Possible Pregnancy Problem

Peter

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 5:03 pm


I´m not sure if many people here can help me with some guinea pig pregnancy issues, but I guess I´d give it a shot.

Hanna´s acting a bit weird. When I got home from school, she seemed fine. Mikado (one of her cagemates) went over to her, and she just screamed until he walked away from her. I thought he had just been bothering her. I went to change their food, and she didn´t seem too interested. She walked over to the bowl, started to eat a bit, until Scarlett and Mikado came over and started to eat too. She walked away when they came over. I put in another bowl, but then Mikado went to that one. The two bowls were occupied and she was just sitting there watching.

I got out my spare cage, and cleaned it out. I put her in, along with fresh pellets, water, hay, and some parsely. She doesn´t seem too interested. She drank some, but hasn´t been touching the food. I´m not sure if it´s just that she has to get used to this new cage, or that something is wrong.

She´s about two weeks from her due date. I think I felt the babies moving when I moved her, but I really didn´t stop to feel the babies much. I don´t think it´s toxemia, she doesn´t smell like nailpolish remover. I was kind of suspecting hypocalcemia if anything, since she is a satin.

Peter

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 5:23 pm


I got an email from a friend whose sow had a similiar problem, she said it was hypocalcemia and that she gave her calcium supplements (she gave me an estimate amount in the email and times of day to give it to her) and she pulled through okay.

She also said she might be ready to deliver, even though she´s early, but I´m terrible at checking dilation. She seems a bit open, but not much.

Any other input would be great...

pinta

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 5:38 pm


Sounds like it´s worth trying.

Peter, what info do you have on Satins and hypocalcemia.

I have a Satin with calcified saliva glands. No one knows why. She also is hyperthyroid. I have been harbouring a suspicion the fact she is a satin has something to do with her problems. Blood tests showed lower than normal calcium which surprised the vet because she was expecting high levels of calcium.

No other organs are affected by the calcification, but the saliva gland on one side is getting larger. Her teeth were very stained and suddenly have whitened up again after an increase in her hyperthyroid med. Her weight has stabilized a bit too.

She just had another blood test for T-4 counts and calcium/phosphorous(?) levels.

I had been giving her calcium supplements(only for 2 or 3 days) for her dark teeth but when the saliva glands were diagnosed as calcified, my vet said to discontinue until we knew what the deal was.

So far all consults with other exotic vets have come up dry.

Monday we do a biopsy on the suggestion of Zoe´s vet who also had never heard of such a thing.

Peter

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 5:54 pm


I´ll dig up some information on hypocalcemia. I think I have some emails. The emails aren´t as much as a description of the ailment as they are a description of treatments, but I´ll be sure to get you some information. Most breeders aren´t too exact, so many of the treatments are estimates.

What do you supplement calcium with, and how much do you give?

pinta

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 6:05 pm


Calcium Lactate capsuls. 25MG for an average sized pig, I guess. Daily?

I want to know what the knowledge is of Satins being prone to Hypocalcenia. Is this a known fact? Is it written down anywhere? Is there a genetic reason? Or is this just somethinmg breeders have noted from experience?

Could be the clue my vet is looking for.

Peter

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 6:42 pm


The hypocalcemia in satins is genetic, and pretty well known in the cavy fancy. It doesn´t happen to all, but enough that it can be said that they have a predisposition to it.

I´ve been looking through my emails, haven´t gone through them all yet, but I´ve got some suggestions, such as molasses in their water, crushed tums in their water, and crushed tums on some lettuce. The most exact measurement I´ve got was 1/4 teaspoon of karo syrup. Patv of CG gave her pig that much when she needed it.

I read an article online once about hypocalcemia in satins, I´ll try to find it later tonight.

pinta

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 7:09 pm


Shiraz is the offspring of a pet store pig that was bought pregnant. We have no idea who her father was but her mother was a common abby.

Shiraz is a chocolate brown(dark chocolate)satin with a white blaze.

And it appears this is a perfect example of why people shouldn´t breed their pets. The chances of Shiraz surviving this are pretty slim.

Right now surgery is the only possible treatment. But removing calcified saliva glands has never been done before. My animal dentist who lectures internationally and is regarded as tops in his field says he "thinks" he can do it. My regular vet is sure that Shiraz won´t make it thru the surgery.

This is not going to be cheap no matter what we do.

To anyone who is breeding your pets: Do you have the knowledge, the money or the medical back-up to correct the genetic mistakes the animals you have brought into the world may have?

Shiraz is 18 months old.


Peter, I will pass on anything you give me to my vet. Thanks.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Fri May 03, 2002 9:47 pm


This has been believed by breeders for years, in addition to the fact that many breeders think that Satins are less healthy in many ways due to the recessive gene. As far as I know, no research has been done. It´s just breeder´s opinions. I would love to hear of any medical research other than just opinions.

It´s funny. I had normal and Satin Americans for about 5-8 years actively showing and breeding for show. I never had the problems the breeders warn of in my Satins. Nellie, my last show pig, a gorgeous red Satin sow lived to be seven years and three months old. I actually had more problems overall health wise in the normal coats. We´re only talking 75-100 animals here, but all the same...

The dystocia problems I had occured equally in normal and Satin coated animals. Many breeders warn of poor vigor, microophthamia, and hypocalcemia in Satins. Never saw it documented, though. No one wanted to spend the money, but the stories are numerous and wide-spread.

Peter

Post   » Sat May 04, 2002 1:54 am


Sorry Pinta, I haven´t found that article yet. I´ll keep looking.

Hanna seems a lot better. I gave her the calcium as it was recommended to me, and I think she´s going to be just fine. She´s now acting a lot more lively, munching on hay, eating pellets every so often, and drinking. There´s a few poops around her cage, meaning that she´s been eating. This is such a relief! I´m starting to see my old Hanna again.

It´ll take a few more days of calcium to get her back to shape, it was recommended to me to give her calcium three times a day for two more days. I think I´ll still supplement her for the rest of her pregnancy and her nursing, just not as much as I have been.

I´ll give another update tomorrow.

pinta

Post   » Sat May 04, 2002 2:27 am


I mentioned the article to my vet and she does want to see it. Shiraz has near normal calcium levels and my vet doesn´t want her supplemented with calcium.

We had no idea Shiraz was a satin until her blaze started to glitter in the light.

Peter

Post   » Sat May 04, 2002 2:49 am


I found the article on a links page, but it was a dead link. The article was on the ACBA website, and they recently moved and I don´t think they´ve moved their articles yet. They had some helpful articles, I hope they move them soon.

I´ll look for a similar article tomorrow.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat May 04, 2002 8:19 am


I wrote the ACBA people -- alot of my links are dead too. After what seemed a very long while, someone wrote back saying they didn´t have alot of space on the site but figured they´d get to it eventually.

I encourage you to write them and ask for all these helpful articles to be put back up.

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