New baby guinea pig seems sick, bought at Petsmart, please help

[Drawingwords]

It's not rare for a healthy cavy to die after a castration. I have first-hand experience with this.

Also, I made a HUGE, abomination of buying a pig at Petsmart and it had mites. This was a while ago but they still paid my bills. In full. Contact the store manager and if he's a jerk, go higher up. Don't be a complete arse and be understanding and they will probably help. Bees with honey not vinegar.

Did the vet check him out for other symptoms? Again, from my petstore experience, they could be harboring nasty things and you'd never know.

You should adopt him a buddy! And post us some snap shots of the cutie! Good luck with everything.

[Wheek Weak]

Originally Posted by Mappertreasure

Hm... still treat him for mites? I wonder if I can get the vet to give me some ivermectin. Skin scrapings are very painful. Preventative or prof treatment does not harm a cavy. It may not harm a cavy, but I wouldn't subject our babies to the torture of it. You don't need ivermectin from the vet. You can get pour-on ivermectin from TSC (Tractor Supply Company) or Jeffers (livestock...online). Here is the chart for dosing yourself without painful injections or skin scrapings: http://www.guinealynx.info/topical_ivermectin.html

We treat our cavies twice per year (spring/fall) when the mites become active.

Thank you for the suggestion! We have Oxbow Vitamin C supplements downstairs and I offered him one but he was not even tempted. Our other piggies love them and snarf them down (I tried one out of curiosity and cannot understand the appeal). Feeding 1/4 of a green pepper per day would provide all of the vitamin C necessary on a daily basis. Print off the diet/nutrition chart: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/22156-everything-you-need-know-about-cavys-diet-read-me-nutrition-charts-info.html This chart will show you all sources of vitamin C and how often to feed them. With the proper diet, you don't need to supplement vitamin C.

Petsmart made me sign a contract saying that they would not pay any vet bills. No Kidding?! Big Surprise!

I really don't know what to say about the staying out of pet stores if you can't say no remark, but, I'm going to try. There are no pet stores in our area that don't sell animals. We go to Petsmart because it is the most responsible of the bunch. I order from Oxbow, but Oxbow is not selling online anymore (I'm going to check into kleenmama when we run low on our latest fifty pound box of hay). We do buy pet food for our other pets and various supplies at pet stores. We homeschool our children and my dh works long hours, so when I go to buy animal supplies, our children go with me. We rescue guinea pigs (for 5 years now). We have not stepped foot into a pet store in those 5 years. Our pigs are extremely healthy and happy. More so than if we had relied on pet stores for their needs.

So - on rare occasions, even the most dedicated rescuers will sometimes make exceptions in individual situations for individual animals. I'm no longer a dedicated rescuer, but I do care and I do understand the issues.

We, as dedicated rescuers, will NEVER support the blood/sacrifice of the female cavies and pups who give their precious little lives for the profit of PetSmart, PetSupplies Plus, etc. You apparently have hardened your heart to the rescue mission. It sounds like you're now in bed with the pet supply companies, pet stores, etc. and their policies of "merchandise at any cost". Too bad.

I don't mean to sound so harsh...but, we have been in the back room of pet stores (I'm sobbing as I'm writing this remembering what I saw)...Have you? Apparently not. If you have...you would not be so willing to accept the sacrifice of the piggies who (unwillingly) give their lives to make the purchasing of living "toys" for children easy so the pet store can make a profit.

Please read the stickies at top of each forum of this site. Go to GuineaLynx and read all that you can. Please be willing to learn more about cavies and their care.

Go to PetSmart and ask to see their "back room". I doubt if they will let you, but just in case...be ready to be disgusted, sickened, and not so willing to be a casual customer. Believe me...after that, you will find other sources for your guinea pigs' needs (we did - no problem whatsoever).

[Valerie B]

If you can't find critical care you could try crushing up some of the pellets and adding water or unflavored pedilyte to the crumbs and syringe feed that way.
If he won't eat veggies you could try carrot baby food by syringe. I had a skinny guinea pig and after a few feeding she starting eating on her own with gusto.
You can also use revolution for mite preventive, if you use the cat dose or small dog dose you would put 100 th of a cc drop on the skin behind the ear. Using a 1cc syringe you would fill it up to the first number .1 Yes, it is only a small bit.
Do not use anything else like frontline becasue it is not guinea pig savvy.
Good luck and with lots of love he may do just fine.
Valerie

[Jennicat]

Originally Posted by Drawingwords

It's not rare for a healthy cavy to die after a castration. I have first-hand experience with this.

