Arrhythmia

[stayjay]

Hi all.

First of all I just wanted to say a huge thank you! This forum enabled me to find Simon and Kim at the Cat and rabbit clinic who did wonders for my boy Moon who has since passed away, and I never would have without you.

I am posting today looking for some advice. Roger (4 years old) has been on azithromycin, metacam, and frusol for 6 days for potential pneumonia (fluid was seen on the lungs during an USS, no heart issues or masses where visualised at that time). There has been very little improvement in his breathing and I was worried so took him back to the vets today, who said his lungs sounded clear but she had potentially heard an arrhythmia. Plan is to carry on with antibiotics and increase his frusol gradually as not much more can be done...

Does anyone have any advice they can give me in terms of helping to support Roger to live a happy, comfortable life? Are there any other options available? I am not sure what life expectancy I should expect, which I know you can't answer, I am just not sure what else I should do. Is there anything I should absolutely not do for a heart GP? None of my piggies have ever had heart issues.

Thank you if you've read this far!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all.

First of all I just wanted to say a huge thank you! This forum enabled me to find Simon and Kim at the Cat and rabbit clinic who did wonders for my boy Moon who has since passed away, and I never would have without you.

I am posting today looking for some advice. Roger (4 years old) has been on azithromycin, metacam, and frusol for 6 days for potential pneumonia (fluid was seen on the lungs during an USS, no heart issues or masses where visualised at that time). There has been very little improvement in his breathing and I was worried so took him back to the vets today, who said his lungs sounded clear but she had potentially heard an arrhythmia. Plan is to carry on with antibiotics and increase his frusol gradually as not much more can be done...

Does anyone have any advice they can give me in terms of helping to support Roger to live a happy, comfortable life? Are there any other options available? I am not sure what life expectancy I should expect, which I know you can't answer, I am just not sure what else I should do. Is there anything I should absolutely not do for a heart GP? None of my piggies have ever had heart issues.

Thank you if you've read this far!

Hi

An irregular heartbeat cannot be treated and medicated the same as an enlarged heart or heart failure.

But if it does help you, my Ceri 'Love' struggled with her tap dancing heartbeat and was unable to stop her ringworm from growing further across her face ear just with topical treatment (eniconazole and malaseb; I tried both unsuccessfully with her). She became the first piggy which persuaded Simon to give oral ringworm treatment (itrafungol) at the start of 2012 a try - thankfully successfully.
Her arrhythmia thankfully settled down on its own and she lived for another two years until 2014, reaching a normal life span.

 

[stayjay]

Aw that's lovely to read thank you for that. I have been so worried about it, really debating the specialist to get a proper diagnosis but not sure it will change anything!

 

[Wiebke]

Aw that's lovely to read thank you for that. I have been so worried about it, really debating the specialist to get a proper diagnosis but not sure it will change anything!

With Simon and Kim, you are in the hands of some of the most experienced if not the most exerienced guinea pig vets in this country. They are sure to know what can be done and what can't and have had plenty more experiences in the 13 years since Ceri had her own issues.

If you have major concerns or if things deteriorate, you can always have yourself referred.

Wishing you all the best.