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2 More Dying Piggies

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It's great news to hear about Dotty and Beanies progress. It's also good that @Chopsticus is still involved and concerned about them. I hope Chopsticus can now relax a bit knowing that Dotty and Beanie could not get better care al this cannot have been easy for you. Take care of yourself.
 
So good to hear they are getting better - all down to the wonderful care and love they have received. Everyone is willing them on, so the healing vibes from everyone have also been there too. Good to hear that their characters are having the chance now to shine through - what little characters!
 
Apologies for the delay – here is a further update on the two girls.

(I’m putting in a lot of detail because I am treating this thread as a reference case history -with full experienced veterinary intervention/support/prescription meds (as opposed to home remedies or inexperienced vets)- in order to help inform anyone in the future who may have to deal with a severe case of sarcoptic mange. It’s a learning curve for all of us – and hopefully this thread will contribute to “best practice” for treating this horrible disease in future.)

Dotty is doing very well – she still has a bald area on her back, but this is now scab-free and starting to grow hair. She is off all medications apart from a 7-10day imaverol anti- fungal bath (she had one this afternoon). She is no longer scratching/self-mutilating and is enjoying being in the same room as my own pigs. She’s clearly a bit of a hussy as she is flirting with ALL my boys (bonded or not) by wheeking across the room to them (The various wifepigs are not impressed....the boys – single or bonded - are loving it!)

Beanie went back to see Uncle Rob yesterday and he was extremely pleased with her progress (he even complemented me - Praise indeed!)

Beanie – 5th January
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Beanie – 31st January
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She has put on 50g (now weighing in at 680g which is still low but better than the 630g she has been for the first 3 weeks chez Pebble). More importantly she is much more perky! (If a bit of a drama queen!)
Most of her hair is growing back and she is no longer sensitive to being stroked on her rump. However yesterday it was clear she was developing new irritation areas around both her ears (which are very crusty) and her eyes.....(as if it’s the last stage of the mites moving up her body). It was decided not to take a skin scraping (to check for dermal fungal infection) as the crusty infection round her ears looks to be in the upper layers of skin and in any case it would be too traumatic for her atm. It was also decided not to give her an oral anti-fungal but to continue with a weekly imaverol dip/spray instead (because of the risk of oral anti-fungals to long term health). We’re pretty sure from the appearance she has a secondary yeast infection on the outer layers of skin so the imaverol should do the trick.

She was a little angel whilst Rob checked her ears for ear mites (which would not have been killed by the doramectin as ear mites do not suck blood). None were found and her ear canal inside looked OK/no inflammation –so looks like the ears are free of parasites. She now has Canaural ear drops twice daily for the yeast/irritation etc and we have further doramectin injections to give her over the next two weeks. (Normal practice is to give 3 anti-mite injections – however Beanie has already had 4 and these two will bring the total up to 6. Although injections would normally be given 14days apart – it is clear from Beanie’s responses that, with such a heavy mite infestation, the injections should be no longer than 10 days apart)
She is still on buprecare and metacam for pain relief although she is now off the septrin antibiotic.

She really hates the jacket now so, because her hair is growing back and affording her more protection, we removed everything yesterday evening/this morning. Unfortunately she self-mutilated again – this time around her ears/eyes/front paws inh line with the remnants of the mite infection. Also because she is screaming loudly again, we have moved her back into isolation as the sound has been really upsetting to my other pigs.

Today, her new wounds have been bathed in dilute F10, she has been sprayed with imaverol and we have then applied flamazine cream to the wounds once she has dried off. We have applied a new dressing/bandage/jacket - but because of its position up around her neck she is very unhappy. She is not out of the woods yet – she was so distressed earlier once the jacket was put back on that she did a full back-flip which shook me as much as it did her.

Beanie is still at risk of seizures or sudden heart failure because of the longer-term effect of the mites....these insiduous parasites may be all dead now – but they have left a neurological legacy which is evident because she is still self-mutilating. In the grand scheme of things – we’re only at week 5 from treatment – some piggies have to suffer for months before they get relief.

