Healing vibes needed for Friendly

[Frankie808]

Hello all, I’m new to the forum but have lurked for a while using it for various bits of piggy advice.
Just after some well wishes as my boy Friendly is currently in the vets. He went to my local vets on Friday as he had developed slightly laboured breathing and was put onto baytril for a suspected respiratory infection. At first he seemed to improve, but come Sunday morning his appetite had reduced. Back to the vets where they changed his antibiotics to septrin and gave him an injection of metacam and metaclopramide. Initially, he seemed to pick up, appetite improved and was much brighter. However, by the evening his breathing had got worse and he started to withdraw.
He is now with the exotics vets we use and was kept in overnight. They put him on oxygen which did improve the breathing. I’m waiting on a call this morning to discuss the results of x-rays and to see how he is doing.
I’m keeping everything crossed for him but feel sick with worry.
Here’s Friendly (on the left) and his girlfriend Fudge:

 

[Flutterby]

Sending lots of healing vibes!

 

[PigglePuggle]

Poor Friendly, sending healing wheeks x

 

[piggieminder]

Sending Friendly healing vibes and hugs to you, it's horrible when they are ill.

 

[Frankie808]

Thank you all for your kind words.
His breathing rate when he was admitted last night was over 90, it has now dropped to 60 and is less laboured. He is eating, drinking and pooing, all be it small ones. They are continuing syringe feeding him as he has dropped a bit of weight.
The first x-ray showed some clouding on his lungs suggesting fluid. Now that he is a bit more stable, they are going to do another x-ray with him on his side, so we can get a clearer picture of his heart.
So waiting on another phone call but at least he seems a bit happier in the mean time.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Fingers crossed for a full recovery Friendly x

 

[Frankie808]

So the good news is that Friendly’s breathing has stabilised further, it’s now down to 50 breaths per min. This is with him fully off the oxygen also. He’s still eating and producing more poops, gums a good colour etc.
Bad news is that the x-ray hasn’t given us a definitive answer as to whether it’s his heart or a respiratory infection. In terms of further investigation, we could either do bloods or a cardiac ultrasound scan. The ultrasound would mean him going to another practice, so we’ve opted for bloods to minimise stress. Hopefully this will show if his white blood cells are up and give us another clue to the puzzle.
Although he is well enough to come home tonight, he is going to stay in another night so they can take bloods at their convenience. Also it’s another night he’s under close observation.
He’s currently on antibiotics, pain meds, diuretics and is being syringe fed. Hopefully he’ll continue to improve whilst we can figure out exactly what’s going on.

 

[piggieminder]

I hope you get some answers soon. Your vet is being very thorough, it sounds like Friendly is in very good hands. Sending Friendly more healing vibes.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am sorry that you have joined under such dramatic circumstances. Fingers very firmly crossed for Friendly!

 

[Frankie808]

I hope you get some answers soon. Your vet is being very thorough, it sounds like Friendly is in very good hands. Sending Friendly more healing vibes.

They really are fantastic. The practice is called Coastways and their Brighton branch has an exotics specialist named Celine. She is brilliant and very knowledgable. I’ve used her many times over the years and can not fault her.

 

[Posyrose]

It sounds as if Friendly (great name) is getting good care and improving even though the cause isn't known yet. Me and the pigs have paws and fingers crossed.

 

[Frankie808]

Friendly is home
His breathing has massively improved and is almost back to normal. Unfortunately we are still waiting on bloods, so not sure yet whether we’re dealing with heart issues or an infection. Should hopefully get the results today.
I’m having to syringe him round the clock as he’s not eating for himself yet. He will nibble a little bit of grass with Fudge after a feeding session but it really is just a nibble. Fudge is being a doting piggy wife and is washing his eyes and mouth for him and is extremely attentive. She also fuses when I syringe feed him and often has to sit on the bed with us to supervise! He’s on quite a lot of meds, Cisapride, emepride, sulfatrim, frusol, metacam and buprenorphine. He’s passing poos, all be it small and dry.
I’m going to up the frequency of his syringe feeding today. He’s been on 4 hourly at the vets but I’m going to try 2-3 hourly to see if we can get things moving better. I’m also mixing in bio lapsis to his emeraid feed.
Any other top tips gratefully received. He’s very withdrawn and spends most of his day just sleeping although he is interacting a little with fudge which is nice. Just keeping everything crossed that the meds continue working and we can get his tummy nice and comfortable.

 

[Frankie808]

Bloods are back and it looks like an infection as his white blood cells are raised. We are changing around his meds a bit as he is now presenting as dehydrated, so we are going to stop the diuretics. His kidney is also a bit raised so we are going to stop the metacam also. The buprenorphine will be reduced to twice a day to see if we can get him a bit less dopey.
I’m going to watch him very closely today in terms of the dehydration as I know this can make them very flat.
Can sub q fluids be done in piggies? I’m wondering if it’s worth taking him to my local vets to ask them to do some?
Unfortunately he doesn’t have any nasal discharge so we cannot culture a sample to check for the most appropriate antibiotics.
Very worried about my boy as he is incredibly flat, it’s heartbreaking seeing them that way. I also struggle with whether it’s also what’s best for him?

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Sub cutaneous fluids can really perk up a dehydrated guinea pig.

 

[Frankie808]

Sub cutaneous fluids can really perk up a dehydrated guinea pig.

He’s just been re admitted to the vets and put onto sub cut fluids every 4 hours. The exotic vet whose care he has been under is in first thing, so she will do IV fluids if she feels he needs them. His breathing has improved no end and the vets are really happy on that front. His temperature is good too and poos are steadily improving. We just think the diuretics have dehydrated him and knocked him for six. I’m hoping beyond hope that the fluids perk him up and are what he needs.