Julius's Medical Thread

Post Reply
User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:35 pm


Sorry, I forgot to say, yes they did subcue him while he was there. I still worry (there I go again) about him being blocked up and not being able to pass anything through, but he has passed a little in the last 2 days. I probably worry too much. Wouldn't he be showing pain signs if he was bloated?

He is getting 10 CC's every 2 hours, at least while I'm not in class. I do the best i can with the time I have. I don't think I've ever wanted poo so bad.

Last question (for now), If he still hasn't pooped by morning, should I take him back or wait it out? What would you all do?

User avatar
Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:40 pm


He *will* poop by morning. If he's not blocked, and it doesn't sound as if he is, then the poop's got to go somewhere :-p

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:49 pm


Ok, thanks for the encouragement! I'm bad at the sitting and waiting for poop game! I'm going to feed him CC one more time before I go to bed, and will probably leave him with that until morning. They fed him 20 at the vet, and if I feed him once more, he'll be at 50 for the day.
Come on Julius!!!

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:58 pm


I'm wishing you the best!

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:26 pm


We Have Poop!!!!

I took him back to the vet this morning because he had only had one poo overnight. They were going to do x-rays, but before they could get around to it, he started (in their words) "pooping up a storm" They told me he was pooping more than normal - most likely due to the back up he had been holding!

They said he was acting more alert and active after he let it all out - He is eating hay and drinking right now. They told me he ate all day, and to let him just eat on his own. I will be watching his weight VERY closely, and if he loses any more, I will begin handfeeding CC again. He is under close watch. :)

His back end is still fluffed up (his fur). Could this be due to the mites still?

I am going to give them their second treatment Saturday (7 days), and am hoping that appetites will increase with mites being gone, and their first taste of KM's yummy hay and pellets!

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:38 pm


Sorry, one last question for now - Julius has taken to chewing on non-food objects - he decimated the edge of his fleece blanket today while i was gone. This just started when he got sick - and I'm concerned he will get plugged up again.

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:36 am


I thought we were doing better yesterday. I brought him home last night, and he wasn't pooping an excessive amount, but was pooping. This morning I wake up, and he has only pooped ONCE all night! He also chewed a chunk of his fleece in his cage.

I'm so frustrated by this.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:36 am


I'm so sorry things are not looking encouraging.



p.s. For what it's worth, it is really helpful for us braindead people (like me) to occasionally summarize the problem and treatment with dates. I realize that I would have to reread the whole thread to remember precisely what is going on and treatment (instead of having a vague memory) and sometimes I just do not have time.

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:34 pm


Sorry Lynx, I realized just now this is even confusing to me! Hope this helps!

Summary of Julius's troubles:

2/11 - original vet visit - no URI detected, started on Neopolydex for conjunctivitis.

2/16 - Started on Baytril for URI when sneezing worsens.

2/23 - Julius is not eating well. Discontinue Baytril after no improvement seen, Julius seems more energetic that night.

2/24 - no improvement seen, weight has decreased some, wheezing observed. Check him into ISU ICU around noon. They continue his Baytril and put him in the oxygen chamber. Julius is also treated for

2/25 - X-ray of heart and lungs taken, no fliud in lungs, hearts looks normal. Julius comes home, is eating some better. Vet recommends continuing Baytril for another week.

2/26 - Julius's appetite decreases again, (he is at 2#6oz) I call vet, she switches him to Bactrim, but rejects my opinion on a lotensin trial. I am now mad. :)

2/28 - I am not satisfied with the results of my vet, so I take him to Dr. Jacobsen in Marshalltown. New x-rays taken , some fluid in lungs. There is some evidence of possible heart condition, but not enough to be sure. Julius is started on 1mg/2ml Benazapril and 50mg/60ml Lasix.

2/29 - 2nd day of heart meds, Julius displays soft poos - not diarrea, but softer than normal. Appetite still decreased, but not much weight fluctuation. (1-1.5 oz). I give no veggies that night.
Activity better - Still eating hay, drinking and eating most of his nightly veggies.

