Pepper's Medical Thread

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:31 pm


Legitimate concerns, Lynx. I was thinking more about hot (warm) water bottles. The room temp feels fine to me, but maybe not to an old lady like Pepper. Aside from increasing the whole house temp, I've put cardboard barriers up on one side of the cage to prevent cold drafts from coming through their cage. We have a folded over fleece mat that Pepper favors & defend from interlopers. :) I'd think it's pretty cozy in there, but we're wondering if she's not coming out as much into the cage proper.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:21 pm


Warmed rice bags (this is a "thing") might also work. They would start out warm and cool slowly.

I often feel like tucking animals in with blankets. You could place her near a corner and drape some fleece from the corner to cover her body but perhaps not her head.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:34 pm


You can put a small hidey in the cage, not much bigger than she is, and cover it except for the hole. Her body heat will keep it warm.

But don't forget that unless they're skinnies, they're not likely to be cold.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:37 pm


Thanks for the input. The folded over fleece mat ought to be pretty warm once she's been in it for a bit. We'll see what the weather does - maybe the bitter cold is over.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:58 pm


Here's what the bitter cold did in my covered pond!

This is water coming off the filter spillway:





Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:20 am


Wow. Cool pics. How cold did it get there? Hope it's over now.,

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jan 11, 2018 7:29 pm


It got to about 6 degrees F, one night. A couple other nights in the single digits, never getting above freezing. This happened despite my green-housy type cover on the 8'X8' pond.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Fri Apr 06, 2018 1:00 pm


We had Pepper put to sleep last night. She was fine all day - eating, happy, but when my daughter gave her her medicine at 7:30, Pepper couldn't swallow it. We knew the big tumor in her dewlap was going to be a problem at some point (it had gotten to be the size of a small egg), and I'm surprised she lasted this long. But she's been happy, comfortable, eating, drinking all this while.

I am so glad we have an emergency vet here. Pepper was drooling because she couldn't swallow & it was uncomfortable for her & it was time.

She was 8 years old & came through several serious health problems. She was a baby when we adopted her with her mother, Nutmeg. She was a timid baby but eventually got used to us & loved being held. She loved her piggies and her people. She wasn't aggressive but got her way with a little bit of fussing. She had an aura of vulnerability and every pig that met her loved her.

My daughter said she could talk all day about her, and frequently does. If we put it here it would be tldr.

We're going to miss her.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Apr 06, 2018 1:12 pm


I'm so sorry. That's such a hard thing to do.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Fri Apr 06, 2018 1:33 pm


I've only had one other pig pts & it was more stressful. They brought him in to say goodbye, but he was in heart failure & obviously feeling bad & it was upsetting. Then they took him away & I seem to remember something about an injection into the heart?

This time the vet came in with 3 syringes. She calmly & patiently explained what she was going to do. One syringe was saline for flushing. Next one was to anesthetize her as for surgery and the last was an overdose of a barbiturate. She said people vary as to when they to leave. We stayed for the 1st syringe & she went to sleep fast. We left the room before the second one. I thought it was handled well.

Hope this isn't tmi.

User avatar
Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Fri Apr 06, 2018 8:55 pm


I'm so sorry, Bookfan. She sounds like a lovely guinea pig.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:49 pm


I'm so sorry she's gone. What a great guinea pig and what a good life she had. I know you will miss her.

Post Reply