Red's Limping

Thanks @GPTV Red is absolutely terrified of the nebuliser so we are not using it but it, is an option. I'm ever so much in two minds about it, was one of the main things on my mind in a very sleepless night! Will the fear make him worse? Would F10 inhalation help knock out the infection? So many b---dy what ifs!
 
piggieminder said:
Thanks @GPTV Red is absolutely terrified of the nebuliser so we are not using it but it, is an option. I'm ever so much in two minds about it, was one of the main things on my mind in a very sleepless night! Will the fear make him worse? Would F10 inhalation help knock out the infection? So many b---dy what ifs!
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You can steam up your shower cubicle or bath room and place him on a dry towel with some treats/enrichment activity like some wrapped up veg he has to work for and an open log tunnel to make him feel safe in the shower cubicle or bathtub (if possible with the curtain drawn closed) for half an hour, if that is a less frightening experience for him. It's not as effective as nebulising but it does work. ;)
You can also place a bowl of steaming water next to the cage and change it regularly to help ease his breathing.

Bad things happen in clumps; they are like London buses. This doesn't make you a bad owner because you also have long stretches when everything goes right for you to balance them out in the overall perspective. The longer you are an owner and the more piggies you have, the more of the clumps or the more bigger clumps you'll experience - see my own bad ride last summer/autumn with multiple losses in a matter of just days and weeks after a long gap of no losses at all.
It is our human wiring to reflect everything onto ourselves, even things well outside our control. I prefer to call them 'cosmic bad luck' - nobody's fault; especially not yours but at bad and unforeseeable combination of circumstances to help me deal better with those unwarrantedand misplaced feelings of guilt and failure.

Just because one piggy had a bad ride it doesn't mean that the same will inevitably happen to another one. Your vet will prescribe another AB if needed (sulfatrim is also licensed for guinea pigs) when you tell them about your fears re. baytril and ask them to please not prescribe baytril.

Please keep reminding yourself of this! :tu:
 
Billie is on Baytril since Christmas and doesn't show anything bad. It might not have been the right prescription for Rusty, but that doesn't mean that it won't work for Red. And if it doesn't, your vet will change to another one.
Some bugs are really hard to get rid off.
All fingers and paws crossed!
 
Viennese Furbabies said:
Billie is on Baytril since Christmas and doesn't show anything bad. It might not have been the right prescription for Rusty, but that doesn't mean that it won't work for Red. And if it doesn't, your vet will change to another one.
Some bugs are really hard to get rid off.
All fingers and paws crossed!
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Red's not on Baytril he's on Sulfratrim. I'm afraid there's not time to try another one, Rusty was dead within a week.
 
You are a very caring owner.Zithromycin is a good antibiotic for chest infections,if you feel sulphatrim is not working.xx
 
Just a thought @piggieminder if Red's chest is rattling, would a diuretic such as furosemide help to clear any fluid he may have on his lungs... Maybe mention to your vet-see what they think (& see if they'll switch to the antibiotic zitheromax as Eileen suggested -neither Grace or Dopple's lost their appetite on this)

:hug: xx
 
Keeping you in my thoughts @piggieminder. You are a fantastic piggy slave. Easy to say, I know, but try not to overthink it. You are doing all you can for Red. I hope you see an improvement soon. ❤️
 
Red got the all clear today. The vet he's been seeing and the senior exotics vet both listened to his breathing to make sure, such a relief! :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
While he was having an off the meds week to see if the infection came back I took the opportunity to get away to my daughters for a few days. The thinking being I should do it while I had a chance as there have been so few over the last 2 years. Awful weather for walking but I had 4 lovely relaxing days. Today it's sunny with a light breeze so perfect to catch up on all the piggie washing. My partner is very good at looking after the piggies while I'm away but the fleece washing piles up in the greenhouse waiting for my return!
 
piggieminder said:
Red got the all clear today. The vet he's been seeing and the senior exotics vet both listened to his breathing to make sure, such a relief! :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
While he was having an off the meds week to see if the infection came back I took the opportunity to get away to my daughters for a few days. The thinking being I should do it while I had a chance as there have been so few over the last 2 years. Awful weather for walking but I had 4 lovely relaxing days. Today it's sunny with a light breeze so perfect to catch up on all the piggie washing. My partner is very good at looking after the piggies while I'm away but the fleece washing piles up in the greenhouse waiting for my return!
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Well, I’m delighted that Red has the all clear and that you have managed to get away for a couple of days. Well done. Shame about the fleece laundry, but you really can’t have it all!
 
Great news about Red. Glad you managed a few days away. Sorry the laundry fairy didn’t come while you were away.
 
I really don't mind about the laundry fairy not helping out, it's a small price to pay. I am very grateful that I can go away and know the boys are in good hands, they keep to their normal routine and are very loved. On top of this my partner drives me there and returns to collect me at the moment as the trains are so rubbish and can't be relied on.
I do feel a smidgen of guilt as I walk in lovely countryside with no poop to be picked or wet hay to collect, it's very fleeting though!
 
