Fortified Pigs ready forthe New Year

[fortifiedwithtea]

Today both girls have had their claws clipped, fur brushed and Spot-on applied. Millie definitely has mites. Shai is being treated as a precaution. Lots of cut grass took their minds off all the unpleasantness. They are both sleeping off full tummies now. I'll clean their hutch when they are feeling livelier.

No dandelions today. Neighbourhood cat who likes our garden too much has done a massive upset stomach poo right in the dandelion patch I know it was him there was evidence of white fur And I discovered after the bin men had been.So I am stuck with the furry upset for a week

vom @ neighbourhood cat

The dandelions here are tiny , I've been scrabbling about to find any .
We have foxes here , bleurgh when they use a garden as a loo, or, in the case of our NDN cats , dismember a bird all over the lawn.

There was a lovely crop of grass, the type with velvetty soft leaves and the grass seed heads, but it was right over Dill's grave..................... I considered then reckoned he'd want his wifeys and their new husband to have it so I cut it.

DD put the pigs out very late today (lazy toad) I left for work at 7.45 after sorting the Pighouse,breakfast and putting the heater on,. they will be in before the fireworks kick off.

Happy New Year to all the Super Furry Animals out there

Ooops forgot Happy New Year to all Super Small Animals and their slaves humans.

70 I live on a 1960's housing estate built on farm land. DM is very jealous of my roses and the dandelions grow very well too

Happy New Year to all SFA's and their housekeepers (I upgraded us from slaves).

My boys told me that fireworks going off would upset them immensely unless they had a large slice of cucumber and perhaps some lettuce to distract them. Current Bun is munching one of his special Christmas rabbit cakes - he is louder than fireworks.

@fortified, how long does it take for mite treatment to work?

Hi beanhead Millie's mites should be on the decline by now. However, brushed her coat today and she is still shedding a lot of hair and dandruff. Will need to fit a vet apt in sometime this week for something stronger.

DD1 reminded me vet should look at Millie's lump. New development on the lump. It isn't any bigger but it moves about under the skin if I give it a push. I think it must have a stalk. weird . Millie will be 5 years old next month.

Will update once Millie has seen the vet.

Rang vets apt made for 9.30am tomorrow. Taking Naughty Girl along too for moral support for Millie and its better they stay together. Naughty would be upset if she was home alone without her BFF.

Good luck for tomorrow fortified! Paws will be crossed in the fernie house for Milliepig. Glad Naughty Girl is going too. My boys always go together to the vets. I think they enjoy the 'travel snacks' on the 5 minute journey.

Good Luck MilliiePig , prepare for unrestrained judginess after the journey, the wait (inevitable) the Cats and Dogs that will be there , then the palpation of Millies lumpy bits.

They will gang up on you, so hopefully the parsley will be on order.

Actually our GP3 (Dill) went to the vet by himself, to be neutered (we'd only had the girls for a couple of days) then when he was ill, then the day before he died (when he was very poorly. DD needed him all to herself so the ladies stayed home)

A little boy asked DD "Has he got a girlfriend" and we said "He's got two "

(PigWives not girlfriends, guinea-pigs are polygamous but moral)

Snacks! thanks for reminding me. I have cucumber, pepper and celery. Will that be enough? We too only have a 5 minute car journey

We have an hours drive to our Pig Vet so unless it's summer , we fill the travel box with hay (cushions them and keeps their jaws active).

So a whole celery, (leafy) a whole cucumber and a 3 pack of peppers?
You might get away with it

For two pigs on a 5 minute journey you need to allow 4 handfuls of parsley, a whole cucumber, a carrot, 3 peppers, 2 large tomatoes, a whole leafy celery and half a bale of hay . Then there's the return journey to consider .........

[grin]@70 & Fernie

We made it there and back on a box full of hay and a large knob of cucumber. They are now sitting together in judgey solidarity.

Luckily we saw vet I know personally and there a bit of how are you and the DC chat before prizing Millie out the carrier.

The findings: Millie has lost a bit of weight and has many small lumps apart the one we knew about. They are also in her neck and 'arm pit'. Probably mammary tissue . Vet used sellotape to get skin sample to look at under the microscope. Millie really didn't like being strip waxed with sellotape. I held her so she could see the garden while we waited for the result, she liked that. I could see her planning her escape route to hind in the bamboo. Vets have a lovely garden.

The plan: vet couldn't find any live parasites but thought there maybe eggs. Thought the Spot-on treatment hadn't been quite strong enough so has given Millie a course of Xeno ? something. One capsule today, one in 2 weeks time and the last 2 weeks after that. Normally she would treat Shai as well but as Millie has no sign of live mites, leave it.

Vet had a look at Shai too. She was amazed at how old both the girls are and said shai has beautiful skin and coat. Shai was a wriggly thing and wanted to get back in the carrier asap. Millie left a 'gift' on the table so typical of her.

Glad to hear Milliepig is generally okay. I'm sure she loved the garden view. I once had a dentist who's chair looked out onto a beautiful garden and a bird table - quite relaxing really!

Well done on leaving a present for the vets Millie - it's only polite.

at Piggie Gift

What was the verdict on the lump - is it a case of (in the words of Chief Vet David Grant) "Scientific Neglect" ie keep an eye on it but not to involve treatment.

My piggie has an armpit lump , we keep checking it, she's 2.6yo ex breeder .
Our lardy boars got the (double) chins lumps.

Most likely Xeno 450 she's been given (we buy it online, )

Leaves a lovely greasy neck apart from our GP3/GP6 who have amazing absorbant fur (I'm sure there's half a hedge in GP6 fur)

They will judge you for at least the next 48 hours and will only eat the carefully proffered food to stop their bums clanging shut, because if they do that , you'll just need to take them again and they want to save you the journey and themselves the effort of looking affronted.
Not because they are entitled little eating machines, oh no

Haha yes Millie is generous with her gifts usually on my lap. That's politeness I could do without

Scientific neglect is the way to go. Vet didn't mention any treatment for Millie's multiple lumps. We did discuss the possibility that Millie has an underlying illness suppressing her ability to fight off parasite infestations. Whereas Shai is in very good health and has no skin problems.

70 now you say it, I think Millie has been given Xeno 450 and yes odd looking greasy patch on her fur today.

They looked very sweet last night. Shai insisted on snuggling up very close to Millie who was trying to sleep in her favourite spot. There was a bit of squeaking whilst Shai forced Millie to budge up and then they settled down top to tail.

2nd dose of vet mite treatment today plus both girls got a brush and claw clip. OMG the drama even with cucumber bribery. Off now for to recovery.

Millie's skin is no better. Still loads of dandruff and I think she is sore. Whatever is the problem I don't think its Mites

😯😯 sympathetic paw holding for Millie. Itchy is horrid 😠