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Help please

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Help please Up date PLEASE LOOK On page 3

one of my guinea pigs had very soft poo yesterday. It was diarrhoea as such but just soft and stuck to he bum. Took her to the vets, he hecked her temp, which was ok, so he said it was bug and gave her 2 injections.

Well i seperated her from the others, since then she hasn't poohed at all, her bum is still all stuck up with dried poo so i will bath her bum, but she hasn't eaten at all and seems very lathargic!

bit worried about taking her back to the vets as i have had this a couple of times before they end up giving them more injections and they have always died the next day.

Any advice greatly welcomed. Thankyou
 
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get a second opinion...
doesn't have to be from the same practice... you can change vets anytime as you are a customer to them..
What were the injections...
 
She needs to keep eating to keep the guts moving. Tempt her with something tasty, or grass (most will eat this if all else fails).

Feeding just hay for a day and cutting out veg will help with runny poohs. If she's bunged up now then that's probably a result of the injection - find out what it was.

Syringe some fluids down her regularly so that she's not dehydrated. Have you got any pro-biotic (Avi Pro or similar) or Critical Care?

Hope she's ok

Sophie
x
 
the injections were
terramycin/alamycin and Rimadyl

No i have no critical care, the annoying thing is i was looking at it the other day on a website and had planned to buy it but never got round to it.
Shall i risk taking her back to the vets or wash her bum and see how she is tomorrow. I really can't bare the thought of losing her, she was a rescue pig that came to me severly under weight and covered in mites, i have only just got her up to perfect health
 
I don't know much about this, but yes that list is of drugs that shouldn't be used for guineas - is there a rodentologist near you? If not then it might be worth phoning one for advice. Vedra at CCT (Cambridge Cavy Trust) will give advice if needed, if you Google BAR (Bristish Association of Rodentologists) it will bring up her contact details.

Sophie
x
 
Terramycin is listed as not for oral use:
http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1056043#1056043
However it is listed with other safe antibiotics so it should be okay injected. Another medicine - Baytril or Septrin - would be far preferable in my mind though.

Whereabouts do you live? We may be able to advise a more competent vet in your area. If you are in UK, as Sophie said you could also try phoning Vedra to find out if there are any rodentologists/excellent piggie vets near you.

Your piggie really needs fluids and syringe-feeding. If you use plain pellets as dry feed (mixes are much harder to use in this case) soak them in some water to create a pellet mash. Use a 1ml syringe (tip cut off across the barrel) and little by little get some food into her. It will be very slow to start off with, you may only manage 1ml or 2ml for the first few feedings, but you will figure out what works for you and your piggie. The less food you get into her, the more often she will need feeding; the ideal amount for a piggie not eating is 10ml every 3-4 hours.

Good luck, do keep us updated.
 
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thanks for all your replies. I looke at the webiste but there were no phone numbers on it only email!

I live in Arlesey in Bedfordshire. I have just bought some Critical care, i have never used this before. Once i have made up a mixture of this how often do i give it to her and also do i give all the made up mixture? Can i keep it made up or does she need a fresh batch every time she has it?
 
the ideal amount for a piggie not eating is 10ml every 3-4 hours (from CCC4's post), having trouble quoting.

You can keep it made up I think. Hope your little piggie is feeling better soon :)
 
You mix one part Critical Care with 2 parts water, or just experiment until you get the right consistency - some pigs prefer it less runny than others! You can keep it in the fridge for 24 hours (but don't feed it cold from the fridge, add a little warm water or get it to room temp, they prefer it).

I find a good way to feed it is to cut a chunk of cucumber and scoop the inside out with a teaspoon to make a little 'bowl', then fill it with critical care. You can also feed it in a stick of celery, if the pig is eating voluntarily. If not, you'll have to syringe it - look at Guinea Lynx for info on hand feeding, it's got some good advice on there.

I've pm'd you re: CCT

Sophie
x
 
You have been given some good advice so I won't add too much to it to confuse you! I agree with Laura that the AB injected was not ideal but as it was injected may be ok. Baytril or Septrin are the most common ones for guineas but do always ask what your vet is giving and if you are not happy-dont let them! Rimadyl is a painkiller/anti inflammatory.

If your piggy is not pooping, she will have gut stasis and you need to get her gut moving again with syringe feeding as has been said, offer her fave stuff in small pieces by hand and also syringe her a pro biotic such as bio lapis as often as you can or I have used fibreplex which is a paste that is good for this too.

The diahorrea could be caused by a number of things but sometimes just too much greens, it could be a "bug" which does need antibiotic treatment but for now, try and get her gut moving.

