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sick piggy - need advice!

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Pet Comforts

Please read this to see if your piggy has had these symptoms and you can help decipher what is wrong! Thankyou

Bud is 10 mth old and overnight last week became ill.

He is: Lethargic, too much trouble to hold his head up or can't hold head up properly. Depressed sort of
hardly eating, even his favourite veggies, or drinking
lost weight
his eyes are sunken and he looks out of just slits. Also a bit crusty in corners
cannot walk properly seems to drag his back right leg, doesn't stand on his toes but rather they bend under, (although this changes)

I rushed him to the vets immediately and they kept him in for two days on a drip because he was dehydrated. the vet gave him tablets for pain relief and fungal medicine in case of infection. The xray ruled out broken leg, back injury or bladder stones, or obstruction of any kind.
He has been on these tablets and medicine since last Tuesday and is no better.

The vet has kept him in again and is now treating him with different antibiotics.

The vet doesn't know what is wrong. She said he now has lesions in his mouth but his teeth are fine. The fungal medicine should have conquered this!

Thankyou for reading and please reply if you can help at all.
Sam x
 
Hi Sam,

Has Scurvy been ruled out? I had a pig like this and he was treated for a URI but he wasn't showing all the signs of having breathing problems. Because your pig isn't eating it could well be scurvy http://www.guinealynx.com/scurvy.html.

Hope Bud does get better. I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I can advise you further. :)

Louise
x
 
Sorry I can't help at at all , just wanted to say I'm willing your little one better :-*
 
I have never had a piggy with these exact symptoms,but have had pigs with some of them.The problem is all of these symptoms together or just one or 2 of them,could be indicative of several things.

What you describe could well be caused by dehydration,which your vet has already treated for.It is possible he has had a stroke.,but recovery from this is normally within 3 days.

What is the fungal medication the vet gave,it is highly unlikely that this is a fungal problem,although of course,one cannot completely rule out a systemic fungal problem.

What area are you in?.Your vet does seem to be trying but I wonder if a second opinion from a piggy expert vet would be helpful.

Sorry I cannot help more,but this is a very complex problem.
 
I'm i to am unable to help sorry :'(

i'm so glad Mary has answered you she is one of the best advisors on here O0 :smitten:
try to give her as much info as you can, this will help her or even better could your bet speak or list the possibilities to Mary :-\

Crossing all paws for your piggie :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Can you syringe feed to help even mushed up oxbow pellets is great but remember to rehydrate as well :)
 
Thanks for your advice.

The vet is supposed to be guinea pig expert?
Surely the dehydration is because he is hardly eating/drinking and not the root problem.

I thought it might be scurvy/vitamin c deficiency but honestly he eats more veggies than my son. Shan't rule it out though.

Also his wee is a little pinkish so showing signs of little blood in his wee.

The fungal medicine was to counteract any infection anywhere.

Thanks everyone

Sam
 
i think Mary and the others will mention UTI :(

you need a vet and medication for this love O0
i'm sure you'll get more advice and i'm wishing you all again the very very best :smitten:
 
Yes,UTI is possible,so is renal stone.I know your vet has ruled this out but stones do bot always show up on x ray.Septrin is the best anti-biotic for UTI.You say your vet has been giving more than one antibiotic,do you know what they are?.
 
Thanks Mary
I'm going to phone again in a little while.
What shall I say or ask?
 
Ask precisely what medications have been given,you do have the right to know.Ask if UTI has been considered.
 
Hi
Had a chat to vet. I live in West Midlands, Dudley

Although has little blood in wee the urine test doesn't show any sinister signs of UTI. And also xray again no signs.
He has been on Intra-fungal antibiotic and Naracup for pain and is now on Batril antibiotics. They seem to think he is colic(y) and is tender on his tummy, said he is a little bloated so is on Dentrinox for that.

Has ate a few veggies this morning and his poo has gone back to normal size, it was quite small before but I put that down to the medicines.

Going to keep him in
 
I have not heard of the drugs you have mentioned,what are the active ingredients?. You could be right in thinking that it is one of,or a combination of the drugs that is causing the gut problems.

We have to err on the cautious side with antibiotics because some are not suitable for gps,and some are downright toxic.
 
I would guess at fungal mouth problem.

What breed/type is this guinea? Can you post a pigture please?
 
Hi
Bud is still in the vets. I can pick him up tea-time. Hope he is sorted now! Assistant said he is ok to bring home and they have checked his teeth?
I thought they did that last week?