I sincerely hope that her pain and suffering will be completely relieved in the next two weeks and she can “join in” hustling the single boys with her sister Dotty.

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Can't believe how well her fur is growing back. She looks so much better.

Hope she continues to improve and stops the self mutilating soon.
 
What an amazing job you (Pebble) and the help of the vets are doing. It's quite a dramatic transformation in the pics. Really want to wish you, dottie and beanie all the best in their recovery. Thank you for keeping us posted too (i know you're doing it partly for a case history reference) but thank you anyway. :tu:
 
For a very long time Dotty has stayed away from my other 3 piggies. So clearly she detected all the guinea pigs had mites or something else wrong.
When Ginny was around she licked other piggies to help with problems and sometimes managed to get the others to lick her back. That's when I realized guinea pigs need each other not just for social reasons but to help treat each other. I know we know it's mites that run on 2-week cycles and recently turned lethal, but they had this months before and seemed to have sorted it out between them. (Now I know it's probably just seemed better because it was egg part of the cycle).

So what I did wrong was, because of that and Beanie definitely wanted to be together with someone I put them together and gave Dotty a serious dose of the problem. Maybe she will want to stay away from others a bit more. Sonds like it may last a while. But she is really mild and calm and likes to eat from your hand.

Yeah heart seizure sounds like how Piggysus passed away.
 
Ruby Inferno said:
You're a good person for putting your piggies' needs before your own..
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To be honest, the arrangement coincides with my needs. I have gone back to not having to leave home more than twice a month.
With the piggies I had to get grass and vegetables about 5 times a week and it has not done me any favours, in contrasts to what the doctors pushed.I just began to feel my legs in 2 years and they do not feel good.
 
Chopsticus said:
To be honest, the arrangement coincides with my needs. I have gone back to not having to leave home more than twice a month.
With the piggies I had to get grass and vegetables about 5 times a week and it has not done me any favours, in contrasts to what the doctors pushed.I just began to feel my legs in 2 years and they do not feel good.
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Either way I take my hat off to you (metaphorically of course, I don't sit on my laptop wearing hats generally). It takes a lot of courage to admit that you cannot cope, to admit to strangers that you weren't doing the right thing (albeit unknowingly) and to seek help. It was a hugely brave step for you to take but as a result both your piggies and yourself can get the help they need with health problems so that you will all be in a better place soon (I hope).
 
awww, look at that little sparkle in her eye now! she's looking gorgeous! :D
 
Coco&Luna said:
awww, look at that little sparkle in her eye now! she's looking gorgeous! :D
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She's enjoying Rude Rudy's attentive wheeks (Him with the personal hygiene problem!)

Piggly said:
Dotty looks fab ;)

Is she himi?
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She's a mis-marked Himi....she's also a little madam who has been rather nasty recently to her sister little Beanie. But hey-ho - this is guinea piggioe dynamics.
 
Pebble said:
She's a mis-marked Himi....she's also a little madam who has been rather nasty recently to her sister little Beanie. But hey-ho - this is guinea piggioe dynamics.
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Naughty girl! One of mine is a little bully to her sister too - so much for family!
 
I just shed a happy tear after catching up with this thread. What a wonderful tale of love and nurture. As well as hard work but all for a very good cause.

I see that funds are in a good state presently so I will hold off on a donation...for now. If more is needed please post an update and if it carries on covering everything I would like to buy a large bag if hay or something for Dotty and send it? Either or is fine by me.

@Chopsticus it takes alot to admit to others regarding coping but you have stood by these piggies even though they are not residing with you. Good on you.

