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Glucasomine recommendations

Piggies2023

Teenage Guinea Pig
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What glucasomine have people find their piggies like? Nancy is taking catease prescribed by the vet. I can understand why she doesn't want it because when you add water to it it smells like fish. I want something I can add to food and her actually take it because I feel I'm just adding to her stress by syringing this.

We've already tried the oxbow tablets, she won't eat them.
 
Hi

For (neutral) taste and ease of application you may find Feliway cystease capsules for cats very useful. They are widely available online and are well accepted by piggies.
Empty the contents of one capsule in a small medicine bottle, add 2 ml of water, wait a little and shake until the powder is fully absorbed. Then either give 1 ml of the solution every 24 h or 0.5 ml every 12 hours. Always shake before use and store in the fridge for the next day.

From my own experiences with IC piggies, I have found that I was able to get quicker on top of one of the flare-ups every few weeks by giving 1 ml every 12 hours for 2-3 days (i.e. one capsule per day instead of half) until acute symptoms subsided again rather than by upping the metacam.

But since sterile IC is a large sliding scale you will have to work out for yourself how little glucosamine and metacam you can get away with in the intervals and how much you need to max out any dosage to get on top of a flare quickly once you have settled symptoms down initially, which may take a few weeks since the glucosamine needs to build up in the body and that is not a quick process.

Alternatively, human glucosamine tablets will do. You need to cut them and or grind them, though. Your choice whether you want to opt for normal ones or vegan ones. The taste is not quite as nice and you will have to work out the correct dosage yourself but they are the cheapest for long term glucosamine support.

I hope that this helps you?

Some members are trialling 4joints extra strength liquid for arthritis; it also contains glucosamine like human joints tablets.
That would be about 0.4 ml per 1 kg once a day.

All these brands are UK based. Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication so these products are quite easily available.
 
Larry always took his Cystease straight from the syringe so I think he must have liked it! Might be worth a go 😁
 
Hi

For (neutral) taste and ease of application you may find Feliway cystease capsules for cats very useful. They are widely available online and are well accepted by piggies.
Empty the contents of one capsule in a small medicine bottle, add 2 ml of water, wait a little and shake until the powder is fully absorbed. Then either give 1 ml of the solution every 24 h or 0.5 ml every 12 hours. Always shake before use and store in the fridge for the next day.

From my own experiences with IC piggies, I have found that I was able to get quicker on top of one of the flare-ups every few weeks by giving 1 ml every 12 hours for 2-3 days (i.e. one capsule per day instead of half) until acute symptoms subsided again rather than by upping the metacam.

But since sterile IC is a large sliding scale you will have to work out for yourself how little glucosamine and metacam you can get away with in the intervals and how much you need to max out any dosage to get on top of a flare quickly once you have settled symptoms down initially, which may take a few weeks since the glucosamine needs to build up in the body and that is not a quick process.

Alternatively, human glucosamine tablets will do. You need to cut them and or grind them, though. Your choice whether you want to opt for normal ones or vegan ones. The taste is not quite as nice and you will have to work out the correct dosage yourself but they are the cheapest for long term glucosamine support.

I hope that this helps you?

Some members are trialling 4joints extra strength liquid for arthritis; it also contains glucosamine like human joints tablets.
That would be about 0.4 ml per 1 kg once a day.

All these brands are UK based. Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication so these products are quite easily available.
Thank you very much. I've ordered the feliway to see if Nancy finds the taste better
 
Larry always took his Cystease straight from the syringe so I think he must have liked it! Might be worth a go 😁
Nancy absolutely hates it. I have to force her to take it by syringe which is why I was asking for alternatives
 
Nancy isn't a fan unfortunately

You can try sprinkling the powder onto some favourite veg, like a piece of cucumber.

She will however get used to taking it from a syringe once she realises that the Feliway cystease doesn't taste bad after a few days. Most piggies actually like it. I have had several that would not hand me the syringe back and clamped their jaws so firmly down that I could lift them up hanging from the syringe! :D
 
Nancy absolutely hates it. I have to force her to take it by syringe which is why I was asking for alternatives
It's the Feliway Cystease, not catease (which is was you've stated in your original post you're using) Larry had and enjoyed. Feliway IS cystease.
That's why I suggested it, along with @Wiebke and @eileen as its different to what you're currently using.
 
Have I got this right please? I think I have but I like to double check.

Says it has n-acetyl glucasomine, hyaluronic acid and l-tryptophan
 

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My cat loves Cystease! The first time I sprinkled some on a thin piece of chicken, she looked very suspicious of it! I told her it was seasoning for her chicken! So, in this house, it’s always referred to as seasoning! I wasn’t best pleased when Alexa announced that bladder support for cats was due to arrive today! IT’S SEASONING! 😂😂😂
 
Can you give more than one capsule a day? Nancy is having one capsule of feliway a day. It stops her bleeding but doesn't stop the pain. She's also already on highest dose of gabapentin and she's also on metacam
 
I'm not sure about the Cystease I've only ever given one a day. I would see your vet again and explain the pain meds are no longer enough. There are other pain medications you can try. I hope Nancy is feeling more comfortable soon.
 
I'm not sure about the Cystease I've only ever given one a day. I would see your vet again and explain the pain meds are no longer enough. There are other pain medications you can try. I hope Nancy is feeling more comfortable soon.
Feels like we've never got on top of the pain to begin with 😥. We've had two x-rays to check it's not stones. My vet is back next week so will be sending her an email. We aren't 100% sure it's IC because vet thought she may have had a swollen bottom
 
Thank you. I'm struggling to cope. It's horrible. I wish my vet was in now. It's got worse this week
 
Guinea pigs with IC. Can the size of their wees vary or is it always small? Vet is currently thinking it's not IC because she did a bigger wee this morning. She said maybe hormonal squeaking but then why is she just squeaking in pain when weeing and sometimes pooing. Any ideas? She's in for an ultrasound today but only will work if she holds her bladder
 
She's had an ultrasound today and the vet said her bladder lining looks fine. So the vet doesn't want to try cartrophen
 
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