• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

What are Hormone Injections called?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Louise you are doing a fantastic job and being an ace piggie mum :rose

Peggy keep going strong we are all rooting for you x>>

Gemma, Ginny and Saffy xx
 
Pebble said:
Hi Louise....This type of situation with our piggies really is a "baptism by fire" and I really do know how you feel....the good news is that given the tenacity of the piggy slave, the correct treatment/information ..and a co-operative and willing vet.. ...it is perfectly possible to get our piggies back to full health. I'm so pleased that things are now moving positively forwards for you and Peggy.

I will PM you my phone number. Peggy should still be regarded as "critical" (and things can change suddenly) although I'm hoping that actually she should start to stabilise now given the meds/treatment she has received

Most important now is the poos/guts/dehydration issue (might be an idea to get some diarolyte and zantac in from the local supermarket if you havent already) and if you are at all worried about anything then please ring me. I'll be up late tonight as I have a poorly piggie to monitor and am around most of tomorrow.

x
Click to expand...

Hi Pebble
Thanks again and please don't worry, I will not stop being hyper-vigilant (and paranoid) until Peggy is popcorning around the cage and stuffing her face at every opportunity.

She's very up and down about whether she'll take titbits and I'm still syringe feeding her and will continue to do so until she seems normal (or very nearly normal).

Good news is - the poo she produced this morning was brilliant. Perfect size and perfect colour. Last night they were tiny. She's also been having some "poo-snacks" which I'm pleased about.

Thanks so much for the contact details. It's great to know I have someone so experienced and willing to help only a phonecall away.

I'll keep you all updated and let you know how the vet visit this afternoon goes.

Thanks to everyone again. I can't stop saying thank you, but I really do mean it.

Louise x
 
louise_stocker said:
Hi Pebble
Thanks again and please don't worry, I will not stop being hyper-vigilant (and paranoid) until Peggy is popcorning around the cage and stuffing her face at every opportunity.

She's very up and down about whether she'll take titbits and I'm still syringe feeding her and will continue to do so until she seems normal (or very nearly normal).

Good news is - the poo she produced this morning was brilliant. Perfect size and perfect colour. Last night they were tiny. She's also been having some "poo-snacks" which I'm pleased about.

Thanks so much for the contact details. It's great to know I have someone so experienced and willing to help only a phonecall away.

I'll keep you all updated and let you know how the vet visit this afternoon goes.

Thanks to everyone again. I can't stop saying thank you, but I really do mean it.

Louise x
Click to expand...

Poo snacks is a great sign!
 
louise_stocker said:
I know, but I'm trying desperately not to get my hopes up as this usually is quickly followed by another relapse.

How is Cameo doing? Thinking of her. xx
Click to expand...

Going to try her at home today, she's starting to eat some greens, so going to come home for supportive syringe feeding and oral meds
 
That's great. Just found your other thread and read about what's she been up to the last few days. Sorry I missed it earlier. Am following it now. Bet you'll be pleased to get her home.

I'm just about ready for some respite again! I need my sleep at the best of times. The night-feeds are really taking their toll.

Luckily my OH is sharing them with me (I do 2am, he does 5am then we both do the 8am)! He's not great at syringe feeding though so he's going to get another lesson today. He's too gentle and lets her get away with anything until she's wandering around just doing her own thing :)

Lxxx
 
Just had another vet visit. Peggy hasn't had a downwards slump today - she's eating bits on her own (not a lot) and taking her syringe a bit better. We're managing to maintain her weight too but no more gain yet.

The vet has moved us onto liquid metacam (0.25ml twice a day) and told us to give it to her until our next appointment (Tuesday). Amazing difference from the messages I was getting from that nurse! I asked him to give her another injection of the gut stimulant just to keep her stable. Like I said, another appointment on Tuesday but obviously we'll take her back earlier if she went downhill at all and said he'd go back to metacam injections if there's any change for the worse.

She was a lot more feisty at the vets, really kicked off with him and gave him the run-around then did a massive leap back into her travelling box (not great for her stitches but I wasn't quick enough to stop her).

