Don't forget Bug's Mom's abdominal massage to help relieve gas. I'll see if I can find a link.
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... f=15&t=117
Blood spots on Lacey’s bedding
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
Well, right now the gas issue seems to be resolved - her tummy is soft and the bubble seems to be gone. I did lots of massage and small doses of simethicone so maybe that's behind us.
But I do think there's a dental issue. This morning she was eating small strips of corn husk, and a few pieces of hay. But from time to time she'd stop and pull her mouth to the side, or paw at her mouth. Tonight she just picks the hay up and throws it down, and now she's doing the same with corn husk.
She ate pellets tonight but it took a long time and some were just mouthed up and laying on the floor of the cage. I feel so sorry for her, especially when she looks for treats at night. So I took a little watermelon and mashed it up in a saucer and she ate that. I did the same with a few small pieces of green pepper. Otherwise, she's getting watered-down CC and I put water on her vitamin C wafer so it was mushy and she could eat it.
She has a vet appointment set for Thursday, but I plan to call tomorrow and see if they can get her in sooner. I talked to the vet yesterday and she's back in the office on Tuesday.
But I do think there's a dental issue. This morning she was eating small strips of corn husk, and a few pieces of hay. But from time to time she'd stop and pull her mouth to the side, or paw at her mouth. Tonight she just picks the hay up and throws it down, and now she's doing the same with corn husk.
She ate pellets tonight but it took a long time and some were just mouthed up and laying on the floor of the cage. I feel so sorry for her, especially when she looks for treats at night. So I took a little watermelon and mashed it up in a saucer and she ate that. I did the same with a few small pieces of green pepper. Otherwise, she's getting watered-down CC and I put water on her vitamin C wafer so it was mushy and she could eat it.
She has a vet appointment set for Thursday, but I plan to call tomorrow and see if they can get her in sooner. I talked to the vet yesterday and she's back in the office on Tuesday.
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
Thank you - we need hugs!
Lacey has a cup of softened pellets and dish of small hay pieces in water. She also has a separate water cup since she’s not using her water bottle. It looks like she did manage to eat some pellets. And I took a corn husk and tore it up and she ate the small strands.
She had metacam this morning and two CC feedings. The second time she ate quite a bit because I added a little watermelon juice to the CC. It’s hard to tell how much dry she eats because I mix up a tablespoon at a time and make it really soupy so she eats it better.
I called the clinic and my Thursday appointment is the best they can do. is the soonest available. I also called an exotic specialty about 60 miles away and they’re booked 3 weeks out. When I mentioned my location they suggested the clinic where I have the appointment, and also the clinic I was going to originally. That gave me more confidence in the local vets, and I guess I’m pretty lucky to have an appointment on Thursday.
The only other thing I was thinking of was buying a little smoothie blender and trying to make a hay smoothie. With a little fresh grass or watermelon juice she might be interested in lapping that up.
Lacey has a cup of softened pellets and dish of small hay pieces in water. She also has a separate water cup since she’s not using her water bottle. It looks like she did manage to eat some pellets. And I took a corn husk and tore it up and she ate the small strands.
She had metacam this morning and two CC feedings. The second time she ate quite a bit because I added a little watermelon juice to the CC. It’s hard to tell how much dry she eats because I mix up a tablespoon at a time and make it really soupy so she eats it better.
I called the clinic and my Thursday appointment is the best they can do. is the soonest available. I also called an exotic specialty about 60 miles away and they’re booked 3 weeks out. When I mentioned my location they suggested the clinic where I have the appointment, and also the clinic I was going to originally. That gave me more confidence in the local vets, and I guess I’m pretty lucky to have an appointment on Thursday.
The only other thing I was thinking of was buying a little smoothie blender and trying to make a hay smoothie. With a little fresh grass or watermelon juice she might be interested in lapping that up.
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
So now I’m the proud owner of a Nutri Ninja blender. Another customer in line at Target told me I’ll love it.