With all due respect, having one, or even two guinea pigs die from neutering does not prove that it isn't rare -- it proves that either you're the rare case, or your vet is not experienced with neuters.

Our rescue has neutered the majority of male guinea pigs that have come into our rescue for 3 years, and we've lost a total of 2 pigs during that time. Both were due to veterinary error from a vet gaining experience. Since then, we have worked with our vet to perfect his technique, and in the past 2.5 years have not lost a single male. In the past 1.5 years, we have not had an abscess, or any serious complications during recovery. We have neutered as young as 4-5 months (when weight appropriate) and as old as 7 (due to medical reasons upon intake).

So while I am personally grieved for your loss of your piggie (or piggies), telling other people that the procedure is dangerous simply because you had either bad luck or an inexperienced vet is not entirely representative.

[psmadden]

Hopefully your piggy is feeling better- I just want to say that I currently work at petsmart, and I hope your story does not deter everyone from purchasing piggies from our stores- Some of the pet stores do take poor care of all their animals, however I do know our store takes excellent care of our animals- most people who do buy piggies come to our store because we generally have newly weaned baby piggies and all have been in great health upon leaving the store, there is hope for some petstores- But again, I hope your piggie gets better

[guineapigluver1]

psmadden, yes some stores take appear excellent care of them (the one that used to be near me appeared to take excellent care, but they were in cramped cages, and eating crappy pellets), but a lot of them don't and you are supporting that as well. As well as supporting breeding and backyard breeders. Not to mention the setup of the cages at that PetSmart could easily cause a draft and cause URI.
The truth is no petstore takes excellent care of them, all I have seen are in tiny cages.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

It doesn't matter how the pet stores care for them. You are buying them from breeding/ pet mills. Those babies are torn away from their moms too young to be sold. Meanwhile mom is being backbred to death in a tiny cage where she can barely turn around, no hay or veggies in sight. Just stale pellets.

And homeless guinea pigs in shelters are being euthanized.

[Ly&Pigs]

I hope your story does not deter everyone from purchasing piggies from our stores

I hope the exact opposite, that it does deter people from buying pigs from ANY petstore.

If you have not noticed this site does not support petstores that sell animals, breeding or showing.

[Deenanicole08]

I UNFORTUNATELY work for petsmart, as the cashier, as well and it's only to get me through college. I live in Michigan, and as you may have heard, work is extremely hard to come by around here, so it was my only option if I wanted to go to college. I in no way shape or form support selling animals. I love how we have cat adoptions but I hate the birds reptiles and small animals we sell. The guinea pigs are way to cramped, have only one igloo, never get out of the cage untill they are sold or get sick. All of the sick animals go in one closet sized room called the "sick room" so that the sickness can transfer to the other animals I guess, and the pet care people give out completely wrong information about them. In fact just last night a girl I work with, but she works in petcare was telling me she had guinea pigs too and she litter trained them. I told her how it was weird that she could and they never really had accidents, she said it was easy to train them. She told me how she did it and it was ridiculous. She said she would keep carrots in one corner, food in another, water in another, and the litter box in another. She said if you keep all corners occupied they will have to go in their litter box. And they were kept in a small cage, so where did they get to move? I was appalled. Thank God she doesn't have any anymore.

This just shows that they should not sell animals. Petcare doesn't have to have any prior knowledge on them, so they dont get "excellent" care.

[Drawingwords]

Originally Posted by Jennicat

With all due respect, having one, or even two guinea pigs die from neutering does not prove that it isn't rare -- it proves that either you're the rare case, or your vet is not experienced with neuters.

Our rescue has neutered the majority of male guinea pigs that have come into our rescue for 3 years, and we've lost a total of 2 pigs during that time. Both were due to veterinary error from a vet gaining experience. Since then, we have worked with our vet to perfect his technique, and in the past 2.5 years have not lost a single male. In the past 1.5 years, we have not had an abscess, or any serious complications during recovery. We have neutered as young as 4-5 months (when weight appropriate) and as old as 7 (due to medical reasons upon intake).

