Tofu and Patches!

[Truffolo]

I hope things go OK and he eats well and gains condition. Good news that his wound is getting better!

 

[Roselina]

Hopefully it’s Patches body using lots of energy in healing …..
You (and your oh) are doing a great job of being observant and support feeding him

 

[JaseChase]

Patches had to go to the vet again today. Both boys had a well-deserved nap afterwards



We’ve got two more meds to add in, along with the original two + syringe feed. And Tofu still has his two meds twice a day as well. I am getting through so many syringes

Patches is a good boy and likes his critical care - he was the most well behaved ever on the zoom meet and has continued to be an angel ever since, I think he likes being on camera!



He does get grumpy when he’s had enough though

 

[fluffysal]

He set a wonderful example of "how to behave for syringe feeds while being utterly gorgeous"

 

[JaseChase]

Patches is continuing to cause me worry he’s not improving yet after two weeks on baytril and five days of Zithromax added in. Booking him another vet appointment for some imaging in case he’s got a bladder stone

I just worry if there is a stone, that’s another surgery so close to him having his mammary tumour removed. March has been a stressful month for several reasons and all the syringe feeding is taking its toll. I’m just venting really

His weight is maintaining and he’s still eating his veggies, and his pain is enough under control that he’s comfortable and happy in the cage. He’s an adorable little man, as is Tofu of course




I labelled some critical care with/without probiotic for my partner. Patches saw fit to chew the label, of course

 

[HollysKingdom]

They both look very cosy in bed I hope the vet appointment is useful xx

 

[CTWC]

It's must be exhausting fingers crossed the vet will eventually find the problem even if it's through the process of elimination

 

[Merab]

Sorry that Patches is still struggling.
Hope the vet can confirm what is wrong.
Holding you in my thoughts

 

[Roselina]

Ah dear Patches
I hope the Vet can help lovely Patches

 

[JaseChase]

Patches has won himself a referral to a guinea pig specialist vet. We’re off to Chine House once we can get an appointment booked in

My vet did x-rays and an ultrasound which confirmed no bladder stone (thankfully!) but Patches is still symptomatic and losing more weight. He’s all the way down to 1215g now, smaller than Tofu We’re still getting critical care into him and he’s eating his veggies and pottering about the cage. There were a couple of odd shadows on the ultrasound that my vet wants the specialist to have a look at

Patches really knows how to pick his timing. My partner and I are getting married in two weeks hoping we can get seen by the specialist before then but if not it’ll be a honeymoon trip to Loughborough!

 

[CTWC]

Oh no I was really hoping that the other would be the turning point for him

 

[JaseChase]

Oh no I was really hoping that the other would be the turning point for him

Me too honestly, I was hoping after we confirmed no bladder stone that he’d start bouncing back. But he hasn’t unfortunately and it’s been a few days

He’s still on both antibiotics, two painkillers, and a probiotic with his critical care. Hoping that will be enough to tide him over as the specialist can’t see him until the end of April - but our local vet will be able to see him if he has another emergency before then

On the flip side, Tofu is the heaviest he’s been since his arthritis flared and he’s almost back at his peak weight. I know who is eating all the readigrass!

 

[Merab]

Hope you can get a referral appointment quickly.
Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage.
Hoping all will go well and you’ll have a fantastic day

 

[Roselina]

Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding
I hope the specialist Vet can sort lovely Patches out
Well done Tofu ….keeping eating that readigrass

 

[JaseChase]

Thank you, it’s going to be busy but nice

Tofu once again demonstrating that tunnels should be flat:



Patches is losing a bit of weight again. I think so long on the antibiotics is hurting his digestion, so I’ve asked the vet if he needs to stay on them or not, as it’s been three weeks with no improvement. He did stick his face fully in the fresh hay pile tonight though! Progress. Just need to keep his weight stable for the next couple of weeks until the specialist sees him

 

[CTWC]

How are the boys?

 

[JaseChase]

How are the boys?

They’re doing okay! Patches has been taken off Zithromax but we’re trying to keep him on baytril until he can see the specialist, in case it’s suppressing an infection. He’s maintaining his weight, taking about 60-70ml critical care a day, and I think he’s starting to eat a bit on his own. Good signs but I’ll be happier when we’ve seen the specialist

Tofu is taking good care of him. Still stealing all the readigrass though

 

[Roselina]

Ah dear Patches ….not too long til the specialist appt
You and your oh are doing a fantastic job of looking after him

 

[JaseChase]

Ah dear Patches ….not too long til the specialist appt
You and your oh are doing a fantastic job of looking after him

My OH is a saint honestly… they were not a piggie fan before they met me and now they’re trading off on syringe feeds around a full time job and managing the last minute wedding plans so I can get some rest. I consider myself very lucky to have support

Patches really did pick the worst month to get sick The upside is we’ve both really bonded with him and he’s lovely to pick up and handle now, not skittish at all. He’s also figured out how to take syringes without throwing them across the room!