So we'll just try and keep on doing what we're doing and hopefully we'll make some progress.

(Just while I'm typing this, the OH has just come upstairs to tell me she's standing up on her back legs begging!) Still trying not to get too hopeful just in case.

She's still very picky with food - she'll take something, get bored of it, take something else, get bored with that, go back to the thing she'd refused a minute ago. She's also moved on from wanting thin, green pieces of hay to the crunchiest bits I can find. What's really weird is she had been refusing food at one point this afternoon, wandered over to a notebook I had lying there and ripped a huge piece of paper and ate it before I could stop her.

She also keeps trying to eat the kitchen roll I've been wiping her chin with. I guess she wanted roughage but she'd just refused a bit of hay?

Anyway, thanks again everyone.

Just in case you're interested, I've just received of the most amazing cage liners and accessories from 4piggiepigs. I've posted some photos on her thread including some of Peggy which you might like to see.

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1125929#post1125929

Lots of love, Louise xx
 
I have noticed that my seriously ill piggies have also resorted to kitchen roll and newspaper when they are poorly. I now let them eat all they want as it is cellulose fibre and therefore good for their guts. Most animals are very good at knowing what they need when they are ill.

If she's after paper then try putting few torn strips of kitchen roll or newspaper (without colour print if poss) in her cage.

x
 
Glad she's doing so well!

I'm slightly confused as cameo is only eating lettuce mallethead

Better than nothing though, although there's not much nutrient wise in lettuce, at least she's getting something into her gut by herself. She's still tolerating the syringe feeding well, as well as taking diluted cranberry juice really well!

I'm off to get some ribena later (she HATES baytril and it seems to put her off of taking the other things by syringe) and to see how many varieties of lettuce I can buy!
 
So pleased to read this afternoon's update and see how well Peggy's doing. I know she still has a way to go but she really sounds like a trooper! x
 
louise_stocker said:
Just had another vet visit. Peggy hasn't had a downwards slump today - she's eating bits on her own (not a lot) and taking her syringe a bit better. We're managing to maintain her weight too but no more gain yet.
The vet has moved us onto liquid metacam (0.25ml twice a day) and told us to give it to her until our next appointment (Tuesday). Amazing difference from the messages I was getting from that nurse! I asked him to give her another injection of the gut stimulant just to keep her stable. Like I said, another appointment on Tuesday but obviously we'll take her back earlier if she went downhill at all and said he'd go back to metacam injections if there's any change for the worse.
She was a lot more feisty at the vets, really kicked off with him and gave him the run-around then did a massive leap back into her travelling box (not great for her stitches but I wasn't quick enough to stop her).
So we'll just try and keep on doing what we're doing and hopefully we'll make some progress.
(Just while I'm typing this, the OH has just come upstairs to tell me she's standing up on her back legs begging!) Still trying not to get too hopeful just in case.
She's still very picky with food - she'll take something, get bored of it, take something else, get bored with that, go back to the thing she'd refused a minute ago. She's also moved on from wanting thin, green pieces of hay to the crunchiest bits I can find. What's really weird is she had been refusing food at one point this afternoon, wandered over to a notebook I had lying there and ripped a huge piece of paper and ate it before I could stop her.
She also keeps trying to eat the kitchen roll I've been wiping her chin with. I guess she wanted roughage but she'd just refused a bit of hay?
Click to expand...

Oh Peggy why are you being a feisty monkey, are you bored with being an invalid? Or are you being a little princess cos you have a gorgeous cage now ;)

Keep going from strength to strength Peggy and keep on with your fantastic caring Louise and OH, you're making all the difference to her recovery x>>
 
Amanda1801 said:
Glad she's doing so well!

I'm slightly confused as cameo is only eating lettuce mallethead

Better than nothing though, although there's not much nutrient wise in lettuce, at least she's getting something into her gut by herself. She's still tolerating the syringe feeding well, as well as taking diluted cranberry juice really well!

I'm off to get some ribena later (she HATES baytril and it seems to put her off of taking the other things by syringe) and to see how many varieties of lettuce I can buy!
Click to expand...

