Guinea "rescues" that need closing

[CavyKind]

Is it me or does it seem that everyone and their cat are starting up their own rescues and that some of these people don't seem to have a clue what they are doing, never mind any moral or ethical standards to speak of.

I have just read online about someone who was given a pregnant sow by some rescue (I'd love to know which one), it's obviously in trouble as it has a bad discharge, yet they are refusing to take it to a vet, insisting that they know what they are doing
Supposedly a vet has seen it at some point but no treatment instigated. Really?

What decent rescues rehomes pregnant sows? None that I know of.
Also if we are to believe the new owner that this sow has seen a vet (and hence they don't need to take it) a pregnant sow with what sounds like a dead foetus rotting inside of her...

I truly despair and my heart bleeds for this poor little guinea pig, if she were with me I'd be on my way to the emergency vet with her. I really could cry.

Barbara

[Cavie Cove]

I cant understand any rescue re-homing a pregnant sow even if it was to an experianced home. The sow was probably stressed out from been rescued then to go to another home still pregnant.
If people really wanted the sow they would wait untill shed had the babies.

If we get any sows in we always keep them 10 weeks to make sure they arnt pregnant, and no way would we re-home a pregnant sow. She could be reserved when pregnant but not re-homed and any problems its straight down the vets even if we havent got an apoitment wev been down the vets sitting and waiting.
A true rescue wouldnt re-home a pregnant sow. The only way I can see a pregnant rescue sow going to another home(while pregnant) if if the rescue had foster homes lined up because the rescue was full.

Yes if there is discharge and it smells deffinitly one for the vets no question about it- I have seen the thread your on about.

[spoonyspork]

The local Humane Society had a VERY obviously pregnant sow when we went to adopt piggies. We took all the boys, but I didn't think I would be able to take in a pregnant girl (I had to be convinced to take the last boy, as there were three and I'd only gone to get a pair for my SO's mom). I came in a while later to check up on her, and they asked if I was going to take her home too. I told them I had all boys and didn't have the room for a pregnant girl. They looked at me like I was crazy and said she was NOT pregnant. I could feel babies squirming around in her!

By the next day, I'd decided to take her in, so I could at least make sure she got proper care, and that the babies were separated out in time if there were any boys, but by the time I got there after work, she'd been adopted. I hope the one who got her knew what they were doing.

I've been checking back in with the shelter every week anyway, just in case babies end up back there. I'm also contemplating giving them some info on how to check for pregnancy, proper care of a pregnant sow, etc... hopefully it'll help a bit in the future.

I guess the moral of the story here is that even the 'experts' can make mistakes.

[daftscotslass]

Well you know my opinion already on that matter, me being the one that suggested the smell suggested that something was decomposing inside of her. I cannot believe for one minute that a vet would look at a sow that smelled and had a discharge and then just leave them to it. I will get jumped on, as usual, I'm sure.

[CavyKind]

Originally Posted by daftscotslass

Well you know my opinion already on that matter, me being the one that suggested the smell suggested that something was decomposing inside of her. I cannot believe for one minute that a vet would look at a sow that smelled and had a discharge and then just leave them to it. I will get jumped on, as usual, I'm sure.

I've worked as a RN for years on both a gynae ward and in our local maternity unit and I know that a pregnant woman coming in with this kind of problem would be treated as an emergency. Whatever the prognosis for her baby, IV antibiotics would be commenced stat.
No way would a "wait and see" policy be adopted. It could kill the woman if she developed septicaemia.

Like you, I don't believe any vet would advocate this approach with an animal either.

This really beggars belief and if that guinea pig has not been seen recently by a vet, the person keeping her is guilty of witholding vet treatment and could face prosecution.

[daftscotslass]

I told my boyfriend about the scenario without giving him any more information than what would he do if faced with the same situation, even having been to a vet.

He knows how to look after the guinea pigs but knows little about health care issues. Using his own lay-person common sense he came to the same conclusion as I did, which I find very interesting. It doesn't take a degree in veterinary medicine to understand the graveness of this situation.

I think it is utterly dreadful that the animal has had a terrible life to date, was "rescued" and is now going to face the possibility of rotting slowly from the inside out. But that is the worst case scenario. Of course, the guinea pig has OBVIOUSLY had/is receiving some sort of treatment they have neglected to mention.










*Removes tongue that was firmly embedded in cheek.*

[shelterpiggy]

there are alot of "rescues" out there, that are nothing but hoarding situations.