• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Piggy With Diarrhoea - Advice Please

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Wiggie

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 6, 2012
Messages
219
Reaction score
24
Points
240
Hi,

My piggy is about 3 years old. A few months ago she had stinky wet poohs I took her to the vets and on the third time they agreed to antibiotics, her bum cleared quickly. She did hold her head funny and had a sore ear at the time.
Now she is the same again from the bottom end a few weeks back she was a bit funny with her ear and I felt she was not 100% but it was hard to put my finger on it. I have given her probiotics and fibreplex for 2-3 days and no benefit.
I will book the vets for today or tomorrow morning, but I wanted to be ready to go in and say I want I.e. antibiotics and not go through the wait and see approach the vet took last time. However has anyone got any ideas why this is happening?
I have a piggy that has wet poohs due to having a hysterectomy 3 years ago but the poohs with this piggy I am concerned with smell like a sick piggy not just a wetter pooh piggy. She is still bright and sqeaking and purring I am not panicking but I have reasonable concern she is not improving like I would want with what I have tried until now.
W. x
 
Do you know the name of the antibiotic you were given last time? was it Flagyl? I think the next step may be to get the poo tested, I think this is called a faecal float. This will give the vet more of an indication of what is wrong. Is she eating ok?

What is wrong with her ear? does she have a head tilt? has she ever been near rabbits? and has she ever been wormed? I am wondering about E-Cuniculli which mainly affects rabbits but can affect pigs too and has similar symptoms ( possibly including the poo issues, though I am not 100% sure on that). Treatment is with a wormer like Fenbendazole, one of the brands is Panacur. This would need to be diagnosed by your vet though. Other possibilities are an ear infection or something neurological.
 
Hi,

I can't remember the antibiotic I thought it was something like baytril it was banana like.

I did think neurological the first time I saw her seem sick months ago but she got better. At the time she hated her ear being touched. The vet was a bit bemused.

They have not mingled with any other animal. They go on the lawn once a week.

I was wondering worms. I will try to get a pooh sample tonight. Should I put it in the fridge? However I don't want pooh that would make me sick in the fridge. Outside is about 10 degrees celcius.

I am taking her to the vets in the morning so if you have any ideas or questions, it would be great for tips. The vet is good with piggies, that is why she is going tomorrow and not today.

If it was worms would the antibiotics have helped last time?

Thanks for your help.

W x
 
If it tasted or smelt of banana it was most likely Septrin.

I was thinking of the wormer as a treatment for E-Cuniculli if it turned out to be that but some people do routinely worm their pigs (me included), though there are mixed opinions on it in the piggy world.

I have never actually taken a poo sample so am not sure, but I suspect the vet would want a fresh one and will take one at the appointment.

No antibiotics would not have helped if she needed worming.
 
Hi there, sorry to hear your piggy is sick. I think it sounds like the main problem here is her ear- if she has an ear infection, it will be in her system and cause soft poos. If the septrin antibiotics helped last time, i would suggest getting more of it but for a longer course. You will need to give probiotics or fibreplex an hour or 2 after each dose of antibiotics to balance gut flora. If her ear clears up and so does her poos- then problem solved and continue to finish the course. If her ear improves but still has diarrohea, then a faecal culture would be a good next step. Antibiotics themselves can sometimes cause loose stools so if her ear clears up, wait until antib's are finished to make sure her poos are definately still soft and it isnt cause of antib's- then proceed with a faecal culture.

Hope this helps x
 
Will let you know what happens at the vets. W x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top