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Rapid Breathing

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Guinea Slave

Guinea Slave

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi

Cagney is 4 this year. Last august she had bad pneumonia and very nearly did not make it. She now has a bad heart and is on Fortekor and frusol. Her heart is pretty good, but more recently her breathing seems more laboured and a lot more billowy. She nods her head when breathing as is typical with this condition. Her frusol has been upped to 0.7ml twice a day. She weighs 1000g.

She is eating well, very alert and pretty lively but you can tell she is not 100%. My vet is very guinea experienced, she saw her last week and said that whilst her heart sounds good, her breathing is laboured due to excess fluid as a result of her weakening heart. She does not think there is much more we can do other than manage it through frusol (she is on max dose Fortekor) but she is now on pretty much max dose frusol.

I was just wondering if anyone else has any other suggestions? I am about to go away on holiday soon and whilst my mum will be caring for her and is pretty experienced, I am so so worried. I do get that there is probably little more we can do but it's always worth asking. I am so close to her and she me.

Thanks for reading this far!
 
My heart pigs have Co-Enzyme Q10 in addition to their usual heart meds and we have actually been able to taper off the diuretic for those that needed it. I will need to refresh my memory on the introductory doses etc so let me know if you need the information.

Other thoughts would be Vetmedin? I have not used it since Nigel but it would be worth discussing your vet. It can be given in addition to Fortekor. Also does her Fortekor dose need adjusting?
 
The standard veterinary med preparation of liquid frusol is 40mg/5ml = 8mg/ml.

Assuming that it the right prep - You are giving 0.7ml = 5.6mg of active drug

As you piggie weighs approx 1kg - their dose is equivalent to 5.6mg/kg

The British Small Animal Formulary (vets guide to dug doses) in 2007 still hadn;t really pinned down doses for heart guinea pigs but at that time they could vary from low maintenance doses of 2mg/kg up to acute doses of 10mg/kg

For what it's worth - with my own heart pigs we have not been afraid to "kick start" fluid removal at 10mg/kg (ie twice your current dose)...then drop down to maintenance doses....but then "up the dose" in times of extremis.

It sounds like you have a degenrative heart condition and that sometimes you will need to "up" the current diuretic dose for a bit to help stabilsie the condition.

HTH
x
 
Oh thank you so much for this both of you.

Questions: where can I get co enzyme q10 from? Is it prescription only or over the counter?
I have upped her frusol to 0.8ml twice a day but it's doing little. What dose in mls would be a kick start? 1.6ml twice a day? Sorry bit thick with this stuff!
Sorry Helen, I know you mentioned vetmedin before, what does it do? She is on quarter tablet of Fortekor twice a day and the vet says this is max dose.

Thank you so much! She is such a fighter I owe it to her to do everything I can!
 
helen105281 said:
My heart pigs have Co-Enzyme Q10 in addition to their usual heart meds and we have actually been able to taper off the diuretic for those that needed it. I will need to refresh my memory on the introductory doses etc so let me know if you need the information.

Just found q10.. Will order some, how much would she have?
Click to expand...
 
Can't answer your question on dosages of diuretic until you confirm to us what's printed on the label in terms of drug concentration of the med you are giving and your piggie's weight.
x
 
Pebble said:
Can't answer your question on dosages of diuretic until you confirm to us what's printed on the label in terms of drug concentration of the med you are giving and your piggie's weight.
x
Click to expand...

Oops sorry! She's 1002g and it's frusol 50mg/5ml. Does that help?
 
She's approaching higher end prescription - but could go higher.

But you really need to talk to your vet. now

x
 
Have a call with the vet this afternoon.

I gave her 0.9ml this morning before i left but it was early (6am). Mum has checked her and she is not too bad apparently but still puffy. Lets see what the vet says. In the meantime all the vitamins and supplements are ordered and on their way.
 
So an update. I have spoken to the vet and she has suggested 0.8ml 3 times a day for the next few days to see if this helps. If not then she will be xrayed on Monday to see whats going on. She is happy to consider Vetmedin as well but wants to do the xray first. I will keep you posted!
 
Sending vibes Cagneys way, poor little lass has been through it recently. Hope the upped doses help her out x
 
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