Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 10, 2015 2:47:00 GMT
I have to take my guinea pig Mila to the vet tomorrow as she has lost quite a bit of weight and has crusty eyes. I have taken her once before and she was in a little carrier (kind of bag), but she screamed the whole way there. Now I am wondering if it's better to keep her in a carrier/kennel or to hold her in a snuggle bag? I'm not sure what will be better for her, more comfortable and less stressful. I'm getting a friend to drive me, so I have the option of holding her. It's about a 20 minute drive.
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Post by Bean on Mar 10, 2015 9:12:13 GMT
Sorry to hear Mila hasn't been well. I hope the vet can get to the bottom of what's wrong with her and that it's something easily treatable. Is she eating normally or is the weight loss happening despite being on a normal diet?
I always put some nice fresh hay in their carriers, and a nice treat like some grass or a bit of cucumber. I know travelling can be stressful for them but it's much safer for the pig to be in a safe, enclosed space whilst on a journey. If something spooked them and they managed to jump out of your hands, it would be dangerous for both them and for the person driving. There are too many little nooks under seats etc in cars, it's not a good place for a stressed pig to potentially be loose.
Good luck at the vets, please let us know how you get on.
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 10, 2015 13:22:08 GMT
It makes sense. Thanks. She's eating her veggies and some hay, but not as much as normally. Her poop is really small too, so it looks like she's not eating enough hay for sure.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 10, 2015 14:00:04 GMT
I agree with Bean. I have carriers that allow space for hay, and I use celery or pieces of cucumber as a water source for the trip. The hay lets they hide and eat, and the watery veg lets them eat and drink. I think it helps keep their minds off the trip. Also, take her pal with her, so she has piggy moral support. You can hold her at the vet, while she's waiting, but it's best to keep her confined in the car. Best of luck at the vet!!!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 10, 2015 19:00:17 GMT
I hope all goes well love, lots of cuddles on their way.
Hugs Jo xx
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 10, 2015 20:21:14 GMT
I don't know if anybody will see this before I leave, but you think I should bring my other guinea pig too...to keep them together? Is that less stressful?
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 10, 2015 20:25:06 GMT
Definitely. It's the same as having a friend go with you to a stressful meeting. She'll be happy to have her friend along. Also, when they get home, they will both smell of the vets office, so she won't be ostracized until her friend decides she's really the same pig
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 10, 2015 20:33:04 GMT
Thank you so much. I hope it goes well.
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Post by Bean on Mar 11, 2015 9:36:39 GMT
I find they get less stressed with a pal too. I hope the vet trip went okay and that you've come away feeling confident you can get Mila better.
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 11, 2015 13:51:48 GMT
The trip went well. They had treats and each other, so they were fine. The vet visit, I don't know. The vet didn't seem to be able to say what was wrong. I got some eye drops for Mila and she suggested that I try a different kind off hay to see if she will eat that. I don't think the hay is the problem, but I am trying something different and we will see if it works. Mila seems perky enough and begs for her veggies, but she has those crusty eyes and the poop is not looking normal either. I will keep watching her and hopefully she will be back to normal soon.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 11, 2015 15:14:48 GMT
I'm sorry the vet visit didn't give you the answers you needed. It can be hard to find a vet who truly knows guinea pigs. Too few people bother to take their guinea pigs to a vet, as it costs so little to go to the pet store and get another pig Most vets have the one day course on all rodents, in vet school, and unless they have reason to learn more, they don't. It might help to find another vet, and try again, if she's losing weight, her activity level is suffering, and she's not acting normally. That said, the hay could be the problem. If there are a lot of tiny particles of hay, or a lot of open heads on the stalks, she could be allergic. One way to tell is to get a plant misting bottle, and lightly mist/not spray the hay as you put it in the cage. Wipe off the crusties, and see if they return. If they do, it's probably not the hay, or not only the hay. What brand of hay do they eat? What type of bedding are you using? Loose shavings bedding has a lot of dust, and could also be the problem. Misting shavings bedding might help eliminate that dust, though it best, misting only stops the very top layer from releasing the dust. If the pigs chase each other around and stir up the bedding or hay, more dust is released. I have tried hay cakes and cubes. The pigs like both. Both have very little dust or pollen because of the tight packing. Both are a lot more expensive than a bag or box of hay. It might be worth trying one bag of hay cakes, and seeing if the crusties go away. Changing the bedding to Carefresh, which is very low dust, or to fleece over an absorbent layer, could also solve the problem. Carefresh gets expensive, if an adequate amount is used. Also, it's not very absorbent. The cellulose will absorb, but very slowly. 100% cotton towels absorb very well under fleece, as do the quilted moving blankets sold by Uhaul. Fleece is wash/reuse, so much less expensive than most beddings. No fabric softener in the wash or dryer, as that impedes the wicking that keeps the surface of the fleece dry. Other possible causes of allergies that might cause the crusties are too much perfume in the area. If you use room deodorizers or wear perfume, try removing those smells from their area. Other plants that bloom and release pollen can also cause allergies, so if there are any flowering plants in the room, try moving them to another room, and see if that helps. Wool carpeting can also cause allergic reactions, though if you have wool wall-to-wall carpeting, there's nothing you can do about that. Also, pellet dust at the bottom of the pellet bowl can get into their eyes and up their noses, so it's worth checking that there isn't any pellet dust in the bottom of the bowl. Some pigs really root around in the pellets to get just the ones they want. If the vet checked her respiratory system, heart, lungs, etc., and found nothing wrong, I would look to the environment for the problem. If the vet didn't give her a complete checkup, listen to her lungs, heart and gut with a stethoscope, look in her eyes, ears, nose and mouth, etc., I would try a different vet. Lastly, check the guinea pig medical information sites listed at the top of this thread. They may have more information, or experience with the problem. I hope this helps.
