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My poor fluffy - sudden laboured breathing

Jaycey said:
@Prasiddha Thats how I usually give tablets. Cut them into the correct dose, grind them between two spoons and then dissolve in 1ml of water. I'd then syringe it to them.

Ace was a strange pig though, he used to just eat the tablets. I did give him so water in a syringe afterwards though to keep him hydrated.
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thank you @Jaycey your help means a lot to me.
 
She is eating ... but not herself... due to laboured breathing, she is chewing very slow. Should I start feeding her mashed pellets every one hour?
 
@Prasiddha If she is struggling then giving her mashed pellets will help. You can see is she wants to eat them herself before stepping in and syringe feeding.

When I've had a pig that has struggled with eating because of breathing issues I've always made sure they have a constant supply of food available so they always have something to eat, no matter how long it takes.
 
Prasiddha said:
And any suggestion friends. At present I have given her only one dose. How long should I wait to know if these medicines are working on her.

And since she isn't eating much on her own, shall I feed her with critical care.

View attachment 90176View attachment 90177View attachment 90178
Can I buy this product? Is it good for them?
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This is a great product. There is also a fine grind version which mixes to a thinner paste.

But, most pigs don't like it and don't willingly eat it themselves. Most prefer softened pellets.
 
Thank you @Jaycey . At present I made sure she is surrounded by plenty of food. As soon as I posted the query, I tried feeding her mashed pellets but she wasn't willing to have it from me. I placed the mashed pellets in a plate she had little from that. I will buy this critical care food immediately. Also will start syringe feeding her with little water every hour till she feels better. How long will it take for her to improve and her breathing to get normal?
 
@Prasiddha It's impossible to know exactly but I would expect to see signs within 24 hours. But it could be a few days before it has enough of an impact to make a difference to her breathing.
 
Fluffy started eating much better than yesterday. But she still has laboured breathing. Also one of her eyes look little crusty and every time she eats she closes that eye. She has had three dosage of the medicine till now. What should I do? Doctor said in his last meeting to give the medicine for 10 days and come. Is she in pain?
 
I am feeling miserable when I see her in this state. Hearing these symptoms do you all feel she is getting worse? Could there be any other issue? Since the vet said nothing other than heart issue when I met him last time.
 
New update friends,

She is doing better now. Also eating well and walking around. Her eye looks fine at present. Also started cleaning herself. Her laboured breathing is very mild now.

Bad news is benace 5mg (benazepril) has stopped in our country. When I called my vet he said I had no clue this drug is no more available in our country. So please continue with enalapril. I read online in guinea lynx that 'enalapril could cause kidney damage'. Is it true? My vet claimed there is no such thing. Could anyone of you who visits there vet in near future can get me information on the usage of enalapril?
 
A small help @Jaycey was Ace having any special diet. Like any vegetable or fruit to avoid?
 
I was told that about Enalapril a few years ago. However, if she needs the heart meds then you have no choice, it is better that she is on them so she is comfortable now and who knows what will happen in the future.
 
Prasiddha said:
New update friends,

She is doing better now. Also eating well and walking around. Her eye looks fine at present. Also started cleaning herself. Her laboured breathing is very mild now.

Bad news is benace 5mg (benazepril) has stopped in our country. When I called my vet he said I had no clue this drug is no more available in our country. So please continue with enalapril. I read online in guinea lynx that 'enalapril could cause kidney damage'. Is it true? My vet claimed there is no such thing. Could anyone of you who visits there vet in near future can get me information on the usage of enalapril?
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Lots of medications have risks, just like human medication. Metacam is a commonly used pain relief for piggies and that has a risk to their kidneys too. The majority of medications are not licensed for pigs so vets like to warn us of the issues and have us sign a waiver form.
 
Jaycey said:
Lots of medications have risks, just like human medication. Metacam is a commonly used pain relief for piggies and that has a risk to their kidneys too. The majority of medications are not licensed for pigs so vets like to warn us of the issues and have us sign a waiver form.
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thank you @Jaycey i get it now that many medicines have their own risks. Let me continue with medication. She is showing recovery signs. Looks like the medicine is working out.
 
Poor you, Prasiddha! I'm sorry to hear poor Fluffy is having trouble again, but your piggies are so incredibly lucky to have such a caring and attentive mummy. :) Sending lots of hugs to you! I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you - and so do Jasmine and Pickle!
 
Jaycey said:
Enalapril can be used instead @Prasiddha . You mentioned above that you have Lotensin, that's a brand name of Benazapril.

Try not to worry too much. Shes already on good medication and the diuretic should make a difference to her at least for the weekend.

I had a pig who was in heart medicine for 2 years and he did really well. When he passed away it wasn't heart related.
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Lotensin is another brand name for benazapril (as explained in my post), so you are giving it already! :tu:
 
@Wiebke The confusion was over the suitability of Enalapril as Lotensin is now discontinued in Prasiddha's country so it can't be used in future :)

So many drugs have similar names it's easy to get confused, I know I do sometimes :mal:
 
Jaycey said:
@Wiebke The confusion was over the suitability of Enalapril as Lotensin is now discontinued in Prasiddha's country so it can't be used in future :)

So many drugs have similar names it's easy to get confused, I know I do sometimes :mal:
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Sorry, medication is not my speciality. Thank you for taking over!
I am currently a little frazzled myself after losing piggy #3 in less than two weeks today.
 
Wiebke said:
Lotensin is another brand name for benazapril (as explained in my post), so you are giving it already! :tu:
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No there was misunderstanding... I communicated it wrong. The doctor prescribed lotensin/benace (both are brand names for benazepril. But later wen I searched in the pharmacies to get the drug, I understood we don't get benazepril in our country. We get only enalapril.

No issues @Wiebke you are undergoing so much. Please take care of urself. You have always been my support.

And thank you once again @Jaycey
 
Some new issue... I am feeling so sad now 😭

Please have a look at her skin.. few places of her skin under her fur looks like this. She has drastic hair loss but no bald spots till now. All my piggies are treated for static Lice with ivermectin. Only one dosage has been given. The second dosage is due tomorrow. What could this be. When I spread her fur to take this pictures she was whining. Please help friends.
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I wanted to know this whining was due to pain so took each of my other guinea pig and observed their skin closely. All my other piggies skin was good and fur also good health. But all my piggies whinned when I spread their hair on their sides and back to observe the skin. Only my aggressive icy whinned a tiny bit and when I continued spreading his hair to the observe his skin, he bit me and ran away. Could this whining be due to discomfort/ dislike or could it be due to pain?
 
@Prasiddha My pigs whinge when I ruffle their hair the wrong way as they don't like it.

What is the problem with the skin as I can't tell from the photos? Is it the black parts of the skin? Pigs have different coloured skin depending on their hair colour. Light pigs tend to be pink and darker pigs black but they can have patches of both if they have different coloured hair.
 
Oh thank god.. I think it is her skin colour then. I feel if it is mites then she might have bald spots and sores. She was just whining when I ruffled her hair in the opposite direction.. all my piggies did the same think. you as you said I was mentioning about the black spots. I am just scared about her I suppose. Thank you @Jaycey
 
@Prasiddha I completely understand how scared you are. One of my first pigs had a white patch of hair and he had a black patch of skin that really scared me at first. I even took him to the vet about it!
 
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