Sick Crumbs' medical thread

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

Crumbs is now in with the vet, surgery scheduled for two hours from now. Left with strict feeding instructions. All we can do is wait...

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

Crumbs is now in with the vet, surgery scheduled for two hours from now. Left with strict feeding instructions. All we can do is wait...

Crumbs is going to do great! It's going to take time to eat well again (Sly normally takes between 10-14 days) but I believe that Crumbs is going to be just fine.

All our thoughts are with you this morning, @wigglemish.

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

Crumbs has come out of her surgery. It was her teeth, they were long and sharp over her tongue. They have been taken back and the slant in her incisors has been straightened enough to try and encourage proper chewing. She's still asleep at the moment but her breathing is good and we're expecting a call again soon

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

Crumbs has come out of her surgery. It was her teeth, they were long and sharp over her tongue. They have been taken back and the slant in her incisors has been straightened enough to try and encourage proper chewing. She's still asleep at the moment but her breathing is good and we're expecting a call again soon

That is EXACTLY what happens to my little buddy Sly. It sounds as though everything is going well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well.

She will be very groggy and stumble a lot when she comes home, so be prepared for that. That may last a couple of days and being such a tiny girl that may intensify that. I believe you said that she was on Metacam for pain, and I believe that may be the reason she could still eat somewhat.

I breathed a small sigh of relief just now when I read your post, but I realize she isn't out of the woods yet. Small steps, @wigglemish. Small steps. Crumbs is gonna be fine

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

That is EXACTLY what happens to my little buddy Sly. It sounds as though everything is going well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well.

She will be very groggy and stumble a lot when she comes home, so be prepared for that. That may last a couple of days and being such a tiny girl that may intensify that. I believe you said that she was on Metacam for pain, and I believe that may be the reason she could still eat somewhat.

I breathed a small sigh of relief just now when I read your post, but I realize she isn't out of the woods yet. Small steps, @wigglemish. Small steps. Crumbs is gonna be fine

Thank you so much. Feel at least there is hope now. Do you think I should separate her in a hospital cage for the next few days?

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

I don't see the need. Being separated will likely just stress her out more, but unless she's being bullied to the point she can't eat, I think she'll be ok.

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

That's what I figured, it upset her before just with a divider. I will be there 24/7 to monitor her. Spoken to the vet again, she's up and moving well, taking syringe food easily

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

That's what I figured, it upset her before just with a divider. I will be there 24/7 to monitor her. Spoken to the vet again, she's up and moving well, taking syringe food easily

Fan friggin tastic!!! That's what I wanted to hear!

 

[spy9doc]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

She will be very groggy and stumble a lot when she comes home, so be prepared for that. That may last a couple of days and being such a tiny girl that may intensify that. I believe you said that she was on Metacam for pain, and I believe that may be the reason she could still eat somewhat.

Great news! GPP is right on the money as to what to expect. I think my Chester had 5 such treatments. As I've previously mentioned, he had the worst malocclusion the Vet had ever seen. Spurs into the tongue, spurs sticking out into the bucal mucosa (inside of the cheek), you name it. Don't expect her to eat much on her own; after all, that little tongue is probably pretty sore and will need to heal. Also, a cavy mouth is so tiny that occasionally a Vet will nick her mouth during the surgery process which will also need to heal.

Sparky & Chip send wheeks of encouragement to Crumbs!

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

She's home. Awake, clearly feeling sorry for herself but her eyes are clear. I am seeing the odd little tremor going through her, am I right in thinking this is the anesthetic?

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

You're pretty much spot on. The anesthetic will also cause her to be cold. (My vet puts a warm pack in the carrier with Sly after his surgery for a time). I'm so glad she's home and bright eyed, but she's gonna be miserable for a bit.

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

I've put my central heating on and am putting a heated oat bag in the cage now

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

My vet also told me, at least for a couple of days, getting them to eat is paramount. They need to eat as much as possible so give her all of her favourites just to make sure there's intake. It would be optimal for her to eat her hay, but just eating right now is the most important. Critical Care will also be important if she won't eat on her own.

