Cartrophen Frequency

[Piggies2023]

Has anyone on here had piggies that have had longer than 4 weeks of cartrophen please? Nancy has responded to a point, she has many more good days and is gaining weight but certainly isn't squeak free. She's still on gabapentin and metacam too. We've had three injections so far at 0.03 per kg. I have read elsewhere of piggies having 8 in a row before going monthly. But also piggies having them more frequently than once a week. But then there is also the stress of going to the vets.

 

[Eriathwen]

My Ebony was still a little squeaky after her 4 weekly injections, to begin with there was at least 1 occasion where she had it at 3 weeks instead of a month because she was squeaking and straining again, my vets words were pretty much "if she needs it now, she needs it" and it didn't do her any harm. She's been on them quite a while now and the squeaking has since completely stopped, it seems to take a while to build up, much like oral glucosamine.

To combat the stress of the vet visits though it may be worth asking your vet to show you how to do it at home if you feel it's something you could do. My vet suggested it and showed me how to do it with saline, let me do a practice one with saline then had me do it with the cartrophen, so now I just collect a prefilled injection once a month and give Ebony hers at home, its incredibly easy to do once you know how

 

[Piggies2023]

My Ebony was still a little squeaky after her 4 weekly injections, to begin with there was at least 1 occasion where she had it at 3 weeks instead of a month because she was squeaking and straining again, my vets words were pretty much "if she needs it now, she needs it" and it didn't do her any harm. She's been on them quite a while now and the squeaking has since completely stopped, it seems to take a while to build up, much like oral glucosamine.

To combat the stress of the vet visits though it may be worth asking your vet to show you how to do it at home if you feel it's something you could do. My vet suggested it and showed me how to do it with saline, let me do a practice one with saline then had me do it with the cartrophen, so now I just collect a prefilled injection once a month and give Ebony hers at home, its incredibly easy to do once you know how

Thank you. I will talk to my vet about the frequency. Before we tried the cartrophen I had considered having her put to sleep because she was doing so badly. So I think it's the cartophen rather than a coincidence!


I don't know if my vet would be up for that, feel a bit anxious about doing it wrong but it's worth thinking about. As if she can just then have it when needed without vet stress I feel it would work better. I am needle phobic so would have to make sure I didn't faint .

 

[Piggies2023]

What painkiller doses is Ebony on? Nancy is 0.4ml dog metacam twice a day and 0.2ml gabapentin twice a day which feels like a fair bit still. Nancy is 1080g at the moment.

 

[Eriathwen]

Oh yeah if you're needle phobic I can see it being a bit of a hurdle! Theyre very small insulin needles but I imagine as with me and spiders...a needle is still a needle!

Ebony is currently 750g and she gets 0.6ml of dog metacam twice a day, 0.04ml of infant paracetamol twice a day and 0.2ml of gabapentin twice a day also.

I must admit at her worst I was also considering euthanasia, she squeaked for years while I tried various pain meds, doses, glucosamine supplements etc, nothing worked for her until the injections. At first I was just happy it had seemed to take the edge off, but over time it seems to really have sorted her out.

 

[Piggies2023]

Oh yeah if you're needle phobic I can see it being a bit of a hurdle! Theyre very small insulin needles but I imagine as with me and spiders...a needle is still a needle!

Ebony is currently 750g and she gets 0.6ml of dog metacam twice a day, 0.04ml of infant paracetamol twice a day and 0.2ml of gabapentin twice a day also.

I must admit at her worst I was also considering euthanasia, she squeaked for years while I tried various pain meds, doses, glucosamine supplements etc, nothing worked for her until the injections. At first I was just happy it had seemed to take the edge off, but over time it seems to really have sorted her out.

It gives me hope that your Ebony is okay on so many painkillers and cartrophen worked better later. My vet is concerned about painkillers and kidneys. Do you ever check kidney function or has she shown no issues so you haven't?

I think Nancy probably needs to stay on what's she on pain wise. It's just a shame I add to her stress picking her up to do it. How much glucosamine do you give a day? Nancy has 1 capsule of feliway.

 

[Eriathwen]

It gives me hope that your Ebony is okay on so many painkillers and cartrophen worked better later. My vet is concerned about painkillers and kidneys. Do you ever check kidney function or has she shown no issues so you haven't?

I think Nancy probably needs to stay on what's she on pain wise. It's just a shame I add to her stress picking her up to do it. How much glucosamine do you give a day? Nancy has 1 capsule of feliway.

We don't check, although her kidneys are likely already not great due to having E.cuniculi. At 6 years old we're just kind of throwing what we can at her for as long as she has good quality of life, she's been on painkillers for about 3 years now I think? So she has done very well, they metabolise drugs quite well compared to a lot of other species, which really helps.

Ebony gets 0.4ml of Johnsons 4joints extra strength liquid for cats and dogs, it has added vitamin C as well as some other things to help the body use the glucosamine.

 

[Piggies2023]

We don't check, although her kidneys are likely already not great due to having E.cuniculi. At 6 years old we're just kind of throwing what we can at her for as long as she has good quality of life, she's been on painkillers for about 3 years now I think? So she has done very well, they metabolise drugs quite well compared to a lot of other species, which really helps.

Ebony gets 0.4ml of Johnsons 4joints extra strength liquid for cats and dogs, it has added vitamin C as well as some other things to help the body use the glucosamine.

Nancy will be 3 in October. She's been on pain meds since April.

Does Ebony like the Johnsons? I've not tried that one.

 

[Eriathwen]

Nancy will be 3 in October. She's been on pain meds since April.

Does Ebony like the Johnsons? I've not tried that one.

She definitely prefers it to the capsules we used to use, I have quite a few on it at the moment due to IC or arthritis, and most take it voluntarily

 

[Piggies2023]

She definitely prefers it to the capsules we used to use, I have quite a few on it at the moment due to IC or arthritis, and most take it voluntarily

I think I may give this a try instead. Will mention it to the vet when I go this week.

 

[piggieminder]

I have 2 boars with arthritis who are taking the Johnson's. The love it (it's sweet!) and come up to the bars to take it without being picked up, they think it's a treat.

 

[Piggies2023]

She definitely prefers it to the capsules we used to use, I have quite a few on it at the moment due to IC or arthritis, and most take it voluntarily

What dose is Ebony on of cartrophen?

Nancy has had a huge flare up. And it's only been nearly a week. Fourth injection tomorrow

 

[Eriathwen]

What dose is Ebony on of cartrophen?

Nancy has had a huge flare up. And it's only been nearly a week. Fourth injection tomorrow

Shes also on 0.03ml sane as yours, I think that's the standard dose, it might be worth asking if there's any wiggle room to increase it though, your piggy is heavier than ones I've used it with.

 

[Piggies2023]

Shes also on 0.03ml sane as yours, I think that's the standard dose, it might be worth asking if there's any wiggle room to increase it though, your piggy is heavier than ones I've used it with.

Thank you. I will ask

 

[Piggies2023]

Vet wasn't keen on putting the dose up this time but didn't write it off for the future. She said to see how she was over the next two weeks. Nancy is not doing well . It seems it's not working but I don't understand why she was doing significantly better. She was having a flare up the couple of days before the injection. Then the injection seemed to stop the flare for a day and then it restarted. Pumpkin is on heat which Nancy struggles with so could be that. But repeatedly think it's going to be okay and then it's not