Jumpers for pigs at the vets...

artcasper

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Just been tagged in this... it's a vet saying they put jumpers on pigs when they are under anaesthetic... I Thought that clothing was a no no ?!?
 

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Must admit, I've never heard of that before, but think they can drop their temperature when under anaesthetic. I'd have to agree with you about piggies not wearing 'jumpers' normally though - they'd struggle to eat their poops!
 
Surely popping a little square of vet bed over them would work just as well without giving people ideas to copy on their own pigs and potentially putting them at risk of over heating, missing out on their poops, getting tangled on something in the cage etc :/ I get where they're coming from, but it seems a little misguided.
 
Surely popping a little square of vet bed over them would work just as well without giving people ideas to copy on their own pigs and potentially putting them at risk of over heating, missing out on their poops, getting tangled on something in the cage etc :/ I get where they're coming from, but it seems a little misguided.

I guess if you're operating on the body of a guinea pig, it'd be harder to keep them covered with vet bed than with a jumper. I'm guessing that we're talking here about dental work or neutering/spaying, which is what most people would think of with guinea pig surgery and not something the jumpers would get in the way of.
 
The clip does say when they are asleep / being operated on to keep them warm... you just worry that someone will see the pic of a guinea wearing a jumper and not read it then pop one on in normal circumstances 🙄....
 
When Christian had his op last year he was wrapped in bubble wrap as much as he could be and the vet nurses made him tiny bubblewrap socks for his feet to try and keep him warm.
It does say bubble wrap on their little feet!
 
I think I'd prefer a snugglesafe and towels so they can move when they walk up and get overheated. But I guess the vets know if this works best.
 
It’s probably the same as wearing those long socks when you have an operation. It looks a bit strange though, have they been accredited by vet associations?
 
Bracken wore a kitten elastic sock bandage after his operation to help keep him warm and protect the wound on his tummy. I only know this because they charged me £25 for it on my itemised bill!
 
When Ruby had her op they wrapped her in a strip of fleece (cut from a large blanket to fit around her middle) and had several latex gloves filled with warm water placed next to her.
The vet advised us to keep her lightly covered with something she could easily more away from until she was fully mobile again.
We got to keep the fleece strip too - it did not cost anything (and certainly not 25 pounds!).
 
Bracken wore a kitten elastic sock bandage after his operation to help keep him warm and protect the wound on his tummy. I only know this because they charged me £25 for it on my itemised bill!
£25 😮😮 wow... that's a lot!
 
Ye
I can see their reasoning if it’s only for during the op and as they’re waking up but the piggies photographed are clearly not being operated on so I too worry about it giving people the wrong idea. I too prefer fleece and towels to keep them warm
Thats what worries me... they would have been better to show a piggy asleep not walking about..
 
At my practice we use bubble wrap socks and heat mats! I think these jumpers would be better suited to recovery than used during surgery but if it works for that practice then good for them!
 
@Abi_nurse how does your practice keep them warm if you do so?
We don't use blankets, socks or jumpers like this. But some vets do have issues with keeping small furries like piggies warm so they're a good idea. I keep them on a heat matt and my theatre roasting at 30 degrees (my vets hate it but it works). I also use lots of other warming equipment if the surgery is a big and complex one such as special air warming devises, hot hand water bottles, fluid warmers and other kit like this but we are a specialist clinic and not all vets have the budget or means to buy these things.

I think it depends what works best for each vet clinic to be honest.

x
 
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