Jan's Toothy Smile medical thread

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:08 am


Thanks for the replies Lynx and GrannyJu1 here is a copy of email I sent Furbabies vet concerning Joy.
y. X-rays helped us with Jan I am hoping it will help with Joy too. If it is something bad like cancer I do NOT want to know. Will be at the library again Monday.
Like I said in my texts Joy is now eating 50-90% of her food, maintaining weight, BUT looks sad and miserable and is fluffed up as in pain. BUT when we put her on Jan's Meloxicam she stopped eating and lost massive weight! She is now hovering around the 820gram mark. Normally I would say X-rays aren't needed but the unhappy miserable look she has and fluffed up is a great concern to me. I have moved Jaffa and Jill's pen together with Joy and Jan's so she can see them but she just isn't interested!

She was fine at home it is since we moved here. When we moved in there was a faint smell of paint-gave me headaches for at least 10 days would this be the cause or is she upset and affected by the move? What do you think?

We are looking into a friend for her as when Jan is with her they just seem to stay out of each-other's way and I am NOT sure this is helping Joy! Not sure if Joy will accept another piggy but if we get one and after 2 weeks quarantine we will try to introduce them! If she wont accept a piggy sadly we will need to find a forever home for her as have no room for another cage or pen-will break my heart though! if I had my way I would have hundreds of piggies but fear my husband would leave me if I did!

When Jessie was alive and we got Jemma and Jasmine we just put them all together and NO problems they got on together like a house on fire! Until Jessie tried to have sex to their faces and that they didn't like! Not that she could get her legs up that high but she gave it a red hot go!

Will keep you posted, but not sure X-rays are needed seeing as she is eating and maintaining weight? She like Jessie hates the Meloxicam for the pain 0.07mls but like I said Jan loves it and tries to eat the syringe when we give it to her, she tries to suck out the last drop!
Will be back Monday or maybe even tomorrow(Friday) not sure yet. But thanks again to you both!

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GrannyJu1
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Post   » Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:21 am


daisymay, there are other pain meds you might try. One of my pigs can't tolerate Meloxicam, so she gets Buprenorphine when she needs it. My vet says it doesn't do the nasty things to piggy bodies like the Meloxicam can.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Fri Sep 14, 2018 3:19 am


I will ask the piggies vet and see if available here in Australia. Thanks for help and reply GrannyJu1. Will keep you posted! So far eating, syringe fed, maintaining weight. But sad and miserable and fluffy. Not interested in much. I am hoping a little friend will help, if not will have to find little friend a new home. As husband would kill me if we had another cage or pen! Then who would look after the girls? Thanks again!

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GrannyJu1
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Post   » Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:56 am


Husband wouldn't kill you. He'd have to look after your furbabies!

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:17 am


Tried to get her on Buprenorphine as it has less side affects and gentle on piggies. BUT Carol said she is reluctant to use it as has side affects, not as good as Meloxicam and has a short life span and only relives pain for a very short amount of time every day! Damn Vets. if I had the money I would take my piggies else where but sadly vets here are in dark ages when it comes to piggies and those who say they know about them are the worse as they know nothing and make them suffer like vet who treated Jessie and broke her jaw in three places when removing a tooth and was very rough with her when ever she went to see him! I blame myself for subjecting her to all that pain she got when she saw him and his partner. So called piggy experts! Yeah right! Piggy torturers more like it! Keep you posted!

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:34 am


Well, I happen to agree with your vet on the buprenorphine. It's not a good medicine for long-term pain relief, but for acute pain. I have a pig with severe arthritis in the knees, and she's on daily meloxicam.

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GrannyJu1
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Post   » Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:39 am


Yes, Buprenorphine is short acting - Fuzz gets her dose twice a day, most days. It IS safer than Meloxicam though because it doesn't effect the kidneys and/or the liver. I halfway think the Meloxicam is what caused Peek to go into renal failure.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Thu Nov 22, 2018 9:03 pm


Hello Jan has developed another problem which as usual the vets can't answer. Jan has developed a head flick. We think it is due to the right ear which has small lumps growing on the inside of the side of ear. They look like clumps of trees or skin tags with thick base!

The vet yesterday said take her home and just watch her. BUT she has gone off her food and when we syringe feed her her head flicks quite a lot, sometimes 60 times or more. At times she will squeal out in pain.

The vet refuses to operate due to her age and tummy problems, she refuses to freeze them or tie them with string! The only medicine she mentioned was for dogs and cats which have steroids in it which she is refusing to use on a guinea pig. Which I have to agree with!
Any ideas much appreciated. I will be at library for another hour and then on Monday. It breaks our hearts to see her like this and would love to have it stopped!

Thanking any replies in advance.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Nov 22, 2018 11:23 pm


I wonder if it is a type of wart. They can have a viral source sometimes.

I am so sorry you are having new problems with her, especially if she is in some p ain. Does she tolerate metacam okay?

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Sat Nov 24, 2018 12:08 am


Thanks for the reply Lynx. She loves Meloxicam and tries to eat they syringe too. We had a scare yesterday and I don't think I have recovered yet! Jan's normal vet wasn't in for day so went to a vet around 20kms away. She looked at the lumps in her ear he said they were something I forget but it started with a P. He also said you can get cream to stop the itching.

Everything was going fine till he checked her heart which was 232, then her temp which was 40.5. He gave her a Baytril injection and told us to take her tomorrow(today Saturday) to local vet. Went out to pay and Jan started to have a fit, body, head going everywhere. She was squeaking and it just scared us! We thought we were going to lose her!!!

