Pig Sitting

[Lacy&Buttercup]

The vet visit went good. His tongue is fine. Don't ask me what I saw, I can only explain it by being up all night. His teeth are not aligned properly. The bottom teeth were trimmed and will need trimming every couple of months. She thinks that may be why he doesn't have bowel control because he's not able to eat right. She is very optimistic about it. Just in case, I asked at what point would he be suffering. She said that if I can't keep him clean and he starts getting sores on the pads of his feet from being in poo all the time, then I would need to have him put to sleep. I'm really having a tough time keeping him clean on the fleece so I'm going to switch him back to shavings. I'm having to bathe him frequently with just water. I would like to thank you all for helping me get my head screwed on straight this morning. I temporarily lost my mind. We stopped and picked up a camera. I'll take some pics of Rover and try to post them.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

I'm going to try to insert a link to Rover's pigture. Here goes...

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[cavy-cool-crazy]

I'm so glad Rover is doing better. He is such a gorgeous piggy and in such a loving environment. Let's hope you can keep him - I know he would much prefer to be with you than in a class of rowdy youngsters!

 

[iLoveDusty]

I'm so glad to hear that your vet visit went well. He is a lovely piggy. I'm asure your doing a great job with him.

He probably loves you to bits right now!

 

[homeschoolmama]

Oh, he's such a pretty boy! Let us know how he's doing... I've got my fingers crossed that you'll be able to keep him.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Thank you all! He's eating so much easier since his teeth have been trimmed. He's even started eating lettuce now. His favorites remain to be cucumbers and all different colored peppers. He still won't touch his hay. I'm going to work on feeding it to him when we have lap time next. He's pooing some on his own but it has no form to it. Sorry for being gross. I feel that's a small step in the right direction. He's staying alot cleaner on shavings. I'm not having to constantly wash his bottom and feet. I AM getting him! I will NOT take no for an answer! My husband helped me work on a speech to give the teacher about his special needs. I just know he's going to be mine! Question: Since his poo is loose, should I quit feeding him watery cucumbers? My thinking is that if he'll eat it, great but I don't want to contribute to his problem. Another question: How long does it take to get an order from Oxbow? I've run out of pellets and have resorted to picking all the seeds and stuff out of a bag the teacher gave me. I was using plain timothy pellets from a pet store (I know) but didn't want to go out and purchase any more because I've ordered the good stuff. Also, do piggies get gray hair when they get old? The tips of all Rover's dark hair is gray. Sorry for so many questions.

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

As his diet is so limited still, I think you should try just offering cucumber skins. The inside of the cucumber is the most watery part, so cutting as much of that out as he will allow you to may help his poops get a little shape to them. Until he starts eating hay I think he'll stay with mostly soft unformed poops as he isn't getting the fibre. The pellets will also help a lot (when they arrive). Good luck with him!

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

That's a great idea. Thanks! Off to peel some skins for him...

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Update on Rover.. He still refuses hay. I've even tried putting it in the blender with some water and making a puree for him. I keep hay in his cage, just in case. Any suggestions for getting him to eat it? Now, he eats a variety of veggies. I'm letting him eat all the pellets he wants. When you pick him up, you can feel all of his ribs, he's so skinny. He's eating faster and attacking the veggies with enthusiasm. He has more energy. He's actually hopping around at floor time. He's pooing on his own, not formed but firmer. While he was on the floor today, I repeatedly made a kissing sound and called his name. He walked half way across the room to me on two different occasions. I am so happy! Monday is getting closer. I'm scared the teacher will say that I can't have him.

 

[aqh88]

Are you sure his teeth haven't damaged his tongue any? When the teeth grow too long they cross over the tongue and squish the middle of it leaving it with a permanent indent. I would think looking at it trapped under the teeth it would almost look like 2 seperate parts. https://guinealynx.info/malocclusion_pics.html.
Try mixing a few broken up strands of hay into his pellet dish and veggies. Maybe you can trigger his thinking that hay=food. If you can get a little weight on him and his droppings coming out right then he might be healthy enough for a neuter. While under anethestic his teeth could get a much better check too. In with another guinea pig that eats hay he should eagerly figure it out. Would work great if you could borrow a young male or spayed sow until he learns to eat hay and decisions are made what will happen with him.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Thank you for the suggestions and link! I'll try it immediately. I looked again at his tongue. Twice to be sure. It is definitely indented and looks like two parts. I do not see any molars trapping it though. I could not get a glimpse of his molars. Our vet doesn't do neutering. We will take him to a vet in Atlanta when he gets healthy enough. Unless I need to take him sooner because of his tongue?