He is a Merino and his picture is my pic icon thingy

Do you think I should have to pay the vet bill for last week's tablets being as they didn't work?
I wonder what the bill will be for this week?

Just hope he is better now.

I'll keep you posted.

Sam
 
when you go ask for a complete run down of the costs and if you are not happy don't be frightened to question it you have nothing to lose
Good luck and I am glad you are picking him up and he is feeling better fingers crossed for him to continue to do well O0
 
Pet Comforts said:
Hi
Bud is still in the vets. I can pick him up tea-time. Hope he is sorted now! Assistant said he is ok to bring home and they have checked his teeth?
I thought they did that last week?

He is a Merino and his picture is my pic icon thingy

Do you think I should have to pay the vet bill for last week's tablets being as they didn't work?
I wonder what the bill will be for this week?

Just hope he is better now.

I'll keep you posted.

Sam
Click to expand...

You had the tablets so I guess you should pay, but you could ask :)

I take it he's not a Satin Merino then?

All I think of is a fungal mouth problem leading to lack of vitamins, sorry :)
 
If it is a fungal problem,these can take a long time to cure. The reason your vet checked the teeth again is that overgrown molars can overgrow again in a week or less.
 
Hi

I went to vets and basically they still don't know what's wrong.

She said he is a very poorly piggy and doesn't think he is going to get any better. So I cried and cried and cried.

I obviously don't want to even think about putting him to sleep so I've brought him home to carry on with the nurse care myself and see how he goes.

How do I treat fungal mouth infection? He has been on two different antibiotics for fungal infections and they have not worked. How long should the antibiotics be administered for?

The vet want to give me till the weekend to make a decision?

Help!
 
Have you tried Daktarin oral gel?,t5his is effective against fungal infections in the mouth.Put a ppea size blob on a cotton bud and gently wipe the gel round the inside of the mouth.Prevent the piggy for eating for about 15 minutes after application to give the gell a chance to work.Do this 3 times a day for a week,then cut down to twice a day for a week.

The Neem toothpaste can be used in the same way.,but try the daktarin first.
 
Daktarin oral gel is brilliant with fungal mouth problems. Vedra at the CCT recommended this for one of my piggies and went on to live several more years and this was after the Vet had all but given up on him.
 
Yes, Daktarin is very good. I don't know how it would compare to Neem or if you could use it as well as Neem- ask Chrissie.
 
Oh I am so sad for you.
Malaseb foam/lotion is very good to wipe on the sores. Active ingredients may be found in other products. They are chlorhexidine gluconate an miconazole nitrate.
The Baytril is a good antibiotic, but you could also ask to switch to Bactrim (tribrissen) which possibly a little better.
Your pig is a little fighter! others might not have survived those symptoms for so long.
Look, I am not a big fan of them (for other reasons), but guinealynx is a the expert cavy health board. If you post symptoms there, you will get really knowledgeable advice, quickly and plentifully.
To keep its strength up I would syringe water with cranberry juice (for lots of Vit C) regularly. And also make up some critical care.
Lots of luck!
 
Hi everyone

Thanks to everyone for all your advice I really appreciate it.

He has really picked up today, he is still really poorly but definitely better.

He wants to eat, gets the desire then changes his mind. I'm syringe feeding him baby carrot food at the moment which he seems to love, but he soon gets tired.
He is drinking all his glucose drink and having his Daktarin oral gel.
He has 1/2 tablet left off vet and nearly all his Fungal medicine has gone!

If I can just build him up a little each day! I know he is still possibly critical but today he has shown hope! He has even been interested in his hay today and left his bed to use the toilet.

There's No Place Like Home :)
 
Hi

I shall get some of that oxbow Thanks

The glucose drink is off the vet to build his fluid intake up I think. He has 2 x 0.5ml a day. He does love it I must admit. I have also put a little cranberry juice in his water today.

Sam x
 
Although I know I don't know much about what is going on with Bud, I'm saying a little prayer for him to get well soon! I'm glad he's a little better. I hope he gets better everyday. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'm sending little Bud get well wishes from New York......
:smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Thanks to everyone

Bud is now at the Guinea Pig Hospital CCT at Cambridge. Vedra is brilliant.
She seems to think its a human fungal spore that's caused the problem and that's why the guinea pig fungal medicine hasn't worked. She is keeping him on the ward till he is better.
How encouraging that was to hear- till he's better! She is texting me on Thursday evening, Missing him already :(

I shall keep you posted
Sam
 
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