Pig Health Anxiety

PiggyPack

PiggyPack

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Hi Guys!

I just wanted to get you guy’s opinion on some stuff I’ve been dealing with.

Some of you may know I’ve had some scares with bloat in two of my guinea pigs. Bea is now permanently on gut meds and Mouse has the occasional flare up as they’re beginning to age. I’ve been fighting bloat in both of them for about 4 months now and I’m so exhausted. Just when I think it’s all settled down, suddenly you see those dreaded stringy poops or a sneeze and I’ve got to give 0.2ml of Emeprid again. Meep has also recently has an awful case of hay poke, she’s on her last day of eye drops today but taking the hay out of her bloody eye was so frightening. I just feel like I can’t win the constant battle with their health and I’m so on edge.

I just wanted to talk to you guys about my piggy health anxiety. I have really been struggling recently not to obsess over them, weighing them probably more than I should, constantly checking their poops, panicking if I hear a sneeze. Wearing face masks all the time because I dread of them catching anything from me. It’s just become obsessive and I’m so anxious everytime I go over to their cage. I’m constantly having irrational thoughts about them dying and it’s really just making me feel so run down and I’m just really struggling.

I’m aware this forum’s staff and users aren’t therapists lol, but I just don’t know who else would understand. If you tell this to someone who truly doesn’t know how to care for guinea pigs, they will just roll their eyes at you.

I’d really like some advice on some strategies to cope as I’m really starting to panic and it’s taking over my life a bit.

Thank you!
 
Mouse has just done three slightly stringy, very slightly tear shaped poops and I’m already on the verge of tears. All I want is for them to be happy and healthy and live as long as they can. I’m putting every ounce of energy I have in to their care and it’s just so exhausting.
 
Honestly I have constant nightmares of one of the goblins managing to get haypoke, because the eejits will only eat hay if it fights back. They don't like soft hay at all. Cam also knows how to make noises that would put the fear of god into anyone and knowing this, I'll still come running, even though it's only because he stole Bann's dinner and then Bann stole it back.

But you need to take some time for you, too. Looking after sick animals, no matter how sick they are, is exhausting. But you can't help them if you've put yourself out of commission too. As hard as it is to take that step back, it's the only option you've got that works out well for everyone. Watching them 24/7 it doesn't matter if they're all well or not because you'll find yourself latching onto every little thing.

Which is really easy to say. I know just how much harder it is to do.
 
Lorcan said:
Honestly I have constant nightmares of one of the goblins managing to get haypoke, because the eejits will only eat hay if it fights back. They don't like soft hay at all. Cam also knows how to make noises that would put the fear of god into anyone and knowing this, I'll still come running, even though it's only because he stole Bann's dinner and then Bann stole it back.

But you need to take some time for you, too. Looking after sick animals, no matter how sick they are, is exhausting. But you can't help them if you've put yourself out of commission too. As hard as it is to take that step back, it's the only option you've got that works out well for everyone. Watching them 24/7 it doesn't matter if they're all well or not because you'll find yourself latching onto every little thing.

Which is really easy to say. I know just how much harder it is to do.
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What would you recommend me doing? Have you got any ideas on how I can manage my time better? Or coping strategies?
 
I do a few things, and possibly they're not relevant to you - I used to smoke, so when I needed to take 5 minutes that's what I'd do, roll my smoke and stand outside and just take a deep breath. Five minutes of free headspace. Then I quit smoking, and vaping doesn't have quite the same effect. I still do it, however, because it's better than nothing.

I also craft. I have some braids that I can pick up, work on, and put back down again as and when I want or need to. The braids don't matter so much as just getting attention focused elsewhere for a time. Word puzzles (arrowwords, crosswords), same idea. Nothing taxing, but still enough for the distraction.

Finally, occasionally I'll play videogames.

The actual distraction doesn't matter, all you need is to find which one works for you.
 
Lorcan said:
I do a few things, and possibly they're not relevant to you - I used to smoke, so when I needed to take 5 minutes that's what I'd do, roll my smoke and stand outside and just take a deep breath. Five minutes of free headspace. Then I quit smoking, and vaping doesn't have quite the same effect. I still do it, however, because it's better than nothing.

I also craft. I have some braids that I can pick up, work on, and put back down again as and when I want or need to. The braids don't matter so much as just getting attention focused elsewhere for a time. Word puzzles (arrowwords, crosswords), same idea. Nothing taxing, but still enough for the distraction.

Finally, occasionally I'll play videogames.

The actual distraction doesn't matter, all you need is to find which one works for you.
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Thank you so much, that means so so much
 
It sounds like a chat with your GP might help, you are tipping into obsessive behaviour that you don’t want to spill over into other aspects of life. Alternatively many areas now allow you to self refer for counselling.
 
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