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Specialist vet Molly Varga in St Helens?

Betsy said:
Is Blod going to take a friend with her?
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Clover is going too, she doesnt know that yet it will be a dreadful surprise after an early breakfast, but she is Blodwen's best friend and has been guarding her and grooming her so much when she's ill- I think Clover would be more upset if Blod was suddenly abducted for the day than she would be going with her! Its less than an hour's drive, but I dont know if they will keep Blod for the day to do some diagnostics- we were told to bring a friend, some food, and a favourite bed or blanket just in case :)
 
Betsy said:
That's good that Blod will have her best friend with her. Somehow I don't think you'll be flavour of the month with either of them being spirited away to a new nasty vet lady who will poke and prod Blod. Hope you have lots of treats to help them get over the ordeal.
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I'm going to pack them a lunch of cucumber, babycorn and red pepper, and I have a big bunch of coriander in the fridge for when they get home :)
 
Thanks everyone for all the good wishes :)
Blod and Clover have been safely delivered to the clinic and are staying for the day for Blod to have conscious xrays and scans.
A preliminary examination on arrival suggests Blod's heart is fine and she is just chubby not retaining fluid as her local vet suspected...! We'll find out more later...
 
Well that's an unexpected potential diagnosis... suspected lung infection with piggy chlamydia? Either that or possibly adenovirus. Lungs full of infection gunk anyway. Going to get doxycycline and furosamide and discuss nebulising.
Picking her up at 4.30pm. Wonder what the bill will cost..?
I'm really pleased anyway there is like an entire research library full of things that can happen to piggy lungs that I never considered that I can go read about now :)
 
PigglePuggle said:
Well that's an unexpected potential diagnosis... suspected lung infection with piggy chlamydia? Either that or possibly adenovirus. Lungs full of infection gunk anyway. Going to get doxycycline and furosamide and discuss nebulising.
Picking her up at 4.30pm. Wonder what the bill will cost..?
I'm really pleased anyway there is like an entire research library full of things that can happen to piggy lungs that I never considered that I can go read about now :)
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Gosh, definitely not a heart issue then! Poor little Blod, hopefully new meds will get her feeling better soon, great you know what’s going on now though! Big hugs to Blodwen when you’ve got her back!
And hope not too many pennies! 🙈 (or big hugs to you too!) x
 
PigglePuggle said:
Well that's an unexpected potential diagnosis... suspected lung infection with piggy chlamydia? Either that or possibly adenovirus. Lungs full of infection gunk anyway. Going to get doxycycline and furosamide and discuss nebulising.
Picking her up at 4.30pm. Wonder what the bill will cost..?
I'm really pleased anyway there is like an entire research library full of things that can happen to piggy lungs that I never considered that I can go read about now :)
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Well it’s certainly been worth getting the referral and second opinion. Good news to hear that her heart is fine. And I’m sure now there’s a differential diagnosis and treatment plan in place you will feel happier (and so will poor Blod) xx
 
Sorry didn’t mean to react with a laugh. Interesting diagnosis, glad it’s not her heart. Hopefully the meds will do the trick.

Get well soon Blodwen and well done for tolerating the prodding and poking. You and Clover deserve a treat 😉
 
Its not a definitive diagnosis, but it is definitely lungs not heart and apparently chlamydia is more common in piggy lungs than we might realise, and if it is then ot should clear up with doxycycline. The lung gunk is too deep to be able to swab, but if we can stabilise Blod's breathing enough with frusol then maybe she could be sedated enough to have a little tube put down there to sample the lung gunk and see what's going on.
Other possible diagnoses could be a sort of viral pneumonia, or worst case scenario her lungs may have become sensitised to something and its like extreme allergy stuff. But we're starting with most probable/easiest to treat plus frusol and check again in a couple of weeks.

Bill only £370, and they are very generous with the meds, we seem to have enough for 40 days... guess nobody thinks Blod will be giving up honking during Lent...!
 
I was really super impressed how knowledgable Molly Varga is, I learned lots about lungs today, how patterning from infection in piggy lungs is more like you see in horse lungs rather than other small animal lungs, and also how when guinea pigs get fluid retention from a heart issue its often in the dewlap rather than the abdomen... she just like knew all this stuff :)
 
PigglePuggle said:
I was really super impressed how knowledgable Molly Varga is, I learned lots about lungs today, how patterning from infection in piggy lungs is more like you see in horse lungs rather than other small animal lungs, and also how when guinea pigs get fluid retention from a heart issue its often in the dewlap rather than the abdomen... she just like knew all this stuff :)
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Ooh she sounds like a walking piggy encyclopaedia! Interesting that their lungs are more like horses in terms of infection. I wonder what (if any) physiology makes them similar in that area.
 
PigglePuggle said:
I was really super impressed how knowledgable Molly Varga is, I learned lots about lungs today, how patterning from infection in piggy lungs is more like you see in horse lungs rather than other small animal lungs, and also how when guinea pigs get fluid retention from a heart issue its often in the dewlap rather than the abdomen... she just like knew all this stuff :)
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You must be feeling a lot better now you have some answers, hope the meds get these nasty bugs and Blod is back to her normal happy self soon x
 
I don’t know whether to :yahoo: That you have a diagnosis, 😮 at the diagnosis, :D that the bill wasn’t too eye-watering.

At least you have a positive way forward so let’s hope it is the chlamydia and the meds clear it up quickly ( in less than 40 days! ).

Hope all humans and piggies recover from the day out. 🥕 🍷
 
Merab's Slave said:
I don’t know whether to :yahoo: That you have a diagnosis, 😮 at the diagnosis, :D that the bill wasn’t too eye-watering.

At least you have a positive way forward so let’s hope it is the chlamydia and the meds clear it up quickly ( in less than 40 days! ).

Hope all humans and piggies recover from the day out. 🥕 🍷
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Thanks Heather, I was really pleased how Blod and Clover reacted to coming home, I thought they might hide away but they were exploring the cage sniffing all the "home" smells and popcorning, then they got a thorough grooming from the other piggies to get rid of the vet smell, then they both double-chookened out in the hay room all relaxed with their friends :)
7 hours is a long time to be away in a strange scary place, even though they had each other and their own fleecy tunnels with them!
 
Merab's Slave said:
How is everyone this morning?
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I think we all got the best night's sleep in a long time last night, Blodwen included! I slept 9 hours and woke up to find a just-woke-up but clear breathing Blodwen all ready for breakfast coriander :)
A sleepy relaxed day for all the piggies after all the vet abductions and worry lately, and I finally got to focus on recording some lectures with my "happy confident focused" voice going on not my "distracted worried voice" which doesnt work at all :)
 
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