Keep us posted!
 
thanks, i have given her 10ml of Critical Care she took most of this. She is slowly pooing but still only a little and just like slop. I have Fibreflex do you thinki should still give her this even though she is ill?

Also were do i get Bio Lapis?

God i have learnt soooo much over this, just shows how sadly ignorant i was before (hangs head in shame)
 
i have just bought some BioLapis fro Vetuk, it was £3 cheaper than else where, just hope it hurrys through.

I have managed to get a few ml of water down her, so feeling a little more happy with her now. I know there is a way to go yet though.

Thankyou everyne for all you helpful advice, i will keep you updated.
 
Vetuk is very quick to post. If you have fibreplex (by protexin who also make bio lapis) use this in the meantime as it is a pre biotic and pro biotic :)
 
by the time i go to bed i will have got 3 lots of Critical care down her with 3 hours in between, what shall i do about the night, shall i still feed her every 3-4 hours during the night? Do i carry on feeding her the CC until she starts to eat?
 
It is best to continue feeding her every 3-4 hours and I would continue syringing the critical care until she starts eating, and then you could reduce it slowly :)
 
She will need Vit C, i give mine half of a 60mg tablet daily when they're ill (couldn't get 30mg). I just pop it into the sides of their mouths & they happily chew it themselves. If she won't you can crush it and add it to her CC. I hope she gets better soon.
 
Ok I have been giving her CC through out the night. She does take a little. There is no change, she has a soft tummy and is warm but she has not even had a soft poo since about 5ish yesterday. What do i do? With rabbits if they stop poohing they can die quickly is this the same for g.p? Shall i take her back to the vets? She still hasn't eaten either.




one of my guinea pigs had very soft poo yesterday. It was diarrhoea as such but just soft and stuck to he bum. Took her to the vets, he hecked her temp, which was ok, so he said it was bug and gave her 2 injections.

Well i seperated her from the others, since then she hasn't poohed at all, her bum is still all stuck up with dried poo so i will bath her bum, but she hasn't eaten at all and seems very lathargic!

bit worried about taking her back to the vets as i have had this a couple of times before they end up giving them more injections and they have always died the next day.

Any advice greatly welcomed. Thankyou
 
Vets can give piggies motility meds to help move the gut along. The most common one is called Reglan, the active ingredient is metoclopromide. Cisapride (Propulsid) is another one I've heard being used. They just help to keep food moving along the gut.

If she's not pooped for 24 hours then she'll need to see the vet for some help. It can take a little while for the food you are getting in her to reach the other end, and often when they do poop it starts off more like hamster droppings joined together, and as the amount of food they take increases the poops return to normal. I found something started reaching the pooping end about 12 hours or so after I started syringe-feeding (bearing in mind I only managed 1-8ml per feeding!).
 
I have taken her back to the vets (tho a different one) she was given 2 lots of Antibiotics(injected) and a gut stimulent. She had lost 200g in one day. The vet doesn't think she will make it. I need to take her back tomorrow evening for a top up of drugs and if she still hasn't eaten or poohed over the weekend then the vet thinks she should be put to sleep.

I am doing everything i can and still continuing to give her CC and fluid by syringe.

Need loads of vibes for this special girl
 
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Hi love i'm so sorry to read this.....i'm way behind i'm sorry :red

As for the critical care makeup i found mixing a little of baby pureed apple helped with watering it down as i found if the piggie was not feeling like eating the cc only it made it more palatable.......each to their own they're so like us they've got their own tastes. I also found warming up via boiled water, carefully as it can end up too hot too quickly OR in microwave oven, same again BE CAREFUL.......i always test with putting my little finger in and making sure it's not too hot, basically you have to think about like feeding a baby if it's too hot, let it cool down! don't worry you'll be find i'm sure xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just try what suits you may find more or less water..... you might find that fed as a little ball of CC is just right if not go for a few diff options like i and others have suggested xx>>>
and yes lots of water if you can too xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
all my very very best to you both xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Do you know what was injected into her this time? Hopefully the gut stimulant will kick in and get her gut moving.

You are doing all you can so keep it up and I am sending lots of healing vibes to her xx
 
yes her teeth were checked and they were fine.

She was injected with Baytril and terramycin/alamycin . The vet thought better to inject Baytril so she will definitley get some in her.

I am giving her the CC in luke warm boiled water rather than cold.
 
Argh Noooo.
I know they say terramycin/alamycin is safe as an injectible but twice in quick succession....
And I have my doubts it won't reek the same havoc on her small body as by oral routes
 
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