🩺 Medical Update + Urgent Funding Need​

Haiku​

Haiku’s urinalysis results just came back and showed:

• Very low specific gravity, and
• Crystals in her urine

This is a first for us—we’ve never had a piggy with crystals before—but in theory, it should be manageable. Everyone here is already on a fairly low-calcium diet, but we’ll be separating Haiku from the herd temporarily and adjusting her diet to an even more kidney-friendly plan.

Given how underweight she was at intake, we suspect this issue started long before she arrived at the rescue.

💊 Pain Management Update + A Sweet Social Shift​

Both Parody and Novel had a really positive response to the addition of Buprenex to their pain management plans!

Last night, Novel was eating celery on his own, and this afternoon, Parody munched on some pellets and veggies without help. It’s clear the medication helped—but just as clear when it wears off. Since Buprenex is a controlled substance, vets have to be careful with how they prescribe it. We were given just one dose each to test their response.

Now that we know it helps, we should be able to get a bit more at a time—but I expect I’ll still need to make regular trips to the vet to pick it up. (Not a problem—I’m there at least once a week anyway!)

Today was a very busy day at the vet. Thankfully, nothing was outright terrible—but we did learn some surprising things about a few of our little ones. Here’s a full update!

Boba Update!​

On October 10, Boba had his surgery at Southern Maine Hospital for Small Mammals, and it was a big success! The tumor was removed with excellent margins, and Boba came through surgery perfectly, eating and pooping as soon as he woke up. The incision is so small and clean, and we're so grateful to Dr Ford for his excellent work! Boba will be recovering with some pain meds for a few days, but we expect him to be back to normal ASAP.

Fundraiser for Boba: Help Our Brave Guinea Pig Fight Lymphoma

Meet Boba, a remarkable 7-year-old guinea pig with a heart full of resilience and the spirit of a fighter. Boba has faced more than his fair share of challenges in his life, but he never gave up—and now, he needs our help to overcome his toughest battle yet. Boba has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and he’s scheduled to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. We are raising funds to cover the cost of his surgery and post-operative care, and every donation—no matter how small—will make a huge difference.

You can read more about lymphoma in guinea pigs here.