Another episode of bloat.

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Hi all, my piggie Delilah has been suffering from bloat over the past 8 months. I have no idea what could be causing this as her diet has not changed. Anyways, I have given her a dose of emeprid/metoclopramide but on inspection have noticed that the minute amount of cisapride the vet prescribed me in late June has gone like a white colour and looks to have began drying onto the bottle. Not sure if this is normal as vet did say that both medications should be fine for 6 months. I just wanted to ask if this will still be safe to administer and will she need both meds to recover from this flare up? Or will the emeprid/metoclopramide alone work its magic? I was given a little extra medication in late June for emergency purposes. Thanks.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all, my piggie Delilah has been suffering from bloat over the past 8 months. I have no idea what could be causing this as her diet has not changed. Anyways, I have given her a dose of emeprid/metoclopramide but on inspection have noticed that the minute amount of cisapride the vet prescribed me in late June has gone like a white colour and looks to have began drying onto the bottle. Not sure if this is normal as vet did say that both medications should be fine for 6 months. I just wanted to ask if this will still be safe to administer and will she need both meds to recover from this flare up? Or will the emeprid/metoclopramide alone work its magic? I was given a little extra medication in late June for emergency purposes. Thanks.

Hi

Please contact your vet clinic to ask whether you need a replacement or not, and whether it is still safe to use. They will know better then us. If in any doubt, please don't use it.

Very sorry about the bloating. Please be aware that bloating can be both primary (i.e. dysbiosis or overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria in gut, especially the large fermentation segment where any food spends the longest time in) but it can also be secondary, i.e. caused by pain radiating into the gut or something pressing on the gut, like ovarian cysts, an internal growth of some sort, arthritis in the lower spine etc., heart failure or a fluid build-up in the body... I am sure that your vet will have checked for most of these.

Some of my piggies have had a noticeably thickened part of the lower gut (either caecum or ileum), which resulted in IBS like symptoms, like sudden short-lived bloating episodes, little cramps in the gut etc. The condition is usually more seen in rabbits.

The digestion in some older piggies can become more tender as it is no longer working quite optimally.

Gut meds for rodents/guinea pis are very limited since the most effective, steroids, is a big no for them; it's basically down to emeprid/metoclopramide, cisapride, ranitidine (the old zantac; sadly there is more worldwide demand than production so getting hold of any can be very difficult for vets) plus metacam/meloxicam brands as anti-inflammatory and that is about it, I am afraid. Panacur should only be prescribed for intestinal parasites (rare in indoors piggies) or e.cuniculi (which comes with different symptoms).

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

I am just wondering if feliway cystease can cause bloat? I have just read that it can. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

 

[Wiebke]

I am just wondering if feliway cystease can cause bloat? I have just read that it can. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

I never had any issues with it with my piggies needing it and I don't think it has ever come up on here.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

I wish I knew what was causing these flare ups. I even keep thinking it could be things like the cage cleaning spray I use but I use johnsons clean and safe so I don't know. I did switch from f10 to that over last few months but surely if it could cause issues then it would not be safe.

 

[Wiebke]

I wish I knew what was causing these flare ups. I even keep thinking it could be things like the cage cleaning spray I use but I use johnsons clean and safe so I don't know. I did switch from f10 to that over last few months but surely if it could cause issues then it would not be safe.

I don't think it has any outside causes you can control. Mine usually haven't once you have cut out the obvious - damp grass, new foods etc.

 

[Wiebke]

Has your vet checked for a thickened lower bowel?

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Has your vet checked for a thickened lower bowel?

She has had plenty of hands on examinations. Does that require a scan/xray?

 

[Wiebke]

She has had plenty of hands on examinations. Does that require a scan/xray?

No, you should be able to feel it and feel the difference between a healthy piggy gut and a thickened one when you compare.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Well I'm guessing she must not have a thickened lower bowel then. Due to my other piggie Ruby suffering from cystitis and bladder sludge, they are both now on a diet that doesn't change. They get romaine lettuce, cucumber and yellow peppers everyday, only 6 grain free pellets each a day, soft cut timothy hay and coarse cut timothy hay from haybox. I wonder if the soft cut contains any bits of grass that I have missed and if that could be the culprit. I do give them both cystease, Ruby gets a full capsule a day and I just give Delilah half, my thoughts were, it could prevent any bladder problems in future as Ruby is Delilah's mother and not sure if cystitis and bladder sludge could be hereditary. I'm baffled.

