said she ate fine, her mood was up. We're gonna take her off the meds she's on (2 days before her course was even up!) and they put her on emprid and infacol instead, they also said I was to give 3x2ml of pineapple juice and her crit care to subsidise her veggies and hay. When I got her back... she didnt eat. She also developed a little brown/pink colour on the tip of her tongue (now gone white with a bit sticking off it) but I figured that they had knocked her out to look in her mouth and what with all the scopes... etc.
I took her in for a check up and mentioned that she was not responding to veggies, infact she managed an 1/8th of a grape the day before, her stress levels were up and she was 100% off hay. Critical care was the only thing she was having.. and this is where it turned into a blame circus!
The woman I saw said the reason she is off her food is because I have stressed the crap out of her with excess syringe feeding (I do 20ml's a sesh 4 times a day, then her meds, plus water to rinse) - for the consistency this is the max amount for oxbow per kilo anyway and I'd rather do little and often to keep her gut moving. she said this as she repeatedly got out the pig, put her back, got her out, put her back. I offered to open the carrier so the pig didnt need ripping out every time and she said no. Then she asked if I had metacam left, I said maybe one dose.. she said.. hmm save the stress of the mouth feed I'll inject it instead!
I mentioned the weight fluctuations, that I weighed her every morning before first feed of the day, I also mentioned that some suggest twice a day. She went nuts and said "don't be silly,you wouldnt weigh yourself 3 times a day. You're just worrying yourself". IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY! She must have formed the opinion that I was a hysterical ninny because her following advise was, no mouthfeeding, just throw in LOTS of fresh veg, don't get her out and if you have to make it the once (because the fact that she is more vocal and explorative can also indicate stress?!?!?!?!). Stop all meds.. see you 3 days. I was so concerned that I rang up the operating surgery that kept her straight after, to talk to a different vet that was familiar with the case. She agreed that getting her out would help keep the guts active, but the moment I dropped the the fact I had just seen the short irish woman she said, lets just see how she does. She dropped 40 grams overnight and her eyes were crusted over. I was LIVID.
So I went to the emergency vet the next day and the woman said put her back on the crit care, give her more baytril (for the bleeding that had developed on her tongue, arguably my pipette, her teeth or the myriad of vets who checked her mouth with a scope this 2 weeks) and we'll get an 'exotic' specialist on monday - don't care what he is as long as he knows his pigs. Oh and guess what, the vet I saw the previous day... was the owner of the practice! I nearly curdled.
So since then she's back up 20grams, she's miraculously more compliant on the syringe feed, I've been massaging her tummy to help the food along because she hasnt any gut stimulants, but it works. Her tummy feels full and we have an apt. at 14.30 with village vets. I'm NEVER taking the girls back there for anything more complicated than a pee infection. The guys at the bottom of my road are fast, and a few of them I really like, but that is it.
I'm in contact with furry friends already, but I think she's had a rough and busy couple of weeks! I messaged her to let her know what happened so if she has time then I'm sure she'll let me know what she thinks, being the queen of guineapig noms!
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