Request for heart pig stories

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Bugs Mom

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:50 pm


Sorry, but your vet's an idiot! Any chance you can find a new one who's not afraid of new ideas? Did you remind them that this is your pig and at this point there's really nothing to lose by a trial of heart meds. I had to do that with my vet.

On the main Medical page accessable on the top of this page, under the heart section Mum's doctor, Dr. Ridgeway, has written on heart pigs. You might try printing that out for your vet.

I would leave the teeth alone at this point.

pinta

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:15 pm


Would your vet be willing to consult with Dr. Ridgeway? Or even do some research on the net? She obviously has not been keeping up with heart disease protocols.

Finding another vet is defibnitely an option.

One last thought. Suggest euthanisation to your vet but say before Carmen is euthanised, you'd like to try heart meds just for the hell of it. Your vet would now be dealing with an animal that is going to die anyway so there is nothing to lose by treating her. Of course you won't be agreeing to euthanization without a trial of heart meds first. Basically, call your vet's bluff.

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Bugs Mom

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:37 pm


Oooh, I like Pinta's idea.

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GuineaPinny

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:43 pm


RavenShade that is the dose of Benazapril that my vet uses, and we have had good experience with it so far. He has advised against higher doses for numerous reasons. It is against the GL recommended treatment though, but in my area the guinea guru vets that I've asked have all recommended doses in that range.

Could this be a West vs. East thing? We have four pigs on heart meds so I don't think it is for lack of treatment.

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mkkayla
Supporter in '14

Post   » Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:54 am


I already told her the next time she's being seeing us would be to euth her, she was unmoved. I'll call the vet that does ultrasounds, although I don't get a warm fuzzy about him either. There is really nothing else here. Closest town that would have a decent exotics vet would probably be St. Louis, MO 5 hours away, maybe Nashville at about 4 hours; either way, it's not a short drive.

ANd this morning, her compounded med is all congealed at the bottom and I can't get a dose out-it's probably been slowly thickening up since I got it on Thursday. I hate these dark bottles. I doubt she's been getting the right dose of Cipro, which may explain why she's still incontinent, peeing blood, and in pain. Calling the pharmacy as soon as they open.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:10 am


That is crappy about the meds congealing! I would be very frustrated.

pinta

Post   » Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:18 am


A dog and cat vet with a brain would do. My vet isn't an exotics vet. She learned what she knows from my pigs.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:27 pm


Mkkyla, I went through the same thing with my vet once. He said "I don't practice that way" when I asked for heart meds. He refused without a firm diagnosis so I had to pay for an ultrasound which gave a very specific diagnosis of the heart problem. It bugged me because it did cost a lot to get the ultrasound.

I even brought in tons of case histories and he tried to contact Dr. Ridgeway but the call was never returned.

I hope things work out for you one way or the other.

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mkkayla
Supporter in '14

Post   » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:48 am


You know I hate people trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I took my meds back to the compounding pharmacy. The pharmacist asked me if I wanted a new bottle or he could just 'loosen this one up'. I told him I wanted a new bottle. He couldn't tell me what concentration was left in the bottle nor what the concentration would be after he 'loosened it up'. He agreed and went off to make me a new bottle. When I got it it looked suspiciously like my old bottle, so I asked him if I had 10 days worth in the bottle. He said he didn't know. If he just mixed it up he should have known how many days worth was in the bottle, don't you think? He knew then, that I caught him red handed-all he had done was loosen up my old med after I told him I didn't want that. He went back and I saw him get down a mortal and pestle and start on my new bottle. So now I have a new bottle of meds and I'm hoping he hasn't screwed me again. Jerk.

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Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:01 am


That was scary. Good thing you were paying attention to what he was doing.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:03 am


Wow, I would be really peaved too. What the heck was he thinking????

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mkkayla
Supporter in '14

Post   » Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:14 am


He was thinking he could a) save time by just adding something to my bottle and shaking it up (I got there 10 minutes before closing) and b) save money by not having to make up a new bottle.

AND what's worse, I can't complain to the owner-he IS the owner.

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