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Stubbins is suddenly ill

Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
Hi! :)
I just tried to record a message for the vet.
For some reason, the recording was only allowed to be 6 seconds long, so I spoke super fast. When I went to review the message, there was no sound (I couldn't hear my message).
:hb:
šŸ˜”
I am going to try a couple more times.
I just washed the fleece for the third time this week. It's nice and clean...for now. :)
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Email is the safest way to deal with this. You have an evidence trail. And they can forward it to another vets if they need to.
 
The vet has been super awesome and we have been emailing back and forth.
She recommended a highly rated exotic vet that will be able to give us a second opinion on Stubbins.
I am going to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment.
Hopefully we can finally get to the bottom of things!
 
Hi! :)
I switched from weighing weekly to weighing daily, just because Stubbins has not been doing well.
She has lost 40 grams since last week (when I weighed her last).
I know that their weight can fluctuate, but this much is concerning to me.
Any thoughts?
 
Hi! :)
I have a quick question.
I have this bridge for my guinea pigs for no reason whatsoever :doh::
1593149389160.webp
They refuse to use it for its purpose and prefer to nap under it and chew it.
My only concern is that this image is fairly deceiving.
The dark brown sections of the bridge (on mine) are very flakey, and the wood is quite soft.
I would hate to have to take this from my piglets, but I feel as if they chew on it way too much. I am concerned because I have witnessed the wood splinter and I do not want this to harm them in any way.
Any thoughts? :)
 
Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
The vet has been super awesome and we have been emailing back and forth.
She recommended a highly rated exotic vet that will be able to give us a second opinion on Stubbins.
I am going to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment.
Hopefully we can finally get to the bottom of things!
Click to expand...

Great news that you have found a specialist for Stubbins. Keep us updated.
 
Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
Hi! :)
I have a quick question.
I have this bridge for my guinea pigs for no reason whatsoever :doh::
View attachment 146447
They refuse to use it for its purpose and prefer to nap under it and chew it.
My only concern is that this image is fairly deceiving.
The dark brown sections of the bridge (on mine) are very flakey, and the wood is quite soft.
I would hate to have to take this from my piglets, but I feel as if they chew on it way too much. I am concerned because I have witnessed the wood splinter and I do not want this to harm them in any way.
Any thoughts? :)
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If you are worried, I would remove it.. if they dont use it as a bridge then you could send the top bits off?
 
I have this bridge, I got it to extend two cages together for when Ted, Ginger and Posh are all together. We altered it slightly so the angle was less steep and cut some off the bottom too so it just sits over the cage base tops. If they donā€™t like it and you are concerned then I would remove it, or adapt it x
 
Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
The vet has been super awesome and we have been emailing back and forth.
She recommended a highly rated exotic vet that will be able to give us a second opinion on Stubbins.
I am going to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment.
Hopefully we can finally get to the bottom of things!
Click to expand...
Hi!
I can't offer any advice but I'm glad you've found a vet to look at poor Stubbins. I hope she starts to get better again soon
 
Hi! :)
I just called the vet specialist that we were referred to, and they are booked until next Friday. What do I do?
I am so worried. :(
I am washing the fleece for the fourth time this week right now. :doh:
 
I just looked into two other facilities that were recommended by our vet if I absolutely couldn't get into the first one.
The reviews of the first back-up said that the staff claimed that they treated exotics, but were actually just general vets who had "some" experience with treating exotic pets. Many owners were furious about the lack of knowledge among the staff.
The reviews of the second back-up were excellent, actually, and I think I may contact them. They are just super far away from home. I will call right now. :)
 
I just contacted the back-up vet that had great reviews.
They are booked until next Thursday!
I am out of options. What do I do?
Technically, I can contact the third back-up vet, but do you think I should?
The reviews were questionable, and I don't want to take Stubbins anywhere that I do not trust.
Any thoughts?
 
Siikibam said:
I would book the Friday one and if you get a sooner one then cancel it. You could also ask them to call you if they get a cancellation.
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Thank you! :)
I'll call them right now.
Is there anything I can do for Stubbins until next Friday?
 
I just scheduled an appointment with the specialist that the vet had initially recommended.
We are scheduled for next Friday, but they will call us if anyone cancels.
I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Does anyone know if the 40 grams that Stubbins lost is urgent?
 
Is that a loss in 24 hours?
How much syringe feeds (in terms of how many ml) are you getting into her
 
Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
That loss was over a week.
I am not syringe feeding her as of right now. She is eating and drinking normally. :)
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Ok. If she is losing then she likely isnā€™t eating quite enough. keep an eye on her weight and if her losses continue then syringe feed her again - she may not need a lot if she continues to eat for herself, but she may need a top up feed
 
Stubbins is now 50 grams less than her normal weight. :(
What do I do? Should I step in with syringe feeding? I really want to avoid syringing her food because last time we did, her diarrhea became noticeably worse.
Advice is needed! :)
 
Hi! :)
I had one additional question.
Stubbins, I have noticed recently, is not growing at the same pace as her sisters.
She weighs about 270 grams less than her siblings and is quite small compared to them.
I know that every piggy is different, but it is concerning to me that Vani, who is much younger than her, outweighs her by a lot.
Stubbins still fits into the cuddle cups I bought when we rescued Mo and Stubbins as babies. Mo and Vani can only fit their butts in.
Is this normal? Is this a sign that she had been ill before I first noticed her symptoms?
She has had so many health problems. I am starting to think that maybe she has an underlying condition that makes her more susceptible to becoming ill?
I am so worried about her. I love her so much. :(
We're going to the vet on Monday morning.
 
Mo & Stubbins & Vani said:
Stubbins is now 50 grams less than her normal weight. :(
What do I do? Should I step in with syringe feeding? I really want to avoid syringing her food because last time we did, her diarrhea became noticeably worse.
Advice is needed! :)
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If her weight is consistently dropping, then yes you must syringe feed her. There are fluctuations in their weight due to empty/full bladder etc but a downward trend and weight loss of more than normal fluctuation means that she isnā€™t eating enough by herself
 
I'm so sorry, I just have three more questions.
1. Is syringe-feeding still the best option if it worsens her diarrhea?
2. If it is 1:00 a.m., should I start syringing now? Should I wait until morning?
3. She is eating a lot of food. She spends as much time munching on hay as her sisters and is back to eating pellets normally. Is her weight loss possibly because of how much she is pooping out in relation to how much she is eating? She seems to be pooping way too much for the normal amount of food that she is eating.
Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate receiving these helpful messages while I am struggling. :luv:
 
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