[Gpdd] Re: Announement: Update on George the guinea pig

[Off1Knight at aol.com]

I know some of the readers have wondered how George the guinea pig is doing. 
So I thought I would give you all an update on his condition> I wish I could 
say he is doing fantastic but unfortunately it has not been the case. Early on 
the holiday weekend he began breathing harder and was not eating with the vim 
and vigor he has for so long. In not too much time I saw his chewing was 
synchronized with his breathing and he was having considerable difficulty 
breathing. This was Friday night and his vet, Dr. Danci Mock of the West Caldwell 
Animal hospital would not be in until Saturday morning. We tried to get some 
critical care into him but he wouldn't even chew that. His mom made an appointment 
for the following morning EARLY and to be quite honest he looked so bad I 
doubted he would make it through the night. But God was kind and allowed him that 
and he was brought to HIS vet and it was learned that he was filling up with 
water and that was giving him a great deal of difficulty breathing. This was 
determined by an X-ray. So he was given LASIX for the problem, then an antibiotic 
and Dr. Mock actually drained some of the fluid from between his chest cavity 
and his little lungs and placed him in an oxygen environment. She then 
recommended transferring him to an emergency animal hospital approximately a mile 
away since THAT hospital has 24 hour monitoring and there was an excellent 
exotic Vet. there, Dr. Shelba, who is actually a friend of Dr. Mocks. George needed 
that monitoring as well as an oxygen environment for several days to help him 
breath easy. This was done and within a day he was breathing MUCH better and 
was eating like there was no tomorrow. I will say this, he has lost weight but 
he was eating and doing very well. The antibiotic and the LASIX was continued 
for the weekend until Tuesday when his mom picked him up and brought him back 
to Dr. Mock. He spent a day there in her care as well as receiving his 
medications and weaning him off the oxygen. KNOWING that he will need oxygen again, 
and KNOWING it will probably be when there is not a vet available, with the 
help of Dr. Mock, I have constructed an oxygen chamber for the "boy" the basis 
of which is a 10 gallon aquarium and several other easy to come by items. With 
her help, a large oxygen tank was obtained and set up to feet the chamber for 
at least 24 hours should he have trouble again. We are also administering the 
LASIX and the antibiotic to George day three times a day.  So he is holding 
his own at the moment and we are hoping and praying he continues to do so. He is 
a very special piggy just as each one of yours is and I am sure if you look 
back on all of yours, you will find they have enriched your life in so very 
many ways. should we abandon them when they need us MOST...I think not...in fact 
they deserve all we have to help them because they are not pets, they are our 
friends..they are our family and MOST of all they are part of our hearts. Your 
prayers are appreciated for the little guy, who's proving he is one tuff guy. 
I am trying to put together the instructions to build this oxygen chamber for 
any of those that might feel it would help them. I'm sorry I have gone on but 
it took some time to explain what's happening with George...the guinea pig.

Sincerely,

Joseph C. Petrillo, George the guinea pigs daddy