RIP Sahara

I am so sad to report that little Sahara did not win her battle for survival, and passed away this evening from what was probably a toxic combination of blood poisoning/retained placental infection, mange mites, incorrect diet/housing, some kind of growths or tumours and goodness knows what else.

She was a beautiful, gentle little lady, who even though she was probably in a lot of pain, never struggled or resisted. She spent her last 60hrs on earth nestled in amongst some fresh hay, fragrant grass and fresh veg. At least she isn't in pain any more.

Sahara, and the worst case of neglect I've seen

Yet again, I was having a quick browse through the gumtree listings, just to see who was advertising what, and to check for anything that needed attention - when I spotted an ad selling a 4 month old male and female guinea pig together. They looked ok in the pic, but the fact that they were together meant a high chance the girl was pregnant. So I made the call.

About an hours worth of negotiation later and I'd established the the girl had 'a bit of a skin condition' that was being treated with pet shop mite spray (the most ineffective, irresponsible 'medication' pet shops can stock in my opinion!). I explained what the guinea pig would need as proper treatment, and eventually negotiated to adopt just her.




This is what I found. The 'skin condition' is a full blown case of mange mites, with extensive hair loss, scabbing, crusting and weird skin thickening. I felt bumps in her belly, but no movement. I made the unfortunate prediction on my facebook page yesterday morning that she'd probably miscarry or deliver stillborns. Late yesterday evening this is just what happened - four partially formed, partially decayed babies were aborted. The smell alone was horrendous!

Thankfully, Tracey from Perfect Angel Cavies generously offered to bring me around some antibiotics for Sahara this morning, and she's had her first dose. I don't know if she's managed to pass all the toxins from the decaying babies/placentas, but her best chance if there is still an infection is with the antibiotics.

It's just such a horrible situation - and I'm sure I've only just scratched the surface of her illnesses... It's just a wait and see situation now. If she can survive the next week, and we can kick the mange, she's got a good chance.

Before and After

I thought I'd do some before and after shots of some of the pigs, especially Xeraphina and Tabitha who have come so far in their mite treatment that you wouldn't even know anything was ever wrong. The photo above shows Xeraphina on the first day she arrived 2 months ago.


These photos show Xeraphina today!


She really is my ideal piggy. Gorgeous colour, thick, soft mid-length curls, rosettes, big dark eyes and a cheeky personality!






And this was Tabitha on the day she arrived here last November. She had lost the most fur, but her mites weren't quite as bad. She too is doing so well...



The more her hair grows back, the more like a texel she looks! I think this little lady will be stunning as an adult with a full coat!

For more 'before and after' shots, feel free to check out the new album I've made on my facebook page. It really is incredible once you start comparing the pics!

Mite treatment progress

These are the photos of little Tabitha taken on the morning she arrived at the caviary with a decent case of mites. That was two weeks ago.



This is Tabitha today:


Her hair is visibly thicker, you can see where it has grown back in around her eyes, and all scaling/scabbing/irritation on the skin has cleared. We just have to wait for the rest of her coat to grow back in as well now.







And this was Xeraphina the day after she arrived. She was so tender and sore, and constantly chewing at her own skin due to the itchiness of the mites.






Xeraphina at the moment:


Xeraphina has taken a little more work to fix up, but is also coming right. Her coat has visibly thickened, and all the scabbing/scaling has cleared up as well. She still has a bit of a way to go, but I think we're on the home stretch!



Her little personality has started to shine through as well. Both she and Tabitha are LOUD piggies, but Xeraphina actually 'asks' to be picked up. Hard to explain, but if you've had a piggy like this you'll know what I mean. It's like she's calling for me, then when I pick her up she calms down, and just snuggles in (usually because I then find her a treat as well! lol, So I'm probably inadvertently teaching her to be loud, either that or she's teaching me to give her treats!).

Weigh in

The weigh in for Saturday the 12th November 2011:

*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 930g (gain 35g) - 31wks (7m)
Sparrow is 1025g (gain 70g) - 32wks (7.5m) (possibly pregnant, waiting to confirm)
Yeti is 870g (gain 45g) - 23wks (5.5m)


*** Sprout's Pad ***
Sprout is 910g (gain 5g) - 32wks (7.5m)
Otis is 335g (gain 125) - 5wks (1m)
Romeo is 400g (gain 70g) - 6wks (1m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 730g (gain 40g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Millicent is 650g (gain 80g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Peppa is 1090g (gain 140g) - 1yr (possibly pregnant, waiting to confirm)


