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chesney's struggling to eat again

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furryfriends said:
I was really worried that you would think I was angry with either you or your vet! I tried to delete it but couldn't! :))

It is a bit worrying when your vet tries to prescribe 7 mls! And I thought 0.7 was a large dose!
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you don't seem the type to get angry so i did wonder! :))

7mls twice a day, i nearly fainted! :)) me and the two nurses and my o/h all looked shocked but he laughed because he knows what i'm like and that i'd be on the verge of collapse hearing that! :))
 
MORE HEALING WHEEEEEEKS FOR CHES FROM US ALL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

OMG i think i would've fainted if my vet Brendan had said 7ml or even 0.7 :{
HUGS for you love too XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
 
Glynis said:
MORE HEALING WHEEEEEEKS FOR CHES FROM US ALL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

OMG i think i would've fainted if my vet Brendan had said 7ml or even 0.7 :{
HUGS for you love too XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
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:)) i nearly did. :))

just to reassure everyone (even if people still don't agree personally) i have double and triple checked with the vet and it is the correct dose.

he said ches had bad swelling and inflammation aswell as two bad infections so an extended course was given (0.3ml twice a day for ten days) this should have been enough to get him eating normally again but as soon as he came off that dose he couldn't eat hay again and was in discomfort.

so then he's had that ten days of the inflammation with just the edge taken off, so you'd think 'ok, increase the dose slightly) but then you've got another week nearly of extra inflammation on top of that so you need to bring that down and get 'back to the start' (that's what the higher dose is for) then when you get back there, you increase on what he was on (so 0.3ml to 0.4ml which isn't much more)

but if you just went a bit higher you'd never get it under control and 0.3ml wasn't enough for ches, so 0.4ml wouldn't be either as it's not much more. and that was for the original swelling, and now he has that plus another week of it being untreated.

he also said it doesn't stay in their system long (why he does every 12 hours) and also repeated what he has already told me about metacam and peoples worries about the side effects etc ... the warnings about possible kidney damage have to be given because of the group of meds it belongs to. some other meds in this group have caused problems but metacam itself hasn't but they have to give that warning 'just incase'.

he said he's seen hundreds and hundreds of cases like this and he's assured me it's the correct treatment for chesney.

i hope that makes sense and i know some people will be concerned by that (and even some vets! :))) but he's worked at this vets for 24 years and seen many many cases like this he said.

he's also a uni lecturer so all the vets of the future may be like him, be warned! :)):))

i know it's one of those debates where people have different opinions but i know people just have concern for piggies when they hear of these doses their own vet doesn't use. :)

ches seems absolutely fine. he's much happier and eats hay again after having metacam but even on 0.7ml, by about 8+ hours his eating slows down again. so he must be in quite alot of discomfort with hay and crunchy veg.

i hope that reassures some people. i wouldn't go with this advice if i didn't trust this vet. i wouldn't put ches in any danger if i wasn't sure. :)
 
I am very concerned about the high dose, and even more concerned that the vet made the initial mistake of saying 7 mls twice a day. I did wonder if he meant 0.07 twice a day. I know that it doesn't stay in the system long as guinea pigs have such a high metabolism but this still seems incredibly high. As long as you're happy to follow his advice re this, then I would say, please monitor Chesney very carefully.
 
furryfriends said:
I am very concerned about the high dose, and even more concerned that the vet made the initial mistake of saying 7 mls twice a day. I did wonder if he meant 0.07 twice a day. I know that it doesn't stay in the system long as guinea pigs have such a high metabolism but this still seems incredibly high. As long as you're happy to follow his advice re this, then I would say, please monitor Chesney very carefully.
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0.07ml wouldn't be as high as the original dose that didn't work for ches so he didn't mean that. :)

to update - ches is doing really well. no problems on this dose.

the last two days he has really improved and is eating so much more hay and now eating more pellets and can manage all veg. :)

the most change has been in himself though - i didn't realise how quiet he had been when feeling poorly but these last two days he has been sooooo happy. moving round loads, muttering to himself, and just generally looks great - bright eyes again, no squinting and his fur is back to being shiny aswell.

he's such a good boy and takes the metacam no problems. :)

he dropped a bit of weight after the vet visit (as did maisie) probably from the stress of it but he's built it back up and is gaining weight aswell. :)

so going well so far. i'm really pleased with his progress and he goes down to 0.4ml twice a day on thursday. :)
 
i'm really disappointed because ches has started to lose weight again. 8...

the thing i don't understand is that he's the happiest he's been and he's moving round alot. they went outside in the run and he was so happy, running and popcorning.

i don't know what's happened now. but he seems to be eating ok. he's eating all his veg and some pellets and he's loving the green oat hay and dandelion from wilkos aswell. he is eating hay. not as much as normal but still eating enough that we thought he would continue to gain weight.

he lost 20g and then 33g so quite a sudden drop after doing well. 8...

looks like we're speaking to the vet again and back to see what might be wrong. it can only be his teeth really, that makes sense. i guess they have probably grown too long again by now or the gaps are infected again. :{

it just doesn't make sense as he seems so happy and looks well. :( i'm so upset. 8...
 
rather embarrassingly, it seems i over-reacted. :red it must have been the extra exercise in the run outside that made him lose the weight. he spent the whole time running and popcorning.

anyway, he's put the weight back on, plus another 24g today :<>

we had a break through last night aswell. he ate some pellets and had a drink inbetween each one. his usual routine is pellet water pellet water! :)) he hasn't done this since before the dental. :) then, he was so proud he popcorned! x)

he is also eating longer strands of hay now and choosing them over the plate of shorter strands i put in for him!

i thought it seemed strange he was so happy yet lost weight. and i just panicked.

this morning i just looked at him and instantly knew he had gained weight. he looks much 'rounder' now. it's like overnight there has been a step forward.

so sorry for worrying! rolleyes:))

he really is doing well. and he's on 0.4ml metacam now and he takes about 0.6ml of water after that. x
 
That's brilliant news! Do you ever put a big chunk of long hay in their cage/hutch? My piggies used to tunnel inside it & eat their way out lol! Maybe it would encourage him to eat more? Just a thought :)
 
I hope Ches feels better!
Wheeks from my pigs and, whatever sounds rabbits make from my bunz, for getting well soon. (:
 
ches has gained another 37g! :<> the most he has gained in one day has been 24g before this so 37g is amazing! :)
 
happy to say - another 17g gain! :)

and tomorrow he goes down to 0.2ml twice a day of metacam and that's his last week on metacam! :)
 
just came on to let you know that today is chesneys last day on metacam and he is still keeping his weight stable. i'm a bit nervous that he's coming off the metacam but fingers crossed he will be ok.

his weight is fairly stable although he weighs less than he did originally, although that's not so bad as he was too big for his frame. he's a nice weight now and looks really well and is eating all foods and hay normally.
 
really happy because ches is off metacam now and still exactly the same. and he has gained 15g today. i'm really happy with how he's done and lets hope he continues to be fine. really happy. :<>

thanks for all the help and advice and well wishes for ches. x
 
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