Red's eyes were a bit watery again yesterday and last night he had noisy breathing when he was eating hay which has gone again today but with the eyes worrying. I managed to get him an appointment at the vets for this afternoon. There are no concerning respiratory sounds that she can detect. I have also thought he was a bit uncomfortable when I check his back end at health checks, he's no longer limping but we wonder if he has some arthritis. The vet has very kindly fitted him in for xray this afternoon. It's being done under sedation to hopefully get a good look at his whole body and while he's sedated they are going to do a blood test. I really hope we can get some answers so he can have the correct treatment/medication.
I hate waiting for the phone to ring!
 
They just rang. Slightly enlarged heart, not overly concerning but to watch. Slight changes on lungs, maybe scarring from earlier infection but as eyes are watery as well - Baytril. Arthritis in knees so gabapentin and meloxicam. Another check up at end of 2 weeks to decide what meds if any to drop. I'm a bit surprised it's his knees that are painful, I'd have said the discomfort was more in the hip/side area so was thinking hip. I was expecting possibly bladder stone or sludge even though he wasn't showing any other sign, I think that's past experience haunting me.
I spent the waiting time putting the nebuliser together. I've got fibreplex, fingers crossed he won't need syringe feeding but if he does I'm prepared. Hope I haven't forgotten anything!
 
He's home with an instruction sheet. Apparently he needs to lose some weight, I'm to cut down his pellets and veg and feed more hay!
He only gets 12 pellets a day split in 2 lots of 6 morning and evening, 2 or 3 small green leaves, occasional green bean, a slice of pepper daily and a bit of cucumber. He does get a daily handful of grass if the weather doesn't permit them to be outside on the lawn. Not sure how I'm going to break the news he has to eat less of everything and more hay. Wherever you are in the world I suspect you will hear the indignant wheek!
It has also been recommended he tries the oxbow joint support. I had these for Peanut and none of my piggies would eat them. Has anyone got any suggestions for glucosamine joint support I could try.
 
piggieminder said:
He's home with an instruction sheet. Apparently he needs to lose some weight, I'm to cut down his pellets and veg and feed more hay!
He only gets 12 pellets a day split in 2 lots of 6 morning and evening, 2 or 3 small green leaves, occasional green bean, a slice of pepper daily and a bit of cucumber. He does get a daily handful of grass if the weather doesn't permit them to be outside on the lawn. Not sure how I'm going to break the news he has to eat less of everything and more hay. Wherever you are in the world I suspect you will hear the indignant wheek!
It has also been recommended he tries the oxbow joint support. I had these for Peanut and none of my piggies would eat them. Has anyone got any suggestions for glucosamine joint support I could try.
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Poor boy - it doesn't sound like is on a bad diet at all.

Basically any glucosamine will do. It works for joints as much as for the walls of the urinary tract.
 
I do feed more wet food than than the forum recommends because of all the stone issues we've had in the past, it is mostly grass though, we are really lucky to be able to provide it year round here. I know he's overweight but I don't think cutting out pellets altogether would make much difference. At the moment I can't do it anyway as I'm having to mix fibreplex into mushed pellets and syringe it as he refuses it otherwise, it goes in his mouth but gets spat out. Hopefully now the weather is dryer he can go out into the runs for a good runabout and have extra exercise. My partner is adapting two of the runs to make the entrance into the runaround tubes ground level, he loves dashing through the tubes but I don't want him jumping in and out of the entrances with those knees!
 
Many thanks @Wiebke for your wonderful guides and particularly at the moment the Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited Mobility. It's really helped me work out what is probably going on. Red is running around as normal but there are a few changes in behaviour that now with the xray and knowing about his knees make sense. He's not standing at the bars begging so much, lies down to eat and is probably not washing his face much. I think the crusties around his eyes are dried cleaning fluid, possibly then sometimes going into the eyes and making them watery. After working this out yesterday I've been wiping round his eyes with cooled boiled water twice a day and today he looks much better and no more watery eyes.
I suspect the clouding on his lungs is old scarring (as suggested by vet) as there are no other signs of respiratory disease if you discount the eyes. I will keep on with the Baytril for the 2 weeks though just in case. Red is the only piggie I've had on Baytril (there's been quite a few!) that has put on weight, ironic when he's supposed to be losing some!
Now off to read travelling with Guinea Pigs as he will be going to Wales with me on a family visit so I can continue his meds. Your help is very much appreciated.
 
The Baytril seems to have cleared the infection this time, although he will always have reduced lung capacity now due to scarring. We seem to have got the Metacam and Gabapentine doses right for the arthritis, I've caught him popcorning and zooming a few times, so he can't be in too much pain. He's also washing himself again. We are now dealing with chelitis, he's not too impressed with not having cucumber in the mornings now but hopefully it won't be for long as I noticed it early on before it had spread very far.
His teeth have gone discoloured, does anyone know if this can be caused by high doses of antibiotic or have I got something else to worry about?
We both had a lovely relaxing break in Wales, Red was very impressed with his Auntie who had lots of long grass for him after no mow May which she stretched into June!
 
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