*** Violet's Arrangement ***
Violet is 605g (lost 20g) - 17wks (4m)
Pooh Bear is 1000g (lost 50g) - on loan


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alba is 950g (gain 60g) - 37wks (8.5m)
Alice is 850g (gain 85g) - 40wks (9m)
Bonnie is 1250g (gained 160g) - 24wks (5.5m) - (Pregnant, due approx 2/12)
Chloe is 320g (gain 60g) - 6wks (1m)
Crumble is 1100g (gained 45g) - 50wks (11.5m)
Custard is 1010g (gained 20g) - 4.5yrs
Demi is 420g (gained 50g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Elodie is 715g (gained 35g) - 15wks (3.5m)
Galaxy was 950g (gain 95g)- 44wks (10.5m)
Ginger is 1355g (gained 260g) - 34wks (8m) - (pregnant, due approx 2/12)
Ivy is 465g (gained 75g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Jasmine is 365g (gain 45g) - 8wks (1.5m)
Lavender Mist is 665g (gained 25g) - 13wks (3m)
Leilani is 875g (gained 15g) - 21wks (4.5m)
Lotus is 455g (gained 70g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Molly is 615g (gained 25g) - 13wks (3m)
Ruby is 970g (lost 10g) - 34wks (8m)
Sheba is 1010g (gain 20g) - 42wks (9.5m)
Subi is 1195g (gain 30g) - 2.5yrs
Tigerlily is 430g (gain 35g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Twizzle is 465g (gain 60g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Zinnia is 440g (gain 60g) - 7wks (1.5m)


***Re-homing/Foster Pigs***
Rafia is 685g (gained 100g) - 10wks (2.5m) - (pregnant, due approx 8/12)
Lulu is 720g (gained 80) - 11wks (2.5m) - (pregnant, due approx 5/12)
Olivia is 305g (gain 45g) - 5wks (1m) - (On Hold)
Tabitha is 205g (first weigh in) - 2wks - (treating for mites)
Xeraphina is 340g (first weigh in) 5wks - (treating for mites)
Flick is 590g (first weigh in) - 10wks - (On Hold)

***New Mums***
Phoebe is now 725g (lost 360g) - 30wks (7m)- (gave birth, nursing)
Noah is 90g (gained 15g in the last two days!) - newborn
Nixie is 95g (gained 5g in the last two days) - newborn

Delilah is 735g (first weigh in) - approx 1yr (nursing)
Sadie is 175g (first weigh in) - 2wks
Suri is 190g (first weigh in) - 2wks


And, we're almost at capacity again! It seems that as quickly as my babies find wonderful new families, and my foster pigs waddle off to new homes, more piggies end up taking their place! I can't claim innocence there though, I do love to meet new pigs, and help those that need a bit of assistance.



The two new girls from yesterday's intake are doing a lot better this evening than they were this morning. I woke up to find this mess on Xeraphina's back - she was compulsively biting into herself. The most logical explanation for this is simply that the ivermectin treatment I administered yesterday has exacerbated the mange mites, and she's now itchier than ever. Hopefully the drug will start killing off the bugs very soon and some of that itchiness will subside. I must admit she's been very good this afternoon, and the wound doesn't look so raw any more.

So while my quarantined newbies stayed inside in air-conditioned comfort, the rest of the pigs were getting some grass time. I've moved Sprout and Malakai's cages and positioned them behind the mansion cage to try and avoid whatever it was about their old position that seemed to be stressing them out. So far so good too - both cages had good gains this week - making up for lost time!



I also gave a select few girls a taste of supervised free-ranging while our puppy dog was locked in the now empty side-yard with a big bone to keep him happy. Bonnie loved it - and is getting quite large now! Not as large as Ginger though, who gained an incredible 260g this week. That is a new record for us. You can feel every last gram of that too when you pick her up. Either she's a little further along than I guessed, or there are a LOT of babies in there...



Lulu's really bulked out in the last week or so too. Her fungal infection has completely cleared up as well. All she needs to do now is feed those growing babies of hers!



Oh - and I couldn't end this week's weigh in without this awesome shot of Bonnie and her mum Subi together! Colour-contrasting fat bottoms!

Yet more piggies!

Today was quite a busy day! ALL the pigs got grass time, which meant my lawn was a scattering of puppy pens, shade blankets and hidey houses! ALL the cages got cleaned out... which is quite a mammoth task. Sprout's cage and Malakai's cage got re-located to behind the mansion cage (as we've had a bit of trouble with noise, smoke, and heat on the other side of the yard). AND - 6 new girls were dropped off!

We have a rescue mum and her babies (Delilah, with Suri and Sadie): mum is staying here but the two week old babies will be looking for new homes. We have two new curly babies from a local breeder who need a little TLC due to a mange mite/fungal skin condition (Tabitha and Xeraphina). And another little rescue girl who will be travelling up to Hervey Bay next week to meet her new family!


