Jujube is a very special guinea pig to MGPR. She came into the rescue with her mother and littermates at a few weeks old. It wasn't long before her foster mom noticed she had very strange behavior and wasn't nice to other pigs. Jujube's behavior grew even stranger as she got older and moved to one foster home, then another. Her foster moms all noticed and remarked on how strange she was. Jujube spent most of her time in her cage in a "trance," standing on her toes and hunched up.
Fortunately for Jujube she had observent foster homes and an excellent vet. During her pre-spay appointment her behavior was discussed (as was the unexpected death of Jujube's mother post-spay) and the vet postponed her spay and ran blood tests.
Jujube has been diagnosed with Portosystemic Shunt Syndrome (PSS), caused by an abnormal blood vessel that allows toxins in blood to bypass the liver and flow back through the body without being cleansed. The vet said the "trance" was actually the pain Jujube was in because of the toxins circulating through her system.
The PSS is being medically managed with twice daily doses of Lactulose, which she will be on for the rest of her life. She has made remarkable progress since being diagnosed--the trances have disappeared and she even puts her head down to sleep, which she had never done before!
Unfortunately, Jujube is still quite strange and does not get along with other pigs, so she probably also has inbreeding problems. She has made tremendous progress since treatment began and now, at almost 7 months old, is a completely different guinea pig than she was so recently.
Jujube hasn't been spayed yet but the vet says the procedure is now possible since she is on the Lactulose. MGPR hasn't decided whether to spay her and whether to make her a sanctuary pig or adopt her to a very special home. Jujube is very charming in her own peculiar way and has captured hearts in all her foster homes.
We are hoping to fundraise enough for four months of her care, totaling $287. This includes $47 for a blood test to determine she is ready for her spay, $110 for the pending spay, and $7.50 per week in regular care (carefresh, veggies, hay and pellets), plus $10 for a six month supply of Lactulose (her medicine).
This month $7.50 is again the magic number, paying for one week of Jujube's care. Feeling generous? Why not donate $10, enough for her medicine for six months!