Should I worry? Lazy "rag doll" pig

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rshevin

Post   » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:03 am


Wow, what a great vet! In the US the vets will never let you back in the x-ray room to hold your pet like that. Too much threat of lawsuit I suppose. You know how Americans are. There are many, many people who have offered to do it for exactly the same reasons you did. It reduces or eliminates the need for anesthesia and also keeps the pet calmer to have a familiar person around.

I know there must be some special techniques for restraining a pig for xray that some of the vet techs here can help you with. Maybe they use a foam cradle or something?

All I think there is to say now is to just keep watching and weighing her and treat her like the good pig she is. If you can't convince the vets of heart problems, I'm not sure what else you can do other than keep insisting.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:30 pm


poppypiggy, glad the norms page came in handy.

I was just going to say that there is a newer Carpenter book -- the third edition. I put up info from the second edition but see I referenced the third edition.

Don't know if anyone could check to see if the Carpenter's values noted are the same in the third edition but that would be most appreciated.

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rshevin

Post   » Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:37 pm


Sorry, the medical school library only has the 2nd edition. Does Josephine not have access to the 3rd?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:15 pm


I think Josephine has the third. It was only in remembering I used the second that sent me to the page to check out the references. It is quite likely they are the same. I could add a note and people can check for themselves (say it's from the second edition but there is a third edition).

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poppypiggy

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:38 am


I know I am lucky to have found this vet, rshevin! I don't know if she is allowed to let owners into the x-ray-room, but I will never complain that she did! When the owner is there the animal will feel much more secure, and everything will go smoother. Easier for the animal, the owner and the vet. And as long as security is taken care of I see no problem in being exposed to x-rays a few times - I suspect that sitting by my PC every day (as I do at work) is much more harmful!

Lynx - do you know if there are a norm or rule of thum of how large the x-ray "dose" required for a guinea pig is? My vet was surprised that the guidelines for dogs and cats did not fit at all.

I think the vet ordered the Carpenter et al., and the Quesenberry and Carpenter, and she discussed a bit back and forth with the bookstore person on what edition they had or could order, so I assume she will get the newest of both.

At least we afterwards agreed on that most older literature is inaccurate on guinea pigs, so she has gotten that point. She is eager to learn, it seems. And I will contribute to that by recommending her to other guinea pig owners, so hopefully she will have more patients to learn from, and with time be a really good piggi vet!

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poppypiggy

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:52 am


By the way - I just created a profile for my daughter - as Poppygirl. She has used mine at several occations, and that could perhaps lead to some confusion, so it's better she has a profile on her own. She loves Poppy as much as I do, so the profile name came all by it self!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:00 pm


poppypiggy, I'm pretty sure the Quesenberry and Carpenter book has some info about xrays in it -- and surgery and other things. I probably did not read them. It covers rabbits, ferrets, etc. but provides some really valuable info. I think she will be especially pleased with that one.

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rshevin

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:16 pm


Awe man, you're making me want those books so badly. I'm such a medical nerd that they actually look interesting to me. Maybe when I get a real job and know I won't be schlepping them around with me.

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poppypiggy

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:36 pm


I am glad she ordered that one, then! And like you, rshevin, I might consider buying these books myself, too.

I just searched up the Quesenberry and Carpenter book through my book club (it has some sort of agreement with some of the lager publishers of books in English), and it seems I can get it in my mailbox in 10 - 20 days at a price of NOK 630,-, (= less than 100$) shipping included. That is not bad, really! Maybe a Christmas present for my guinea pigs and myself?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:05 pm


Keep in mind it focuses on many animals. There is a chapter or two on guinea pigs but they are not covered as thoroughly as rabbits and ferrets. Helpful though.

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rshevin

Post   » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:11 pm


Lynx, that's exactly why I'd like that book instead of one that focused ONLY on pigs because at the shelter, I'm constantly innundated with animals I know nothing about. I started caring for the rabbits because no one else would and they were enough like pigs that I could do a fair job. Now they think I'm an expert on anything and everything not cat or dog. I need to read up!

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poppypiggy

Post   » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:20 am


Update on Poppy: From Tuesday night to Friday night Poppy was in a separate cage so we could monitor her water intake. She obviously was very bored by being alone, so she had floor time with the others, but only for a short time every day, as we had no water bottles out with them. And Friday she didn't get to see any of the others before her 3 days of separation was over.

Then she was first put in with mellow Mango, and she run straight to her and sniffed her ears and under her chin, then along her sides all the way around her, then her ear again, and than she did something I never have seen her do: She popcorned! A bit careful, but she did it several times! And she looked so happy! As if she had started to doubt that she ever should see Mango or any other pig again in her life! When Pippi and Molly were put in the cage too, she greeted them enthusiastically and happy and made little chuckling sounds. It was touching to watch how happy she was when she got her friends back!

But this close monitoring has been worthwhile; we now have evidence that she is drinking about 160 ml/24 h.That is more than the 3 others usually will drink together in the same time, so I have now called the vet to make an appointment for full blood testing - under anesthesia. I don't like it, but I guess that is the only way to get good blood samples, as her veins are situated relatively deep under her skin - she is a bit on the fat side. The vet will call me back when they get appropriate masks - they have run out of the small ones and must order some new.

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