How long do meds take to kick in?

[danuutka]

My sweet Nelli was seen by the vet this morning, and prescribed Metacam and an antibiotic for her cystitis.

Since this morning, she has been peeing blood, is in obvious discomfort (to the point where she’s waddling when walking as if she had a ball between her legs), and is refusing food - she’s refused hay, and even refused grass which is usually her absolute favourite.

Since about 12pm I have managed to get around 30ml of critical care into her, as well as around 15ml of liquid. She’s resisting quite a bit, but I presume she’s in a lot of pain, and just doesn’t feel like eating or moving.

How long does it take for the meds to kick in and her to start picking up? I’m so worried about her

 

[Wiebke]

My sweet Nelli was seen by the vet this morning, and prescribed Metacam and an antibiotic for her cystitis.

Since this morning, she has been peeing blood, is in obvious discomfort (to the point where she’s waddling when walking as if she had a ball between her legs), and is refusing food - she’s refused hay, and even refused grass which is usually her absolute favourite.

Since about 12pm I have managed to get around 30ml of critical care into her, as well as around 15ml of liquid. She’s resisting quite a bit, but I presume she’s in a lot of pain, and just doesn’t feel like eating or moving.

How long does it take for the meds to kick in and her to start picking up? I’m so worried about her

Antibiotics take several days to gradually build up to optimum efficiency. Please support with feeding top up if she that unwell.
What antibiotic is she on? And what dosage of metacam (cat or dog)?

 

[danuutka]

Antibiotics take several days to gradually build up to optimum efficiency. Please support with feeding top up if she that unwell.
What antibiotic is she on? And what dosage of metacam (cat or dog)?

I’m trying to feed critical care, but she’s really fighting it. She’s also pretty much refusing to move, eat hay or veg, or drink. She just lays there.

We’ve been given baytril, and 1ml of cat Metacam twice a day (usually she’s be on 0.34ml dog Metacam but there’s some factory shortage because of covid)

 

[Wiebke]

I’m trying to feed critical care, but she’s really fighting it. She’s also pretty much refusing to move, eat hay or veg, or drink. She just lays there.

We’ve been given baytril, and 1ml of cat Metacam twice a day (usually she’s be on 0.34ml dog Metacam but there’s some factory shortage because of covid)

Dog metacam is three times stronger than cat metacam, so you are giving Nelli the same amount of metacam.

Baytril can wipe out the gut flora. Please persist with feeding support; you need to be tough at this stage to keep your piggies alive and fight for them every single ml you can get in. It is not pleasant at all, unfortunately. What dosage have you been given?
Please follow the crisis care advice: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Do you have any healthy piggies left? If yes, 'poo soup' is the most effective way of support the gut microbiome as - if made correctly - you are basically transferring live gut microbiome; you can find the information in the crisis care link above.
Sorry, with jumping between too many threads and having literally thousands of piggies pass through here, my memory is just one big mush.

Are you giving glucosamine? It is one of the best healers of problems in the urinary tract.

 

[danuutka]

Dog metacam is three times stronger than cat metacam, so you are giving Nelli the same amount of metacam.

Baytril can wipe out the gut flora. Please persist with feeding support; you need to be tough at this stage to keep your piggies alive and fight for them every single ml you can get in. It is not pleasant at all, unfortunately. What dosage have you been given?
Please follow the crisis care advice: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Do you have any healthy piggies left? If yes, 'poo soup' is the most effective way of support the gut microbiome as - if made correctly - you are basically transferring live gut microbiome; you can find the information in the crisis care link above.
Sorry, with jumping between too many threads and having literally thousands of piggies pass through here, my memory is just one big mush.

Are you giving glucosamine? It is one of the best healers of problems in the urinary tract.

Hi! She is on 0.2 baytril twice a day.

I am also giving her cystease as you suggested.

Yes I do have three other piggies, so I will definitely try the poop soup for her. I have been giving her Fibreplex and Pro-C probiotic

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! She is on 0.2 baytril twice a day.

I am also giving her cystease as you suggested.

Yes I do have three other piggies, so I will definitely try the poop soup for her. I have been giving her Fibreplex and Pro-C probiotic

That is a rather low dose of baytril for a urinary tract infection. If she continues getting worse instead of better then please contact your vet.

