Dealing with veterinarians

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Jill

Post   » Thu Mar 07, 2002 1:29 pm


Josephine, does the reason guinea pigs don´t need to fast is because they are herbivores? Pinta had posted she thought it was because as herbivores their systems are alway working.
Do you know WHY it is they don´t vomit? I´m just curious, but I´m guessing I wouldn´t understand your explanation anyway!

imanut4u

Post   » Thu Mar 07, 2002 4:09 pm


I had consulted with a dental vet awhile back -- he was willing to take a look at the teeth despite not seeing many guinea pigs --- he would NOT even consider putting the pig under unless it was fasted a minimum of 8 hours.

I declined on the visit and he returned my call later telling me that they would aspirate/vomit yadayada. Wouldn´t even listen to a thing I said. I later told my regular exotics vet about my experience and he was not impressed and confirmed it was very bad info on part of the other vet.

I have "dropped off" my pigs for unscheduled (fit them in) abscess surgeries before and the vets office keeps the food in the carrier until just before surgery. With the tooth pig, who the dental specialist wouldn´t see, they even syringe fed him prior to surgery.

I do think the cat/dog thought process gets in the way of good cavy knowledge.

My vet wades through everything I bring him from the net. Somethings he does not always agree with, but explains why, and other times he is impressed with the info I have found.

One other vet that I have seen on my reg vet´s day off did not charge me for meds because I brought him the info and the dose.

IAMPM - "Imanut4u´s knowledge..."

There´s still a LONG way to go for me, but, any knowledge I have has come from some great ladies right here on GL. Pinta, Lynx, Evangeline, Vicki, Josephine, and many many other people have helped me learn basic info and the same group of friends have been there when the going gets rough, sharing their experiences.

(Hey E, remember smackin me around for Cedar? That was just a year ago in Dec!!!)

Just starting a thread and bringing the responses to your vet will give him plenty of things to think about.

User avatar
Jill

Post   » Thu Mar 07, 2002 5:43 pm


Sorry, I didn´t mean to offend anyone by not including them in my "list".....let´s just say I was frustrated and not thinking too clearly! That means Josephine, Evangeline, Lynx, Vicki, etal........
Shall I send chocolate as a peace offering???

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Mar 07, 2002 5:49 pm


You didn´t offend me. I don´t put myself on the list. Josephine, Vicki, and Pinta sure belong there though. The rest of us have learned tons from them (and Pinta will tell you she has learned lots from others too).

pinta

Post   » Thu Mar 07, 2002 9:31 pm


I was actually connecting the liver damage problem (if they don´t eat) to the fact that they are grazing animals. A guess on my part. So it´s not so much that herbivores shouldn´t be fasted but that if they are they could have liver problems....if indeed the liver problems from lack of food are exclusive to animals who continually eat.

I don´t know if that made any sense.

Yup, I´ve learned a lot from Vicki and Josephine in particular.

As for the aspiration problem, Nigel does very poorly under anaesthetic(Isoflurane). He has been proclaimed as a bad surgical candidate. He had to have major dental surgery and the vet had to stop without doing all he wanted because Nigel "had had enough". He aspirates easily, it seems, so we are very careful to withhold food for a hour before he goes under. With him it´s a case making sure he´s swallowed everything. With Nigel if there´s a way of something going wrong - it will.

We also lost a pig on the table to aspiration so our vet is very leery of any food in their mouths or throat after that. In all honesty, I knew before she went in that she probably wouldn´t make it. She had pyometra and it could be her condition was already so compromised that she was a candidate for complications. Besides the pyometra there were many other problems discovered during the surgery.

We have had many surgeries over the years but still, each one is nervewracking.

User avatar
Jill

Post   » Fri Mar 08, 2002 8:15 am


Thanks for clarifying the grazing/herbivore point, Pinta. I hope I don´t sound like a complete idiot in my postings and questions. (At the very least, I do know that horses don´t trollop - only our Evangeline!) I really appreciate having you and the others as resources. I´m trying to get the Harkness and Wagner book the the inter-library loan service, ours does not have it.

Evangeline

Post   » Fri Mar 08, 2002 8:17 pm


IAMPM-
Oh, you know, most of what I know I´ve learned from Pinta, Vicki and Joséphine.
And since you mention horses, I wanted to add that they can´t vomit either.

One of my books (in French) suggests that after as little as 12 hours without food, the liver cells start to deteriorate. This specific piece is in relation with anorexia doe to sickness, but it still applies to fasting.

Carol-
Would I use a vet who wants to fast my pig? Not in a million years. This is basic knowledge, really.
I´ve had one pig and one rabbit operated on. For both, my vet asked food was pulled out an hour before, just to make sure they had no food left in their mouth. Also, as soon as they are under, she cleans the mouth with q-tips to make sure no chewed food in trapped about the teeth and cheeks.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Tue Mar 12, 2002 8:32 pm


Well, good news everyone. I spoke to the vet directly today regarding Angel´s surgery Friday. She told me they don´t fast guinea pigs! I feel very relieved since this appears to be a sign she knows about guinea pigs.

It must have been the receptionist who told me to fast her when I called to schedule the appointment. I will let the vet know when I see her Friday. Thank you all for your advice. It´s great to have your help. Please keep Angel in your thoughts and prayers this Friday. I will post a separate message to let you know how she made out.

By the way, I also asked if the tumor turns out to be cancer is there a way to treat it and she said it depends on the cancer. I hope it is not cancer.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Mar 12, 2002 9:34 pm


Good luck. We will indeed be thinking of her. Why, her pic is here on the page!

I hope all goes well.

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RavenShade
Thanks for the Memories

Post   » Wed Mar 13, 2002 10:17 am


I hope it´s not cancerous, either. Good luck!

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