Hi. I apologize in advance if I´m wasting time with simple questions answered elsewhere...but I have done a good deal of searching and reading on this (excellent!) site. If I´ve missed something, kindly point me in the right direction. I recall a recent post similar to mine, but it was mostly concerned with where to find a new cavy.
Recently, my sister purchased a cavy from Petco at my young neice´s persistent, adamant request (she earned and saved her own money for the better part of a year and paid for nearly everything.) Indeed, I was surprised to learn just what wonderful pets they could be, and am considering getting one myself.
Unfortunately, though we obediently followed the advice from our readings and my internet searching (being the biologist in the family and the most net-savvy, most of this work falls to me) and though as best as I could determine the piggy seemed quite healthy at the store, not quite four weeks later we have lost her to an apparent URI. My sister reports symptoms included listlessness, lack of interest in food, wheezing and fluid in lungs, and a milky discharge from the eyes. She died after a couple days at the vet, who reported that she "wasn´t fighting" the infection (was running no fever.) I believe she did receive antibiotics, though I do not know which type. He greatly confused us by repeatedly, persistently inquiring as to whether she had suffered a head trauma, which he seemed to feel could also be responsible. My sister questioned my neice thoroughly about that, and is pretty confident no sort of fall occurred. The vet accepts and treats cavies though I have no detailed knowledge of him...I am confused at such a diagnosis--a head trauma could lead to lung fluid and eye discharge? My sister did not ask for an autopsy, so unfortunately we can´t rely on that to clarify the issue.
So. With some further searching of online resources and this board, I´ve formulated my own opinion about why this happened...but I can´t be sure, and would really like some input. She wants another cavy, but she´s afraid to proceed until we know if there´s a preventable problem. My sister has a list of possible mistakes:
Water wasn´t changed daily (more like 2-3 days) for a time until she re-read "daily is important" in her books. The cavy had a good location with appropriate temperatures, it would seem, but did on one occasion get exposure to cooler night air (windows open) in the low 60´s. Also, for a few days there was a fan in the room that may have produced some draft. The cavy spent some time in the basement playroom with my neice and nephew which apparently has a higher concentration of mold/mildew spores. My neice selected the smallest cavy in the store, no longer than the palm of my hand. She was stressed when brought home, but did seem to settle in nicely, yet did not show much acclimation to humans (though I´m unsure how much to expect in a month.)
Are any of these telltale signs? At this point, my highly speculative opinion is that the cavy was possibly ill from the store, hiding symptoms, and was far too small to be expected to successfully fight them off. I (again speculatively) think our best approach is to look for another from a responsible breeder or rescue. I know URI is a common problem, but I would like as much advice as possible so we don´t repeat possible mistakes...we don´t want to be responsible for the deaths of further cavies.
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give...
Russell Tanton
New piggy died (our first) need advice
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
I kind of know how she feels. My first cavy (from a petstore) died days after bringing her home. I doubt your neice did anything that would have caused this to happen. She might not have noticed early enough that something was wrong and seen a vet when a problem is more easily treatable.
I would guess she might have been ill too but that´s a tough call. It could be stress caught up with her (being alone, not acclimating). I would encourage her to get two cavies, perhaps slightly older. It´s difficult to say if any of the "possible mistakes" were a cause but I tend to think not.
This isn´t to say more diligent husbandry wouldn´t help. How often was bedding changed? Was there any odor of urine?
Careful daily observation can catch illnesses early. I don´t know how she cared for her cavy, but you might have her read:
www.guinealynx.info/guinealynx/healthycavy.html
Sorry I can´t be of more help.
I would guess she might have been ill too but that´s a tough call. It could be stress caught up with her (being alone, not acclimating). I would encourage her to get two cavies, perhaps slightly older. It´s difficult to say if any of the "possible mistakes" were a cause but I tend to think not.
This isn´t to say more diligent husbandry wouldn´t help. How often was bedding changed? Was there any odor of urine?
Careful daily observation can catch illnesses early. I don´t know how she cared for her cavy, but you might have her read:
www.guinealynx.info/guinealynx/healthycavy.html
Sorry I can´t be of more help.
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RavenShade
- Thanks for the Memories
It could have been any number of things. It is not uncommon for pigs to have URI´s from the store, or to be so inbred that they have congential problems (including heart defects). Lethargy is usually a sign of illness, and so is not eating. Sounds like a URI to me, but of course I´m speculating via the ´net.
The milky discharge could have been cleaning fluid that wasn´t being used because she was sick (they secrete this normally and use their paws to rub it around).
