I Like Thursday: Shopping Trips and Errands

It's been a busy weeks, picking up a lot of things.

Saturday included a trip to the Greenfield farmer's market.  I got to use my guinea pig and bunny picnic bag.  Isn't it cute?  Mabel thinks it's even cuter filled with carrots.  (Although Kiki and Mason ate the majority of the carrot tops.)

I was very excited to bring home a 25lb box of tomatoes to make sauce.  The house smelled delicious on Tuesday as we cooked them down.

Mabel's Foot Saga Continues

We continue to work on Mabel's foot.  The foot's tissue looks good, but the open wounds have been very slow to heal.  While we were at the Cape, her foot suddenly swelled up.  I called my old vet and decided to stop by on the way home.

The trip there was an adventure - with a flat tire and pouring rain.  But we made it.  The vet x-rayed Mabel's foot and called me back to review the results.  Mabel is missing bits of the bones in the two outer toes of the right front paw.

What? 

The infection was sever enough to have eaten away the bone.

We were sent home with more antibiotic and a renewed urgency to find a local vet.  I was very lucky to get an appointment at the South Hadley VCA on Monday (instead of the normal 1-2 week wait for a new patient visit).  The vet was interested that we had been wrapping the foot ourselves (and approved of our work).  Mabel's foot has healed a lot in the last week.  We came home with another antibiotic and will be returning in week for another x-ray and progress check.

Mabel, as always, is such a good girl.  Then again, foot wrapping includes lots of lettuce so it can't be that terrible.  She has handled the move amazingly well (including two trips in one week).  Mabel has been cage-bound for a couple of weeks, because the moving chaos.  I have not given her as much attention as I'd like.  I've just started letting her out on the floor again; she's learning the new layout.  But she recognizes the new kitchen sounds and still excels at mooching.  I'm hoping as we get settled in, and as her foot feels better, she will be more active again.  Fingers and paws crossed!

Paper Bag Nesting

I've been providing Mabel with paper bags to vent her frustration.  It's interesting how every guinea pig has a different approach to destroying a paper bag.  Some like to chew the folded edges.  Others like to pull apart the corners.  Mabel likes to rip long strips rather than just chew a hole in one spot.  The hay is tasty, too, but the bag is so much fun to pull apart.

Rough Patch

Mabel has had a couple of rough weeks.  She went to the vet because she was losing weight and had developed a wheeze.  She came back with a slew of antibiotics which quickly knocked out the breathing issues and the weeping eye.  However, in the ensuing week-and-a-half, she developed stomach issues and was showing signs of pain (she started destroying whatever cozy she could sink her teeth into and was chewing stuff on the floor).

We headed back to the vet on Wednesday.  More x-rays and a shaved belly for an ultrasound.  Poor Mabel.  X-rays seemed to indicate a possible blockage between the small and large intestines.  She was still pooping (which she demonstrated to the vet), so we were sent home with fluids (everybody's favorites... not), an analgesic and told to keep up with probiotics and gas drops.

A Happy Recheck

We went back to the vet last Thursday for a recheck.  Good news all around.

First, I was excited to see Dr. Holmes.  It was her first day back after a leave of absence.  I was glad to see her.

Second, Mabel gained 100 grams in less than two weeks.  No stones detected - so hopefully she passed them.  We'll keep an eye on her in case they return.  In the meantime, she's back to her normal moochie self.

Third, Dr. Holmes saw Wedgwood for the first time since her surgery in August.  She was happy to see Wedg doing so well.  The tumor seems to have stopped growing. 

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.

A Small Step Downhill

Wedgwood had a really, really good October:  eating, comfort, mobility were all great.  She had no problems digesting veggies, there were no painful days or dealing with really weird bloat.  It has been a lovely respite and an unexpected result of August's surgery.

November hasn't started so well.  There's already been a day or two of not feeling well.  She's had worrisome weight gain - Wedgwood's shoulders remain a thin as her backside gets bigger.  That makes me think the tumor is gaining size and weight.  She's often very bulgy on one side.


Wedg abruptly stopped using the upper levels of the cage last week.  The only exception was Tuesday afternoon, when I was clearly ignoring her demands for lunch, and she leapt up to chew the bars knowing that would get my attention.  I literally heard her go "oof" when she made it to the second level.  (Such an effort had to be rewarded, of course!)

Not What We Expected

Look at that Frankenstein belly!

Wedgwood went for stomach surgery on Tuesday.  Morning traffic was slow and aggravating - it gave me additional time stress about past surgeries that didn't go well.  I was a tad emotional when I got to the vet.  But the vet techs were wonderful, told me Wedgwood was everyone's favorite and assured me she was in good hands.  I left feeling better than I arrived.

