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Something Wrong With Jet

Katiedid

Katiedid

Adult Guinea Pig
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I thought Jet has a URI like the rest as he was wheezy (indeed he may have) we age had 6 days of antibiotics and 4 of metacam (sorry spelling). He was regaining all of the weight that he lost and really lively until yesterday. They all has a snoozy day yesterday.

His history, over the past 9 months he has had periods of going off food and small poops. I have been back and forth to the vets and we can't work out why, he also has a history of bladder stones. I have had him back and forth to the vets and no one can find anything wrong with him (even the cavy savvy one).

He broke a front tooth recently and it hasn't grown back.

On Friday I have him booked in with the other cavy savvy vet (who hasn't seen him but when we talked about him had some idea about what we may do next) to have a good look at his teeth as we both feel this is an issue.

I have enough baytril and metacam to last until then. She isn't in work this week until then.

He isn't really poorly, I've given metacam this morning, I will syringe feed him too. If he picks up on the metacam again can I leave him until then or given that we have had URIs in the house am I better to take him to see one of the other vets.

I am so torn, my instinct is to rush him down (even though he seems ok) but I don't think I will get anywhere.

Aaahhhhh
 
It goes without saying that if he doesn’t pick up on the metacam and/or continues to lose weight or doesn’t pass urine we will be at the vets quickly.
 
6 days of antibiotics may not have been enough.

It would also be worth to have him checked for heart or lung disease/narrowed airways, which many general vets find very difficult. Have you ever checked whether there could be sensitivites to the environment that could cause the problems?
 
Thank you, sorry I should have said we are on day 6 of the antibiotics so we hadn't stopped (we had stopped the metacam which was only for a few days). The vet said to give him 7-10 days worth of baytril.

I have looked at diet (we don't give him anything gassy, no broccoli, no cabbage or kale) - which helped quite a bit with symptoms, we also provided readi grass as well as normal hay (he likes a good burrow) and timothy hay and the redi grass really helped.

I'm not sure what else to look at. He is indoors, yesterday was a little chilly but not cold - we were still in t-shirts (but they all hibernated until evening - possibly because that was when we were all around).

The first sign he is off is he doesn't amble up to me with his little face raised asking what snack I may or may not be able to provide him with and he doesn't wheek when I go outside to cut grass. But yesterday he was happily running round the living room.

I wanted to wait until Friday as I know the vet I will see will think about heart issues and lung issues as well as teeth (she has a number of heart patient guinea pigs as well as lung issue ones). I want her to check him from head to toe to get to the bottom of this. But I know the wait until Friday will feel like an eternity.
 
Katiedid said:
Thank you, sorry I should have said we are on day 6 of the antibiotics so we hadn't stopped (we had stopped the metacam which was only for a few days). The vet said to give him 7-10 days worth of baytril.

I have looked at diet (we don't give him anything gassy, no broccoli, no cabbage or kale) - which helped quite a bit with symptoms, we also provided readi grass as well as normal hay (he likes a good burrow) and timothy hay and the redi grass really helped.

I'm not sure what else to look at. He is indoors, yesterday was a little chilly but not cold - we were still in t-shirts (but they all hibernated until evening - possibly because that was when we were all around).

The first sign he is off is he doesn't amble up to me with his little face raised asking what snack I may or may not be able to provide him with and he doesn't wheek when I go outside to cut grass. But yesterday he was happily running round the living room.

I wanted to wait until Friday as I know the vet I will see will think about heart issues and lung issues as well as teeth (she has a number of heart patient guinea pigs as well as lung issue ones). I want her to check him from head to toe to get to the bottom of this. But I know the wait until Friday will feel like an eternity.
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Please see your vet sooner if there is further deterioration. Weigh daily at the same time and start with offering additional syringe feed if he loses more than 50g.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It is always an anxious and worrying time when you do not know what is the matter with a beloved one. While a bad diagnosis can be a shock, at least you can come to grips with it and work with it. Personally, I find the not knowing worse than the knowing.
 
