Eye Discharge, Localized Hair Loss, and Antibiotic Treatment

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:52 pm


I can't help with the "body type" question, but to clarify about the eyes... the weepiness would clear up quickly, but it takes a bit for the hair to grow back in. My guy is a PEW, and with the red eye and pink, hairless skin around it, he looked creepy.

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:04 pm


No large change yet, for better or for worse. Continuing with AB treatment.

Also, Smack, the cagemate just recently starting AB's for a breathing 'click, might possibly be the easiest to medicate pig in the history of pigdom.

He's been so jealous about not receiving AB from a syringe these past two weeks, that now all I have to do is hold the syringe at his level in the cage and he sucks the medicine right out! Then he chews and tugs on the empty syringe. Silly, jealous thing.

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:32 am


Ok, same pig, new issue. Deuce has developed a bald spot since Monday. No sores, not itching, not sensitivity to touch, no flakiness or redness.
Just plain bald. Smack, his cagemate, has always barbered him.

I have no idea what is going on. Deuce's eyes do not seem to be responding to the AB drops.

Here are some photos. I apologize in advance because my digital camera is not of the quality to take good, detailed closeups. Hopefully these pictures will still give a clue.

http://www.froghyde.com/gallery/view_al ... me=album01

Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you,
C

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:14 am


Ok, Deuce had a small impaction, which we just cleared. He immediatly passed a small, greenish pellet We're keeping him separated to assure he continues to pass.

That's a very stinky chore. Could this impaction be a direct or indirect cause of some of these symptoms?

I'm at such a loss at what to do with this pig. The vet wants to run bloodwork to test liver and kidney function. However, she says she draws from the jugular, which to me leaves the possibility of a life-threatening blood clot moving directly to the brain. Is it proper to draw blood from the jugular of a pig?

Thank you.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:07 am


Read over www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html to see if anything would seem to apply. I always fall back on mites and fungus as the most likely. The green pellets are the cecael pellets which he should eat.

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:50 am


I wasn't able to see anything that applies. Especially because there is no irritation, flakiness, or sores. He doesn't even mind my touching it. Its just smooth, naked skin. I suppose its possible his cagemate pulled out the hair by the root when barbering, but would he really sit still for that large of an area?

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:45 pm


Ok, Deuce's balding spot has begun to regrow stubble already. I have the sneaking feeling that Smack just tore the hair right out from the root. I'm going to watch the two of them very closely. And also keep checking Deuce's skin and coat for any further problems.

I'm also going to start supplimenting Deuce with about 30mg of liquid Vitamin C a day. I don't want to give him too much, but I'm not convinced he's getting the proper amount from the red peppers he's nibbling on. He's been ill now for 21 days without a marked improvement, besides an increase of about 10 grams of weight. His eyes are still weeping considerably and not responding to the past 4 days of AB drops. Clear breathing, normal activity otherwise. We'll see how it goes...

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:51 pm


Have you had tooth/jaw x-rays? Sometimes eye problems are the manifestation of elongated roots (which would also cause eating problems).

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:14 pm


I have not had any x-rays done. When the vet looked at his back molars she did mention that he would need the filed in about a year, but it is too soon now. I read the thread about molar planing, but had difficulty understanding what exactly this involved. Are the roots planed? Or the molars themselves? If its the molars, then is the tooth filing my vet referred to the same thing?

What kind of eating problems should I look for? He does well with hay, pellets, and most veggies. I think he simply does not like the bell peppers. I keep trying to re-introduce them. Their diet has been evolving from sub-standard to much better. They've never had the proper amount or variety of veggies.

Thank you for your help and advice.

pinta

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:16 pm


When the vet looked at his back molars she did mention that he would need the filed in about a year, but it is too soon now.

Is she psychic?

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:24 pm


I am not an expert, nor do I play one on the internet :-)

But here is what I have gleaned from spending too much time here: mysterious weight loss can be a symptom of heart trouble (can't breathe and eat at the same time, so eating takes second place) or tooth problems (can't chew or it is painful to chew). Tooth problems compound themselves, and so any health problem that causes diminished eating can become a tooth problem even if there wasn't a tooth problem to begin with. I hope I am making sense.

Anyway, non-obvious tooth or jaw problems really need x-rays for diagnosis. Once they are bad enough to "see" (like tongue entrapment) they are really far along.

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Ketus15
Love is a Guinea Pig

Post   » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:45 pm


"Is she psychic?"

Hehe, so THAT'S what she's been charging so much for! Actually, she drew me a picture, it looked like barely beginning malocclusion. (The back molars pointing towards each other, instead of straight up) No problems with eating, no entrapment, so she said, no surgery.

If it sounds like I need a second opinion, I will certainly get one. This is my third vet so far, and kicking one more to the curb won't hurt my feelings.

Snowflakey, makes sense. A guinea pigs world revolves around eating. I printed Pinta's list https://www.guinealynx.info/teeth.html
and fed Deuce some salad. Didn't see any of the symptoms except eye discharge. He even ate the peel of the apple.

I will call the vet tomorrow and see about the cost of x-rays and the next available appointment. I probably can't get in for a week, so I'll make the appointment and see if the eyes clear up with the AB treatment in the meantime. Would they continue to weep with the elongated root problem?

Thank you.

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