Chronic Bloating

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Shirl123

Post   » Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:04 am


Milly has been bloated this time for 3 weeks now, and nothing we have tried has had any success in removing, or even reducing by any extent, the bloat. This hay only diet is just a one off, 48 hour trial, to try and get out of her system anything that my be irritating her insides. I'm keeping up to metoclopramide and simethicone, and I will have one more try this evening with mineral oil, and several sessions on the massage cushion.

The probiotic the vet gave me also has vitamins A, C & E, which hopfully will help give her some of what is missing without her veggies.

The only acidophilus capsules I have been able to find are Acidophilus Plus. The packet states that the capsules are a "Non-dairy source of L.acidophilus, L.casei casei & L.casei rhamnosus". Does anyone know if these are safe for pigs, or do I need to find plain acidophilus capsules?

I haven't got any Critical Care yet, but I do have a packet of Science Recovery. Will this do for the time being, to give with the acidophilus?

maremma

Post   » Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:07 pm


When Sweetpea is really having a rough time I have given her three doses of mineral oil in a day. Be sure to syringe pedialite into her wait at least half and hour to an hour and give her a dose. Repeat in 8 hours and then 8 hours again. Sweetpea has had to have at least two doses a day since she began bloating or we are in serious trouble. Be absolutely sure she gets the fluids into her before giving her the oil.

Sweetpea has a slightly irregular shaped heart and so we are afraid ot give her reglan but if your babies heart is okay it may well help keep her regular but take some time on it for it to work well.

I can't tell you if the acidophilus plus can be used or not. Hopefully someone can tell us soon. Is she still eating the probiotic from the vet for you? That is safe for her.

I also do not know about science recovery but I do know you can put acidophilus on the parsely that has been wetted and it will stick for her to eat it that way. Some of my babies will eat it this way. Perhaps she will too.

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Shirl123

Post   » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:03 pm


Maremma, thanks very much for all your advice. Milly's bloating is going down today, now I have cut out everything apart from hay. I did find some dandelions, so she has had a few leaves, but nothing else. She is still taking the probiotic from the vet. I checked the ingredients in this, and it says it has electrolytes, so I don't think she will need pedialite while she is taking this.

The vet hasn't found any heart problems with Milly, and just told me to phone up when I need metoclopramide for her, so he obviously doesn't see a problem with longer term use.

I will keep her off the veggies again tomorrow, and then start to re-introduce pellets and small portions of veggies. I will try Talishan's advice of little and more frequently to see if this helps. I'll only indroduce one to two types of veggies ever few days so if she starts bloating again, I'm hoping I may be able to work out what has started it up again.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:45 pm


Glad to hear she is doing just a little bit better. The process of elimination method you are following is just about the only way I can think of to find out if there is a trigger for her, and if so, what it is.

Just to note: Pedialyte is not suggested for electrolyte balance, necessarily. Many guinea pigs love the taste and will drink it readily when they're not drinking water, or not enough water. We use it for hydration more than electrolyte balance.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:48 pm


I'll only indroduce one to two types of veggies [over a] few days...

Yes, go very slowly. It may take a few days to show a problem. You want to identify the specific veg that is causing it. Avoid fruits.

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Shirl123

Post   » Sun Apr 22, 2007 5:56 am


Thanks for your advice. Milly's bloating has reduced quite a bit this morning, although she still has gas in her. I'll try pedialyte today, to try and get as much fluid into her as I can, to see if that helps.

maremma

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:05 pm


Is Milly still on the reglan? I think I misunderstood. I thought you had stopped it and she was no longer on it.

My experience with reglan is limited to my first boy on it who was in actual stasis and my BigBilly who was not in actual stasis but needs the extra help to keep food moving because his intestines are being pushed over to one side. With both of them I noticed more improvement once they were on it several days.

It helped right away for BigBilly to get more poops coming out but it took a few day before he became regular. I wish I could put Sweetpea on it after seeing the vast improvement in Big Billy. That and the simethicone sure helped him toot and poop all the gas out of him.

How is Milly doing now? Is she eating pellets and hay now or is she still restricted to only hay?

Is she still being given the probiotic every day? I wouldn't stop that even if you don't think it is helping. With all she is going through she needs the extra support to her gut flora.

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Shirl123

Post   » Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:03 pm


Milly is still on the metoclopramide, but I am reducing the dose so that I can stop it over the next few days. (We have to have tablets crushed in water in the UK, we don't have reglan). Sorry if I confused you. It definately helps her, as without it, she gets much bigger.

I kept her to the hay-only diet for just over 48 hours. There was a big improvement after about 18 hours, but then she started to pass blood in her wee, and bloated up a bit again, but not as much as before.

She is now back on pellets, and I'm giving her smallish portions of veggies three times a day. So far there dosen't seem to be a reaction to veggies that I've given her.

She now has a bladder problem on top of the bloat. (It could be that the bladder problem has been making the bloat worse). Her bladder is very painfull, poor little thing. The vet did an ultrasound today; there is no sign of stones, but the bladder walls are much thicker than they should be. So she is now on antibiotics as well, while the vet checks a urine sample for crystals.

I'm only giving Milly one dose of simethicone a day now, but I will keep Milly on the probiotic for some time. Fortunately, she loves it, and will take as much as I give her. The other two pigs almost pull the syringe out of her mouth! She didn't think much of the UK version of pedialyte, though. I've bought another flavour to try on her later, as I'm hoping it will help to get as much fluid into her as I can.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:26 pm


What AB were you given for the bladder problem?

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Shirl123

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:37 pm


Milly is on Baytril. The bottle says "Oral Suspension 2.5%", the doseage is 0.2ml twice a day. She went off her food a bit when she was on Baytril a few years ago, but she wasn't on probiotics then, which she is now. She's getting her probiotics an hour or so after the AB, and seems OK so far. The vet hasn't got back to me yet about the urine sample. I will phone him tomorrow, if I don't hear from him first.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:50 pm


She may do better on bactrim - and this is more commonly prescribed for bladder issues.

I wouldn't put a pig back on baytril who had previously shown signs of intolerance.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:59 pm


Ditto Mum. Watch carefully for intolerance. In my experience (I am not a vet), the organisms most often involved in bladder issues respond readily to Bactrim.

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