[Gpdd] [health] Bumblefoot and good Vets

[Kay Dudman]

Hey, Alge, no-one ever spoke out of turn for caring! Sounds like you are
feeling better, which is a good thing in itself!  But if we slaves can look
things up, I don't see why vets shouldn't; I know mine does.  

The issue of prescribing penicillin to a piggy is almost unbelievable, when
there is so much information readily available about this.  Mind you, some
years ago I was referred to a "specialist" who prescribed my Felicity the
antibiotic Ceporex (a cephalosporin); I had a funny feeling about this, and
noticed that she didn't seem too well on it, so I telephoned my vet Simon
(on Christmas Day), and he advised me to take her off it at once.  I have
since found that this antibiotic was wrongly stated as suitable for piggies
in the Exotic Animal Formulary, so I contacted the publishers and they have
agreed to remove it from the next printing.  The correct information is on
Guinea Lynx.

When my William wasn't well (he had a stone in a ureter, but it seemed from
the X-ray as if it was in the bladder) my vet Simon performed the necessary
surgery and contacted the Head of Exotics at the veterinary school in
Edinburgh University for further guidance as another stone appeared in the
other ureter.  It was Christmas Day (again) when I rang my Vet because I was
worried about William, and he opened the surgery on Boxing Day to examine
and admit him; by the time I had got back with some home food for William,
Simon had already taken the X-rays.  Simon also went to the Western
Weterinary Conference in LA earlier this year, and attended the session on
uroliths in piggies and rabbits.

I've already mentioned in an earlier email how my vet Neil saved my little
Bess when she had pleural effusion.

What I think this shows is how dedicated vets can be, and how important it
is to have vets you can trust.  Thank goodness for my vets Simon, Neil,
Ilan, Alison and Talia at my local Village Vet; they have done so much for
my piggies and I know I can trust them completely.  

I think it is worth asking some questions about piggy health and treatment
before a piggy gets ill, so that you know you will be getting good advice
from your vet when you really need it.

Kay