3/1 - Scabs found all over Julius's hindquarters. Treated with Ivomec .5% pour on. (treat all three boys.) I cleaned their cage at noon, and Julius does not poo all afternoon or night. He seems more lethargic, and his appetite is decreased still. Weight at 2# 5 oz. Julius does not show symptoms of pain when his abdomen is palpated, and does not seem to have bloat. Handfeed once in the afternoon. (about 5 cc's)

3/2 - No poos produced. Still eating some hay and drinking.

3/3 - Call the vet first thing in the morning. Can't get to Dr. Jacobsen's because of a snowstorm (dang you, Iowa!) Take him to a new vet at my old clinic. They agressively handfeed CC, and subcue Julius. They release him that night so he will be in a low stress enviroment, and tell me to call if he hasn't pooped by morning. I feed 25 more cc's of CC before bed. The vet thought he had an adverse reaction to the lasix, and had lost too much water 9he was also drinking less), making his poos sticky and hard to pass. He passed one poo for me late Sunday night, and 2 at the clinic Monday. None Monday night.

3/4 - Take Julius back to the vet in the morning. Dr. Langholz calls me around 10am and says Julius is "pooping up a storm". They tell me he is eating well and seems more alert and active (which I agree with) and tell me to return him to normal routine and try not to hover over him, as that stressed him out. (boy, they know me!) Also recommends discontinuing heart meds, at least until his GI tract is back to normal. I pick him up around 1, and he poos for me in the afternoon and early evening, although not more than usual. I clean their cage around 8pm, and he produces about 8-15 poos in a couple hours.
Weight: 2# 5oz.

3/5 (today) I wake up, and Julius had only produced one poo overnight. I get worried of course. Julius pooed twice or three times between when I woke up and left for class (around 45 min). I also noticed when I gave him his bactrim that there was green nasty smelling stuff in his mouth, so apparently he had eaten one or more of the soft cecal pellets (this is good, right?) I have not been home since, I am still on campus. I will see how things are when i get home around 4, hopefully things have improved. His appetite has remained about the same - he eats some hay, some pellets, most of his veggies and is drinking really quite well. His weight has maintained at 2# 5 oz.

My first question is, could his GI tract just be getting back in the groove of things?

If this continues, is there any sort of meds I can use (i'm drawing a blank as to the word I'm looking for here) - meds to get his GI tract moving and stuff coming out of him again?
Bloat/blockage has pretty much been ruled out since he time to time passes good amounts of poo.

I wonder if I am just overthinking this thing and not giving him sufficient time to recover before dragging him back to the vet and stressing him out.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:20 pm


Sending good thoughts for Julius. It is encouraging that he is eating normally and maintaining his weight!

"If this continues, is there any sort of meds I can use (i'm drawing a blank as to the word I'm looking for here) - meds to get his GI tract moving and stuff coming out of him again?"

I think the words you are looking for is motility drugs:
https://www.guinealynx.info/motility.html

Is Julius receiving any probiotics or "healthy" poop from another guinea pig?

User avatar
iastate09
Supporter in '15

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:09 pm


Thanks - I thought of it as i was walking to my next class. Yes, motility :) He is not getting pop soup, i thought that was for diarrhea? I was thinking maybe all this poop trouble is from all the ab's and if i poop-soup him, the friendly little bacteria will solve some problems. Any thoughts?

He is eating alright - not as well as normal, but he's eating.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:20 pm


Poop soup is very helpful when receiving antibiotics or other medications that can cause G.I. upset. I would certainly give it a try.

Another thought is that Julius may be eating all of his poop, not just the special ones. You might to watch and see if he is doing that.

From 3/4: "Also recommends discontinuing heart meds, at least until his GI tract is back to normal."

Did you stop the heart medications?

Post Reply