The vet checked her heart and it was now 300. He said sit down with her and calm her down and he would check her heart again before they closed. So I tortured the little mite by singing to her and rocking her. After around 20 minutes he checked her heart and it was back to around 230.

Watched like a hawk all night, she seemed tired and laid down a lot. took her to the vet this morning and was told lumps found anywhere are tumours and these were benign. Her temp was checked and was back in normal range and heart was also with in normal range though a little high but that was put down to car ride and vet visit.

Her head is still twitching and she is quiet but thankfully she is better today than yesterday. Will keep you posted. Time at library is drawing to a close before they close PC's cut off automatically.

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GrannyJu1
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Post   » Sat Nov 24, 2018 12:26 pm


Geez, I'm sorry to hear this! You've had so many problems with your furbabies, it doesn't seem fair. I wish you had better vet care.

I can't really help with this problem either, but I'll keep you all in my prayers.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:19 pm


As you know for sometime Cherry Blossom has been ill with wind problems and we had been syringe feeding her for many months around 18 I think. We had grown so close. I said to Ian it is time to feed her only to remember she no longer needed it..I blame myself I bought Meadow hay that was 75% seeds and 25% hay and whats more I bought another bale! Anyways things were going along as usual when on Thursday she seemed strange, took her to the vet and Carol said she was fine. I still wasn't happy so took her to Stirling vet, who said her heart rate was 232 and temp 40.5 so she got fluids under the skin as very dehydrated and Baytril injection. With the injection she had a sort of fit and heart rate went up to over 300. But when we got her back home she picked up and ate and pooped and was happy as could be.

I was told to bring her back next day to go to local vet, so went to local vet, temp was normal, she got more fluids under the skin and we were given Baytril to give orally. Well she was as fit as a fiddle till the 3.00am feed Sunday where Ian said she was fiddly and at 7.00am she would eat nothing for me. Well she wouldn't swallow. We went down Adelaide where she got more fluids under the skin and heart rate back to 280 and temp 40.1. We were told she wouldn't make the night. On Monday we went back to Stirling vet and more fluids under the skin, and we were given a drug like Morphine but started with a B. I gave her a dose Monday(well have a dose) and it knocked her out for 6 hours. Again we were told she wouldn't make the night. By Sunday she had also developed an ear tilt which NO vet did anything about!

On Monday evening we went to another vet, who said she would be lucky to make the night, he gave her Baytril by injection-half a dose as I had given her one earlier-which I think was an overdose! 0.2mls for a 600gram piggy! Twice a day! And he gave her an injection of pain killer.

By this stage we knew the end was near, I cuddled her heaps talked to her, massaged her with her toothbrush which she loved she would zone out and even smile. I then after feeding Joy took her to bed with me for one last time! I sadly forced fed her at 8.00am I hate myself for doing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also gave her her Zantac medicine. By still stage she could no longer walk her hind legs wouldn't support her and her head tilt was so bad she couldn't lift her head. I know some of you think we should have let her go with dignity but she was Ian's girl and he couldn't bear losing her and like me was hoping for a miracle. She different suffer in our opinions and the vets. Took her back to the vet at 9.15am, her heart rate 280 and temp 41.9, he gave her a Baytril injection and said 2-3 hours tops. We didn't even make it up the road before she slipped away. Her heart was beating real fast and then slowly it slowed till there was nothing! This was 9.35am today Tuesday the 27th.

We took her home, kissed her like crazy, then put her in a sealable bag then an air tight container to be taxidermied and then in the freezer which broke my heart-seemed so final! I was delusional and hoping she would wake up! her passing was peaceful though I bet she felt crap before hand! We had gotten Jessie, Jemma,(which wasn't done properly-skull left in them and some time we are going to lose them again!) Jupiter and Jasmine(by different lady this lady has won many awards and is top in this state and Australia. And came second in New Zealand. Taxidermied.

She did a great job on Jupiter and Jasmine except she made their noses to long and skinny. She even did what she could for Jessie and Jemma. They are in plastic cases Jessie and Jemma in one, Jupiter and Jasmine in another, we have DVD's on top to protect from moths(Jessie and Jemma had 100's of moth eggs in them) and rodents! Every 3 months we fly spray the container and put a cedar moth ball in there.

So it is with great sadness I have to announce at 5 yrs, 11mths 3 days our sweet Jan passed away and is now among the angels pain free and running free. Till one day we meet again! Please forgive me to those whose Christmas cards are written already and Jan's name is on them! 24/12/2012 to 27/11/2018.

When I have the Internet at home I will send a picture of her! Like Jessie she was a beautiful soul, loving caring and suffered so much at the hands of vets. Like Jessie she had one bad fault apart from chewing Ian's hats she was very forgiving. She never held a grudge and would love you no matter what! Even the vets!

I will put up a post on GL when it is less raw. For now this will be the last time for many months I will leave the house as when I lose a fur baby I close myself off hating us, the pet for leaving, God and the whole world in general. Everyone is so happy when my heart is crying in pain. Then people say why be upset she was only a guinea pig!

So for now I will close as I am at the library with tears running down my face. I know you will understand how I am feeling and I say thank-you for that!

With much sadness God bless you all and for being there for us and all the advise and patience I was given!

Ian and Mary. Plus Joy her sister, Jill, Jaffa, Jewel, Jinx and stinky pants Jolly the rabbit!

Please out of respect for Jan make no replies to this thread! When it is less raw and I have the Internet I will post a thread in honour of her! Thanks for your understanding! Blame me if you like I deserve it! I failed my baby and I have to live with the guilt for ever!

Sorry Lynx if this hard to read but can hardly see the keys with tears in my eyes. Please forgive me!

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