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Peanut Butter's Mystery Illness

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Lilly

Lilly

Adult Guinea Pig
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The lab test on his urine culture has come back. No bacteria! Therefore rules out UTI & cystitis. Since Sunday night he has had increasing pain & yesterday (Monday) when the vet palpitated him he was definitely in pain in those regions. She thinks he might have an infection of the prostate (prostatitis). He is going back in today to get a catheter put up there to get a sample for testing. Off any anti-biotics for now. For the first time he has lost weight as well which did not surpise me as he was off his food except for his various lettuces & grass. She gave me some critical care for him. Also a script for tramadol for pain as they didn't have any liquid form on hand. Well, neither did the chemist! Chemist has ordered for it to come in today, so in the meantime I will continue with the metacam but at a better dosage thanks to @Pebble
 
Poor boy, could it be Interstitial cystitis which is inflammation of the bladder and not an infection?
 
The lab tests rule out bacterial cystitis....but not sterile inflammatory cystits from another cause....which sadly is all to common in guinea pigs.
The most important thing atm is to get the illustrious PB on tramadol for pain relief as it really is miraculous....get him stabilised for weight/food intake/gut movement and then you can move forwards from there......
Never underestimate the power of fresh grass....and shredded newspaper...... for a poorly pig.

Hugs - going through similar with one of my own pigs atm
 
helen105281 said:
Poor boy, could it be Interstitial cystitis which is inflammation of the bladder and not an infection?
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I have started him on daily vegetarian glucosamine at @Wiebke 's suggestion in case this turns out to be the case. Haven't had a chance to ask the vet about cystease yet. It's not something I've seen here at all but a vet might know about it. I have already suggested cystitis to her & she admits it is a possibility but after yesterday's palpitations of PB's abdomen, she'd like to check out his prostate, a test we'll be doing today.

Pebble said:
The lab tests rule out bacterial cystitis....but not sterile inflammatory cystits from another cause....which sadly is all to common in guinea pigs.
The most important thing atm is to get the illustrious PB on tramadol for pain relief as it really is miraculous....get him stabilised for weight/food intake/gut movement and then you can move forwards from there......
Never underestimate the power of fresh grass....and shredded newspaper...... for a poorly pig.

Hugs - going through similar with one of my own pigs atm
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I cannot thank you enough for the metacam dosage information you posted on PB's other thread. The increased dosage seems to have worked on his pain. After brekkie of grass, redoak lettuce & cos lettuce he tucked into his bowl of dry food! I can hardly wait for the tramadol to be delivered to the chemist. He was on that when he had his 3 month UTI bout last year & never lost weight because he never lost interest in his food & I believe that was because he was not in pain. As you say, my main concern at the moment is to get him pain free & his weight stabilised. He has remained at a stable weight throughout his life despite his toofie problems & the previous UTI so I was very upset when he started losing weight with this illness. I am sorry to hear one of your piggies is having similar troubles & do thank you for the time you have taken in PB's case.:hug:
 
I am very worried about my darling Peanut Butter. He has an enlarged prostate & it is the prostate that is giving him pain. The vet has sent off cells to the lab to test for cancer. She gave him a drug I can't remember the name of to kill testosterone. If it doesn't work, we'll try neutering. She said both the drug & the surgery are risky at his age (he is 3). The chemist did not get the liquid tramadol in until late arvo so PB got an injection of painkiller to tide hm over.

My bright, cheeky, noisy, furniture re-arranging boy has been very quiet & subdued since I picked him up from the vet's yesterday. He spends most of his time laying quietly in his hidey. The house does not feel right without his constant little chunters. I am just devastated.
 
Just read the invoice. The anti-testoterone injection is called Tardak. Tried to find something about it on the Internet. Seems to be used for dogs as temporary castration. Will have to check with the vet when I go back in for the cancer test results. I thought it was meant to be permanent. Maybe on a piggy it will be. Anyone know anything about this drug?
 
I have no advice on this Lilly sorry, just wanted to send him lots of love. How is the pain management going with him? x
 
sport_billy said:
I have no advice on this Lilly sorry, just wanted to send him lots of love. How is the pain management going with him? x
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PB seems much brighter. I was greeted by 4 wheekers this morning & PB's was the usual loudest ear-splitting noise - the best noise ever!. I am wondering if the Temgesic pain injection he had at the vet's was the cause of his subdued behaviour. Looked it up on the Internet & it can makes cats sleepy. The Tramadol is keeping him pain free until about the last 30 minutes before he is due another dose.
 
Goth Mummy said:
How is he today?
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He's back to his cheeky self, eating well & being the loudest wheeker for vegies. The Tramadol pain relief is obviously working. Still waiting for the lab results on his prostate culture. Until then we can't move forward towards a solution to his problem.
 
Was just speaking with the vet who I order my Oxbow products from. She is the one who put me onto the new exotics vet at the clinic. She has piggies herself & is quite knowledgeable about them, but is the first to admit she is no piggy vet expert & uses my new current vet for her own piggies. She confirmed the Tardak injection is temporary & he may need neutering in the long run. She also said the reason he was so alarmingly lethargic last Tuesday & Wednesday would have been the Temgesic as it is a strong opoid. She confirmed my force feeding him grass & critical care was the right approach. I am just happy that Peanut Butter is back to eating for himself & has resumed his role of the loudest vegie demander.
 
I am so pleased to read your Peanut Butter is feeling so much better. It's always good when they demand things. That's what we're there for.
 
worried val of york said:
I am so pleased to read your Peanut Butter is feeling so much better. It's always good when they demand things. That's what we're there for.
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Only us piggy slaves get so ecstatic when a piggy makes demands of us :lol:! This morning PB has turned his hidey on its side & tipped up his food bowl to a 90 degree angle to eat from. First time he's done either of these things since this illness began & I am over the moon :yahoo: . Have put a call in to the vet since the lab results seem to be well overdue from the time she gave me. She is not in until this arvo so have a long wait.
 
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