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Conjunctivitis And Dental Problems

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Sunnycharlie

Sunnycharlie

Junior Guinea Pig
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My boys are not having a good time. I did post about the eye problems that Adric was having but then my other piggy, Fitz, showed signs of being unwell. I decided to see a vet and managed to get an appointment very quickly. Now, this vet is new to me and, although they come recommended, I have no personal experience of them.

The vet said that Adric has a mild case of conjunctivitis which is probably being made worse by Fitz who keeps licking it. They didn't have eye drops of the right strength so gave him and antibiotic shot. Is this treatment good? I was also told to keep my boys apart for a few days until the eyes recover so Fitz can't lick ithem.

Then he looked at Fitz who was off colour and lethargic. After an examination, he inspected his mouth and said he has dental problems. This is what he wrote down for me, ' Malocclusion of arcades 2 and 3 ( left upper and left lower). Lingual spurs on arcade 3( left lower).'
He gave Fitz a pain killer shot and asked that I book him in to have the spurs removed under general. I have him booked in for Friday.
I got home and started reading this forum about dental issues. The more I read, the more worried I became.
Can anyone re-assure me that my boys are getting the correct treatment?
 
I've just had a look at the receipt from the vet and can't actually see an antibiotic. Metacam is a painkiller I believe. Zantac is for digestion- not sure why that was given? Emeprid- I don't know what that is? Here are the details.

IMG_0725.webp
 
Is anybody there? I am getting increasingly anxious. Adric, who was fit and lively yesterday, is now looking miserable and is refusing food.
 
I have just phoned the vet and they said that Adric did have Convenia ( spelling) as an antibiotic too.
 
If he's outright refusing to eat any food at all (try tempting with a favourite piece of veg?) I would start syringe feeding, there's a few stickies about it. If you don't have anything like critical care you could just do pellet mash or a healthy pig's poo. I don't know too much so hopefully someone else will come along
 
He has refused all veg and he's a piggy who loves to eat. He even refused dried dandelion and that's his favourite treat. I am taking him back to the vet at lunchtime but any advice before then would be good as I do t know what I am doing.
 
Your vets prices are good! But not sure why he gave meds for water retention and tummy problems (emaprid and zantac)
Are there any signs of tummy problems? What are there poos like?
Are ther any signs of water retention ? Puffy joints (swelling ) ?
 
If it were my pig l would ask your vet to get a second opinion !
 
I don't either. I am baffled by the treatment. It was Fitz who had Emeprid and Xantac- he has a dental problem. Adric had Convenia and Metacam. I've just been reading about Convenia on here and I am very unhappy. It looks like it shouldn't be given to piggies at all...
 
I am seeing a different vet at lunchtime but once the medication has been given, it is too late. What do I do?
 
Sunnycharlie said:
I am seeing a different vet at lunchtime but once the medication has been given, it is too late. What do I do?
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Difficult to say wether the meds will do any harm but your new vet should be able to advise
, IT would be a good idea to take poo samples of all your pigs and ask your new vet to do a broad spectrum analysis
 
i would start syringe feeding him,weighting him daily,to check if maintaining weight.i would also maybe ask to speak to the practise manager .is your current vet guinea pig savvy?if you look at the top of page ther is a vet locator which should give you recommended vets in your area.I'm sorry you are having difficulties with your piggies.
 
The piggy with the dental issue was probably given zantac and emeprid to keep the guts moving if there's less food going in because of his teeth- these are safe drugs and you don't need to panic about those, weigh him daily to make sure he is eating enough on his own before his teeth are sorted. The metacam was just an anti inflammatory shot to make him more comfortable.

Convenia is a bit of a risk in a guinea pig, there are plenty of other safer antibiotics for them. Its a long acting antibiotic so please don't allow him to be given anymore.. I'm not sure an antibiotic was actually necessary for a first time vet visit for conjuctivitis. The treatment should have been eye drops in some variation or another. The fact your vet went straight for the convenia shows they really aren't piggy savvy and I wouldn't go back.

Have you checked the recommended vet locator on the forum for a piggy savvy vet near you? You really need the advice of someone knowledgeable as your piggy may deteriorate if he's reacting to this antibiotic badly (it's impossible to say if that's the cause yet but I would be suspicious considering he was fine and now he isn't after been given a risky drug for a piggy.) Time really is of the essence to make sure you have back up if or when your piggy needs further vet attention.