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

We've got critical care, her favourite veg, oxbow alfalfa as well as her normal Timothy and readigrass. I am set for intensive nursing.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

We've got critical care, her favourite veg, oxbow alfalfa as well as her normal Timothy and readigrass. I am set for intensive nursing.

While she may need some help with critical care supplementation, I think you're going to find that as the anesthetic wears off, her appetite may increase. Those have been my observations with Sly, at any rate. The metacam will help with the pain in her mouth, but do try to keep her water bottle warm, as cold water may irritate her teeth badly. I usually give Sly metacam for three to four days following surgery, but then I let him do what he's going to do on his own.

I know Crumbs was already on Metacam but I'm unsure of what for, so by all means continue it beyond that if it was for something different.

Best of luck for you and Crumbs, but I feel that there is nothing to be had but improvement from here on out.

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

The metacam was for this, it was to try and make her comfortable until we figured out what was going on. She had some as an injection today while under to tide her over for the next 24 hours, then back to oral from tomorrow afternoon.

Just had our first feed since coming home. She managed 15ml, took it quite readily, I didn't have to open her mouth with my hand like I normally do. She also bit down on a blade of grass, Didn't manage to eat any, but she gave it a very good go, chewed for maybe 30 seconds before her poor gnashes gave up

She was cold. While I was feeding her I put all the burners on in the kitchen and closed the door to heat the room up fast. She perked up a little bit more and the twitching seems to have stopped.

I am still very scared. When we lost Siggy it was about 8 hours after I brought her home. I had been handfeeding through the night and at 3 a.m I think she had a heart attack... Crumbs though does seem to be in much better condition than Siggy was.. My other half keeps trying to persuade me to have a nap but I am too scared to take my eyes off her.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

I have to say your dedication to Crumbs through this is impressive. She's only a few hours out of surgery and the poor little thing will be out of it. Anesthetic is like that. As you said, this is nowhere near as invasive as Siggy's spay was, and that's true. But Crumbs is in a far better place right now than she was even this morning, and you've given her that fighting chance. Crumbs seems like a fighter to me, and she's gonna be fine. Your other half, I'm sure, will wake you immediately if something seems off.

She's tired. Both from the surgery and from lack of food intake. She's weak. But she's going to be fine. YOU gave her that chance. Let her run with it.

 

[spy9doc]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

She was cold. While I was feeding her I put all the burners on in the kitchen and closed the door to heat the room up fast. She perked up a little bit more and the twitching seems to have stopped.

That twitching seems to equate to us shivering.....that's the way the body reacts when trying to generate heat. My cavies will occasionally shiver after I bathe them. We try to thoroughly dry them with a hairdryer, but can't get them dry down to the skin. I wrap them in a towel and hold them on my chest until the shivering stops. It sometimes seems to be a mix of being chilly and a bit frightened.

Why don't you wrap Crumbs in a towel and lie down for a nap with her either on your chest or lying next to you? You both could probably use the comfort and the rest!

 

[wigglemish]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

I'm trying to remember what it was like the last time I had surgery. I had a bunch of metalwork put into my leg and even though I was only out about 4 hours come to think of it I felt tremoury for daaaays after >.<

GPP: I know it's what anyone on this forum would do. I know how fast they can go downhill. It's about not giving that a chance to happen, as I see it.

Spydoc: That sounds like a really lovely idea but honestly I'd be terrified of stressing her out >.< She's in her fave spot in the cage atm, I can see straight into her pigloo. She's sort of looking like a melted pig, but her eyes are open. She's still beautiful, even when she's in a drugged up splooge XD

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Re: Piggy on way out, advice needed please

GPP: I know it's what anyone on this forum would do. I know how fast they can go downhill. It's about not giving that a chance to happen, as I see it.

Irregardless of what everyone here on the forum would do. This is about what YOU did for Crumbs, for ultimately in this situation that's all that really matters. Crumbs is going to come through this fine, and you did that for her.

She'll need some rest, food and TLC and I know you'll give her all of it. I'm so happy for you and for Crumbs, because she's going to be around for awhile yet