Worst Guinea Pig carer in the world or the unluckiest?

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rjespicer

Post   » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:44 pm


GrannyJu1 if you have a Guineadad and FuzzButt pees and poops in the blanket pocket, as ours did, then I would not let her sleep or sit under there for any length of time. It is looking more and more like that is the culprit with regards to our 3 girls various breathing issues.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:53 pm


Assuming she recovers completely, this is an example of jumping the gun on the euthanasia suggestion and not getting to the bottom of things.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:46 am


You are so right, Lynx. Long frustrating ordeal that may have a simple answer. I had a similar situation with an older dog who developed irritable bowel. After months of digestive misery, prescription food, weight loss, and vet visits it turned out to be the shellfish in the glucosamine supplement the vet recommended for arthritis. I did the troubleshooting - the vet was surprised. I’m rooting for Nala and hoping the worst is behind her.

rjespicer

Post   » Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:58 am


Nala's weight was up to 828g last night ( up 47g compared to a week ago) and she was even more active than on Sunday running around like a little rocket. She has also been much more active in the pen and seems much more like her old self and will come out to check on any activity in the pen rather than hiding away on a corner. Her breathing seems to be continuing to get better too.

Nala certainly seems like a happy healthy guinea pig at the moment and the rate at which she has improved since we made the changes on Friday compared to just holding stable before that would seem to indicate that we may have fixed the issue.

What got me in a bit of a funk was that, the way the vet was talking, the options were pay for an expensive ultrasound (that may not tell us what is wrong anyway) or you will need to euthanize her. I dont know if that was how she intended it to sound but that is how it came across.

I have emailed the vet with an update including a link to that video and will see what she has to say now.

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:16 pm


I never let my Guinea Dad stay in the cage for even 18 hours, before laundering. It just looks gross and trying to sweep up the poops is impossible - first because of Fuzz's problem, then the fact the poops from the healthy two just bounce around rather than go into the dust pan. And my hand vac is dying. Again.

rjespicer

Post   » Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:18 pm


We use a dustpan and brush like this for quick spot cleaning.

Image

It makes it easier to use smaller strokes to get the poop in the pan and not flying across the cage. Alternatively we fold them in half and pick them up carefully by the corners so that all the poop and other debris drops in to the fold the use that to funnel it out in to a bag. I then usually give them a good shake outside to get any bits that are stuck off. Again that is for spot cleaning.

Laundry wise I usually do a pre-soak wash with Free and Clear detergent followed by a rinse and spin with no detergent and then a cool dryer cycle as many times as needed to get it dry. If they are really stinky then I soak them in sink for a couple of hours with a bit of white vinegar. Hoping i wont have to do that so often with the new set up, as they dont seem to be getting as smelly now they dont pee and poop under the blanket pockets creating a messy sludge of pee soaked poop..

Lynx i am not sure why they specify cold wash unless it is due to shrinkage or damage to the bamboo liner. Have posted a few questions for them on their FB page before but they have never responded. will see if they have an email address.

rjespicer

Post   » Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:02 pm


Just a thought but what detergents do you use?

We are currently using Tide but have tried Arm and Hammer and Seventh Generation all Free and Clear varieties are there any that appear to be better than the others? What about Oxiclean? I have seen some Free and Clear Detergents with that. Are they safe?

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:58 am


I always use the detergent, laundry booster, and all fabric bleach (occasionally) made by Amway. It's a bit more expensive than what you find in the grocery store, but I've always loved the fact that it's all phosphate free, rinses clean, biodegradable, and concentrated so I don't have to use as much of it.

rjespicer

Post   » Wed Sep 19, 2018 12:45 pm


Quick update.
Nala was active and racing around again last night, if anything more active than the other two (which immediately set my over active mind worrying about them). Weight last night was 825g so slightly down but still her 5th highest weight since we started weighing her in mid July. Her morning weight before feeding was 803g up from 797g yesterday so the general trend still appears to be upward.

The new cage layout seems to be working out but i think I need to get some more potty pads and maybe something I can put under the loft as they seem to sleep down that end more and dont use the Cuddle Cups much. I cant put Fleece forests there (As it is under the loft). Does anyone have any suggestions of safe healthy hideys other than the fleece forests? Alternatively where would I get some suitable fleece to make a little fringe screen or something just to make it a little cozier for them. When I Google Fleece fabric it all seems to be the Polartec type stuff for outdoor clothing. The local fabric store didn't have any either.

Thanks for the info GrannyJu1 I will do a bit more research as we dont currently use bleach or "Laundry Boosters" (Is that stuff like Oxiclean?)

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:13 am


Thanks for the update and it’s great to hear Nala is feeling so good. If you are looking for fabric to cut and make a fringed doorway under the loft, any cotton woven should work. Even flour sack dish towels. It will fray a bit but you won’t be washing it often since they aren’t sleeping on it. Polyester doesn’t fray when you cut it, but it’s not a natural fiber. Or just plain white paper like tissue or plain gift wrap with no color. I sometimes hang that across the back of the playpen and cut a few fringes so Lacey can explore like a tunnel.

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:20 am


I'm so glad to hear Nala is doing so much better!

Now I have to figure out Fuzzbutt - Age ( 5 in December) or Arthritis (shown in x-rays since before she was 2)? Or both. :o(

I've been using the Amway line for over 30 years so I can't really compare it to anything else. That's when they went phosphate free.

rjespicer

Post   » Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:26 pm


Ok thanks for the Tips. I will see what we can hook up.

Nala is still doing well. Slight weight drop yesterday but i think that is because the daughter fed her at a different time. She was still 816g and is still full of energy running around like crazy.

Still haven't heard from the vet since I missed the call on Saturday. I have emailed them a couple of times now but haven't heard back and I am hoping they will let us know if the breathing issues could be related to them not getting fresh air and what their views on Nala's recovery are since we changed things around.
I re-listened to the message from Saturday and it seems I misheard part of what she said. She said they were "concerned there could be some type of mass in the chest region, that could be the heart , there's also some structures in front of the heart that can be enlarged, mainly the thymus" but in order to know further they would need to ultrasound that area.

I am also hoping they call to let us know if we need to keep giving Nala the antibiotics and Lasix and if so for how long.

GrannyJu1 I hope you work out the issue with FuzzButt and that she starts feeling better

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