Sorry Cameo's still struggling but Peggy is still being very picky too if that helps. I don't think she really knows what she wants, either that or mummy is being very stupid. The baytril and metacam are greeted with some facial expressions that I didn't know pigs could pull off. You'd think they'd want something after it to take the taste away.

There's probably more nutrition in lettuce than in kitchen roll :)

Lxx
 
Pebble said:
I have noticed that my seriously ill piggies have also resorted to kitchen roll and newspaper when they are poorly. I now let them eat all they want as it is cellulose fibre and therefore good for their guts. Most animals are very good at knowing what they need when they are ill.

If she's after paper then try putting few torn strips of kitchen roll or newspaper (without colour print if poss) in her cage.

x
Click to expand...

That's good to know - it's difficult knowing what to do when they want something that isn't really even food xx
 
Gemma McD said:
Oh Peggy why are you being a feisty monkey, are you bored with being an invalid? Or are you being a little princess cos you have a gorgeous cage now ;)

Keep going from strength to strength Peggy and keep on with your fantastic caring Louise and OH, you're making all the difference to her recovery x>>
Click to expand...

After all this, I'm definitely going to have a diva on my hands xx
 
I suddenly remembered last night that Peggy had had Baytril before for a terrible bout of diarrhoea about 2 years ago. We discovered the diarrhoea but her behaviour and eating were still normal. We took her to the vets, who gave her Baytril and after that she lost all appetite and needed syringe feeding for about a week. The diarrhoea cleared up but it wasn't until the course of Baytril stopped that she suddenly perked up again.

This time when we brought her back on the day of the spay, she actually had a good appetite. She then went downhill and went back into hospital with a possible infection and was given baytril. I know painkillers and other meds complicate the issue but her appetite hasn't been as good as it was since a few hours after the actual op.

I'm now hoping and praying that it might actually be the baytril that's causing her to be so picky with food. The course finishes on Sunday night. I've now got my hopes up that we might see a sudden improvement on Monday?

Does anyone have any experience of this with their piggies?

Lxxxx
 
louise_stocker said:
I suddenly remembered last night that Peggy had had Baytril before for a terrible bout of diarrhoea about 2 years ago. We discovered the diarrhoea but her behaviour and eating were still normal. We took her to the vets, who gave her Baytril and after that she lost all appetite and needed syringe feeding for about a week. The diarrhoea cleared up but it wasn't until the course of Baytril stopped that she suddenly perked up again.

This time when we brought her back on the day of the spay, she actually had a good appetite. She then went downhill and went back into hospital with a possible infection and was given baytril. I know painkillers and other meds complicate the issue but her appetite hasn't been as good as it was since a few hours after the actual op.

I'm now hoping and praying that it might actually be the baytril that's causing her to be so picky with food. The course finishes on Sunday night. I've now got my hopes up that we might see a sudden improvement on Monday?

Does anyone have any experience of this with their piggies?

Lxxxx
Click to expand...

It is likely to be the baytril.

All animals, but herbivores especially, have specific bacteria in their gut (gut flora), that is responsible for the breakdown of food (herbivores especially, as they have to break down the plant matter). Unfortunately, antibiotics don't just get rid of the "bad" bacteria, it gets rid of it all, so it upsets the balance of their necessary gut flora, hence why probiotics are recommended. Much like when we have antibiotics, they can give us a dicky belly :)
 
Amanda1801 said:
It is likely to be the baytril.

All animals, but herbivores especially, have specific bacteria in their gut (gut flora), that is responsible for the breakdown of food (herbivores especially, as they have to break down the plant matter). Unfortunately, antibiotics don't just get rid of the "bad" bacteria, it gets rid of it all, so it upsets the balance of their necessary gut flora, hence why probiotics are recommended. Much like when we have antibiotics, they can give us a dicky belly :)
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. I'm obviously still using the fibreplex but I did 2 years ago too and it doesn't seem like its enough to ward off the effects of antibiotics.

Hoping so much now that if we can just maintain her weight, she may pick up after the course of baytril has finished.

