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Susan Walker

@susanwrotethis.bsky.social

140 followers 140 following 860 posts

Ostensibly a professional account, but people prefer to look at my guinea pigs than read my thoughts on WordPress and the web. Quite right, too. Web developer, former journalist, avid reader, history buff, thespian, mother of rodents.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 18h

This isn’t the first time she’s done this. The sides fold down easily enough to climb in if the bag isn’t too full, but pushing on them from the inside only makes them stand up straighter.

Then she panics and scoots around in the bag so it looks like it’s possessed.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 22h

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 1d

Meadow climbed into one of the grocery bags this evening and got stuck there. I fished her out once I realized what happened. She had to pay a cuddle toll for the rescue.

She was last seen headed into a quiet corner to process her feelings.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 4d

Boop 👆🏻

b.andherbooks @bandherbooks.bsky.social · 4d

boop and share for good luck 🍀👇

cute tiger striped guinea pig with a perfect cowlick perfect for gently placing your fingertip on

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 5d

My floofs seem to have had an awesome day. I caught Hayworth barely able to keep her eyes open as she slept. Tabitha romping around joyfully in my dirty clothes pile. Meadow enjoying the heck out of a piece of radicchio. Spike returning from a short evening walk to bury his face in fresh hay. ❤️

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 5d

More like

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In a fairly steady stream

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 5d

I reached to pick up Spike for his morning meds, and he predictably led me on a chase.

This time I distinctly saw him pause to popcorn before shooting into a tunnel. He’s confirming my suspicion that he enjoys our morning ritual more than he lets on.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 6d

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 6d

Fun finding: the radiologist was slightly concerned about the lack of fecal matter in Spike’s lower intestine.

He was unaware, of course, that it was a longish vet visit and Spike produces a lot of 💩 when he’s nervous. My boy turned out almost 50 of his best by the time of the X-ray.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 6d

Spike’s X-ray report came in. Conclusion is his heart and other organs look pretty normal. The spot in his lung is still present, with no measured change in size.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Describe your BlueSky account in a single image.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Hola, Pepe. Glad to hear you’re not getting worse, but we’d all love it if you got completely better. Let Pigmum get some rest.

Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Sounds like he’s in very good hands!

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Interesting. I’ve heard of cats with that issue. If the vet has done cultures and hasn’t noted strep in particular, then I doubt it’s a concern.

I’d probably be looking into the fluid content of what Skip eats, but I suspect the vet already has.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

She sounds like a tough little lady. Guinea pigs are so great at navigating by sound and smell that they can do really well with little or no vision.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

I can’t speak to all cases, but Spike kept on pooping like a champ through all the months of his illness, and Valentino did well till the end.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Exactly. Aging, another illness, or a stressor such as the loss of a herd member or radical change in environment can make them susceptible, but they don’t automatically get sick because they carry the germ.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Valentino and Spike both had really tough strains, and we progressed through two oral meds to a course of penicillin shots.

Some of the success in treatment depends on their will to live. Valentino decided it was his time and fought the treatment harder than the illness. Spike wanted to keep going.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

A blood test can indicate the presence of infection, an X-ray or high-res CT scan can help pinpoint where, and cultures (sinus, ear, etc.) can indicate exactly which bacteria is the cause of illness (it’s not automatically strep).

A steady course of the right antibiotics can be successful.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

It’s contagious and can be caught directly or by sharing things such as a water bottle.

When there are symptoms they’re most likely be respiratory. Watch for drippy or crusty noses.

Neither Spike nor Valentino had obvious symptoms. For both of them, visible weight loss led to vet trips.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

I don’t know if he had strep when I adopted or if he caught it from Valentino, who came from horrific conditions and who died 18 months ago of an infection several weeks after the death of his bonded partner.

I have to assume all of mine carry strep, but it’s not necessarily dangerous on its own.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

The strep is bacterial and. I understand, is often associated with filthy living conditions. A guinea pig can carry it and never get sick , but a stressor can trigger illness.

His symptoms appeared in the weeks after the passing of Hufflepuff, who he seemed to regard as a surrogate mom.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

He definitely was 6 months tops when I adopted him, because he grew a fair amount afterwards.

The arthritis and possible thyroid issues are most likely symptoms of Satin Syndrome, which is due to a genetic mutation.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Spike is 3. We celebrate his birthday on July 4 since we don’t know the exact date.

More likely he was born between mid-August and the first week of September. He is very large, causing the rescue to think he was older than he really was.

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Susan Walker @susanwrotethis.bsky.social · 7d

Those little feets! ❤️