Smileandnod
Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2018
- Posts
- 323
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2018
- Messages
- 323
So...I need helpful advice and guidance, as well as some patient listeners to hear about my really stupid choice this week.
On Wednesday I went to a local pet supply store to get a bag of oxbow on my way home from a long day at work because my online order of pellets was delayed due to weather.
Well, they had some adoption center set up by a local rural shelter. They had 2 very young female guinea pigs.
I had to find someone to help me find oxbow pellets because there weren't any on the shelf and being unfamiliar with the store, I couldn't find the product even though there was a tag marking that they carried them.
As I was searching for an employee I encountered a young kid, about 7, acting very bratty. He kept kicking things, yelling about how he didn't want a guinea pig and then following me about as I waited for the employee to check about the oxbow pellets.
The mom started talking to me and asking me about guinea pig care after she overheard me asking for the pellets. She told me the kid just got their puppy hit by a car because he let it out of their gate on purpose because he was tired of it. She said before the dog he had wanted a guinea pig and so she was there to get one for him so he would stop asking for another dog.
I tried my best just to talk her out of it explaining they are a lot of work, live up to 6-8 years and are a big commitment. She responded that with her son it'd be lucky to live a year, but that's ok it's just a guinea pig. When I told her their diet is primarily hay, she responded she isn't having that dirty stuff in her house. Then she told me that when the employee came back with the pellets to have them find the person who would let them adopt a guinea pig and she walked away.
Well....this is where my stupidity began...the employee said they didn't have the pellets and at this point I should have just went home. But...I didn't.
I asked to speak with the person doing the adoptions and instead of taking him to the mom with the kid, I told him I would look at the guinea pigs. When I saw the youngest one, I could see instantly she was suffering from an URI even though I have been very lucky never to have had an outbreak of illness with my own. Her eyes were filled with gunk, she was listless, coughing and nasal discharge galore (Mumbly).
As the mother waited beside me she told her son they would just get whichever one I didn't...I told the adoption agent I would take them both. The mom was very upset and had some words. I walked away with both piggies.
I immediately called my cavy vet who was able to get me in. I was already kicking myself because I have other guinea pigs who have been healthy. Why was I risking this?!
Well, the new babies, sisters, were estimated to be 5 weeks old. According to the shelter, they were born from a mom who was adopted out after they were dumped at the shelter (who are a cat/dog shelter) and the shelter had them for 2 weeks before I got them.
My vet had an emergency just as I got there so I had to see someone else, but my cavy vet was there to check them behind the scenes with the other vet. Sure enough, the one has a upper respiratory infection (Mumbly). She needed sub-q fluids right away and they didn't think she would make it.
I got bene-bac, antibiotic for both (as a precaution for Nouget although she showed no symptoms) and critical care.
Antibiotic: Enrofloxacin 30mg/ml - Nouget 0.13ml, Mumbly 0.12ml two times daily/10 days
(My concerns: I researched and found this antibiotic can cause problems, especially in young pigs with growth...should I insist on another antibiotic? I also read that for severe URI it can take longer on antibiotics to prevent a relapse?)
Benebac: pea size amount daily, 2-3 hours before last dose of antibiotic
Critical care: 6cc, 3 times daily for Mumbly (when can I comfortably stop with syringe feedings?)
Weights: starting weights 329g Mumbly, 383g Nouget
Today's weights: 345g Mumbly, 397g Nouget
They have both started eating on their own (hay and pellets) and yesterday I was able to coax them to eat veggies (green leaf lettuce, red lettuce, green & red peppers). Today they ate wonderfully on their own, but I am still worried about their weight gain and possible belly upset from antibiotic. Both have clear eyes already and I no longer see any nasal discharge. Mumbly still sneezes pretty regularly, but haven't heard the cough today. Their poop looks great and lots of it today!
I have them in a separate room from my other pigs, have taken care of them after caring for my others first each day and carefully change clothes/ wash hands in between. I use fleece bedding so I have washed things separately using bleach and the sanitize setting. Am I doing enough to keep my others from getting sick?
My cavy vet won't be in the office until Wednesday, so I am reaching out to you all for advice, encouragement and tips.
