Guinea pig troubles - update

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UhHuhHer

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Mar 5, 2013
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So, my friend needed a home for her guinea pig. I assumed it was because of her financial difficulties and didn't ask any questions. I immediately informed my sister, who adores them and is looking to expand her little herd.

It looks now like the guinea pig has a slew of health problems that she was unable to treat, so she tried to get it to us ASAP. I understand wanting to get a good home for a pet you can no longer care for, and I assume she thought we wouldn't take it if we knew.

So, here we are, at am emergency vet in the middle of the night, hoping to see what we can do for the newest and sickest member of my sister's guinea pig herd.
 
Aww, that sucks, hopefully the vet will know what to do. Thank you for taking the little guy/girl in!!!
 
Well, she has a massive tumor and infections on all of her feet. We came home with medicine to ease the pain in her feet while we line up an appointment with my rodent doctor to see what our odds of saving her are. Right now, it doesn't look good.
 
Aw, that's too bad, but not very nice of your friend to dump a sick animal on you and take advantage of your friendship and love of animals.
 
dspch911 said:
Aw, that's too bad, but not very nice of your friend to dump a sick animal on you and take advantage of your friendship and love of animals.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Especially since the guinea pig was given to my sister. I suggested my sister when I heard my friend needed a home for her pet because my sister loves guinea pigs and she's had a crappy year and I thought it might really make her feel better. And, it kind of has. Katie loves the little thing, even though she now knows how rough this is gonna be. It's just that now, she might have to deal with some horrible stuff with her new pet. So, I'm kind of furious. But the guinea pig deserves a good home and we're gonna keep her and see what we can do to ease some of her pain and maybe give her some more pain-free time.
 
UhHuhHer, I hope she gets well-- sometimes animals can jump back so well.
What kind of tumor is it? Are the feet infections bumblefoot?
I know nothing about guinea pigs,
 
I have been calling the infections bumblefoot because that's what they look like, but the vet never called it that so I don't know. It's on all four of her feet. The tumor is very large and lumpy. It feels like there's a lot of fluid in the area too. I know an exotics expert who has kind of a reputation for being able to do difficult surgeries. We're going to take her to him for a second opinion. We'll get an x ray to find out where exactly the masses are and whether or not he thinks he can remove them safely. If not, we'll see if there's any medicinal way to shrink the mass in her belly enough to give her some relief. If not, we will unfortunately have to put her to sleep. She is very friendly and happy. She loves everyone and is a little trooper. But the tumor causes her a lot of discomfort. She can't walk normally for very long and is always readjusting her weight for relief. If nothing can be done, she just cannot live like this.

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Aw, I'm sorry. Poor little baby. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the vet can help.
 
Thank you. I really hope she can be helped. My sister already loves little Aerie and she's had a rough enough time lately without all of this. And Aerie already feels like part of our family.

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And I talked to the previous owner today, and I'm starting to think this isn't her fault. I think her biggest crime was not knowing better than to believe an incompetent vet who would have rather risked the health of her pet than admitted that he didn't know.
 
The bad news is that Aerie is full of cysts and is suffering from terrible bumblefoot. The good news is that two of her feet have almost healed and the doctor thinks that, if she's kept healthy and stress-free, the cysts will go away in time, which is our only hope right now because my vet doesn't see any way he could remove them will safely. It seems like she's getting better though. She can lie on her belly now and can groom one of her sides. She is very happy lately. My sister has her on the diet she keeps her other two pigs on, and her back is getting less bony. You almost can't feel her ribs. She has been able to meet the other guinea pigs on neutral turf, and she seemed excited to have friends. She's not super active, but she loves attention and treats.

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She's a beauty! what a lucky girl to have been passed to such loving hands! I have a guinea pig myself and I know how stressful it is when they get sick - things can take a turn for the worst in no time! I'm really happy her bumblefoot is improving and that she will be having friends to live with! Good going to you and your sister! :thumbup:
 
:thumbup: Sounds like you guys are doing a fantastic job and regardless of what happens this precious baby is knowing a loving, happy family life. :heart:
 
She was so lucky you took her in and that the both of you are taking such good care of her! Her being happy and content is the best way to ring in the new year!
 
She's had a good holiday season so far. She was feeling good enough on Christmas to open presents with her new future cagemates. Early in this new year, she'll hopefully be moved in with the other two. Two nights ago, she started making happy guinea pig sounds. It was the first time we've heard that from her. We were so excited.

Here is the Christmas video of the guinea pigs, if anyone's interested. Aerie (the cyst-filled bumblefooted baby) is the biggest and the one who's always hanging back and facing the other way. Nike is the shorthair and Didi is the longhair. They seem to have accepted her easily, which was a surprise since it took 4 months to successfully move Nike and Didi in together. Aerie isn't always sure what to think about the other pigs sometimes, but she likes to watch them and sit by them while they play.
[BBvideo 450,375:3s80ywil]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEKzsjtRkuQ[/BBvideo:3s80ywil]
 
It can be. She was handled and played with frequently in her first home, but this is her first experience with other pigs since she was a baby. She thinks they're really cool sometimes and she follows and watches them, and then sometimes she decides they're a little too much to deal with and she just goes to her own little corner and doesn't look at them.
 
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