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Bloat Diagnosed! Healing Vibes And Advice Needed

Piggy mum

Piggy mum

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all

My pig pinky has been very lethargic recently but has been eating and drinking good amounts off all his usual types of foods, so took him to the vet today. She done an X-ray and has diagnosed him with bloat, and prescribed him theee times a day metaclopramide.

I am going to try the massaging and get some gripe water, but wondered if there was anything else that I could do? He is still eating and drinking, but I’m so worried about him! Think he needs some love and healing vibes :hug:
 
Piggy mum said:
Hi all

My pig pinky has been very lethargic recently but has been eating and drinking good amounts off all his usual types of foods, so took him to the vet today. She done an X-ray and has diagnosed him with bloat, and prescribed him theee times a day metaclopramide.

I am going to try the massaging and get some gripe water, but wondered if there was anything else that I could do? He is still eating and drinking, but I’m so worried about him! Think he needs some love and healing vibes :hug:
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Please ask your vet for zantac (ranitidine), which is the most effective medication against acute bloat, as well as metacam against the acute discomfort that bloat causes. Metoclopramide or emeprid and zantac work on different areas of the digestive tract; we now recommend to ask your vet for both when dealing with a tummy upset, whether that is bloat, GI stasis or diarrhoea. Gripe water can help disperse gas bubbles, but its effect is limited.

Please take your piggy off all fresh food and supplement with syringe feed and water to make sure that it is getting enough fibre. Hay is making up to 80% of the daily food intake and you cannot control that. You still want to see a healthy output of normal sized poos; please be aware that it can take more than a day for them to come through.
You can find all the detailed tips on caring for bloated piggy, including various methods of massaging in this care guide here: Bloat, Gi Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
Wiebke said:
Please ask your vet for zantac (ranitidine), which is the most effective medication against acute bloat, as well as metacam against the acute discomfort that bloat causes. Metoclopramide or emeprid and zantac work on different areas of the digestive tract; we now recommend to ask your vet for both when dealing with a tummy upset, whether that is bloat, GI stasis or diarrhoea. Gripe water can help disperse gas bubbles, but its effect is limited.

Please take your piggy off all fresh food and supplement with syringe feed and water to make sure that it is getting enough fibre. Hay is making up to 80% of the daily food intake and you cannot control that. You still want to see a healthy output of normal sized poos; please be aware that it can take more than a day for them to come through.
You can find all the detailed tips on caring for bloated piggy, including various methods of massaging in this care guide here: Bloat, Gi Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
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Thanks, I’ll give the vets a call to ask about the ranitidine. He still seems to be pooping a lot, and they look a normal size. I have left him with a large mound of hay and he’s eating his way through that quite well. Just so devastated this has happened, and I don’t know why!
 
Piggy mum said:
Thanks, I’ll give the vets a call to ask about the ranitidine. He still seems to be pooping a lot, and they look a normal size. I have left him with a large mound of hay and he’s eating his way through that quite well. Just so devastated this has happened, and I don’t know why!
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In this case you are not dealing with severe bloat, so please take a deep breath and stop panicking!

Bloat happens when it happens; it is not a sign of bad ownership.

Please take the time to read the guide. You should find it helpful.
 
Just wanted to add some support, I got through a bout of bloat by doing what Wiekbe said. You will get there - don't panic. It did lead me to reassess the veg I give them and my 2 bloat prone pigs have done much better.
 
Thank you so much for all your support- gave the vets a call and she said that if the metoclopeamide isn’t helping by tomorrow night to go back and then she will give the ranitidine. Giving him his first syringe feed- wish me luck!
 
I've never had to syringe feed but I understand it can get quite messy! Good luck try not to get more food on you than in your piggie! Good luck!
 
Katiedid said:
See you are a pro at it - you kept more in that out! it may be easier (if you have sandpaper) to cut the end of the syringe and gently sand the rough edges off so you have a bigger hole and can suck it up more easily.
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I’m using human oral syringes from my work, so the holes are pretty big- otherwise agreed- it is too difficult with a tiny hole!
 
Piggy mum said:
Thank you so much for all your support- gave the vets a call and she said that if the metoclopeamide isn’t helping by tomorrow night to go back and then she will give the ranitidine. Giving him his first syringe feed- wish me luck!
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If he is still eating on his own, you just offer him as much as he will take. ;)
 
So today Pinky is a lot better after following all the advice- he’s still a bit bloated but nowhere near as bad as he was. Thank you guys for all your help over this :hug:
 
Pinky’s still bloated today, his belly seems bigger today after I felt we were getting somewhere :no: how long have other people experienced their pigs having bloat for? Can it sometimes take weeks to fully recover? I’ve been syringe feeding him in place of giving him veggies, but he’s still having mostly hay and some pellets. Going back to the vets tonight as he’s nearly out of metaclopramide and he’s in pain today.
 
Katiedid said:
It can come and go and yes it took weeks. Just as I thought she was ok it would be back.
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Hope she’s ok now? He’s so desperate to eat veggies, I didn’t realise his cage mate had left some pepper in one of the hideys and he’s accidentally eaten it, I hope he’ll be ok!
 
Pinky was a lot better all of this week, no bloat, until yesterday afternoon :no: spent the whole night syringe feeding him as he was in so much pain again and not eating much. Took him to the vets this morning and he’s now staying there to have Metoclopramide, ranitidine injections, pain relief and syringe feeding.. I’m so devastated and he desperately needs everyone’s wishes, prayers and good vibes to get through this :hug::hug:
 
Katiedid said:
Bless him - healing vibes on the way. I am so sorry, bloat sucks like that. Just when you think you are free of it.
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Thanks. Definitely sucks- I just hope he pulls through this and can figure out if there’s something that’s causing the bloat. I also hope they give him love and Attention whilst he’s there! His cagemate is sad already :soz:
 
Janice C said:
How is Pinky now? X
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He was eating some hay at the vets when I took him this morning which was a good sign, and he did a poo before we left the house! Waiting for a call from the vet at 12 with an update x
 
Piggy mum said:
Thanks. Definitely sucks- I just hope he pulls through this and can figure out if there’s something that’s causing the bloat. I also hope they give him love and Attention whilst he’s there! His cagemate is sad already :soz:
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Been thinking about him.
Fingers crossed.
 
Went to take some toys and hay to pinky at the vets and I got to see him... he seems to be doing a bit better and not in half as much pain which is great. He was eating some hay and is accepting plenty of the syringe feed they give him
 
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