Zoe's Medical Thread

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zazzified

Post   » Sun Apr 27, 2014 1:14 pm


Hmm, interesting re: the chard.

I don't feed grass, but I'd like to. I don't have access to anything untreated and I don't get any direct sunlight on my balcony to try to grow a little box of it. I wonder if there's anything that would work there, though!

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Sat Aug 23, 2014 4:29 pm


I have been away for a week so my girls were staying with my friend who is very knowledgeable about guinea pigs. She said she noticed my girls stools were a little small but plentiful. When I took them to her house I noticed Zoe's stools were a little larger with some points. It could of been the packing up and moving but I suggested not feeding too many extra green over their daily amount.

I had Zoe and Abbey moved back home yesterday about 1:00 pm. The weather is cooler so I moved them to the upstairs cage in the kitchen. They have been in the recreation room for the summer.

This morning I noticed very few poops from Zoe and what she produced are small. I can usually tell her stool from Abbey's because they are larger.

It is now 1:25 pm and I am still not seeing many. It is hard to tell because she poops in the hay pile when eating. She is eating and drinking but I have to remove her house to get her started. Her tummy doesn't seem hard but I massaged it anyway.

I phoned her vet but her exotic vet isn't in and the other vets won't prescribe medication without the exotic vets's approval. In an emergency they will phone her.

I know cisapride is used for bloat but is it good just as a motility drug? I guess I am not sure how long to wait if she is eating and pooping a few small ones. I have seen her reach down to eat the fresh ones. In an emergency I could take her the 45 minutes to my friends. She has cisapride.

I talked to my friend and she said they didn't get very many extra greens because I had noticed the larger pointed stool so maybe they are a little dehydrated. They are not big water drinkers. Abbey's poops were also drier and smaller when I got them home. I have been giving them a few extra greens soaked in water hoping this will help but I don't want to upset Zoe's digestion. She has a sensitive system but has never bloated on me so far.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Aug 23, 2014 9:10 pm


Do you weigh them regularly (not rereading)? This is your best tool for determining if you need to hand feed. You can always syringe water if the poops seem dry. Generally smaller poops indicate a guinea pig is not eating as much so monitoring weigh is helpful to know if your guinea pig is eating enough.

Are you seeing any signs of pain?

www.guinealynx.info/.html

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Sat Aug 23, 2014 11:39 pm


Thanks Lynx. I do weigh her regularly but I have been away for a week so will weigh her tomorrow. She started pooping some odd shaped ones after lunch but by 5:40pm she was back to normal with lots of normal shaped poops so I think we are back on track for now. She has a very sensitive system and it doesn't take much of a change in diet to throw her off.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sun Aug 24, 2014 2:34 pm


Good news, glad to hear it!

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:02 am


Thanks Talishan: I weighed her and her sister today and both girls are down 1 ounce since August 6th which is not unusual. They go up and down an ounce, but I will continue to weigh both of them to make sure they don't keep dropping.

Zoe is still putting out great droppings so I think we are okay until the next crisis comes along. I find it so stressful when one of my piggy girls is having problems.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:10 am


One other question. The next time I am at the vets should I get some cisapride to have on hand in case something like happens again? I was very close to driving the 45 minutes to the vet but the exotic wasn't in on Saturday and then she started passing stool on her own.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:52 am


I was just saying the other day that it has almost been a year since Zoe was at the vet and she was due for her wellness check next month.

Then she went into heat and started rumbling and she hasn't stopped rumbling. She started Feb. 15th so it has been 10 days. She has always had longer heat cycles than Abbey but this is the longest.

The first thing that comes to mind is ovarian cysts so I booked an appointment with her vet for March 6h.

Her weight is down very slightly but she is eating well and otherwise seems normal. I have noticed for some time now that when she is having floor time one side of her tummy may bulge out slightly more than the other side but nothing really obvious. I will get her vet to give her tummy a good squish and see if she can feel anything.

Is there any other reason she may be rumbling at her sister other than ovarian cysts?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:16 am


I'd guess that's probably it, given the length of the heat period.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:08 am


I think ovarian cysts disrupt the hormonal system. My guinea pig actually did not have very large cysts when I had her spayed but did exhibit lots of signs (including crusty nipples). Her behavior calmed down after the spay. It may be that other conditions disrupt the hormonal system also but there is nothing else I can think of.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:36 pm


My friend's sow had significant hair loss, weight loss and frequent severe bloat episodes but very few if any heat symptoms. Our vet couldn't feel any cysts. She ended up getting an ultrasound which showed small ovarian cysts and cysts on her kidneys.

She had her spayed and her hair has grown in beautifully and she has gained weight. I am going to visit her this weekend and can't wait to see her new coat. Apparently she looks like a totally different pig.

The added bonus is she hasn't had any issues with bloat other than a couple of mild ones a few days after the spay. This is a pig that has been rushed several times to emergency because of severe bloat.

Is bloat directly linked to ovarian cysts? I know in humans one of the symptoms of ovarian cancer is bloating and digestive issues. Could a spay actually cure the tendency to bloat?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:25 pm


That is quite interesting. I wonder, especially in cases where the cysts are quite big, if that might not be so.

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