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Bloat medication

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katiepops

katiepops

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Can someone remind me which order you should give Zan tac and Emeprid please?
Piglet's in pain with her arthritis and although was eating fine last night this mornng it was very clear she wasn't feeling well, she was hunched up in the corner, didn't want to eat anything and had become very bloated, probably because she hadn't moved or eaten all night.
She had a Rimadyl and Emeprid injection at the vets this afternoon and I've got Emeprid (oral) and Zan tac syrup to start tomorrow. She did tell me you give them 10 minutes apart but I can't remember which way round. Can anyone help?
I've started her on Critical Care, goodness that's not easy trying to get her to take that! We've just managed 5ml and I was starting to get the hang of it on the last couple of syringes so I'll try again in an hour, we were both a bit stressed after that!
 
I've always given them together and never been told otherwise! you could give the emeprid first and the zan-tac second as the emeprid stimulates the foregut and zan-tac the hindgut. Alternatively, you could call your vet and ask :))
 
Thank you, I managed to find the notes from last year when Gerry was having problems with bloat. It is indeed Emeprid first then 15 minutes later for the Zan tac. Something to do with Emeprid reducing the gas and Zan tac stopping it building up again I think so ideally you give the first chance to start working before the second.
All three of the vets I've seen albeit at the same practice have said this each time.

Good news, Piglet heard me rattling the hay bag when I was cleaning out and came for a look then tucked in when I gave her some. I think the massage helped, I couldn't get the massage pillow to work which is a pain, even when I put new batteries in but she happily sat on the sofa watching TV while I got some lovely farts out of her!
 
I sandwich mine between syringes of critical care and always make sure there is a cushion of CC in the stomach first before i give the drugs.

So as an example:
First 2ml of CC
Then emeprid - fore-gut stimulant
Them more CC
Then zan-tac - hind gut stimulant (but also helps protect the stomach)
Then more CC


After 10-20mins I then Add any other drugs (inc metacam antibiotics etc) ..again snadwiching bewteen syringes of CC....my reasoning in that the motility drugs go in first otherwise they rush the other drugs through too quickly and they don;t get a chance to act....

.... this is just my way of doing things - it;s not based on anything my vet has said as we have never discussed the order when giving multiple medications....

HTH
x
 
gentle healing and loving wheeeeeeeeeeeeks for little piglet from us all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 
Thank you all. That's great Pebble, I did that this morning. She's clearly feeling much better I had a little piece of lettuce and cucumber in a bowl on the sofa which was for Matilda to have after her medicine but Piglet spotted it, strolled across the sofa and helped herself! I did tell her she's not meant to be having veggies but I was so please she wanted to eat something I let her, it was only a tiny piece of each (to take the taste away!)
She put up quite a fight with the CC, I got up in the night to feed her and massage her tummy and my thumb got in the way in my sleepiness so instead of her biting the syringe she bit me, wow it hurt!
She's munching on a little hay now and was out eating when I came down this morning which is such a change from yesterday morning. Her tummy was still bloated but no where near as tight as in the night.
 
Poor Piglet, Bloat is so scary. Hope she gets well soon x
 
She's on the mend! She decided syringe feeding is not for her, head butted it out the way and stuck her head in the bowl of critical care. Her white nose isn't very white now and she decided to wipe her chin on my arm and the cushion but I've never been more relieved! Now I'm just trying to decide whether she's going to be ok tomorrow night if I go to work. I'm due to be working 3pm - 11pm, do I risk it? My boss let me take today as a holiday day so I could stay with her. I can do the same again tomorrow if I can find cover.
 
I decided not to go to work again today. She'd been doing so well but we didn't have a great night. I checked on her at 5am and her tummy was very bloated again so I sat massaging her for about 30 minutes. She's been better through the day and joined the wheeks when I went in the garden so I brought her back a dandelion leaf which she gobbled down. She's eating hay and dried food and poops are looking a better size now so food's going in. She's just so up and down.
I'm back at the vets on Monday afternoon with Matilda for her post op check and Piglet will be going with her as well for a check up by our usual vet.
I'm not sure what the long term prognosis is for Piglet if she keeps having problems with her arthritis. :(
 
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