Generally speaking, pigs don´t get horribly ill from water being more than a day old (although they do prefer fresh water), so don´t kick yourselves on that one.
There are also certain antibiotics that guinea pigs cannot tolerate - click on the Guinea Lynx button above for that list (and lots of other good info). The biggie is Pennicillin. They also need probiotics while on medication - something not all vets remember to tell you.
When guinea pigs get sick, they hide it, so by the time you and I know they´re sick, they´re REALLY sick. Even the best of us have lost pigs to particularly vicious infections.
Please tell your sister and niece that I´m so sorry they lost her and not to beat themselves up over it. Sometimes it´s beyond you, you know?
If she´s concerned about the weather, she should either drape the pen with a blanket at night and/or put in a hidey hole (perhaps with hay or extra bedding) to keep the pig warm. I´m sure my house has gotten chilly before and my boys are OK. With the fan, point it away or above the pig.
If they would like to chose a new vet, they can try looking at: http://www.aracnet.com/cgi-usr/seagull/vetfinder.cgi
If they chose to get a new pig, there are plenty of rescues/shelters we could direct you to - just give us your general location or look on sites like cavyrescue.com and petfinder.com or post in the adoption forum here.
If you have more questions, feel free to post.
The milky discharge could have been cleaning fluid that wasn´t being used because she was sick (they secrete this normally and use their paws to rub it around).
Generally speaking, pigs don´t get horribly ill from water being more than a day old (although they do prefer fresh water), so don´t kick yourselves on that one.
There are also certain antibiotics that guinea pigs cannot tolerate - click on the Guinea Lynx button above for that list (and lots of other good info). The biggie is Pennicillin. They also need probiotics while on medication - something not all vets remember to tell you.
When guinea pigs get sick, they hide it, so by the time you and I know they´re sick, they´re REALLY sick. Even the best of us have lost pigs to particularly vicious infections.
Please tell your sister and niece that I´m so sorry they lost her and not to beat themselves up over it. Sometimes it´s beyond you, you know?
If she´s concerned about the weather, she should either drape the pen with a blanket at night and/or put in a hidey hole (perhaps with hay or extra bedding) to keep the pig warm. I´m sure my house has gotten chilly before and my boys are OK. With the fan, point it away or above the pig.
If they would like to chose a new vet, they can try looking at: http://www.aracnet.com/cgi-usr/seagull/vetfinder.cgi
If they chose to get a new pig, there are plenty of rescues/shelters we could direct you to - just give us your general location or look on sites like cavyrescue.com and petfinder.com or post in the adoption forum here.
If you have more questions, feel free to post.
Last edited by RavenShade on Fri Aug 16, 2002 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank you! This is good information. I´m glad I´ve found a helpful forum, and I will pass this information (and your sympathies) on to my sister. We probably will explore getting another through an alternative source, adoption/breeder, and will probably get a pair. As to Lynx´s question, I´m unsure about the odor though my sister didn´t comment on one, but I believe the bedding was changed frequently (a little more than twice a week I think?) Any further advice is appreciated...I´ll post in the proper forum with adoption questions.
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RavenShade
- Thanks for the Memories
Do you know what kind of bedding she used? Cedar is not reccomended, but kiln dried pine is used as bedding, and so is recycled paper like Carefresh. She probably cleaned it out often enough if it was more than once a week.
They also need probiotics while on medication - something not all vets remember to tell you.
We have just finished administering medication to Squeaky for a URI -- 1/2 tab of Baytril once a day. Our vet (an exotics vet specializing in gp´s who is listed in the vet finder) did NOT mention probiotics. What are probiotics? I would like to be informed should something like this happen again. Thanks.
We have just finished administering medication to Squeaky for a URI -- 1/2 tab of Baytril once a day. Our vet (an exotics vet specializing in gp´s who is listed in the vet finder) did NOT mention probiotics. What are probiotics? I would like to be informed should something like this happen again. Thanks.
Last edited by cavytopia on Fri Aug 16, 2002 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank you all so much for your insight. In response to the bedding question, we used Carefresh, and there was timothy hay in one of those hay feeder devices. And I actually know what probiotics are (using poop is a very clever idea, hadn´t thought of that at all)...I wasn´t sure what the vet was using, but my understanding was that he felt the antibiotics were not helping at all. At any rate, I would be sure my sister asks the right questions on any subsequent cavy vet visits (if I just didn´t go along myself!) I will keep an eye on this thread, and when my sister gives the go-ahead I´ll probably be exploring adoption in the adoption forum.
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