 

[Slap Maxwell]

He needs to go get his teeth trimmed ASAP.

Make sure on Monday you emphisize that he is sick and needs his bum cleaned out every day from now on. He also needs to have his teeth trimmed and has tongue problems now which make it hard to eat.

I am not sure what the weather is like there, if it is warmer, try some fresh grass for him.

 

[aqh88]

I'm not sure they can do much with a damaged tongue after it has grown and healed that way. It would be good to get a better look at the damage and his teeth than what can be done while he's awake. If he's eating more and gaining weight then he should be fine for now. All his problems seem to be related to not getting hay. His teeth didn't get worn down correctly, he didn't have enough fiber, and those 2 problems together would lead to not digesting any of his other food as well making him skinny.

He needs to go get his teeth trimmed ASAP.

I thought he already got his teeth trimmed some? A better look and a 2nd vet opinion would help but since he's improved he's not in any immediate danger.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Thanks! I will wait until he's healthier and then take him. We did get his lower teeth trimmed. They were poking his gum behind his top front teeth. My scales are on the way. I had to order them. I will keep up with his weight. We don't have any grass alive but I have fed him some dandelion greens. That's all we have living.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

I forgot I did give him some dead grass and he took a few nibbles. Outside I go with a flashlight to try some more and gather some more dandelion greens.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

He's picking out the greens and gobbling them up. No grass. Sigh.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Well, I took Rover back to school this morning. I told the teacher everything. I gave her the GL care pamphlet. She asked if she could keep it. She also wrote down the name and phone number of our vet. She said he didn't look like the same guinea pig, hugged me and thanked me. Bottom line, she said she would have to think about it! My heart is breaking. It took all I could do to hold back the tears until I got in my vehicle. I had to leave him. Please, will you say a prayer that she will decide to let me have him? Thank you for all the help and advice you gave me while I had him! It is because of you guys that he got the best possible care while he was with me.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

The teacher called me yesterday and wants me to sit Rover during the holidays, again. She said he is eating his pellets and hay that I sent to school. She also said he is doing much better, pooing on his own, and even wheeking at her. I'm going next Tuesday morning to pick him up. They decided that he is too old to undergo surgery for neutering. I read somewhere that older piggies have curved toenails. My Lacy has really curved toenails but from what I remember, Rover's weren't curved. The tips of all his dark hair is grey though. I may be wrong but I just don't think he's that old. I have given up hope of ever getting this little fellow. The teacher said she is very attached to him. I will gladly take what time they give me with him, enjoy him, and make his life a piggies dream, while I have him. I am taking pics of my cage to show her and the other teacher with pigs. My dream is to make them a big C&C cage with storage space and dividers for the classroom. I don't know if they'll have the room for one though. Maybe they could put it in the entryway. Right now, they have 3, I think, different sexes, one in each rubbermaid container lined up on a bookshelf. I would ask to bring them home to introduce the same sexes. I'll have to wait until we get our income tax refund in early March though, if they'll even let me. The older teacher acted a little mad when I started telling them how the piggies needed to be cared for. She has had piggies in the classroom for at least 8 years that I know of.

 

[BabyGrl]

I mean to sound like a jerk but if the teacher is so attached to him then why does she keep calling you to watch him over the holidays? It would seem to me if she really cared she would be the one taking the little guy home and taking care of him. I can tell that you really like this little guy and that you are giving him way more care than this teacher ever will, but is it really fair that she is getting out of the work and responsibility of taking care of "her" classroom pig? It just sounds to me like she just wants to be able to enjoy her holiday without the added responsibilty of this pig that you offered to take in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for this pig same as I feel bad for every pet store pig I see, but I don't think you should take this pig off her hands for the holidays unless she is willing to part with it permantly.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

It is unfair, mostly for Rover. He gets floor time, all the fresh veggies he can eat (he wouldn't eat hay when I had him over Thanksgiving), loads of love then has to go back to living in the container. When he was here before, I kept him in the play pen and will do this again. She said she has taken in a stray cat that she had neutered and he has to stay inside for 7 days. She's afraid he'll eat Rover from out of the bathtub where she would keep him. Sigh! I can't help it, I can't say no to him.