We've used baytril several times in the past on various piggie ailments and I seem to remember we've always been desperate for the course to be over.

Don't want to get my hopes up too much in case its nothing to do with that though x
 
How's little Peggy doing? Hoping her lovely new cage liner and bed are helping her get better. Healing wheeks to her!

Gemma, Ginny and Saffy xx
 
Gemma McD said:
How's little Peggy doing? Hoping her lovely new cage liner and bed are helping her get better. Healing wheeks to her!

Gemma, Ginny and Saffy xx
Click to expand...

Thank you so much - she seems a bit brighter again but so scared to jinx it! She's doing a lot more grazing in her cage on her own terms (mainly hay) and is moving around a lot more quickly and with less effort. Her little lie-downs are more 10-minute power naps now rather than being zonked for a couple of hours!

I'm still pretty scared and watching her like a hawk! She's still by no means herself and still not too bothered about fresh food - mainly just hay.

Thanks so much for asking though. I hope I can report really good news soon and start relaxing a bit!

Louise x
 
Hi everyone

I really hope I don't jinx things by posting this but we've had lots of 'firsts' today (doing something for the first time since the spay!)

1. first popcorn! It was only a little one but it was there!

2. first drink from her water bottle on her own, then another and another...

3. first time she's responded to a whistle by getting up and rattling the cage bars violently and loudly to get food

4. first weight gain (she gained 25g [*]between[/*] syringe feeds!)

5. first wheep - music to my ears!

Not sure when I'll start to relax but I think I may actually be able to get some sleep tonight. So glad we've got our little trooper back even if it meant a nasty bite when mummy tried to give her her medicine!

Please, please, please let it continue.

We normally have a two level cage with a ramp up to their upstairs crash pad. We took the upstairs and ramp out after the op because we were worried she's hurt herself or her stitches going up and down. Does anyone know when its safe to put it back in? Maybe another week? Her wound does look good.

Thank you once again for everything - I don't think I could have got through this without the overwhelming support I've had from the lovely people on this forum. You're all so, so kind and Peggy owes a lot to you xxxxx
 
Fantastic news! Yay Peggy you clever little girl, keep it up :))

Louise you must be over the moon, all your hard work and dedication is paying off and I'm delighted for you hun x>>

Gemma, Ginny and Saffy xx
 
I was just about to email you to see how she was doing! i'm glad she's doing so well and is putting on weight like me (between feed's:)))
 
I'm delighted to hear such great news - so far so fab!

You're really doing a brilliant job with her - she's lucky to have such a dedicated and attentive Piggy Mummy and your care is definitely making all the difference. :)
 
Thank you everyone - I think all the healing vibes coming from all over the country are really helping her!

I'm so scared to start thinking about taking her off medication but wanted to run the following things past people:

Her baytril runs out tomorrow (she'll have been on it for a week)

The vet suggested taking her off metacam on Tuesday (she'll have been on that for a week and a half with a few small breaks from it - we won't say anything more about that... grrr)

Not sure when to stop the metatone and fibreplex but I was thinking maybe 3 days after the antibiotics stop? The fibreplex says use for 2 days only - we started it on Tuesday - is there any reason for this?

As for syringe feeding, she seems to be eating an awful lot at the moment on her own but I'm monitoring her weight closely. Do you think I'm okay to maybe just give 1-2ml with her medications and only increase it if she loses weight?

When talking about stopping things I would only do this if all seems well of course, if there's any deterioration, I'll consult a vet or your lovely selves...

Thanks again, Louise x
 
Last edited:
louise_stocker said:
Thank you everyone - I think all the healing vibes coming from all over the country are really helping her!