So while I am personally grieved for your loss of your piggie (or piggies), telling other people that the procedure is dangerous simply because you had either bad luck or an inexperienced vet is not entirely representative.

The point is, if it's not medically neccessary why put an animals life in danger? EVEN if the vet in question is competant, accidents happen. Same with humans. Would I do it again. No. If you searched the web for guinea pig neuters, even on GL's website, it lists all of the dangers and stories. I looked before I got it done, and my husband asked me not too BUT all of the people on the forums were saying how they had 2738618927368162 neutered pigs. Well, I was an exception, or I should say Cinnamon. If you don't have to put a pig through it - don't.

You also say you lost 2 pigs because of the vet. Even if you have 100 successful neuters, the 2 fatalities are enough to step back and wonder if it should be done.

[Jennicat]

Originally Posted by Drawingwords

The point is, if it's not medically neccessary why put an animals life in danger? EVEN if the vet in question is competant, accidents happen. Same with humans. Would I do it again. No. If you searched the web for guinea pig neuters, even on GL's website, it lists all of the dangers and stories. I looked before I got it done, and my husband asked me not too BUT all of the people on the forums were saying how they had 2738618927368162 neutered pigs. Well, I was an exception, or I should say Cinnamon. If you don't have to put a pig through it - don't.

You also say you lost 2 pigs because of the vet. Even if you have 100 successful neuters, the 2 fatalities are enough to step back and wonder if it should be done.

You're welcome to wonder all you want. For me, 100 successful neuters ensuring that 100 pigs will NEVER have an accidental litter is justification. Maybe I'm used to looking at the bigger picture because I deal with more pigs.

You also have to figure in how many pigs are now alive because we worked with our vet on developing safe surgical procedures. So guinea pigs that are not even in our rescue are benefiting from his knowledge, even on non-neuter surgeries.

Again, I can understand that you're upset because you were unlucky, or your vet was not particularly skilled. I extend to you my deepest sympathy on your loss. But in my opinion, perhaps biased from a rescuer's point of view, it is better to risk the life of ONE animal in order to prevent an accidental litter, than to risk the life of a guinea pig in labor and then take a home away from 1-8 other guinea pigs due to that accidental litter.

And I know that everybody in the world always says they'd "never" have an accidental litter, but crap happens. If there's a fire in your house, and you're trying to get the pigs out, I'm sure you're much less concerned about "accidental litters" than about getting your pigs to safety. Maybe your petsitter is not that concerned with it. Maybe your kids have friends. Heck, maybe you have a cage malfunction one day. Accidents happen to responsible owners too.

[psmadden]

I apologize if I upset any one from my previous post, honestly I was one of those people who knew very little about the piggies and did get them from my job, however I know where they came from personally and how old they were when I got them. If I knew more about piggies in general before getting interested, I would have adopted. Please don't have harsh feelings toward me, but I noticed that many people on this site when posting pictures of their pigs have gotten them from petstores as well. It does not make us bad people.

[AnimalHouse36]

Yes, people here have bought from petstores. But now most of them no better and will probably adopt next time.

So you do know that they came from a huge mass breeder? (that may depend on where you work). r maybe from a cruel backyard breeder.

I don't think anyone will have harsh feelingd towards you for being a newbie. ;)

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Originally Posted by psmadden

I apologize if I upset any one from my previous post, honestly I was one of those people who knew very little about the piggies and did get them from my job, however I know where they came from personally and how old they were when I got them. If I knew more about piggies in general before getting interested, I would have adopted. Please don't have harsh feelings toward me, but I noticed that many people on this site when posting pictures of their pigs have gotten them from petstores as well. It does not make us bad people.

You've been to the breeder's house then and seen their set up and how they treat their stock?

It's one thing if someone doesn't know better and buys one. It's another to recommend buying animals from pet stores.

[psmadden]

No, I did not see the breeder's house or any of that, but the girl I work with personally knows the lady who brings them to us. I don't want to debate about it any more because i enjoy coming to this site & learning about the piggies more & more.