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Heart Disease

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jasandcinders

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Hi - I am new to this forum and was hoping for advice or other members experiences.

Jasmine is our 5 year Guniea and 2 weeks ago in the evening started breathing very heavily and making a hooting noise. I took her the next day to the vets and they said it could either be Pneumonia or a heart problem. They initally gave her Baytril but after 5 days she was still making the noise. I took her back and they said they could trial her with Frusol and Fortekor for heart disease. 1/5th of a tablet and 0.15ml Frusol.

She has always eaten, drunk lots and going to the loo normally and still is. She seems happy and is foraging and cuddling up to her sister. However 9 days on the treatment and with the exception of 3 random days, the hooting and heavy breathing is still with her, although her breathing seems more calm. She is washing a lot and occasionaly chatters her teeth even though she seems content as hasn't got the swagger that normally goes with chattering teeth. Her weight seems the same although my scales aren't great. I am giving her directic foods like Parsley, Cucumber and celery along with their usual veggies and Dry food.

I have to take her back next Tuesday to the vets next Tuesday and I know that they will say it's best to say goodbye as she is quite an old lady. I certainly would never let an animal suffer in any way but Jasmine is a beloved faimly pet and I don't want to give up on her when everything else seems o.k.

Has anyone else had a piggie that has hooted for so long. The vet was understanding but I don't think she has had many cases with Guinea's with heart problems. She did look in her mouth too to see if there was anything lodged but Jasmine had a lot of food debris there.

I have done a lot of reading up and the views regarding how quickly Guineas respond to the meds she's on varies from 3 days up to 2 weeks.

Any advice anyone has with a hooting Guinea would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Thanks - the Vet has been great and is one that the CCT recommended when out other Guinea had a huge abcess when she a baby. She didn't want to do an xray as she would need to have a anesthetic to do one. Have had everything crossed an just hope for an improvement.

Gayle x
 
i currently have a pig that hoots, he seems to do it all the time, and seems louder when he is eating. I took him to the vets, and they checked all the usual but everything else seemed fine.

I have also had a piggy that was treated for about 3 months for uri that turned into pneumonia. On his last day his breathing was awful, it was like he was totally gasping for air and was so distressing to see. The vet i saw advised that he could have always had an underlying heart problem and the uri had make it come to a head, sadly we agreed the best thing was for him to be helped on his way.

She also told me that something under his chin suggested heart problems but i was too upset to take it in, perhaps someone else could clarify on that. Something to do with the sack or fluid within the big baggy bit under the chin.

I really hope Jasmine pulls through for you, and five is a good age. Sadly my Salt was only 3 1/2 and taken way too soon :(
 
This is exactly what I have just been going through with my elderly sow! I have also been prescribed almost the same medication as well.

One of things I have been using is a small drop of Bachs Rescue Remedy behind her ears every day as she seemed to be worse when stressed or excited. In addition I use 'Nose Relief' a Homeo Pet solution which seems to help.

Mine expressed the same symtpons and it was very distressing to the point I thought I was going to lose her. The good news is after ten days she has started to get better and she has not hooted badly for 3 days but interestingly she hooted a tiny amount last night when we did their claws and she got 'excited'.

Take advice from your vet but when I was very upset and suggested it was kinder to PTS she was of the opinion we should keep on going and give it time and so far she has been right.

I wish you so much luck and healing vibes as I have found it all very very stressful...and the vet had many a tearful conversation with me :(
 
Given that you have a vet who so quickly agreed to heart meds after trying the antitbiotics, I think it highly unlikey they will recommend PTS. You are lucky in having access to such a knoweldgeable piggie vet (are they in Herts by any chance?)

It takes a while to adjust the heart med dosages to suit the piggie - some need more than others and you may need to make regular visits to the vet over the next few weeks until the correct dosage is decided upon.
From what you say I would speculate that your current dosages are quite low. 1/5 tablet of fortekor normally equates to 0.5mg. How much does she weigh?

