Lilythepig2017
Junior Guinea Pig
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2018
- Messages
- 68
- Reaction score
- 53
- Points
- 160
First I will start off by saying, I cannot recommend what we did. There are situations when medicine is vital to saving your pig. This was a very personal decision we made for our pig. I just wanted to post in case it helps someone their pig.
So we adopted our pig Lily a month ago. She is 4 months old now.
She had a rough start. When she first came to us she had some sneezing. At the time she was on care fresh bedding. Took her to an exotic vet they said she could have an URI so they placed her on 2 antibiotics and an anti inflammatory. (We found out later one of the antibiotics should never be given to young pigs as it could stunt them. The anti-inflammatory medicine, while legal for pigs, is illegal for humans I found out and could cause serious side effects and death). Well in 2 days she stopped eating and pooping. So back again vet we went. This time they gave her a medicine to move her intestines as well and a syringe feeding kit.
The whole next day my mommy senses were telling me this protocol was killing her. My husband agreed. She looked awful. She was taking the syringe feedings but we made the executive decision to take her off all the medicines, continue to syringe feed until her appetite and big normal poos returned, probiotics, and syringe feed her vitamin C. We thought if we continued with the meds like the dr asked she would die. And the stress alone of being syringe fed wasn’t helping her immune system. I replaced her bedding with fleece instead.
After a few days she regained her appetite. I then gave her herbs/ flowers etc for guinea pigs and echinacea plant for guinea pigs to boost her immune system. Within a week her poos went from nonexistent to small and pale to normal in 7 days. she regained her appetite and was running around popcorning. Almost a month later she is thriving. Not a sneeze in site. She calls when we call her by name. She is always friendly. Loves to come cuddle on laps. She loves to zoom around the living room. She enjoys wheat grass and loves peas. We love her so much. She is like a little puppy. She loves to follow me around the house.
Was she ever sick? I don’t know. She either had allergies to that paper bedding (she did sneeze in it often) had a light cold that taking those antibiotics for just three days helped, or she had a small cold and she got better without meds and nature took its course. We will never know. But what I do know is she would have died if we hadn’t stopped those meds. They will killing her far quicker than that sneeze. We are so grateful we listened to our inner voice on this one. I cannot recommend what we did for another pig but I hope our story helps others make what we decision they see fit for their pig.
So we adopted our pig Lily a month ago. She is 4 months old now.
She had a rough start. When she first came to us she had some sneezing. At the time she was on care fresh bedding. Took her to an exotic vet they said she could have an URI so they placed her on 2 antibiotics and an anti inflammatory. (We found out later one of the antibiotics should never be given to young pigs as it could stunt them. The anti-inflammatory medicine, while legal for pigs, is illegal for humans I found out and could cause serious side effects and death). Well in 2 days she stopped eating and pooping. So back again vet we went. This time they gave her a medicine to move her intestines as well and a syringe feeding kit.
The whole next day my mommy senses were telling me this protocol was killing her. My husband agreed. She looked awful. She was taking the syringe feedings but we made the executive decision to take her off all the medicines, continue to syringe feed until her appetite and big normal poos returned, probiotics, and syringe feed her vitamin C. We thought if we continued with the meds like the dr asked she would die. And the stress alone of being syringe fed wasn’t helping her immune system. I replaced her bedding with fleece instead.
After a few days she regained her appetite. I then gave her herbs/ flowers etc for guinea pigs and echinacea plant for guinea pigs to boost her immune system. Within a week her poos went from nonexistent to small and pale to normal in 7 days. she regained her appetite and was running around popcorning. Almost a month later she is thriving. Not a sneeze in site. She calls when we call her by name. She is always friendly. Loves to come cuddle on laps. She loves to zoom around the living room. She enjoys wheat grass and loves peas. We love her so much. She is like a little puppy. She loves to follow me around the house.
Was she ever sick? I don’t know. She either had allergies to that paper bedding (she did sneeze in it often) had a light cold that taking those antibiotics for just three days helped, or she had a small cold and she got better without meds and nature took its course. We will never know. But what I do know is she would have died if we hadn’t stopped those meds. They will killing her far quicker than that sneeze. We are so grateful we listened to our inner voice on this one. I cannot recommend what we did for another pig but I hope our story helps others make what we decision they see fit for their pig.
I also had a vet prescribe tramadol for itchy skin so I know how dangerous a poor vet can be.