Delilah, mumma piggy:

I am so bewildered by Delilah, she looks like she might be a texel x, but her coat is incredibly course, much more like a rex than the softer fur of a texel. She is quite unusually coloured as well. She's a blend of ginger and beige/gold, in what looks like an argente patterning (most noticeable around her face).

[Argente is a similar coat marking to the Agouti. Where the agouti is a darker hair base colour with a lighter tip (black base, white tip: silver agouti), the argente is a lighter base with a darker tip, or two very similar tone colours (beige base, gold tip)]


Then, on top of all that, I think she might be satin. Or at least carry some satin ancestry. She definitely has a real shimmer/satin effect to her coat, and it has the same hollow-shaft look as I've seen on other Satin-breed guinea pigs I've owned in the past. I will admit that I don't have as much experience with the satin, and it has been over a decade since I've owned a satin rex. So I could be mistaken - just going by my observations!


Delilah really does have some awesome colouring, and some unusual fur though. I'm unsure of her age/origins due to her rescue status, but it will be interesting to see what happens as she re-gains a bit more condition here, and if her coat thickens out even more!?




Suri:

Suri is one of Delilah's daughters. She is a cream agouti and cream smooth coat. Her fur does have a distinct wiggle through it (mum's influence I'd say), but I don't think it will get curly. It may end up with a bit of length to it though. Daddy pig is unknown. (It's probably safe to assume he was agouti though!).


Suri will be available for adoption from the 25th November. Email me at eleb2000@hotmail.com if you think you have a spot for her in your family.





Sadie:

Sadie is Delilah's second daughter. She is a very richly coloured golden agouti and gold Abyssinian girl. I'd say that she probably looks a lot like her dad (considering the agouti colouring for both her sister and her, and the funky rosettes had to come from somewhere!).


It's impossible to tell what her coat is going to do in terms of length. Delilah is a mid-length pig though, so it's quite possible that her babies will have a bit more length than usual as well. Sadie is looking for her new home too, and will be available to meet her new family from the weekend of the 25th. Email me at eleb2000@hotmail.com if you think you have a spot for her in your family.






Xeraphina:

Xeraphina is the most interesting colour and the most interesting coat-type! It's a little tricky to say what she'll look like once her mites are treated (she's missing a fair bit of hair), but I'm pretty excited to watch her get better, and for her coat to grow back in. Her hair really does look like a pretty blonde colouring. Not quite cream, not quite buff...






Tabitha:

And this is Tabitha - also suffering from a bit of hair loss, most likely due to mites. She's been treated as well and we now play the waiting game to watch her coat grow back in. If the curls on her rump are anything to go by, she will be stunning.


She's a golden agouti and gold texel x. So it will be interesting to see how much length she ends up with as well.





'Flick' - Little Abyssinian x that will be heading up to Hervey Bay:

Poor Sprout

I've made the decision to pop Sprout into quarantine on his own for a while to see if I can get on top of his hair loss. It is definitely mites. I've seen this so many times. I'm thinking that last week's revolution dosage must have been too minimal. I've doubled it today, to see if that will kick them (mind you, that's still only 0.5cc!)

But I supposed it's not all bad. He gets a nice big bath tub lined with fresh newspaper, hay, Lucerne chaff, oxbow pellets, parsley, fresh picked grass and fresh veg all to himself!(and he gets to stay inside at night! It would be way too cold out there for him on his own!). Oh, and his very own 'Jatz crackers box to hide in!

So fingers crossed that this time next week I'll be able to tell you that the mites are clearing up.



I'm also hoping to get the pigs some of these awesome piggy snuggle sacks. Just waiting to see if I can get a bulk order with some pink ones for the girls, and a more masculine one for poor old Sprout! Click here to check out the MadeIt store where I found these.

Sprout's bad hair

Poor little Sprout...

I think he might have mites. I did notice a tiny patch of missing hair above his eye when I purchased him two weeks ago, but didn't think too much of it, especially as the hair grew back within days.

But the evidence is unmistakable now. This is his coat the day after he came to live with us:



This is his coat now:



He's a raggy looking little critter now! And the surprising this is that Liam, who shares a cage with him, is perfect! Beautiful, thick, wavy coat. I think it says a lot about the quality of the start to life Liam had versus Sprout. Sprout was sold WAY too early, so missed out on the immunity boost he would have gotten from suckling. It also explains why he didn't gain as much weight as his sister Sparrow in the last weigh in. (she's fine by the way, which is a little odd!).

So all of the pigs got dosed up with the appropriate amounts of revolution for kittens/puppies medication. Guinea Lynx has an awesome website with information on the treatment of mites in guinea pigs. I was able to use their calculations to get my drug doses right. Technically Sprout and Sparrow are a little too small to be dosed, but it needs to be done before the poor little guy gets any worse!

So fingers crossed he'll be feeling a lot better soon.