 

[danuutka]

That is a rather low dose of baytril for a urinary tract infection. If she continues getting worse instead of better then please contact your vet.

I definitely will. For now, we’ve been given Tramadol and Cisapride to get everything going (Nelli hasn’t produced stool in many hours).

 

[Wiebke]

I definitely will. For now, we’ve been given Tramadol and Cisapride to get everything going (Nelli hasn’t produced stool in many hours).

OK, that puts things a bit more into perspective. All the best!

 

[danuutka]

OK, that puts things a bit more into perspective. All the best!

Oh yes I realise I should’ve given the whole picture.

On Monday afternoon, Nelli was straining/shrieking whilst weeing, and I felt a hard lump near her vulva. This turned out to be a urethral stone, which was removed by manual manipulation using gas sedation. Following the procedure Nelli came home, was a bit out of it, but still willing to nibble on hay and nuggets, and drink. We decided to immediately supplement with CC mixed with probiotic powder, because her poops were a bit “off”.

On Tuesday, she seemed okay, just in a bit of pain. I immediately began giving cystease, and she was taking 1ml cat Metacam 2x a day. She was hesitant to pee, and the pee smelt quite foul.

On Wednesday, she seemed to deteriorate a bit with pain and appetite. We were still syringe feeding and watering her, but noticed she was “leaking” pee rather than doing normal wees, and she STANK. We made a vet appointment for the Thursday morning to have her seen.

Thursday vet appt - diagnosed with cystitis, as a result of the huge stone passing through her urinary tract. Was given Baytril and Metacam to continue, as upon examination there was a pink hue to her urine. Once we got her home, she deteriorated - not wanting to eat/drink, not pooping, walking really weirdly, not wanting to move and producing foul smelling urine with clear blood in it. We called back the vet, who gave us Tramadol and Cisapride to try to help with pain and gut mobility. We are now giving Nelli Critical Care, syringing water, and giving poop soup. We plan to do this regularly throughout the night. She has managed three big wees today (yay for no leaking), but unfortunately all absolutely foul and with clear blood.

 

[danuutka]

Nelli isn’t doing so great. She has dropped around 100g, even though we are syringing her critical care around the clock. We’re getting about 60-80ml in her in every 24 hours.

She is currently on Metacam Cat, Tramadol, Baytril, Cystease and Cerenia, all to try to control the pain she is in because of her cystitis. However over the past 24 hours I have realised that her back teeth are crunching, and she’s wanting to eat but can’t. She will approach food very interested, then pierce it with her front teeth and give up trying to eat it. She does the same with hay, so she hasn’t really had hay since Monday.

We’ve spoken to our exotics specialist, who said we should focus on trying to get rid of the cystitis, so then we can see whether she does have a dental issue, or if it is all somehow linked to the pain of her cystitis. Essentially, if she has dental issues, it would be difficult to do much about it whilst she’s still recovering from cystitis and her stone extraction. She had her teeth checked on Monday too, and they were completely fine.

I’m at my wits end - it’s so heartbreaking because she clearly WANTS to have hay, but something is stopping her. It’s absolutely breaking my heart. I don’t know what else I can do to help, or if it’s just a waiting game whilst all of the medication does it’s thing.

 

[Pigwhisperer]

Sounds like you're doing all you can. Hope the meds kick in soon xx

 

[danuutka]

Sounds like you're doing all you can. Hope the meds kick in soon xx

She had some grass just now, and honestly I cried my eyes out with relief. It’s the first things she’s eaten since Monday by herself

 

[danuutka]

Hello! I just wanted to provide a quick update - amazingly, and miraculously, Nelli seems to have made a full recovery.

Between a urethral stone, cystitis, secondary dental issues and gut stasis, Nelli is loving her best life right now! My sweet girl is eating by herself (good, hay and nuggets), she’s running around happily, wheeking, pooping and peeing with minimal discomfort!

We syringed her every two hours around the clock for five days, so me and my partner are EXHAUSTED and delirious, but it is so worth it after seeing her like this.

 

[Siikibam]

Fabulous news! Long may it continue