A Poo Post

Bloggers. Ever have those days when you have several blog post drafts lying around, waiting to be finished, yet you find yourself tapping at the, 'new post' button? Trying to finish my draft posts today is like wearing an itchy jumper... it's irritating me. Instead, I thought I would just speak from the heart and fill you in on what I've been up to over the weekend/start of the week. 
It has been a difficult few days. On Sunday it was Hamish's second birthday, and the day we also had to rush her to the emergency vets because she had awful, and extremely stinky diarrhoea. Yes, poop phobics, this post is probably not going to be for you. Sorry. 
Anyone that has owned, or has any understanding of guinea pig health will know that diarrhoea is serious business. Untreated it can often be fatal and more often than not, requires veterinary assistance. After kick starting her birthday morning by showering me in explosive diarrhoea, we took no chances and packed her off to see the vet right away. 
Given that her sickness came about so suddenly and without any changes to her usual diet/routine etc, we're assuming that she developed a stomach infection. A few days of antibiotics, hand feeding and bum washing later, she appears to be on the mend. I tell you, this pet owning lark isn't easy. I've lost several items of clothing to poo stains and after harvesting poo from my healthy guinea pig, to make into poo soup at 3am, it's safe to say I'll probably never be the same again. Even Ralph, who is usually a free-spirited pooper has expressed distaste at Hamish's toilet antics and has taken to washing her whenever she's in grooming distance. Thankfully though, all of our efforts, (and the meds) seem to be paying off and I'm keeping all of my fingers and toes crossed that she makes a full recovery. 
If you've stumbled across this page with a sick piggy in tow, you can find lots of useful information regarding diarrhoea in guinea pigs on the Guinea Lynx website. There's also lots of great advice in the forums so make sure you check them out.  

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