And so, let the scolding begin for my stupidity and putting my other pigs at risk...but please I would be very grateful for any advice as well. This is my first time dealing with URI in any of my pigs. Thank you all!
On Wednesday I went to a local pet supply store to get a bag of oxbow on my way home from a long day at work because my online order of pellets was delayed due to weather.
Well, they had some adoption center set up by a local rural shelter. They had 2 very young female guinea pigs.
I had to find someone to help me find oxbow pellets because there weren't any on the shelf and being unfamiliar with the store, I couldn't find the product even though there was a tag marking that they carried them.
As I was searching for an employee I encountered a young kid, about 7, acting very bratty. He kept kicking things, yelling about how he didn't want a guinea pig and then following me about as I waited for the employee to check about the oxbow pellets.
The mom started talking to me and asking me about guinea pig care after she overheard me asking for the pellets. She told me the kid just got their puppy hit by a car because he let it out of their gate on purpose because he was tired of it. She said before the dog he had wanted a guinea pig and so she was there to get one for him so he would stop asking for another dog.
I tried my best just to talk her out of it explaining they are a lot of work, live up to 6-8 years and are a big commitment. She responded that with her son it'd be lucky to live a year, but that's ok it's just a guinea pig. When I told her their diet is primarily hay, she responded she isn't having that dirty stuff in her house. Then she told me that when the employee came back with the pellets to have them find the person who would let them adopt a guinea pig and she walked away.
Well....this is where my stupidity began...the employee said they didn't have the pellets and at this point I should have just went home. But...I didn't.
I asked to speak with the person doing the adoptions and instead of taking him to the mom with the kid, I told him I would look at the guinea pigs. When I saw the youngest one, I could see instantly she was suffering from an URI even though I have been very lucky never to have had an outbreak of illness with my own. Her eyes were filled with gunk, she was listless, coughing and nasal discharge galore (Mumbly).
As the mother waited beside me she told her son they would just get whichever one I didn't...I told the adoption agent I would take them both. The mom was very upset and had some words. I walked away with both piggies.
I immediately called my cavy vet who was able to get me in. I was already kicking myself because I have other guinea pigs who have been healthy. Why was I risking this?!
Well, the new babies, sisters, were estimated to be 5 weeks old. According to the shelter, they were born from a mom who was adopted out after they were dumped at the shelter (who are a cat/dog shelter) and the shelter had them for 2 weeks before I got them.
My vet had an emergency just as I got there so I had to see someone else, but my cavy vet was there to check them behind the scenes with the other vet. Sure enough, the one has a upper respiratory infection (Mumbly). She needed sub-q fluids right away and they didn't think she would make it.
I got bene-bac, antibiotic for both (as a precaution for Nouget although she showed no symptoms) and critical care.
Antibiotic: Enrofloxacin 30mg/ml - Nouget 0.13ml, Mumbly 0.12ml two times daily/10 days
(My concerns: I researched and found this antibiotic can cause problems, especially in young pigs with growth...should I insist on another antibiotic? I also read that for severe URI it can take longer on antibiotics to prevent a relapse?)
Benebac: pea size amount daily, 2-3 hours before last dose of antibiotic
Critical care: 6cc, 3 times daily for Mumbly (when can I comfortably stop with syringe feedings?)
Weights: starting weights 329g Mumbly, 383g Nouget
Today's weights: 345g Mumbly, 397g Nouget
They have both started eating on their own (hay and pellets) and yesterday I was able to coax them to eat veggies (green leaf lettuce, red lettuce, green & red peppers). Today they ate wonderfully on their own, but I am still worried about their weight gain and possible belly upset from antibiotic. Both have clear eyes already and I no longer see any nasal discharge. Mumbly still sneezes pretty regularly, but haven't heard the cough today. Their poop looks great and lots of it today!
I have them in a separate room from my other pigs, have taken care of them after caring for my others first each day and carefully change clothes/ wash hands in between. I use fleece bedding so I have washed things separately using bleach and the sanitize setting. Am I doing enough to keep my others from getting sick?
My cavy vet won't be in the office until Wednesday, so I am reaching out to you all for advice, encouragement and tips.
And so, let the scolding begin for my stupidity and putting my other pigs at risk...but please I would be very grateful for any advice as well. This is my first time dealing with URI in any of my pigs. Thank you all!