 

[Merab]

When is the wedding?
Hope all the arrangements are going well

 

[Roselina]

A perfect team

 

[Betsy]

He’s also figured out how to take syringes without throwing them across the room!

Dear Patches

I was very pleased to hear that you are off the yukky Zithromax and only have to have yukky Baytril now. I'm also very pleased that you are having your CC like a champ but why have you stopped throwing your syringes across the room? Surely that is part of the fun of being syringe fed! You will have to learn to chuck the syringes across the room when they are empty to show your Slaves that you really are unhappy that the yummy CC is no longer in the magic tube of food.

Oh and by the way, congratulations on training the reluctant Slave into syringe feeding you too!

Your friend in a crisis

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward

 

[JaseChase]

When is the wedding?
Hope all the arrangements are going well

This coming Saturday! So lots of running around doing last minute logistics haha. Thank you, we're keeping it small which is how we like it

Dear Patches

I was very pleased to hear that you are off the yukky Zithromax and only have to have yukky Baytril now. I'm also very pleased that you are having your CC like a champ but why have you stopped throwing your syringes across the room? Surely that is part of the fun of being syringe fed! You will have to learn to chuck the syringes across the room when they are empty to show your Slaves that you really are unhappy that the yummy CC is no longer in the magic tube of food.

Oh and by the way, congratulations on training the reluctant Slave into syringe feeding you too!

Your friend in a crisis

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward

Dear Miss Bramble,

I am very grateful to be off the awful zithromax. I need tips on how to remove the baytril as well, it is so disgusting! I did enjoy the game of throwing the syringes across the room, but now I have discovered the even more fun nibbling-everything-in-sight game. In particular my slaves shout things like 'Stop that!' and 'Menace piggie!' when I munch the paper towels and plastic bags they stupidly left within reach of my syringe feeding station. I don't know what they expect me to do with that temptation right there!

I do like my CC and I eat lots of it but my slaves are still not happy. They keep telling me to put on weight! After they used to complain I was too chunky! I will start launching the syringes onto the floor again so they know when I am done. I used to do it as soon as it was empty so they knew they weren't filling it up fast enough.

Wheek wheek,
Patches

 

[Betsy]

Dear Patches

I'm afraid I can't give you tips on how to get rid of the yukky Baytril. I'm sorry to say that you're clearly in need of it or the Nasty Vet Man wouldn't be forcing your Slaves to give it to you. My Slave says of medicine "If it tastes horrible, it does you good". One day the yukky Baytril will stop when the Nasty Vet Man thinks you no longer need it and you're well again. You could pretend you're in pain so that you get yummy Metacam afterwards.

Your friend in a crisis

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward

 

[Merab]

Hope all goes well on Saturday for you both

 

[Betsy]

Hope all goes well on Saturday for you both

Piccies please! We all like to see happy piccies (piggie and human).

 

[JaseChase]

I will report back after Saturday providing we get some good photos and it doesn’t rain too badly! Haha

Today was weekly weigh day and you can clearly see that Tofu has been eating all the readigrass he’s back at his pre-arthritis weight of over 1.3kg! Patches has been hovering around 1210g ish, which is still a big drop from the 1430g he was pre-op but I am relieved he hasn’t lost any more in the last week

 

[JaseChase]

Patches perked up a bit today - less of a battle to get the CC into him and he even came and begged for veggies. Never thought I’d miss him biting the bars haha

Tofu is also thriving at the moment. Must be the spring air

 

[JaseChase]

Patches has a complaint



I wasn’t happy with how his poops were today so I’ve taken him off veggies. He’s off baytril now as well as the vet said to stop it if his digestion doesn’t settle down. He lost quite a bit of weight overnight along with the squishy poops so I decided not to give it today

He’s still tucking into his CC but he was VERY grumpy when he realised Tofu had veggies without him. We got intense side eye from him for the rest of the night

I did give them both a hay cookie in penance!

 

[Betsy]

Dear Patches

I am here for you and will help you with your complaint and serious dereliction of duty by your Slave.

I wouldn't stand for your Slave giving Tofu veggies and not you. How very dare your Slave not give you veggies? Doesn't your Slave realise that us piggies live for our veg? Congratulations on giving your Slaves serious side eye all night and for wangling a hay cookie of them as they felt so guilty.

I have looked in the leaflet "What to do when your cage mate gets veggies and you don't and what you can do about it" and page 5, paragraph 4, section A states "If your Slave gives your cage mate veggies and not you then

• Wheek really loudly so that your Slave knows you are extremely unhappy about this unfair treatment
• Turn your back on your Slave or look mournfully at them whenever your cage mate is eating anything (you know your Slave best so will know what will work best)
• Slaves like you to wake them up in the middle of the night (this is so they can check that you're all right) so rattle your bottle loudly on the side of the cage. If this fails to wake them, bar bite until the noise gets them out of bed"

If you follow the above, then veggies for both of you should be forthcoming in the near future (hopefully tomorrow)

Your friend in a crisis

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward