Topaz's Zoey

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Topaz

Post   » Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:16 pm


So, just want to do a little update for my benefit as well as anyone else doing the same...

Zoey is doing well! She is still upstairs in my room. It has been one week and three days. Her weight is maintaining at 2 lbs. 1-2 oz.

Her poops have finally firmed up. They also look much smaller and "normal" sized, similar to my other girl's now. I have no idea why they were so short and fat early on. They are no longer HUGE!

I have not been giving her anything but red leaf, green leaf, escarole, and chickory/endive. No peppers, cukes, or fruit of any kind. I'm kind of scared to introduce them back because one day when she had peppers, her poops looked loose again....but I will do so one at a time within the next couple of days so I can get a feel for what she can and cannot tolerate. I do hope she can tolerate the occasional pepper, cucumber, etc. as my girls like these mixed in with their greens. That would be hard if she couldn't have them when she is in with Goldie and Latte. How would I do that???

She is getting much more active and comfortable in her new surroundings here. I hear her puttering around the cage at night, drinking her water, eating pellets, and she is now devouring her 3rd cut timothy(I just ordered more). Her greens are also gone in about 10 minutes when I give them in the afternoon.

She's still a bit skittish and I'm thinking she's more like my Goldie in being a scaredy pig. Definitely not like my bold and feisty Latte, but I guess you never know once she gets in with the group. And that may work out for the best with Latte being so bossy. I don't think Latte could handle another pig with her attitude, which is why her and Goldie are getting along so well.

I am going to be moving Zoey's cage downstairs either tonight, or tomorrow. I would like her to have at least a week of getting used to the noises and smells of downstairs, MUCH different than the upstairs noises and smells she's been getting used to!

Down here there are kids, dogs, phones, food cooking, etc. She's been in somewhat of a sheltered area in my bedroom for the past week and three days.

If all looks good with the poops and whatnot, I will introduce her to my girls in about a week. *gulp* SCARED!

*fingers SOOOOO crossed* that it all works out!

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DMac
Supporter in '10, '11, & '12

Post   » Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:33 pm


Here's hoping they all love each other and become bffs!

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Topaz

Post   » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:37 am


Thank you!

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Topaz

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:06 pm


Zoey is doing well. She's eating lots of hay, pellets, greens, and is now drinking water like she should be.

The only thing that concerns me is her poos. They are still a bit mushy. Mushy enough to stick to her feet and to need bathing off.

I've been giving only greens; red leaf, green leaf, escarole, endive, frissee, and baby romaine. When I do this, they seem to get a bit better but still not as firm as my other girl's.

The other day, I reintroduced green pepper(a VERY small amount) in with her afternoon greens. Within hours, her poops were looser again.

So then, I stopped with the pepper. She has no other vegetables other than the leaf lettuces and still her poos are not right.

It's definitely not diarrhea, just sticky and softer than normal poops. And they are very smelly. When I approach her cage, I smell them immediately. Whereas if I am puttering about in Latte and Goldie's cage, there is hardly any smell.

I think a vet visit is in order. I need to find out if there is something causing the stinky soft poops, or if Zoey is just sensitive to veggies. I almost hope there is a treatable cause because if she can't have veggies and continues to have soft poops, I am very hesitant to put her in with my other girls. It will be a mess. They want(and deserve) their greens...but I can't give them to Zoey. She has soft poops, and then everyone has poop shoes that I have to bathe off constantly...ugh. Not what I am wanting.

Other than this issue, she seems very healthy. She has bright, clear eyes. No nasal discharge. Her weight is maintaining at 2 lbs. 2 oz. She's started to become feisty and has been wheeking for her greens, which I love to see. She is really a very normal girl, except for the poops.

So anyway, my question is, what should I have the vet do and look for when I go in this week?

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Bytxlaura
Remembering Nemo

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:52 pm


I would ask for a culture to be done.

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Topaz

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:07 pm


Yes, I was going to ask for a fecal but then isn't there something else?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:54 pm


The stinky poops, are they greener? The may be the caecal pellets that pigs reingest for more nutrients (the ones I have seen are pale green and smelly). I think of odor as bacteria if they are otherwise normal looking poops. Maybe worth adding some probiotics?

www.guinealynx.info/.html

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Topaz

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:13 pm


I have been adding them, Lynx. I have been adding probiotics to her afternoon veggies, cutting out peppers, cucumbers, anything other than leafy greens...no fruits. I just don't know what to do here anymore...that's why I am thinking vet. Nothing I do seems to help.

Poops are still sticky, softer than they should be, and stinky.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:26 pm


I see looking things over you have indeed tried the probiotics. Read over www.guinealynx.info/.html for general advice if you haven't. I think a couple things on that page could help. Oh, and up the vitamin C.

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Bytxlaura
Remembering Nemo

Post   » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:59 pm


One of my last rescues had very stinky poops. He was put on flagyl and it worked wonders.

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Topaz

Post   » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:48 am


I would be thrilled if a course of flagyl could help with this. I really really want to get this girl in with my other girls. She deserves friends.

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Topaz

Post   » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:53 am


Thanks for the link, Lynx. That's what I was looking for. Now I know what to ask for.

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