Some impressions of a trip to the

Cambridge Cavy Trust Veterinary Hospital

Last week we sent our personnel manager for several days to England, to collect some further details of "piggish" live. Though he was a bundle of nerves when he only heard the word aeroplane (the correct term we think is "fear of flying"), he went from Nuremberg to London by plane!! His "female" was very suspicious, since she knows him, she was never able to get him into a plane. Could a herd of guineas really be the only reason for this ? ;-))

Eurowings ATR 72, a few passengers, in the background the "Tower of London (-Stansted Airport)"

After some miles by train and mental turbulences as a result of the left-side traffic, this road sign showed him the way.

First of all he had to pass these fierce looking guys, then the access was free to rodents, rodents, rodents as there are...

several rats

some bones

Henry, the vacuum cleaner (is the keeping of one single male vacuum cleaner permissible??)

lots of guinea pigs

a few gerbils

two ferrets

one chinchilla

uncountable (too fast away ;-) chipmucks

a cage of degus

mother and son donkey

and the "no rodent" number one of the CCT:

Vedra

Most treatment in guineas can be done by one person, if the piggy is wrapped up in a towel (this guinea is syringe fed).

It seems a little bit more difficult, to wrap other animals. Though a foreign "specialist" was there, the wraparound of this donkey did not get higher then the hoof. At least the color of the bandage matches with Vedras clothes ;-)

donkey dancing

Vedra and Gwen walking the dogs and the donkey.

Presentation of the "ancillary staff of the month". Vedra and Christiane, a vet from Linz (Austria).

Board and lodging of the guinea pigs

Imagine, you open a door, enter a room and see this on the right,

these,

these too

and these on the left

and a little herd on the along side.

Some of the boarders

This is the sick bay. In each of these containers sits a guinea pig (or two, if (s)he has a companion for conversation) or another rodent.

The emergency admission

and the intensive care unit.

some vetmedical aspects

This Chinchilla had a miscarriage of one baby. X-rays show another one that could not get out.

Snowflake under Isflurane in the "operation theatre", premedicated with fluids (ringer- lactate), painkiller (Rimadyl) and a sedative shot (Medetomidine).

Snowflake in the "wake up room" on a heating element. Good luck, little Chin!

This lipoma (glas duplicated by photomontage) decorated recently the neck of a guinea pig. It is twice the size of a hen's egg.

This is the content of an abscess of a rabbit: a tapeworm (taenia serialis). In addition Harvey had a retrobulbar cyst, it contained a clear fluid. It was punctated and the Bunny got a shot of "tapeworm killer" (praziquantel).

These two boys were his favourites, both have a paralysis of the hind legs.

While the brown one rides for one hour a day on a heated vibrator, that causes massage and greater amounts of "output",

was Lucky nearly fit again and arranged exciting races with the nursing staff ;-)

Tumorous changed spleen of a guinea pig.

Summary:

It was for several reasons a very good idea to send him to the CCT, one of the "cavyest" places he has ever seen - he met Vedra, a really remarkable person, learned a lot of details about rodents and lost his fear of flying ;-) Some times we will send him there again!

(^._.^)Mrs.Meier, Miss Fuchs, Speedy, Shelly, Mariechen, Bianca, Gremmi, Isi, Minni and Winni

Volunteers are asked at the C.C.T.! Interested - click here