 

[Wiebke]

Well I'm guessing she must not have a thickened lower bowel then. Due to my other piggie Ruby suffering from cystitis and bladder sludge, they are both now on a diet that doesn't change. They get romaine lettuce, cucumber and yellow peppers everyday, only 6 grain free pellets each a day, soft cut timothy hay and coarse cut timothy hay from haybox. I wonder if the soft cut contains any bits of grass that I have missed and if that could be the culprit. I do give them both cystease, Ruby gets a full capsule a day and I just give Delilah half, my thoughts were, it could prevent any bladder problems in future as Ruby is Delilah's mother and not sure if cystitis and bladder sludge could be hereditary. I'm baffled.

It can be unfortunately really difficult to work out things once you have excluded all the more obvious issues. Personally I don't think that it is diet related.

You can get bloating issues with heart problems (which are not always easy to diagnose at all) but they can also be from pain radiating into the gut (like arthritis in the lower spine, which is not generally as obvious as when it is in the legs) or another internal growth pushing on the gut.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

It can be unfortunately really difficult to work out things once you have excluded all the more obvious issues. Personally I don't think that it is diet related.

You can get bloating issues with heart problems (which are not always easy to diagnose at all) but they can also be from pain radiating into the gut (like arthritis in the lower spine, which is not generally as obvious as when it is in the legs) or another internal growth pushing on the gut.

As far as I know she has no heart problems and she has been spayed so it can't be ovarian cysts. Her sister Suzy who unfortunately passed away post spay had a heart murmur. She has also just turned 3 years old so not exactly sure what age arthritis can start.

 

[Wiebke]

As far as I know she has no heart problems and she has been spayed so it can't be ovarian cysts. Her sister Suzy who unfortunately passed away post spay had a heart murmur. She has also just turned 3 years old so not exactly sure what age arthritis can start.

Have you had the poos analyzed in case there is a bug that could be the trigger? Would your vet consider a round of panacur on spec just to see whether that would help?

Unfortunately, once you are past the common issues, you are very much on your own. Research into guinea pigs is only starting to pick up and is starting to render helpful results but is understandably focussing mainly on the most common health issues; we are still way behind other species. And the more we push back the tight horizon the more complex problems we discover...

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Have you had the poos analyzed in case there is a bug that could be the trigger? Would your vet consider a round of panacur on spec just to see whether that would help?

Unfortunately, once you are past the common issues, you are very much on your own. Research into guinea pigs is only starting to pick up and is starting to render helpful results but is understandably focussing mainly on the most common health issues; we are still way behind other species. And the more we push back the tight horizon the more complex problems we discover...

No we have not had her poops analyzed. Is this the panacur you mention? Do you think it would help?

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

I think you can buy this without prescription but had no idea of dosage.

 

[Wiebke]

No we have not had her poops analyzed. Is this the panacur you mention? Do you think it would help?
View attachment 232588

Please discuss with your vet. We do not recommend using it on spec.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

Ok I will do, I was just wondering if this is the product you meant as it is probably more cost efficient to buy it online.

 

[Wiebke]

Ok I will do, I was just wondering if this is the product you meant as it is probably more cost efficient to buy it online.

You can buy it online if your vet thinks it is worth a try. It did help take the tip off my Brathlys's bloating episodes but she continued to have them when my vet decided to see whether panacur might help as she had been living rough in a winter garden for weeks when her owners moved out and took the hutch with them or sold it, so there was a case to be made that she could have a parasites like e-cuniculi from that time still years later. It is not an all-heal and a magic wand, though.

That is why it is better to let your vet, who knows your piggy best and can weigh up potential benefits against drawbacks, let make the decision whether the use would be appropriate and worth a try.

 

[Popcorns & Wheeks]

You can buy it online if your vet thinks it is worth a try. It did help take the tip off my Brathlys's bloating episodes but she continued to have them when my vet decided to see whether panacur might help as she had been living rough in a winter garden for weeks when her owners moved out and took the hutch with them or sold it, so there was a case to be made that she could have a parasites like e-cuniculi from that time still years later. It is not an all-heal and a magic wand, though.

That is why it is better to let your vet, who knows your piggy best and can weigh up potential benefits against drawbacks, let make the decision whether the use would be appropriate and worth a try.

Oh dear, that is terrible. Poor little soul. How can anybody do something like that. Ah right, my piggies are indoor so not sure if this would help then or can parasites still occur? I will definitely discuss it with vet. As I do not drive and have transport issues they have informed me they have posted me out a new emergency lot of cisapride/emeprid. Hopefully it will be here in the morning. Her bloating seems to have settled in last 24hrs as have been giving her emeprid from before.