Think Maple Might Be Bloated

[aimzer]

I think my sow Maple might have a bit of bloat. She has been recovering from dental surgery for over a week now. Eating veg and hay and slowly putting on weight.
I've noticed she looks quite pear shaped and very round at the back end. She doesn't squeak when I touch the area but it does feel a bit swollen and she feels a bit hollow when I tap the left side. She seems OK within herself and is pooping although the poos vary in size.
She continues on baytril, zantac and metacam post dental surgery.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Wiebke]

I think my sow Maple might have a bit of bloat. She has been recovering from dental surgery for over a week now. Eating veg and hay and slowly putting on weight.
I've noticed she looks quite pear shaped and very round at the back end. She doesn't squeak when I touch the area but it does feel a bit swollen and she feels a bit hollow when I tap the left side. She seems OK within herself and is pooping although the poos vary in size.
She continues on baytril, zantac and metacam post dental surgery.

Any advice appreciated.

Take off any fresh veg that could cause the bloating and if necessary top her up with syringe feed. You are already giving the zantac, so that it good. Bloating is not unusual in dental guinea pigs.
See a vet very promptly if the belly is tight and makes a hollow sound (severe bloat).
@furryfriends (TEAS)

 

[aimzer]

She has done around 20 poos since I've had her on my lap. When I tap her left side it does sound hollow but her right side doesn't.

 

[Wiebke]

She has done around 20 poos since I've had her on my lap. When I tap her left side it does sound hollow but her right side doesn't.

Bloat can start as tenseness/gassiness in one part of the guts. Only in a severe bloat will you see the whole intestines balloon up and go tight - and then you are literally fighting for your piggy's life.

If you can give her additionally to her meds up to 0.3 ml of gripe water from the baby section of a supermarket or pharmacy. It is a mild herbal colic remedy for babies and does not interfere with the other meds. It usually works better in mild to medium cases of bloating and most piggies seem to quite like it.

 

[aimzer]

Bloat can start as tenseness/gassiness in one part of the guts. Only in a severe bloat will you see the whole intestines balloon up and go tight - and then you are literally fighting for your piggy's life.

If you can give her additionally to her meds up to 0.3 ml of gripe water from the baby section of a supermarket or pharmacy. It is a mild herbal colic remedy for babies and does not interfere with the other meds. It usually works better in mild to medium cases of bloating and most piggies seem to quite like it.

Thanks! The supermarkets round me are closed now so will have to get in the morning. Her zantac is almost finished so will need to try and get the vet to somehow send me more as I won't have a chance to take maple to the vet that did her surgery. If in emergency it would need to be my local vet!

 

[Wiebke]

All the best. It is hopefully just a mild episode.

 

[aimzer]

All the best. It is hopefully just a mild episode.

Thank you wiebke. I am wondering, do you know if an ovarian cyst would cause her to count hollow when I tap on her side?

 

[aimzer]

Just spoke to the vet over the phone. He said it might be that she has a touch of gas and he is going to post me more zantac which i should get tomorrow. I am going to get gripe water and start that today. She looks OK at times but then she will sit fluffed up and fluff up sometimes when she poops.

He also said that it might be an ovarian cyst I am feeling as he felt a small one last time he seen one so maybe it's grown.