In the meantime please start syringe feeding if he isn't eating at all. Its probably wise to start him on a small animal probiotic to try and prevent any further damage to the gut flora. Examples include pro-c from pets at home or fibreplex from the vet.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Really hope you can get a second opinion soon x
 
There wasn't a vet near me in the vet locator. This one was recommended by a local guinea pig/rabbit rescue centre. I did ask specifically whether they were guinea pig savvy and they said yes but I have to say that I don't think they were telling the truth!
I will get a syringe from the vet today and start feeding him.
I am seeing a more senior vet today so will talk to him.
Does anyone have any comments about the medication they have received?
 
Sunnycharlie said:
There wasn't a vet near me in the vet locator. This one was recommended by a local guinea pig/rabbit rescue centre. I did ask specifically whether they were guinea pig savvy and they said yes but I have to say that I don't think they were telling the truth!
I will get a syringe from the vet today and start feeding him.
I am seeing a more senior vet today so will talk to him.
Does anyone have any comments about the medication they have received?
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Mentioned above. X
 
Right, I've been back to the vet and seen a more senior vet. He seemed to know what he was doing and said that Adric should not have had Convenia. He checked his eye out, put drops in and gave me eye drops. He has given critical care food, fibreplex, syringes and instructions.
He has suggested I write to the practice manager as well. No charge for today's care.
Adric has taken a couple of ml of food from a syringe and then had a short munch on a bit of cucumber. I guess I just keep going and see what happens.
Why oh why couldn't I have seen this vet yesterday?
 
Sunnycharlie said:
Right, I've been back to the vet and seen a more senior vet. He seemed to know what he was doing and said that Adric should not have had Convenia. He checked his eye out, put drops in and gave me eye drops. He has given critical care food, fibreplex, syringes and instructions.
He has suggested I write to the practice manager as well. No charge for today's care.
Adric has taken a couple of ml of food from a syringe and then had a short munch on a bit of cucumber. I guess I just keep going and see what happens.
Why oh why couldn't I have seen this vet yesterday?
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I'm glad you saw a better vet! If you can get some pro-c from pets at home to give 3x a day aswell as the fibreplex he will have the best chance at his guts recovering from the convenia.. I highly recommend it. X
 
Sunnycharlie said:
Does anybody know what his chances are? I need to prepare my children..
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I'm afraid you really just need to ride it out.. the initial eye problem isn't the issue here.. its more if he reacts badly with the convenia in which case he needs some intense nursing until it outs his system. There was an owner on here that was in the same situation as you and she had to ride it out. I dont think her little guy made it BUT he was actually ill to begin with whereas your guy wasnt. Keep weighing him once a day and syringe feeding as per the guide above. Probiotics are a must in this situation to prevent some serious gut complications.. avoiding that situation is key x
 
Isn't the fibreplus a pro- biotic? Does the pro- c have something different?
And thank you for your words. It's re-assuring to talk to someone. X
 
Sunnycharlie said:
Does the pro-c have something the fibreplex doesn't?
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Pro-c has vitamin c which will help boost his immune system and chlorophyll which can help absorb toxins from the system.. as well as having probiotics to maintain good gut health. Fibreplex is a great probiotic too but doesn't have the vit c and chlorophyll. My sow is on a harsh antibiotic at the minute as others have failed to treat her urine infection, she is on pro c every 8 hours and fibreplex every 12 and I'm certain it's the only reason she is tolerating it. She's had an antibiotic from the same family as the one she's on just now and it screwed her guts up majorly in the past x
 
Thanks, I read that earlier. It's not good, is it. I will do my best by my little piggy.

How much pro-c do I use? It says a scoop per 300g of food. Can I just mix a little in with the syringe food?
 
Sunnycharlie said:
Thanks, I read that earlier. It's not good, is it. I will do my best by my little piggy.

How much pro-c do I use? It says a scoop per 300g of food. Can I just mix a little in with the syringe food?
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Yeah you can do that, a generous pinch 3 times a day. You can't really over do it. Any signs of less poos or soft poos then you can increase a bit. The fibreplex is just 1 unit per dose though x
 
We've managed to feed him about 3ml of food three times this afternoon and got a little water down him. He has perked up a little after the feed we've just finished. He's been making happy noises, eating a little hay and had a wander round his cage. He has produced 3 small dry poos and done a wee.
Early days, I know. Fingers crossed for him.
 
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