I whipped up some CC with a few pellets, and just enough little pieces of green pepper so she could smell it. The texture is smooth but I have to make more than a tablespoon at a time. I’m keeping some refrigerated and freezing the rest. And I also tried hay, water, a cube of watermelon and a little CC. That is more watery but she actually eats a little on her own so I don’t have to syringe it.
I whipped up some CC with a few pellets, and just enough little pieces of green pepper so she could smell it. The texture is smooth but I have to make more than a tablespoon at a time. I’m keeping some refrigerated and freezing the rest. And I also tried hay, water, a cube of watermelon and a little CC. That is more watery but she actually eats a little on her own so I don’t have to syringe it.
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
Yes, she can be coaxed with a little mashed watermelon on top. I have to be careful with the sugary fruit and gassy peppers, but so far so good. I really hope the vet can figure out the eating issue because her appetite is back.
She’s eating her third little spoonful of smoothie all by herself. And she wheeked for her vitamin C this afternoon so I broke it apart on a little plate with some water. She just ate some pellets but it takes a long time and then all of a sudden she runs to her hidey, twisting her mouth like something is caught.
She had 21 cc of soupy Critical Care so far. I followed a few of the syringes with a short piece of fresh grass and she did okay with that. We’ve got at least 3 more feedings tonight.
I never had kids, but I empathize with new parents trying to keep up with feeding babies.
She’s eating her third little spoonful of smoothie all by herself. And she wheeked for her vitamin C this afternoon so I broke it apart on a little plate with some water. She just ate some pellets but it takes a long time and then all of a sudden she runs to her hidey, twisting her mouth like something is caught.
She had 21 cc of soupy Critical Care so far. I followed a few of the syringes with a short piece of fresh grass and she did okay with that. We’ve got at least 3 more feedings tonight.
I never had kids, but I empathize with new parents trying to keep up with feeding babies.
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
Update on Lacey. We went back for a follow up on Thursday. The vet checked her teeth and found nothing wrong. She also got enough blood for analysis and the results came back today. Everything is within the normal ranges, kidney, liver, red and white cells, and minerals levels were tested. She’s a little on the low range for red cells but not serious, and we have nothing to compare to.
So now she wants to do an ultrasound on her abdomen and x-ray her mouth. I told the vat that Lacey isn’t eating enough hay, but she will eat pellets, corn husk, and grass. However, she eats more slowly and sometimes pulls her mouth around, or paw at food in her mouth like it’s caught or she doesn’t want it. I’ve tried cutting the hay and husks into 2”-3” lengths and that seems to help but not enough to get her eating sufficient amounts.
The hay smoothies I made aren’t popular anymore, so now I have this stuff frozen and I’m mixing it with CC to get her to eat.
As if that isn’t a full-time job, the dog is having tummy issues. He was uncomfortable and hunched over so we thought his back was sore. A new vet at his clinic saw him but was pretty much useless, didn’t even do a X-ray for arthritis. She prescribed Rimadyl for pain. Now I’m thinking he actually had stomach issues that are worse due to the NSAID. So he’s on a bland diet and getting antacids until he can get back to the vet tomorrow.
So now she wants to do an ultrasound on her abdomen and x-ray her mouth. I told the vat that Lacey isn’t eating enough hay, but she will eat pellets, corn husk, and grass. However, she eats more slowly and sometimes pulls her mouth around, or paw at food in her mouth like it’s caught or she doesn’t want it. I’ve tried cutting the hay and husks into 2”-3” lengths and that seems to help but not enough to get her eating sufficient amounts.
The hay smoothies I made aren’t popular anymore, so now I have this stuff frozen and I’m mixing it with CC to get her to eat.
As if that isn’t a full-time job, the dog is having tummy issues. He was uncomfortable and hunched over so we thought his back was sore. A new vet at his clinic saw him but was pretty much useless, didn’t even do a X-ray for arthritis. She prescribed Rimadyl for pain. Now I’m thinking he actually had stomach issues that are worse due to the NSAID. So he’s on a bland diet and getting antacids until he can get back to the vet tomorrow.