Surgery started out well, but they soon discovered the culprit of the stomach issues - a large tumor growing out of her pancreas.  Not partial torsion after all; Wedgwood's stomach was being squeezed by the tumor.  Because of the size, position and amount of blood vessels entwined with the tumor, the vet was disinclined to mess with it.  It was a nasty surprise from how she described it.  We made the joint decision to leave it, but it was disappointing to put Wedgwood through the surgery and be unable to fix anything. 

Wedgwood Roller Coaster

Well, heck.

Wedgwood has been doing okay since her trip to the vet last month.  No veggies has been harder on me than on her.  We've had two short episodes of bloat, but otherwise have been doing well.  Mabel has been winning us over with her sly demands of lettuce on the side.

We returned to the vet for a recheck last week.  It was a disappointing trip.  I had been hoping we could surgically correct her stomach torsion.  However, the vet said she unwilling to do so:  research showed the odds were not great for recovery.  Wedgwood had x-rays taken, and to add insult to injury, had some scabs on her nose scraped off.  Not a fun time, but she was a very good pig.

An Unfortunate Twist

Wedgwood's weight has been low for a while with no apparent reason.  It had coincided with losing Boadicea and adopting Mabel, which I figured were both stressful events.  But it hasn't bounced back like I expected once Mabel settled in.  I dragged my feet in calling the vet - until Wedg blew up like a balloon on the 4th of July.  This had to be bloat.

The word "bloat" can strike terror into any guinea pig owner.  It's painful and can be fatal - no one ever wants to deal with it.  The weird thing was that Wedgwood moved around like nothing was wrong, eating and drinking.  Even when I picked her up, she protested in being manhandled, not wheeking or grunting in pain.  She didn't act sick.

Kidney Issues

All the girls were at Chick Weekend

Boadicea has had a lot of ups and downs in the last two weeks.  Her health issues prompted me to bring her and Wedgwood to the Cape.  Thankfully, these two are much better travelers than Cannoli was.  So their unexpected addition to Chick Weekend was less stressful than my last attempt at including the sows.

The long drive down didn't slow them down.  Boadi and Wedg made themselves at home as soon as I had the travel cage set up.  They happily explored, just like any cage-cleaning day, then settled in to eat hay and pellets.  Wonderful!

So... Boadicea had not improved after the vet removed her stone.  In fact, her weight continued to go down and we returned to the vet over Labor Day weekend.  Not cool.  Teeth were fine.  Ultrasound showed nothing unusual.  Blood was drawn.

Well, That Wasn't Fun

Nobody wanted to be at the vet, especially Boadicea

Boadicea has continued to very slowly lose weight.  Then she took a plunge well under 900g last week.  I stuffed her with Critical Care, gave her some extra attention, and hoped it was like the other dips that she'd bounce back in a day or two.  When that didn't work, I called the vet.

Not the way I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoon (especially since I had to navigate Gillette Stadium traffic on the way home).  It was a fruitful visit - this time there was definitely something wrong.  Poor Boadicea got manhandled, then x-rayed, then manhandled some more.  But we discovered a yeast infection and a small stone.  No wonder she was losing weight.

A Promised Road Trip

Boadicea recovers (hay and napping) from an exciting morning

I haven't heard any crying from Boadicea in over a month, which has been wonderful.  But the slow weight loss continued.  I threatened Boadi that if she dipped below 950g, we'd be taking a trip to The Mean Lady.  (My vet is a wonderful woman, but we figure the pigs may not hold her in such high esteem.)

Two days in a row Boadi dipped into the 940s and true to my promise, we visited the vet yesterday.  I also informed Wedgwood she'd get squeezes from the vet techs, who were happy to oblige. 

It was a jam packed morning.  Boadicea was weighed and examined - I even had a hand in it, as the vet instructed me how to feel Boadi's lumpy thyroid.  Oh, not another thyroid pig!  She does not present classic hyperthyroid symptoms, but I know thyroid diseases shows up in all sorts of conflicting ways.  I was astonished to feel her thyroid.

Nothing but Nose

I have a lot of short-strand hay, which doesn't stay put in the hay racks.  However, it's great for stuffing handfuls into a paper lunch bag.  Such happiness!  I've lost sight of Wedgwood twice now (OMG, she's not in the cage - where is she?!?!) to discover her buried in the paper bag.  She actually fits!  I'm amazed.

Wedgwood focuses on the hay, but Boadicea enjoys punching holes in the bag.  Then I walked by the cage to discover Wedgie out in the open, but no Boadi.  Where could she be?

Wait - is that a nose?

While I'm talking about Boadicea, how about a health update?  The crying and spotting have stopped.  It's been days since I've heard a whimper.  Before that, it had been less frequent, happening only once every day or two.  While doing a food journal for her, I suspected the pain was gut related.  On a whim I started giving her some of my daily probiotic.  Either that did the trick, or perhaps it was an illness that she got over.  Either way, I hope I haven't jinxed myself (and her).  I'm just glad she's feeling better.

