Toffo's a bit poorly

[scooterpig]

The title says it all really. Toffo's been a bit under the weather for a few days and I took him to the vet on Saturday, who thinks he's got a bit of a cold and put him on 1ml of Baytril daily.

He's been just a wee bit down, not a lot, just enough that I noticed. He's got a runny nose which has been a persistent problem for some time and several vets and piglet people think is just an allergy. I've been treating it with Piriton (until he started the Antibiotics on Saturday as I didn't want to overload his system), and a dab of Vicks around the nose.

He's still eating but has taken to lying in the damp patch! - so has a stained/damp tummy.

I have been gradually moving them onto the Cavy Cuisine food, which he's a bit dubious about but appears to now be eating (he must as as I'm now down to a minimal amount of the old food and his weight seems okay). I've also been trying out the Oxbow Orchard Grass and Timothy Hay in a (fairly unsuccessful) attempt to improve the allergy.

What else should I be doing? Has anyone got any ideas for allergies in piggies? And should I give him some kind of pro-biotic vet supplement or something?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Toffee4ever]

What bedding are you using, could he be allergic to that?

 

[maryh]

1 ml of Baytril is a very high dose.I only give 0..4 mls.

I do not think Piriton should be given to piggies,I will have to check this.I have certainly nev er given it to any of mine. I have had pigs with allergies that have caused snuffles.Sudafed ,the paedriatric one, is good for clearing this up.I give 0.3 mls per day.The sudafed usually works within half an hour.

I never put vicks or olbas oil on the skin as it burns and the pigs hate it.You could put some on the side of the pen/cage.

You must stop him lying in damp.,put a vet bed or even a towel where he lays.

 

[scooterpig]

Hi,

He's on vetbed, with the hay on top, in his wooden house, to cuddle into as well. I give 0.2mls of Piriton, this was recommended to me by the guinea pig rescue I got him from. He loves it! I haven't given him any since he got the antibiotics on Saturday. Didn't know about the Sudafed.

I've only been putting the tiniest dab of Vicks around his nose when he's been really snuffly. He doesn't seem to mind it but I could switch to Vaseline.

I must admit I thought 1ml of Baytril was a bit high, but it's only for 5 days (1 dose per day)-does that make a difference? He's had 3 doses so far.

All suggestions gratefully received!

Thanks!

 

[choloe]

i really hope toffo is doing better today! i would suggest a probiotic to help his tummy with all the drugs he is on or has been on. as for the allergies, why not change one thing at a time and see if that works. sending hugs and kisses to you and toffo from us here in oz. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

[Glynis]

Hi there, poor Toffo :'( :'( :'(
I agree with Mary that dosage is way too high of the Baytril, the most i've ever been told to give is 0.4ml twice daily.... i would think it best to query your vet or get a second opinion if you can O0 Oh and the usual dose and i'm sure Mary says this also is for 7 days this is also what my vet recommends as well
Vaseline wont do anything love, you could try putting the vicks on something close to the cage so he still gets the affects of it
Wishing you all the very best for the little guy :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Oh btw i found one of my piggies was a sneezer and i'm sure it was the hay, if it's at all dusty or got grasses in it that seems to affect some of them Hope this helps

 

[scooterpig]

Hi,

Thanks for all the advice, I'll cut down the Baytril to 0.4ml but keep it going for seven days.

He seems much the same this morning, I put the old hay I'd been using previously in the pen and it didn't help his nose but he was dry. I feel I can't really dampen the hay as I use it for bedding and they love to burrow into it.

There's a part of me wonders if he actually likes being wet - I had them out in their indoor run last night and he was soaking (and stinking... : when I lifted them out - I had to wash and dry his tummy before putting him back in his cage. This makes me wonder if there's something else going on that's causing his skin to be uncomfortable, but apart from some dandruff there doesn't seem to be any mites and he's not itching at all.

Does anyone know if Megazorb or Spillers Readigrass are better for allergies in piggies?

Thanks!

 

[choloe]

i have no idea, but hoping you find the problem to poor toffo's problem. does sound as if he has irritated skin. have you seen him scratch? i would hazzard a guess and say the Megazorb or Spillers Readigrass would be less dusty than the hay, if our hay is anything to go by. and there is no harm in trying it. does your cage have a wire bottom? so that the urine will fall straight down? our cage has a wooden bottom so we put cooling racks with the very small squares on bricks for zoe when she was wetting herself. this way her urine would fall straight down and wouldn't wet her as zoe was starting to lose her fur around that area. . hoping this helps. perhaps if you tell people the county you're from some one might be able to suggest a vet to take toffo too. or private message maryh as she would be able to help you and her vet is a marvel, she emails vets all over the world, well she did ours. good luck sending hugs and cuddles to you and toffo from us in oz. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

[maryh]

I have never used megazorb but it has good reports from other members.I use Readigrass or Just Grass but as a food.,not bedding.I feel it is too short and spikey to be comfortable.

UTI can cause wetness of the backside,but if the piggy is elderly,or ev en middle aged,there is a possibilty of arthitis or some other osteo problem.If the back legs are painful or stiff,the piggy will have a job to raise itself up properly to urinate ,and will wet itself.

 

[jnenbnb]

I really wouldnt recommend megazorb for a sick piggy, infact my vet thinks megazorb gave my piggy conjunctivitis and he then got a URI which took 2 months to clear, also its VERY dusty. i'd keep him on the vetbed and hay, I'm not sure about redigrass, never thought to use it as bedding

 

[scooterpig]

Wee update - Toffo seems a bit brighter, and hasn't been damp at all for the past couple of days. I dropped his dose to 0.4ml of Baytril yesterday, and on the recommendation of the rescue I got him from have moved to 0.5ml today, to be given twice daily.

I think it could be the Timothy Hay that's upsetting him. I give him bog-standard hay yesterday and he wasn't wet at all.

I'll persevere. I've been advised to give him Sudafed too so we'll see what he makes of that!

 

[sophiew (EAGPR)]

Thanks for the update, fingers crossed he's on the mend now!

 

[Vikki]

If you want to help breathing with sudafed or vicks put a tea spoon of vicks in a bowl of hot water and put the bowl next to the cage acts as a steam bath and is not as strong smelling for them, can also put it on a radiator for a longer effect O0

 

[choloe]

okay, glad toffo is better and i am hoping he continues to do so. another dumb question coming up-what is bog hay? and if Oh or myself got colds and put vick on the heater would it have any ill effects on our GP's? as they are in the same room as the heater. so i thought i would ask so as not to harm our babies.! good on you little toffo and good on your mummy(?) for getting you better. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

[scooterpig]

Bog-standard hay - I just meant regular run of the mill meadow hay from the pet shop.

It's typical - you buy them the posh stuff and then they don't like it.. :

 

[choloe]

hello again,
we use to use meadow hay for our girls, and t hey loved to tunnel in it and got lots of seeds in their eys, so just becareful of their eyes. hoping toffo improves real soon. sending hugs and cuddles to you and toffo. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: