Medicating Mabel

Mabel had been losing weight very slowly over December.  Not enough to be alarming, but enough that I was watching her.  Then early in the new year, she dropped another ounce and I found blood spots on the fleece.  You know what this means....

Road Trip!

The vet is not a place that any guinea pig wants to go.  It didn't take long to confirm that Mabel has a few tiny bladder stones.

Mabel does not like her face being touched.  I've tried to get her used to having her teeth examined.  Nope.  Not cool.  So giving her meds twice a day is a challenge.  (I tried taking videos, but it looks like I'm trying to strangle her - really, I'm not!)  She also won't stay in the bowl - I've had her leap out and try to leap into the cage multiple times.  Mabel likes the taste of the medication, but she still won't take them on her own.

BUT!  After a week of antibiotics and pain meds her weight is back up, she's stopped destroying walls, cozies, the ramp and is no longer sulking in corners.  The hair-pulling incident occurred because Mabel was cranky at Wedgwood.  So it was wonderful to see them together a day or two later, snuggled in the hay.  This was the first real sign that Mabel was feeling better; the weight gain started the next day.

We are scheduled for a follow-up, probably to see if Mabel passed the stones, or if they're getting bigger.  In the meantime, she has returned to her normal moochie self.

Wedgwood has also been doing well - she seems happy and active.  She's been having some minor mobility issues.  I think jumping to the landing takes some work, so I put her on the floor most mornings for breakfast as Mabel takes the ramp down.  But once Wedg is on level ground, she will keep with Mabel, no matter where Mabel goes.  The ramps in the cage must be working for Wedgwood as well, since I often find her on the third level, curled up with the hay.