[Gpdd] FW: Health: Archie & teeth problems

admin at guineapigs.org admin at guineapigs.org
Wed Oct 4 15:56:44 EDT 2006


THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE. PLEASE DIRECT ALL REPLIES TO THE AUTHOR:  
Julie, juwles at optusnet.com.au



From: Julie [mailto:juwles at optusnet.com.au]
Sent: Sunday, 1 October 2006 10:27 PM
To: 'gpdd at gpdd.org'
Subject: Health: Archie & teeth problems

Hi all,

I've been lurking in the background for very many months, reading all
the digests and becoming upset at how many of our loved piggies have
crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  Life has been very eventful for me,
hence my silence.  My problem at the moment is my dear piggie Archie,
whom I rescued from the RSPCA about 6 months ago.    He is a black &
white (I think he's a Magpie)  Peruvian - a magnificent boy with a
gentle inquiring nature, who loves his bran and tomato more than any
other food.  He has always objected to me picking his poops out of his
cage (I can't help myself, I like it clean of them) and he used to give
me a nip to tell me to stop doing it!    They thought him about 12
months old on adoption.

Like my previous beloved two piggies, Archie is heading in the same
direction and I don't know if I'm damned or doing something wrong with
my beloved furballs on legs.     Archie was acting differently for a few
days last week so I took him to the vet to discover his back teeth are
overgrowing.  The vet was able to cut them back a bit, hopefully enough
to enable Archie to eat something until I take him back to have the back
teeth ground back under anaesthetic.

I have been syringe feeding him baby food.  Originally I vitamised
vegetables, but the vet said there's no way to know how many
kilojoules/calories were getting in, and it was better to buy baby food
and feed half a bottle at a time, to at least get him pooping again.
That finally happened, and I thought he seemed brighter.      However,
he's now gone downhill even further.   He fights against the syringe
until the energy runs out of him, then when I syringe in more food he
doesn't even swallow it, it just seems to sit in his mouth or dribble
out.   I don't know if force feeding him is being kind and helpful, or
am I being cruel and prolonging his passing?   Should I just cuddle him
until he passes on, or should I keep persisting, and fighting for his
life?  He appeared to sleep peacefully in his pigloo last night, and I
feel I should let him sleep on peacefully, without force feeding him
through tonight.

Yesterday I knew he was very very sick and close to the end, so I rushed
him back to the vet.  She couldn't operate without an assistant; so she
rang around and got me appointment with a dental vet who put Archie
under GA and ground back the teeth, but did say that even though they
were overgrown, they were not so bad to make him as sick as he was.
He discovered that Archie's mouth is very red and there is blood on the
tip of his tongue.  After doing scrapings he said Archie had a fungal
infection (thrush) in the mouth as well as bacterial infection.   That
explains why Archie gags when I try to syringe feed him, his little
throat and mouth is so sore.   I am using anti-fungal liquid drops,
baytril for the bacterial infection, syringe feeding him as often as
possible, giving him vitamin C supplement, and today bought a gel which
is normally used for ulcers or for teething babies - it has anaesthetic
properties.

Would you all please pray that Archie is not taken from me?   Please
pray for a miracle and save my little boy.   I want and ask for nothing
else but my little piggies to live out long lives with me as their
slave.    I know that I will not and cannot rescue any more piggies
because I cannot cope with their pain, their illnesses, then their
passing.   I'm much too emotional and I give my heart too easily and
totally.

God Bless all piggies and their slaves who adore them.

Julie, slave to Archie and Dougall
With Teddy Bear and Muppet forever loving me (and me them),
awaiting my turn to join them at the Bridge.




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