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Sef
- I dissent.
That is odd, ItasZoo. Everything you describe screams dental issues to me. So was this just a visual exam? Is this vet fairly experienced in dealing with dental issues in rabbits/rodents/guinea pigs? It can be easy to miss things if they don't have the right tools or decent imaging. I do think I'd opt to have full dental x-rays done if they didn't do that. Abdomen is not likely to tell you much other than gassy, but I guess it's worth a look.
Glad her blood work looks good, though.
I'm really sorry about your dog's tummy troubles, too. :( Darn, when it rains...
Glad her blood work looks good, though.
I'm really sorry about your dog's tummy troubles, too. :( Darn, when it rains...
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2023
Can't wait for the weekend to be over! The dog is better so we cancelled the vet appointment this morning. No point in going since, because he is on heart meds, they don't want to "stress" him with diagnostic tests or bloodwork. We've had two previous appointments for other issues and this is the excuse they use, so I think it's time to move on. I actually called Banfield because they were the only place open, and the front desk person gave me a lot of good advice to get him through the night. I was impressed.
Anyway, I agree, Sef. I think Lacey has a mouth issue. Even when she takes the syringe, it's really gentle like she doesn't want to touch it. In the past she would grab it and not let go. And she doesn't use her water bottle. She sometimes tries to turn her head and get way under it, but I have a dish in her cage and I've seen her drinking from it.
This vet, Dr. M, did a visual exam of her mouth. Since we know the bloodwork is good, she feels comfortable using anesthetic to do an x-ray and look for anything under the gum line. She also wants to do an ultrasound because the previous vet, Dr. G, did an ultrasound and said there was a mass she couldn't identify. When Dr. M drew urine for analysis, she got something thick that looked like it could be from a cyst.
Dr. M seems very knowledgeable about guinea pigs. In fact, I contacted an exotic specialty clinic about an hour from here. They were booked 3 weeks out and when I told them my location, they recommended Dr. M. This is the clinic info on exotics they treat: https://www.companionsweb.com/veterinar ... -pet-care/
Lacey is most hungry afternoon and evening. Last night she had 26 ml of CC before bed. Then I put corn husks in the Ninja blender and shredded them like coleslaw, so she ate some of those. I did the same with some dry orchard grass just so the pieces were more manageable but I don't know how much she actually ate.
This morning we had some corn husk, carrot shreds, a little grass, and 11 ml of CC. She did eat a little of the smoothie stuff but she's not impressed. So I just have to keep her going until the vet can see her next week. I really we can find and correct whatever is wrong.
Anyway, I agree, Sef. I think Lacey has a mouth issue. Even when she takes the syringe, it's really gentle like she doesn't want to touch it. In the past she would grab it and not let go. And she doesn't use her water bottle. She sometimes tries to turn her head and get way under it, but I have a dish in her cage and I've seen her drinking from it.
This vet, Dr. M, did a visual exam of her mouth. Since we know the bloodwork is good, she feels comfortable using anesthetic to do an x-ray and look for anything under the gum line. She also wants to do an ultrasound because the previous vet, Dr. G, did an ultrasound and said there was a mass she couldn't identify. When Dr. M drew urine for analysis, she got something thick that looked like it could be from a cyst.
Dr. M seems very knowledgeable about guinea pigs. In fact, I contacted an exotic specialty clinic about an hour from here. They were booked 3 weeks out and when I told them my location, they recommended Dr. M. This is the clinic info on exotics they treat: https://www.companionsweb.com/veterinar ... -pet-care/
Lacey is most hungry afternoon and evening. Last night she had 26 ml of CC before bed. Then I put corn husks in the Ninja blender and shredded them like coleslaw, so she ate some of those. I did the same with some dry orchard grass just so the pieces were more manageable but I don't know how much she actually ate.
This morning we had some corn husk, carrot shreds, a little grass, and 11 ml of CC. She did eat a little of the smoothie stuff but she's not impressed. So I just have to keep her going until the vet can see her next week. I really we can find and correct whatever is wrong.
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