Ruby is gassy again :(

[klee]

As the title says. She feels a bit gassy and is squealing when touching her tummy, so no veg for any of the girls tomorrow.
She has been eating herself but i have given her some pellet mush- she has taken up to 15mls at the moment .
I just don't know whats causing it x

 

[klee]

3 poos! Can't say i've eved been this pleased to see poo

 

[Pebble]

There are two "conditions" in guinea pigs that lead to gas.

One is bloat - this is an immediate response to bad veggies or a sudden accumulation of gas. Most pigs diagnosed with boat atually don;t have this condition..they have the one below.

The second is a gradual build up of gas to cause the symptoms of bloat - but this "ileus" is normally caused by the gut not moving properly over a period of time. This is normally a result of the pig not eating properly (they still eat - but gradually reduce their intake and it is often not immediately noticable) because of eg pain, dental etc etc

I'ts really important that you identify the cause - beause treating for real "bloat" when it is in fact "ileus" can have disastrous consequences.

 

[piggyfan]

Poor Ruby. I really hope she gets better soon.

 

[klee]

There are two "conditions" in guinea pigs that lead to gas.

One is bloat - this is an immediate response to bad veggies or a sudden accumulation of gas. Most pigs diagnosed with boat atually don;t have this condition..they have the one below.

The second is a gradual build up of gas to cause the symptoms of bloat - but this "ileus" is normally caused by the gut not moving properly over a period of time. This is normally a result of the pig not eating properly (they still eat - but gradually reduce their intake and it is often not immediately noticable) because of eg pain, dental etc etc

I'ts really important that you identify the cause - beause treating for real "bloat" when it is in fact "ileus" can have disastrous consequences.

She went to the vets about 2 weeks ago and he just said to keep her off veg for a few days and then see how she is. She has apparently been okay, but yesterday was a little squeaky again.
She appears to be eating as normal, but i know the vet said when we took her last time that it was likely to be a colicy pain caused by a small amount of gas shown on the xray.
When i say she feels gassy, her stomach isn't hard but she is sensitive to it being touched.

I have popped her back in the cage for the moment. x

 

[Dusty_bugs]

my vet obsesses with infacol. 2mls every couple of hours for a day and you should see results next day. Plus pineapple juice i stasis is likely. Ask your vet next time you see them to see what they think. My vet is under the impression that infacol cannot harm guineas if given this often!

 

[Pebble]

Infacol is one of the treatments that can be disastrous if the real condition has not been diagnosed properly first. It;s mode of action is to coalesce the gas bubbles into one large bubble to be pushed through the gut and expelled - if the gut isn;t moving properly (ileus) this could potentially then lead to a trapped large gas bubble, extreme stomach distension and utimately death from torsion. It is however a good med for proper bloat.

Very few pigs on this forum that have been described as having bloat actually have bloat - they have ileus.
They need gut motility drugs to get the gut moving properly - not antispasmodics such as buscopan or the likes of infacol.

Vets recommeding pineapple juice are following the guide for rabbits with hairballs - sorry but there's no scientific evidence to suggest it is applicable to guinea pigs with ileus. If the meds you suggest work, then your pigs are getting bloat and not ileus - which means you need to check the quality of the veg you feed them. Pre-packed plastic veg can easily cause bloat in pigs if it goes less than a day over the sell-by date.

HTH
x

 

[Dusty_bugs]

Infacol is one of the treatments that can be disastrous if the real condition has not been diagnosed properly first. It;s mode of action is to coalesce the gas bubbles into one large bubble to be pushed through the gut and expelled - if the gut isn;t moving properly (ileus) this could potentially then lead to a trapped large gas bubble, extreme stomach distension and utimately death from torsion. It is however a good med for proper bloat.

Very few pigs on this forum that have been described as having bloat actually have bloat - they have ileus.
They need gut motility drugs to get the gut moving properly - not antispasmodics such as buscopan or the likes of infacol.

Vets recommeding pineapple juice are following the guide for rabbits with hairballs - sorry but there's no scientific evidence to suggest it is applicable to guinea pigs with ileus. If the meds you suggest work, then your pigs are getting bloat and not ileus - which means you need to check the quality of the veg you feed them. Pre-packed plastic veg can easily cause bloat in pigs if it goes less than a day over the sell-by date.

HTH
x

Very very helpful! Thankyou!

 

[klee]

We rang the exotics vet this morning for advice, we have an appointment tomorrow 9.40 x

 

[sport_billy]

Poor Ruby hope she is ok, let us know how you get on... Treacle's guts slow down from time to time, certain veggies seem to set her off. Our vet has given us some metoclopramide to have on hand for times when this happens.

Let us know how she gets on, lots of healing vibes to Ruby

 

[klee]

Ruby has been to the vets, she did a full exam but couldn't find anything wrong. She said not to stop the veg but to give some additional vit c. Am i right in thinking it will be better syringed rather than put in water, esp as they don't drink alot.
She also examined Rosie, as we thought she has cataracts on both eyes, one worse than the other and she couldn't feel any ovarian cysts.
Maybe it is just me being over cautious. X

 

[Amanda1801]

Ruby has been to the vets, she did a full exam but couldn't find anything wrong. She said not to stop the veg but to give some additional vit c. Am i right in thinking it will be better syringed rather than put in water, esp as they don't drink alot.
She also examined Rosie, as we thought she has cataracts on both eyes, one worse than the other and she couldn't feel any ovarian cysts.
Maybe it is just me being over cautious. X

I use the oxbow daily C tablets as they're formulated for piggies, they don't have artificial sweeteners and extras in them.

I managed to get Maggie to eat the tablets, by quartering them and wrapping in a lettuce leaf (as you would with ham when giving a dog a tablet)!

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

Piggy potions - Peter Gurney - recommends gripe water for windy piggies. It could work very well.

I find a good gentle massage while the piggy is having a cuddle is a very good way to help air bubbles move around. Like rubbing your own tummy, which is something they find hard to do. The 'going off their food' can be simple indigestion caused by a bubble trapped in the gut - just as you or I won't eat if we have tummy discomfort.

Personally I rub gently using both hands just in front of the hips with the piggy facing me so that I can see their reactions, not directly underneath upwards but gently into the sides and forwards and backwards. You should be rewarded with chuckles, bubbly noises and the passing of wind. Elderly piggies can get windy!