The Pigloo Forums

Bride of Chad · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject:

Aw, that just gives me all sorts of photo ideas! LOL

JaneDoe · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:53 am Post subject:

Poor Chutt Chutt. Sometimes I think I should give my piggies back, but it would kill me.

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Chutters has slowed down her eating again, and is slowly dropping weight. She's only down a couple ounces, but on such a petite frame I know that's nothing to mess around with.

She has also lost interest in her favorite foods: cherry tomatoes, carrots and cucumber.

She doesn't seem to be interested in treats when I ring her bell until she gets close enough to touch them. Then she's very interested. I'm wondering if she's lost her sense of smell or taste somehow. Can cavies get sinus infections?

Off to the vet Monday!

Bride of Chad · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 7:24 pm Post subject:

Hmmm... I'm not sure. I will be thinking of you and hoping for the best! :(

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Putting off the vet for now. We took Chutters outside to forage in the back yard and she ate like a PIG, nearly non-stop for 15 minutes. So, at this point I am going to watch her more carefully during mealtime. Is it the lettuce types I am feeding her that she doesn't like? Is she simply bored with what is offered her? Does she want stronger-smelling foods?

I'm also going to take her outside for a romp every day while the weather is nice. I know fresh air and sunshine improves my kids' appetites, maybe it will help hers as well.

I am a little concerned about the nutritional content of zoysia (our particular type of grass), but then I always did micromanage the girls' diets.

Bride of Chad · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:28 pm Post subject:

I'm glad to hear she improved! :) Maybe she's being picky and just wanted to be pampered? LOL

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Yeah, that too. Plus possibly suffering from lonliness. Not sure how being outside helps that, though.

Bride of Chad · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:14 pm Post subject:

Fresh air does wonders! :)

CF#5 · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:24 am Post subject:

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Indeed! Time for some changes. Maybe a new cage shape or something. By the way, her weight was up a full ounce this morning, so it looks like she's well on the way to improvement.

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Breakfast has been in Chutter's cage for three hours now and she hasn't touched it. Even the blueberry, which she adores. Her stomach seems bloated, weight is good, up even. Starting simethicone. When I checked on her last time she was "fluffed up," which is not normal for her. Thinking I should call the vet and get her in today because I won't be home most of the day tomorrow. (Adult children will be here to help Chutt if she needs it.)

JaneDoe · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:11 pm Post subject:

Oh, no!

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Back from vet. She had one tiny, hard, dried-out poop bean on the way to the vet, which is not normal for her...she's a bean machine. He said she looked good, no signs of dehydration, but there was no hay in her cheeks and her tummy was a little too quiet. He gave her a sub Q of ringers plus B12 and gave me an Rx for Reglan. We already have Benebac I'm giving her.

She had a couple bites of hay once we got home. I think she'll be fine. I'm not taking any chances with my senior citizen fuzzy.

Bride of Chad · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:05 pm Post subject:

Oh jeez! I will be sending her many positive thoughts! <3 Come on Chutt Chutt!

JaneDoe · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:23 am Post subject:

No, don't take any chances with her!

Positive energy coming your way!

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

She is back to her old feisty self today. I was giving her morning meds and thought she was going to bite me! She's not scruffy looking anymore and her cage has many little piles of normal looking poops.

Probably just wanted attention. ;) (just kidding, I do know better)

Bride of Chad · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:45 am Post subject:

I'm glad to hear she has perked up! :) Keep it little one!

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

She's camped out right under the water bottle snoozing. She ate a TON of hay and lettuce today, I'll be watching to make sure it all reaches the other end! ;)

Bride of Chad · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 8:28 pm Post subject:

How's Chutt Chutt?

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Like nothing even happened. Eating, pooping, fervently rearranging her cage...everything's back to normal.

When I changed her cage after the vet trip, I found a japanese beetle under her bedding. She couldn't have gotten to it or it to her, but I now am wondering if seeing something under the blanket scared her to the point she wouldn't come out and eat or drink for a night.

Bride of Chad · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:16 am Post subject:

I'm SO glad she's ok! :) I'm not sure about the fear thing, I guess its possible. :( Poor baby girl!

CF#5 · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:10 pm Post subject:

She wouldn't have had to seen the beetle, just known it was there. The fear itself could cause stress that could lead to stasis, possibly (but not necessarily) from difficulty breathing and sucking in air. Combined with a lack of eating due to never leaving the house, that could have caused the problem.

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

She leaves the house a lot, weather permitting. I have a "cavy garden" both in my own food garden and also on our back patio where I grow greens for her to free-range. When nothing is in season, she munches grass, and if it's too hot or cold outside, she gets free floor time with wheatgrass I grow indoors.

We are very blessed that we don't have a lot of bugs indoors. People in our neck of the woods are inundated year-round with beetles, ants, fleas, ticks, flies, you name it. I've only seen five or six beetles make it indoors and I put down anthill killing juice (NOT in cavy free-range area) if I even THINK I glimpse an ant. I don't anticipate this problem ever coming up again, but I'm brainstorming just in case.

CF#5 · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:34 pm Post subject:

I mean she didn't leave her pigloo because she was afraid of whatever she detected in the vicinity.

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Chutters is slowing down. She's sleeping more and won't get up on her hind legs for a treat or head scratch anymore. When she runs back to her cage after cuddle time, she still moves pretty well, but...slower. I've upped her vitamin C and started keeping the room she lives in slightly warmer in case of vitamin deficiency or cold weather stiffness. It hasn't been horribly cold here, not like in a lot of the country, and her room is never below 70, but being an animal native to South America, I'm thinking maybe 74-75 would be more comfortable for her.

I'm beginning to know how she feels. I've never felt as old as I have in the last couple months.

CF#5 · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 3:15 pm Post subject:

Frostie has also stopped aggressively climbing grids and violently shaking bars, but I attribute that to the bandage I occasionally put on her foot to keep the scab from getting too big. She's down about 400 grams from her highest weight ever (1580 to 1180) but her teeth still work great!

Bride of Chad · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:47 pm Post subject:

Aw, senior piggies. <3 We have bratty 2 yr olds here! UGH! ;)

Just keep them comfy and happy, maybe give an occasional finger to nom too? LOL

CF#5 · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:07 pm Post subject:

Look at this!!!

http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=8418

Lady Chutterly · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 1240 Location: TN

Wow! Thank you so much! Ordering some now!!