At least we knew this well in advance and planned accordingly. I didn't have to deal with what many guinea pigs are experts at: acting like they might be ill at the worst possible time. All of the pigs I've had have mastered this trick. Since guinea pigs excel at hiding illness until they're really and truly sick, it's not a good thing to wait a day or three to get them to the vet. I've had pigs suddenly be ill days before I'll be out of town or just after the vet closes, so I can't even call to consult. My favorite? Willow showed all the symptoms of a URI on New Year's Eve, after the vet and most pharmacies were closed. Luckily, I have a good relationship with the vet on call, and she had me pick up a prescription at a 24-hour pharmacy two towns away. Yeah, that was a fun way to spend the evening, on icy roads to boot.
So when I came across this cartoon, I couldn't help but smile. It's all true! Obviously the artist is a seasoned guinea pig slave who has piggies as badly behaved as mine. Look at that sweet innocent face. Don't be fooled! It's the pigs you love most that are the worst delinquents at playing The Sickness Game. Bertie even tried this game over the weekend by acting all energetic and yet dropping to 739g. Little did she know I already had a vet appointment scheduled. Therefore, there was no debate whether I should bring her in and no chance of feeling like a worrywart. We went this morning. The vet has her back on the Baytril, to see if we get an improvement like last time. It's nice to see Bertie regaining her feisty attitude (she fought valiantly against being held and inspected). The vet wonders if Bertie's decreased lung capacity is causing her to burn up more calories, which would be why she appears to eat all the time but doesn't gain weight.
When any of mine fall ill it always lands right before a trip! Their timing is impeccable.
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