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Post by Bean on Mar 11, 2015 15:50:47 GMT
I'm sorry you didn't feel you got much help from the vet. As 3piggles said, I'd have expected them to check for any signs of a URI and for signs of dental problems which could be preventing normal eating. The eyes can go crusty when a pig is under the weather for any reason, and those are two of the main culprits. If you don't feel the vet has excluded at least both of those, I'd go for a second opinion.
If you watch her eating does she seem to be having any problems - dropping bits of food, having trouble getting things in at the right angle, dribbling a bit or sort of overchewing like she has something stuck in the back of her mouth? Or does she look to be eating normally when she does eat?
Hope you can find something to stimulate her appetite a bit more - perhaps a different hay will whet her appetite. If I have a pig who's not as interested in eating then I always go and cut some fresh grass for them - it's hard to resist!
Will keep everything crossed for her here and I'm glad the actual trip there and back went better than the last time, that's good news and will reassure you if you need to take her out again.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 11, 2015 18:47:48 GMT
Oh sweetie, I hope she gets well soon.
Hugs JO xx
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 11, 2015 22:49:24 GMT
The vet did check her lungs, took her temperature etc. I specifically mentioned the lungs to her as well, because I know how they can get respiratory illnesses easily. The vet also checked her teeth and they were fine, so maybe she did a good job. I guess it's just frustrating, when you feel like you don't get an answer. I use Kaytee Timothy hay and they have fleece bedding. There's no plants in their room and I am a very low fragrance person :-) (I don't really use perfume, air fresheners, fabric softners etc), so that shouldn't be the problem. Mila seems to eat fine and sometimes she is quite perky, begging for vegetables. She does eat some hay, but not as much as she normally does. I will do some more research and try different hay and make sure it's not too "dusty". I just want her to be well. The vet said she didn't think she was too skinny, but I know she's lost quite a bit of weight. Maybe she was chubby before and now she's normal? I don't know. I'll keep an eye on her, try your suggestions and if it continues, maybe try a different vet.
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Post by Bean on Mar 12, 2015 9:08:14 GMT
It does sound like she got a decent checking over and that you aren't exposing her to a lot of the common potential irritants. It's interesting that she's sometimes fine and then downbeat other times. Keeping a record of her weight is a great idea as if you do need to see a vet again, weight loss is good solid evidence that something is going on. How old is she btw? The medical forum at Guinea Lynx might bring forward some extra ideas. If you do need to visit the vet I'm sure they'd be able to advise you on questions to ask or things to suggest if the vet does draw a blank. Fingers will stay crossed for her.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 12, 2015 13:47:19 GMT
Mila will be 3 in April. I'll check out the Guinea Lynx forum for sure.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 12, 2015 19:22:27 GMT
I agree with Bean. The vet seems to have been very thorough. That's good, because while it's not always easy to pinpoint what the problem is, being able to eliminate as many things as possible eventually leaves only a few possibilities. I know how hard it is to know she's not acting right all the time, but not know why. Don't give up. Fleece is about as low dust as it's possible to get, so I doubt bedding is an issue. You've covered all the other pollen/perfume options, so changing the hay sounds like the best idea. Doesn't mean it will solve the problem, but it's one more test to try. Oxbow Western Timothy hay is recommended by vets, and is available at most pet stores. The hay cakes are also Oxbow, and I get the here: www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27381They may also be available in pet or feed/grain stores. I would also suggest keeping a record of what she's doing and eating, and when she seems to be sluggish versus being okay. That may tell you more than anything. Her behavior may change a certain amount of time after she eats a certain food, etc. I have my vet stumped at the moment, too, so they don't always have the answers.
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Whimsy
Bronze Member
Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Mar 13, 2015 5:01:50 GMT
I bought some Oxbow timothy hay today and so far she's not super excited about it, but she does like the hay cakes that I bought. Her eyes seem a little less crusty after using the eye drops, so that's good. I appreciate all the suggestions, because you feel so helpless when you don't know what's wrong. You want what's best for those little guys, but you don't always know what the best is.
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Post by Bean on Mar 13, 2015 11:33:05 GMT
It's frustrating enough when there's something wrong with us and the doctor has little idea, but at least we can explain our symptoms. It's so hard with animals where the cause isn't obvious as you know in your gut something isn't right with them, but the answers aren't forthcoming and they can't tell you anything. The body of any human or animal is so complicated that it's not always something that can be got to the bottom of easily, even with specialist help.
You are doing a great job at looking after her and trying to help her get better.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 13, 2015 15:36:02 GMT
At least you have some options, and if nothing makes a difference, that is information for the vet to consider, too. It sounds as if she likes the hay cakes, which is a good step in the right direction.
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