@Pebble you really are a truly wonderful person. X
 
I will be closing the girls' veterinary fund soon

For those that wish to donate it's via paypal

[email protected]

More updates - including accounts.... to follow shortly
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I'm so glad they're doing well- they look SO much better! :)
 
Is there any way that when these girls are hopefully fully recovered and in the clear that this thread could perhaps be made a sticky with a new title referencing the mange mites? @Pebble has done such a great job with her vet treating Dottie and Beanie and then keeping everyone updated here it would be a shame to lose such valuable information in the depths of the forum as time passes.
 
Anyways, my health is completely irrelevant.
They are so the best things ever. I don't know anyone who would want less for them. If I ever have piggies again I will treat them so well Ginny can feel it.

You guys who haven't held Dotty have no idea how soft and quishy she is. And this breed seems to have extremely silky fur.

The 2 are just coming up to 1 year old. So it may just be that they are in a mood for a fight every 2 weeks...

And less importantly, the 4 of them used to live in a correx area about 5'x3" and then 2 parallel 4' tunnels leading to some beds so they didn't have to wait for floor time to stretch their legs. Basically yards of space and bowls with different brands of pellets to choose from. Anyhow it is over a month so they must have gotten used to their new life. They look happy.
 
I had hoped by now to post better news today.

The good news is that both Dotty and Beanie are now clear of mange mites.
The bad news is that both are still self-mutilating the "sensitive" areas on their skin where the worst of the trauma/mites have been.
Because of the serious condition they were in, they appear to have developed a (possibly permanent) neurological hypersenstivity

Both girls have now been classified as having long term medical problems so will be staying with me permanently

Dotty should hopefully live a relatively good life as she is only repeatedly raking a small area behind her neck.
Beanie however is another matter. Sadly it looks like Beanie may have to wear a jacket for the rest of her life. She hates it and today managed to "escape it" (again) and immediately started self-mutilating again. She is going back to the vet after the weekend to discuss a long-term treatment plan for her.....whilst we don;t want to give up..we need to consider whether the quality of life she can expect going forwards is best for her..

Sorry guys - we are doing all we can for Beanie and this is not the best post I have made.
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Pebble said:
I had hoped by now to post better news today.

The good news is that both Dotty and Beanie are now clear of mange mites.
The bad news is that both are still self-mutilating the "sensitive" areas on their skin where the worst of the trauma/mites have been.
Because of the serious condition they were in, they appear to have developed a (possibly permanent) neurological hypersenstivity

Both girls have now been classified as having long term medical problems so will be staying with me permanently

Dotty should hopefully live a relatively good life as she is only repeatedly raking a small area behind her neck.
Beanie however is another matter. Sadly it looks like Beanie may have to wear a jacket for the rest of her life. She hates it and today managed to "escape it" (again) and immediately started self-mutilating again. She is going back to the vet after the weekend to discuss a long-term treatment plan for her.....whilst we don;t want to give up..we need to consider whether the quality of life she can expect going forwards is best for her..

Sorry guys - we are doing all we can for Beanie and this is not the best post I have made.
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It may be worth having a word with Simon about Beanie. He has been dealing with a rabbit who was self mutilating, so he may be able to suggest something to try.
 
Thanks @furryfriends Excellent Adventure Sanctuary
That is good to know and will be explored.

As I type this ..Beanie is self-mutilating and screeching again. It's heartbreaking to hear.
Although she's in my kitchen for coat/dressing changeovers.... - my other pigs in the lounge have become extremely distressed over the last few weeks listeneing to her. pain and frustration....and have started "dropping copious amounts of their hair " as a result.
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I am very sorry about the self-mutilating. It was the reason I had to wait over four months for Pili Pala to be cleared by the rescue vet to come here. Thankfully, the compulsive biting/nibbling stopped within days of arrival and her wound finally healed off fully withing three weeks of being with her new piggy family; by that time her vet was sure that it was just habitually and that there was no underlying reason - but I would have taken her to be seen by Simon if it hadn't stopped and it was on that understanding that she was rehomed to me.
Pili Pala still has no hair in the spot whether the mites damage was worst; the damage to the skin is too bad, but one year on, she no longer twitches when I accidentally touch it.
 
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