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Vet gave my piggie Antibiotics when she didnt need them & now she has diarrhoea

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GlitterGirl

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Hey all,

New to the forum but need a bit of advice.

Had to take my piggie Rosie to the vets on Wednesday as she had a split tooth (split vertically as apposed to split horizontally...if that makes sense!). She also has 2 nails that always grow in (one on each hand) that i can never cut, so always get the vet to cut them (they're too curly for me!).

It was a new vet ive never seen before. He asked us to leave the room as he was going to take Rosie through the back to the other room to cut her broken tooth and trim the 2 nails. I was fine with this, as I'm squeemish about teeth as it is (i hate the dentist) so didnt want to see what he done to her tooth...as long as it was ok.

Basically, when we came back in, he said he had trimmed the broken part off the tooth and also trimmed her nails. When he was there, he found a small growth on her hand which he PULLED off! She's always had these small growth things on both paws since she was a baby - once before, the other vet cut it off and it was fine, but it grew back. It doesnt bother her, so the other vet just leaves it now. But this vet decided to pull it, and in turn pulled the small pad off her foot and it was bleeding.

He then said "Oh, and ive given her an antibiotic just incase" - at the time i didnt think much of it, but today she has been whimpering and lifting her bottom, as though she is in pain when passing poops. I just checked in her cage and she has diarrhoea :o(

Since she came back from the vets, all she's done is sleep lots and eat tonns of hay. I was guessing the antibiotics might have made her sleepy so ive just left her to it.

After doing a quick google search, i now know antibiotics are not good for piggies - especially when theres no infection to fight! He has given it to her "just incase" which now seems very irresponsible! I dont even know if it was injected into her or just given orally - i dont know how much dosage was given or even which type of antibiotic!

Now, i know from past experience that diarrhoea in piggies is not good. What can i give her to help her get better? I'm now faced with not being able to get her to the vets again until monday (when i will be requesting the old vet we are used to seeing, thats for sure!)

Any advice is appreciated!

GG x
 
I am sorry to hear that your piggy seems unwell. Your vet should never have pulled the growth from her feet :(

Do you know if your vet gave a probiotic along with the antibiotic? Antibiotics can upset a piggies gut hence causing diarrhoea. A probiotic should be given with antibiotics to help settle the tummy.

What kind of diarrhoea is it, watery and smelly or just soft? Have a look at the guinea pig lynx website on diarrhoea http://www.guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html

If the diarrhoea is really bad due to the antibiotics, your piggy will need to see a vet asap. In the meantime, make sure she drinks plenty of water and do feed any fruit and veg for at least 48 hours.

xx
 
Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear that Rosie is poorly. I can completely understand your concerns about this new Vet - I'd also try and avoid that particular Vet in future, if I was you.

The immediate worry is obviously the diarrhoea. I agree with Claire - if it's actually watery and liquid-like then that definitely requires urgent veterinary attention, especially if it looks very dark/black. If the poos are just softer and more squidgy than usual then there are things you can try at home, to remedy it, but personally I'd be a bit concerned about the fact that Rosie seems to be in pain when pooing, with the whimpering you described. Is she sitting hunched up at all, or "puffing up" her coat?

It's a little while since you posted, so how is Rosie doing this morning? Please update us so we can try to advise further.

You've come to a great place for help and advice but obviously we're not experts (and can't see Rosie for ourselves), so if you're very concerned that she's in a lot of pain and/or really isn't her usual self then I'd call the Vet today. Fingers crossed she'll be better soon x
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. Where abouts in Scotland are you? There's quite a few members in Scotland on here, they may be able to recommend a cavy savy vet.
Hope Rosie gets well soon. x
 
Hi all,

Thank you for your replies! Sorry for the delay in keeping you all up to date!

So i called the Vetenary Surgery i was at on Wednesday and spoke to the vet on duty today. She said it was an injection of Baytril he gave to Rosie. She said it sounded more like the tooth was probably the problem. I got the feeling she was just covering for the vet to be honest. She said, if there is teeth problems, it means they dont chew their food properly and then it doesnt get digested properly?

I just dont think it is her teeth. It was only one of the front teeth - theres nothing wrong with the back teeth - and ive seen her devower the timothy hay since she got back.

I went to pets at home and bought a tub of Pro-C provitamin stuff. Ive sprinkled it on their pellets (excel burgess ones) and also put two scoops in their big water bottle. They seem to love the taste, which is good.

Overnight i just left loads of hay and their pellets in their cage (no veggies etc). Rosie is sitting hunched with her fur puffed up. She's sleeping this way, not her usual lying down kicked out chilled way. She's also sleeping a lot. Lots of short 5-15 minute naps then wakes up and eats the hay, drinks some water, then sleeps again.