The standard dose for piggies as recommened on guinea lynx is 1mg/kg fortekor and 2mg/kg furosemide/frusol - but in the early stages a higher dose of frusol diuretic is often given to clear the accumulated fluid before dropping back to a routine 2mg/kg dose.

Hopefully at your next visit, if she hasn;t improved, they will adjust the dosage.

HTH
x
 
Hi ... Thanks for your advice Guinea Slave and doglovinpiggylover. I'm sorry you're having an upsetting time too. May try the bachs for Jasmine as you can audibly hear her heart beating quicker when she sees food and gets picked up for a cuddle ( May give it a go too ) hope things improve for your guineas and thanks again. X
 
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Hi Pebbles. It's a vets in Colchester ... Colne Valley-and they were quick to put her meds for which I'm grateful. Jasmine was 1.07 last week and my scales are not reliable but she doesn't seem to have lost any weight. I thought maybe a bit low on the dosage by looking at websites like guinealynx. I hope you're right about pts but she did say it may be the option if no improvement. I think i will ask them about the dosage to see if she picks up. She has moments when the hooting is barely the and here breathing much less laboured. I appreciate everyone's help and glad I found this site. Thank you
 
jasandcinders said:
Hi ... Thanks for your advice Guinea Slave and doglovinpiggylover. I'm sorry you're having an upsetting time too. May try the bachs for Jasmine as you can audibly hear her heart beating quicker when she sees food and gets picked up for a cuddle ( May give it a go too ) hope things improve for your guineas and thanks again. X
Click to expand...

No problem at all...I am thinking of buying a barrel of Bachs Rescue remedy for myself and guineas!
 
Has anyone using Frusol (the diuretic) noticed their piggies getting very wet around their bottom? My poor girl seems to get this badly, she is on extra fluids as prevention for bladderstones but I was'nt sure if the wet bottom is normal or just relates to the extra fluid she has to have combined with the diuretic? Will ask vet tonight but would be interested if anyone else is seeing this?
 
An update on Jasmine.

I have just got back from our vet today and Jasmine is making good progress on her heart meds. As her hooting was not getting any better, I started To give her between 2 and 2.5ml of twice a day for the last few days. Her hoot has changed to a much quieter chirpy / squeak and her heart beat is much more regular.

She has always eaten well and drinks a lot but her old self is returning, much more confident and alert. She's maintained her weight well.
Jasmine was 1.09 when we first took her 3weeks ago and is now 1.06 which is great considering how poorly she has been

Our vet has been fantastic and I would really recommend them to anyone. My 2 guineas have just turned 5 and have thankfully been quite healthy up until this summer and when they were babies.

My other old girl is Cinderella and when she was a few months old I found a huge lump in her throat. I took he to the vet where we go her and he basically wrote her off say she had 3 lumps and he would have cut them out and didn't think she'd survive. I wasn't having it so I contacted the lovely Vedra who put me in touch with Colne Valley vets and said Ben could make a quick incision and squeeze the yuk out without anaesthetic. The other lumps were her glands ! It was successful and with me flushing the wound twice daily and a dose on Ab's she was perfect. Cinderella was very poorly in July and August, was not feeding or drinking , not pooping or weeing and and refused to walk, just pancaked in her corner or snuggled up with Jasmine. I took her to Colne Valley and the vet was perplexed but put her on a course on ab's but she didn't initially improve. I took her back and they thought maybe it was neurological. They gave metacam incase she was in pain and therefore not walking. A few days later she was back to normal. Still not sure what caused it.

I have got another months meds for Jasmine and the frusol has been increased should she need it and will take her back for a review. Who knows how much time we have with our sweet little girls but I am thankful for the help our vets have given both of them and for all the advice I have been given on this forum. I hope it all works out for Jasmine and all the other guineas and their owners who are having a rough time at the moment.


X X X X
 
aw thats great news about Jasmine, well done for acting quick, hope she continues to improve.

How awful about the '3 lumps', when you think you could have just taken their word for it and lost her and here she is all these years later.

mallethead
 
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