Post by Dawn - Admin on Jun 22, 2006 14:15:10 GMT
Cavy Toxemia
The ideal result of a cavy pairing is to have a healthy litter of baby guinea pigs and a sow in healthy condition to look after them.
Making the decision to breed is never one to be made lightly, you need to be aware of the risks that this choice could bring. One such risk is Toxaemia.
Picture No.1: A healthy sow. Pictures No.2 & 3: The same sow with toxaemia.
Note the weight loss that easily visable after giving birth. This sow later died.
Toxaemia is most often seen in the last third of the pregnancy or the first few days before the birth. It is found that in most cases both the babies and the sow are lost. There are two types of Toxaemia. The first caused by internal problems. Food intake being restricted by larger litters. Another being that larger litters occupy more space in the uterus, this can lead to compression of the large uterine blood vessels compromising the uterine blood supply. Babies will die from suffocation and the uterine wall becomes dark-red, blue or black. The sow becomes depressed and develops Toxaemia.
Depressed sow showing Toxaemic weight loss. The litter below is hers, she died on the way to the vets.
The second is due to external problems, and these are the more common reasons. Stress is the largest factor: can be caused by transportation, heat, mobbing from other cavies, by showing through other diseases. Overweight sows are most at risk of developing Toxaemia. The only way to try to save a sow is to get her to a vet as soon as possible. Caesareans section may be necessary to save the life of the mother.
Sows will sometimes deliver the babies, these are usually premature and not fully developed. She will most liky make no attempt at opening the sacks as the babies will have been born dead.
Symptoms (of which there are many and the sow may show only some):
The sow may go off of her food.
Sow may start salivating / drooling.
Sow will become listless.
Twitching.
Anorexia / weight loss.
Ears and feet may be cold.
Sow becomes depressed.
She will feel catatonic / lifeless if handled.
Sow may have a hunched posture.
The sow / her breath may smell. A sweet or acetone smell.
As with all disease, prevention is better than cure.
Do not breed form overweight sows. (also try not to diet down obese sow to breed from them. Although they will look “slimmer” there is still the change that fat will be retained around the vital organs, which would be the same as breeding from an obese sow).
Ensure that your sows are fed on a well balanced diet.
Avoid stress to the sow.
TOXEMIA IS FATAL! You generally can not pull a cavy through that is suffering from toxemia. Once the symptoms are there there is no saving the sow. (anyone who says they have saved a sow, had a sow not suffering from toxemia but something similar).
Please, to people who have a sow who is going toxic, take the poor thing to the vet and have it euthanised, rather than suffering in pain in the cage - it is not "in the cavy's best interest" to keep it at home.
References used in writing this article:
My own experience.
Cavy Compendium Member input.
SydneyCavy
Guinea Piglopaedia by Margaret Elward & Mette Ruelokke (ISBN 1-86054-251-4)
www.galensgarden.co.uk/content/veterinary/reproductive.php
www.comfycavies.com/Care/Breeding/breeding.htm
Thanks to: Kim Tanner (Pristine Pigs) for allowing me to post this article.
The ideal result of a cavy pairing is to have a healthy litter of baby guinea pigs and a sow in healthy condition to look after them.
Making the decision to breed is never one to be made lightly, you need to be aware of the risks that this choice could bring. One such risk is Toxaemia.
Picture No.1: A healthy sow. Pictures No.2 & 3: The same sow with toxaemia.
Note the weight loss that easily visable after giving birth. This sow later died.
Toxaemia is most often seen in the last third of the pregnancy or the first few days before the birth. It is found that in most cases both the babies and the sow are lost. There are two types of Toxaemia. The first caused by internal problems. Food intake being restricted by larger litters. Another being that larger litters occupy more space in the uterus, this can lead to compression of the large uterine blood vessels compromising the uterine blood supply. Babies will die from suffocation and the uterine wall becomes dark-red, blue or black. The sow becomes depressed and develops Toxaemia.
Depressed sow showing Toxaemic weight loss. The litter below is hers, she died on the way to the vets.
The second is due to external problems, and these are the more common reasons. Stress is the largest factor: can be caused by transportation, heat, mobbing from other cavies, by showing through other diseases. Overweight sows are most at risk of developing Toxaemia. The only way to try to save a sow is to get her to a vet as soon as possible. Caesareans section may be necessary to save the life of the mother.
Sows will sometimes deliver the babies, these are usually premature and not fully developed. She will most liky make no attempt at opening the sacks as the babies will have been born dead.
*Graphic Photos*
i41.photobucket.com/albums/e275/Pristine_Pigs/Other/e8c93aaf.jpg
Prematurely delivered babies. Still born and still in their sacks.
i41.photobucket.com/albums/e275/Pristine_Pigs/Other/e8c93aaf.jpg
Prematurely delivered babies. Still born and still in their sacks.
Symptoms (of which there are many and the sow may show only some):
The sow may go off of her food.
Sow may start salivating / drooling.
Sow will become listless.
Twitching.
Anorexia / weight loss.
Ears and feet may be cold.
Sow becomes depressed.
She will feel catatonic / lifeless if handled.
Sow may have a hunched posture.
The sow / her breath may smell. A sweet or acetone smell.
As with all disease, prevention is better than cure.
Do not breed form overweight sows. (also try not to diet down obese sow to breed from them. Although they will look “slimmer” there is still the change that fat will be retained around the vital organs, which would be the same as breeding from an obese sow).
Ensure that your sows are fed on a well balanced diet.
Avoid stress to the sow.
TOXEMIA IS FATAL! You generally can not pull a cavy through that is suffering from toxemia. Once the symptoms are there there is no saving the sow. (anyone who says they have saved a sow, had a sow not suffering from toxemia but something similar).
Please, to people who have a sow who is going toxic, take the poor thing to the vet and have it euthanised, rather than suffering in pain in the cage - it is not "in the cavy's best interest" to keep it at home.
References used in writing this article:
My own experience.
Cavy Compendium Member input.
SydneyCavy
Guinea Piglopaedia by Margaret Elward & Mette Ruelokke (ISBN 1-86054-251-4)
www.galensgarden.co.uk/content/veterinary/reproductive.php
www.comfycavies.com/Care/Breeding/breeding.htm
Thanks to: Kim Tanner (Pristine Pigs) for allowing me to post this article.