The poop is almost shaped like a small cow pat (or mr whippy ice cream!) - if that makes sense! Not watery as such, just one big large soft poop, not her individual pellets. I also havent seen her reach for a vita-poo for a few days. When i lifted her last night i could see watery poop on her bottom.

I'm keeping a close eye on her, and will update if anymore news. If she doesnt perk up tonight i will take her to the vets tomorrow. I might lift her out later (i dont want to keep lifting her incase it annoys her?) and let her lick some of the powdered Pro-C stuff off my finger? I forgot to ask in pets at home if they have syringes :( Would licking the powder be bad for her?

I live in Livingston, so if anyone knows any good cavy savy vets in the West Lothian area then that would be great :)

Thanks again all!

GG x
 
Baytril is known to cause upset stomachs, most vets will prescribe a probiotic if giving baytril so you have done the right thing in getting the probiotic. Does the probiotic give any dosage instructions on the bottle? Just I'm not sure whether it's a good idea giving loads incase it has an adverse effect. I use a different probiotic called protexin but that one, for example, only requires a dose of 1g per day per guinea pig.

It's also a better idea to syringe the probiotic rather than put it in a water bottle. It just means you can definitely be sure they are getting the full dosage of the probiotic.

The way Rosie is sitting can be a sign that she's in a bit of pain, it may be worth asking the vet for some metacam to help with this. Whilst she's ill it's a good idea to weigh her daily. A weight loss of more than 25g per day is a cause for concern.

Definitely sounds as though you might benefit from trying a different vet though so hopefully someone who lives nearby to you will be able to recommend one.
 
How is Rosie this morning? I hope she's picking up. If you're still worried then you're absolutely right to take her back to a trusted Vet, especially if she's still hunched up.

Baytril is notorious for causing upset tums as it's particularly harsh on the gut.

I've used the Pro C probiotic before. I'd avoid putting it on her dry food as it'll remain dusty and could be inhaled. Sometimes I sprinkle it onto veg but I always make sure the veg is a bit wet first, and sprinkle a little water on it after also, so the pro c isn't powdery. It's tricky to know how much to use when you administer it this way though, so it's probably best to keep giving it dissolved in water. (Also I wouldn't advise giving any veg at the moment, in any case.)

If you do want to buy a plastic syringe in a hurry then then most pharmacies sell them (or you can get from Vets or buy very cheaply online). I'd just stick to diluting it in the ratio advised on the tub and wouldn't give any extra. If you go to the Vets today, you could ask which probiotic they recommend, as they'll have some there. (Avipro Plus, Bio-lapis & Fibreplex are all commonly used.)

Make sure Rosie gets plenty of fluids, to avoid dehydration. Pro-C contains electrolytes (which are especially important to top up, during bouts of diarrhoea) but it might still be a good idea to give Rosie a human rehydration solution too, like Dioralyte, while her poos are still soft. (Orally, by syringe)

With regard to Rosie's teeth, I'm a bit confused. How many teeth were trimmed and were they cut right down to the gumline?

You probably already know that dental work in guinea pigs requires expert knowledge and experience to carry out properly, and most Vets don't have any specialist training on this subject. If one, or some, of the teeth are trimmed without paying attention to the rest of the teeth, then problems can occur, as they need to be looked at as a whole, if you know what I mean. I'd definitely look for a recommended piggy Vet to check over Rosie's teeth, even if they don't appear to be causing any problems right now. Try and find a Vet able to do this without anaesthetic, if at all possible.

It's great that Rosie is still managing to eat hay and drink water. If she stops eating/drinking the usual amounts then you'd need to hand feed her but hopefully this won't be necessary.

Is she still showing signs of being in pain?

You haven't mentioned her paw so I assume that this is healing up nicely now and not causing any bother. Obviously make sure that the wound is kept clean and keep an eye on it.

I hope everything is ok x
 
Hey all,

Thank you so much for your kind advice and help during this time!

I can confirm Rosie is now on the mend - no more diarrhoea (fingers crossed) and she's a lot more lively and looking more like herself!

Thank goodness - i was getting so worried about her! I basically stuck with the Pro-C in the water bottle for a few days and only fed her timothy hay (and burgess excel dandelion/timothy hay mix and also some dry dandelion/parsley/other dry bits and pieces mix i got in pets at home - the natural stuff....not sure what its called now!) and it seems to have worked the trick.

Ill keep on with the Pro-C in the water bottle and I'm slowly introducing veggies to her. Although i thought she was going to take my hand off when i was giving her a lettuce leaf and some parsley! Going to try and keep away from things like cucumber etc for a while.

Shes been getting her vita-poos and also pruning/washing herself so thats a good sign (considering she was hardly moving a few days ago) - she's also back to her usual grumpy self with the cage mate - poor Truffles thought she was onto a good thing when Rosie was allowing her to lie close by - that didnt last long lol :)

Once again, thank you for your support! I will need to get some pics posted and chat elsewhere on the forum now :D

GG x
 
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