Thank you. I was considering syringe feeding him anyway (I am still doing the little ones once a day - so adding him is no big thing) even though he is yet to hit the 50g mark. If he doesn't perk up again with the metacam or looks any worse I will be straight down to the vets.

and yes I would like to just know what is up with him. We can at least then deal with it. Its like Biscuit I feel more settled knowing she has cancer than I did when we were still unsure about what it all was (however out of all of them she has remained unaffected by all this).
 
Might be worth while asking you're vet do a full poo analysis (best done with poos gathered over a period of 3 days ! Also he is an relertivly old pig, could be that he has developed an intestineal tumor (not worth considering surgery at that age ) and would probably be better left well enough alown! As it will cause minimal discount
Also do's you're vet know you are self medicating with antibiotics?
A long time age Jhone Dinsdail an old vet of mine nearly barred me from his practise for self medicating antibiotics ! He got very angry as amiasting the wrong type or dose can be counterproductive, causing the pig to build up a resistance to the drug,
 
Hi I was told to continue his antibiotics for 7-10 days depending on symptoms. We are on day 6. 10 days will get us to Thursday I won’t give any Friday as I see the vet. If he improves before then we stop.
 
The metacam is another question. To be honest if he picks up tonight then great we will leave it at 7 days if he doesn’t we are back to the vets tomorrow - to see anyone we can. I’m sorry if I gave the impression we had finished the course of antibiotics.
 
Katiedid said:
The metacam is another question. To be honest if he picks up tonight then great we will leave it at 7 days if he doesn’t we are back to the vets tomorrow - to see anyone we can. I’m sorry if I gave the impression we had finished the course of antibiotics.
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Don't worry about metacam it can't hurt and acts as pain relief and anti inflammatory.

You didn't give that impression at all

Please let us know how he is x
 
I visited him at lunchtime and left him with more new hay and he was looking at Biscuit like she was mentally unstable (she had taken the square of fleece that I put down in the area she lies in - to protect her feet from wee, gone under it and is happily wearing it as a tent - and yes if I take it off her she tries to get under it again). My gut instinct is that it is pain not infection but I don't know.
 
sport_billy said:
Don't worry about metacam it can't hurt and acts as pain relief and anti inflammatory.

You didn't give that impression at all

Please let us know how he is x
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That's true it is one of the safer painkillers, but the last pig l lost had had a simple clip on his badly pegged lnsisors, vet said metercam, but because of his age only use the lowest dose, as his system would be at greater risk!
I only use the cat strength, l put 3 drops in his mouth! 12 hours later he was dead

Coinsadance maybe? Maybe not ! but it has to be considered for the sake of an old pig!

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/meloxicam/
 
gizzy said:
That's true it is one of the safer painkillers, but the last pig l lost had had a simple clip on his badly pegged lnsisors, vet said metercam, but because of his age only use the lowest dose, as his system would be at greater risk!
I only use the cat strength, l put 3 drops in his mouth! 12 hours later he was dead

Coinsadance maybe? Maybe not ! but it has to be considered for the sake of an old pig!

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/meloxicam/
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I am sorry to hear that Dave, I really am.

We have never had an issue with metacam even at high doses in older piggies 4yrs +. Of course no drug is without its dangers but metacam is very safe, and very well tolerated. Long term use may lead to kidney issues but my vet assured me this would take a very long time in most circumstances
 
sport_billy said:
Don't worry about metacam it can't hurt and acts as pain relief and anti inflammatory.

You didn't give that impression at all

Please let us know how he is x
Click to expand...

He is much better tonight, he is eating and has had a run around with Biscuit. He is eating again and is back to drinking again his normal amount again. He is also mooching at the bars for food and wheeling when I get grass.
 
gizzy said:
That's true it is one of the safer painkillers, but the last pig l lost had had a simple clip on his badly pegged lnsisors, vet said metercam, but because of his age only use the lowest dose, as his system would be at greater risk!
I only use the cat strength, l put 3 drops in his mouth! 12 hours later he was dead

Coinsadance maybe? Maybe not ! but it has to be considered for the sake of an old pig!

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/meloxicam/
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear that, and I'm here to ask and learn and take everything on board. I do appreciate the input and I do take it all on board.
 
Ask all the questions you want, we all help & support each other, so no worries, with that. I'm so glad that Jet is running around & being his normal self.
 
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