Thread for Melvin

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:55 pm


Glad you weighed in. Unusual.

The picture on the impaction page of a "normal" inverted anal sac is close to this, except for the crustiness. And the GPC pictures, also quite similar.

From the GL page:
Image

daj

Post   » Mon Mar 21, 2022 6:07 pm


Thanks All. I suppose this warrants a visit to have it looked at, do you agree?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Mar 21, 2022 8:19 pm


I really think that I would, just to rule out any inflammation or infection that might need to be treated. If you do opt to have it looked at, I'll be curious as heck to hear what your vet as to say.

daj

Post   » Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:47 pm


The exotics vet has a 2 1/2 week wait and only works when I work. BUT, hard as this may be to believe, his pocket opening is has been back to normal for the past few weeks. I couldn't believe it. The only thing I can figure is that it had something to do with the cold and inactivity while our furnace was out. There was nothing else unusual going on at that time.

Also, any thoughts on raw honey as a sweetener? I've been using apple juice concentrate and molasses, but just got the honey when I didn't see the molasses. I've been using a combination due to a concern with possible pesticides or other contaminants in any of them.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:38 pm


So glad to hear it is looking normal! Not rereading but what were you planning to use the sugar for?

daj

Post   » Mon Apr 18, 2022 9:44 pm


My own mixture that I use as a substitute for pellets. He doesn't seem to like the honey though, so I guess I'm sticking with molasses.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:37 pm


Can you skip the sweetener? Adding sugars sounds like something a human would do to make food more palatable - but if you have quality ingredients, I don't see any dietary benefit. I think of the sugars in commercial pellets being used to bind the ground ingredients together, not for their nutritional value.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:08 am


Too much sugar is dangerous for guinea pigs.

daj

Post   » Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:37 pm


This is for a pig who's had stones before. The primary thing for him is limiting his mineral intake and ensuring he gets his fluid into him. He will go a day without drinking at all if left to his own devices. I sweeten his mix to make he takes it all, especially if I have to leave him with it, rather than syringing the fluid. I'm not using a sweetener for nutrition. Recently that light bulb in my head came on again, the one that wakes me up after drifting away from something that was previously working well, and I am back to using melon as the sweetener again.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:54 am


I used to mix a little watermelon juice with Critical Care when Lacey was ill. It doesn’t take much and makes a huge difference in how much they eat or drink.

daj

Post   » Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:33 pm


Is urinalysis any use in diagnosing URI?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Dec 12, 2022 8:18 pm


I believe urinalyses are more helpful diagnosing UTIs. Unsure if they would be of any help for a respiratory infection (unless a urinalysis turned up a concurrent urinary infection).

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