She's lost a bit of weight, but is still heavier than when we adopted her.  I'm still getting used to seeing the scale under 1kg.  As long as she stays this weight and keeps her loafy figure, it's all good.

Not So Bodacious

What guinea pig doesn't work hard making beans?

I called the vet to make an appointment for Boadicea.  The receptionist misread Boadicea's name and thought it was Bodacious.  Excellent!  We had considered that as her name at one point.

Unfortunately, Boadi is not feeling so bodacious.  There's been occasional blood and crying.  No stones were seen on either xrays or ultrasound.  A week of antibiotics hasn't seemed to do anything.  She has good days and bad days, and otherwise appears to be her usual loafy self.

Some of what has me concerned is that Wedgwood has upped her butt-headedness.  She appears to be picking on Boadi far more often.  So something's not right, but we're not sure what.

I brought the vet a poo sample yesterday for more tests.  I hoping this gives us a diagnosis, otherwise, there will be more tests in our future.

Gone Much Too Soon

Cannoli unexpectedly left us very late on Wednesday night.

She had struggled to keep her weight up, even with the hyperthyroid medication.  She'd been in the 720-750g range, which was her new normal for several months.  I was giving her extra pellets, even separating her from Boadicea to ensure Noli was eating enough.  I gave her extra critical care, which she sucked down 15cc at a sitting.  But about a week ago, she dropped to 680g for a few days; suddenly she was averaging 690g.  That was just not right.  At the same time she stopped being as interested in the critical care, I had to coax her to eat it.

We went to the vet on Wednesday afternoon for an examination and a blood draw.  Vet visits can be stressful, but Cannoli appeared to handle it well.  She was exhausted on the way home, yet looked fine when she hopped into the cage.  But a few hours later, at dinner time, she looked depressed and was not interested in pellets or lettuce.  I called the vet and discussed what we wanted to do.

Making Faces

The first time I ever saw a guinea pig dislike the smell of something was Revy from Cali Cavy Collective.  Not one of my guinea pigs had ever done this before.  But it turns out Boadicea doesn't like the scent of certain things, too.

I had seen her make faces once or twice over a slice of bell pepper.  If I hadn't seen Revy's video, I may not have understood why she was reacting that way.  It must have been a particularly strong pepper.

Now I see that face every three days.  Turns out that Boadicea is not fond of the smell of metacam.  I agree, it's pungent.  When I unstopper the little bottle the super sweet scent hits me.  But it must taste delicious - I've never had to wrestle with a guinea pig to give it metacam.  Every single one of them suck it down.  So does Boadicea, once gets past the smell.

Seesaw Weights

It's been over a year since I last posted a chart of my pigs' weights.  In fact, the last chart was with Pinniped and Cannoli.  New pigs and, sadly, a new swap in weight.  Just like my prior chart, it's not really the trending I wanted to see.  This time Cannoli's weight was the one to drop.

Gimpy Guinea Pig

Boadi wondering if we could go home yet.
Noli exploring the floor; exhausted Boadi back home

A few weeks ago I noticed Boadicea was hopping as she was on the floor.  I made note of it, but wasn't too worried.  But then she started to keep weight off her front left paw.  It got worse by the end of last week.  Nothing felt warm or painful to the touch.  Maybe it was a strain?  Did she trip or fall?  Since it wasn't getting better, we booked a trip to the vet.

Of course, the morning of the appointment, Boadi suddenly walks without hopping or limping and starts to put weight on that leg.  Way to go, making Mama feel like a crazy lady.  I told Boadi we weren't backing out now, and away we went.

At the vet's office, we put Boadicea on the floor to show the limp.  First she didn't move.  Then we put Cannoli on the floor as incentive.  I had to hold Noli, because she kept trotting right over to Boadi.  Noli has suddenly become this bold, daring little pig?!?  When Boadi finally did move, there was barely a limp.  But just enough - she was whisked off for x-rays.

Guess Where We Went?

Boadicea tagged along for emotional support (and squeezes)

Cannoli's thyroid is as stubborn as she is.  I up the dose, her weight improves for a day or two, then drops a bit.  Then late last week I heard her whimper and found a bit of blood.  We all know what that meant!  Road trip!

Of course she had a waiting-room-cure.  By the time we arrived at the vet, Cannoli was symptom-free.  She even obliged in giving a clean urine sample.  Honestly, I'm relieved - no infection, no sludge, no blood.  The thought of having another bladder stone prone pig made me sad.  Cannoli did produce a bit of loose stool, so we were sent home with some flagyl for a few days.