[Gpdd] health - Cocoa update

[Suzy Dünser]

Well, we're back home now. Cocoa survived the trip okay, I think - at  
least, he's alive and alert, although he's still not eating on his  
own. I've been syringe feeding him, and he's tolerating that okay,  
although I wonder how much of his cooperative behaviour is just  
resignation to never knowing where he is or what's going on any more.  
At least he's home tonight, with Rocky.

Sorry I don't sound more cheerful, but I was really hoping he'd be  
eating by now. I've been giving him children's Nurofen, as Penny  
suggested, and he likes that, although I can't tell from his behaviour  
if it changes how he feels. I've tried offering him chunks of cucumber  
and apple (favourites, normally) as well as grass, dandelions and sow  
thistle leaves; I've stuck thin slivers of cucumber and carrot as well  
as leaf ends in his mouth, but he is just not into it. He does chew  
away on the slurry when I give it to him with the syringe, but doesn't  
chew at all with the solid food. There's also the possibility that he  
just doesn't like me shoving stuff in his mouth - he never would have  
eaten something given to him like that when he was well!

I weighed him tonight on my kitchen scales, and he weighed 875g. I  
fervently hope that's just because the scales are calibrated  
differently from the vets'. He's going back there tomorrow for an  
antibiotic shot, so I will ask her to weigh him there, too, but in any  
case at least now I have a base number for him at home.

I've written to one person I know in NZ who runs a guinea pig rescue,  
asking if she knows of any vets who trim teeth without an anaesthetic,  
so hopefully I'll get an answer from her soon; otherwise I will start  
calling around after Easter. I do trust my vet to use the anaesthetic  
as safely as possible, but if this lack of eating is connected to  
having been knocked out, I would really like to avoid that!

Wheeks and squeaks from Suzy and Rocky, but silence from the tiny  
Cocoa...