Piggy with URI- Waiting for vet

[muggo]

I’m fairly certain my piggy has a URI, and she was supposed to see the vet tomorrow (8/30/22) but they called me to reschedule because the vet is going to be out sick. They now won’t be able to see her until the 9th of next month, and I’m worried that she’ll get too sick by then and won’t be able to recover. Is there anything I can do to keep her as healthy as possible until the vet visit? I’ve upped her vitamin c, and she’s still got a very good appetite, but I’m worried. Any tips are appreciated!

 

[Siikibam]

What are the symptoms she is showing? Book the appointment and ask them to contact you if there’s a cancellation. Otherwise perhaps consider trying to get her in at another vets. I know they’re not many in US and often don’t take on new patients or have dates far in the future.

One thing to say is that they don’t need routine vitamin c. If they’re fed a varied diet, their tablespoon of pellets and have plenty of hay then they get enough vitamin c. You have to be careful with giving it routinely as their bodies then become used to the increased levels. Then when you try and stop, they would develop the symptoms of vitamin c deficiency because their body’s been used to the higher level.

I’d also consider switching to weighing her once daily (mornings are best before feeding). If there’s a downward trend then she is not eating enough. In which case you would have to step in with syringe feeding her. Hope your girl is okay and will be seen soon.

 

[muggo]

What are the symptoms she is showing? Book the appointment and ask them to contact you if there’s a cancellation. Otherwise perhaps consider trying to get her in at another vets. I know they’re not many in US and often don’t take on new patients or have dates far in the future.

One thing to say is that they don’t need routine vitamin c. If they’re fed a varied diet, their tablespoon of pellets and have plenty of hay then they get enough vitamin c. You have to be careful with giving it routinely as their bodies then become used to the increased levels. Then when you try and stop, they would develop the symptoms of vitamin c deficiency because their body’s been used to the higher level.

I’d also consider switching to weighing her once daily (mornings are best before feeding). If there’s a downward trend then she is not eating enough. In which case you would have to step in with syringe feeding her. Hope your girl is okay and will be seen soon.

Oh wow, I didn't know that about vitamin c! I've been giving all of mine the Oxbow vitamin c tablets. As for symptoms, her nose and right eye are a bit crusty and runny, and she's got some sniffles and the occasional sneeze. I've dealt with URIs in the past and all the symptoms she's having seem to be the same as what I've seen before. I'll definitely start the daily weigh-ins, but as of right now she's still eating and moving around normally. Thank you so much this was so helpful!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Oh wow, I didn't know that about vitamin c! I've been giving all of mine the Oxbow vitamin c tablets. As for symptoms, her nose and right eye are a bit crusty and runny, and she's got some sniffles and the occasional sneeze. I've dealt with URIs in the past and all the symptoms she's having seem to be the same as what I've seen before. I'll definitely start the daily weigh-ins, but as of right now she's still eating and moving around normally. Thank you so much this was so helpful!

Long term supplementing vitamin c is not recommended - piggies get all they need from their normal diet. If you have been giving it to them for long time and are now planning on stopping, then you must exercise caution and wean them off of it very very slowly. If you suddenly stop you can cause them to get scurvy - their bodies become used to higher amounts than they need so any drop (even if it is to what would be considered a normal level) can shock their system.

However, in a poorly piggy, giving a short two week course of vitamin c to help boost the immune system is fine to do.

Can you try to find a different vet? It’s a very long time to wait for a potential URI.

 

[muggo]

Long term supplementing vitamin c is not recommended - piggies get all they need from their normal diet. If you have been giving it to them for long time and are now planning on stopping, then you must exercise caution and wean them off of it very very slowly. If you suddenly stop you can cause them to get scurvy - their bodies become used to higher amounts than they need so any drop (even if it is to what would be considered a normal level) can shock their system.

However, in a poorly piggy, giving a short two week course of vitamin c to help boost the immune system is fine to do.

Can you try to find a different vet? It’s a very long time to wait for a potential URI.

I'm calling another vet tomorrow but they're the only other exotic vet nearby and they're usually booked several weeks out. But thank you so much for letting me know about the vitamin c! I'm already planning on weaning them off of it now.

 

[Siikibam]

Fingers crossed you can get her seen sooner. Let us know how you get on.

 

[muggo]

Fingers crossed you can get her seen sooner. Let us know how you get on.

Small update: I was able to get her in a few days earlier at another vet! But still hoping there's a chance my regular vet will come back earlier than expected so I can get her in even sooner. Thank you so much again for the advice and I'll update when she gets seen