I'm so scared to start thinking about taking her off medication but wanted to run the following things past people:

Her baytril runs out tomorrow (she'll have been on it for a week)

Personally I would continue with antibiotics for another week. One of the reasons she has not been well is she may have had a grumbling infection start which baytril has been keeping at bay. It takes at least 3-4 days for the antibiotic to start to have an effect and therefore a course really should last for 10 days minimum ...but longer in a post-op pig with complications

The vet suggested taking her off metacam on Tuesday (she'll have been on that for a week and a half with a few small breaks from it - we won't say anything more about that... grrr)

Do that and see how she goes...if her food intake or weight decreases or she gets spikey fur/is lethargic then she is still in pain and needs to go back on it

Not sure when to stop the metatone and fibreplex but I was thinking maybe 3 days after the antibiotics stop? The fibreplex says use for 2 days only - we started it on Tuesday - is there any reason for this?

Firberplex is an exempt medicine that is freely available on the internet to the general public so the manufacturers have to cover themselves. As you are giving it with your vets knoweldge it is quite Ok to carry on and dinish 3 days after the antibiotic course runs out (be it 7 or 10 days or longer). The reason they say only 2 days is to encourage the general public "self-medicating" to piggies with problems actually seek proper vet treatment for thier animal.

As for metatone - it does have a lot of sugar in it....the B vits are necessary whilst she is not producing or eating her own caecotrophs and also help stimulate the apetite. This can be provided in the form of the Beaphar multi-vitamin drops for guinea pigs....which I add to the critical care because i am using stuff that does not have vits added

As for syringe feeding, she seems to be eating an awful lot at the moment on her own but I'm monitoring her weight closely. Do you think I'm okay to maybe just give 1-2ml with her medications and only increase it if she loses weight?

Yep

When talking about stopping things I would only do this if all seems well of course, if there's any deterioration, I'll consult a vet or your lovely selves...

Thanks again, Louise x
Click to expand...

Providing she is eating hay, dried foor and veggies and her weight is stable then you can ease off the intensive care. Keep monitoring the weight however and if she dips then you need to be prepared to feed/give painkillers again.

It takes a minimum of 2 weeks post operative care before a piggie is able to "stand on their own four paws". If complications have occurred then it could take longer.

I don;t wish to alarm you, but you should also be aware that any invasive surgery (particularly spaying or castration) runs a risk of secondary complications in the form of adhesions developing from 2 weeks post op onwards. These can manifest themselves at any time in the future life of the piggie as gut problems/gut stasis if scar tissue has adhered to the gut. Three of my previously neutered boys developed this issue two years after their ops ..and one subsequently died following rectification surgery 8.... Having said that i have had three girls spayed in the past and none developed this as a problem

I'm sure that she will be fine - but as you already know, you still need to keep vigilant.

HTH
x
 
Thanks so much for this information, Pebble. It all makes perfect sense.

We've only been given Baytril to last until today. We're seeing the vet on Tuesday. I do however have some Baytril in the cupboard that was issued for another piggie in about June. Do you think this would be okay to use or does it 'go off'. Not sure what the vet will make of us having extended her antibiotics without his go-ahead though :{ I'd have to tell him in case there was an emergency.

Just put another order in for fibreplex on the internet. The internet vets are doing pretty well out of us at the moment. She's actually starting to quite like the fibreplex. We have to squirt it out into a bowl then mix it with water. If we use the syringe it comes with, she just spits out big blobs of it. When mixed with water it kinds of smells like bread or beer (I think it must be yeast!) Quite nice really!

The vet mentioned adhesions. A bit frightening but I guess its good to be aware of it should there be problems in the future. Sorry to hear about your poor boy but good to know your sows have been fine.

She still seems a bit better but is so picky with food. One minute she'll eat lettuce like its going out of fashion then an hour later she looks at it like it's completely repulsive but will devour something different which she'd ignored earlier in the day. Hopefully its just a case of her knowing what she needs to get her little tummy better!

How is your poorly boy doing now? I don't think he could ask for a better nurse :)

Many thanks, Louise x
 
The baytril you have had since June should be fine provided it has not got contaminated (check for sludge at the bottom of the bottle). You should ring the e-vet tonight and get authorisation to continue up until the vet visit on tuesday on the basis that not giving it for a couple of days and then giving it again on tuesday is creating the potential for antibioitic resistance to develop

x

PS Re zantac - can you ring me please? It's easier to explain over the phone than try to type with a broken wrist!

x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top