Using my finger did the trick, both with the Bacitracin-neomycin-polymyxin medication and the Gentizol. Fuzz is down to 4 or 5 small bare spots (according to the vet) and her eye is healed. She'll be so happy when she realizes there won't be any more messing with her eyes.
I can't believe how easy and comfortable she seems with me. She doesn't run away when I need to pick her up (must be all the treats!), but she still poops and pees on me regularly, so I use a chunk of fleece when I need to pick her up. Still have a problem with soft poos, though, so I have to watch out for her feet, too. I get smeared regularly. Vet said to try giving her 1 cc of pre/probiotic every day. Hopefully that will help.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Fuzzbutt's Medical
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
Fuzz made it to the vet today. Along with the fungal infection (more on that in a minute) she also has a URI. She finally made the "snotty nose" sound so the vet checked her more closely and took x-rays to compare with the ones taken in December which weren't really good because we were checking for belly/g.i. issues back then. Today made it clear that there was fluid in her lungs, the left not as bad as the rights, but it is present in both lungs. So she's on Baytril - 10mg/ml. .28 ml twice a day for 14 days. I will try to get the vet's office to email both sets of x-rays tomorrow. They're pretty good about doing this if I ask for them.
Then there is the Metronidazole Benzoate (CA90) 100MG/ML suspension .45 ml twice daily for the soft stools for 2 weeks. Hopefully, this will do the trick. If it, does we can try giving it every other day. (Banana flavor (o: )
Then there is the super thin hair on her hip and side of the tummy. Dr. K. says it is part of the fungal infection so I should continue treating with the Miconazole lotion. She said she barely touched the hair and a bunch fell out. Thinking back, this area has been very thin haired for months. I wonder if FUZZ gave it to the babies when I brought them home, rather than the other way around, and they were so young and vulnerable! Whatever, I have to be more careful about washing my hands between each pig, so I don't accidently keep spreading it. (Dusty and Belle have new areas around/on the ears that I'm treating.)
Plus, I've decided to give her the Buprenorphine more often. It's not helping her when it just sits in drawer.
Dr. K. thinks Fuzzbutt may have a compromised immune system. :'o(
It's now more vital that I get the probiotic into her.
If she hated me before, she's going to REALLY hate me now. I'll need lots of "rags" because she poops and/or pees on me regularly now when I handle her.
Then there is the Metronidazole Benzoate (CA90) 100MG/ML suspension .45 ml twice daily for the soft stools for 2 weeks. Hopefully, this will do the trick. If it, does we can try giving it every other day. (Banana flavor (o: )
Then there is the super thin hair on her hip and side of the tummy. Dr. K. says it is part of the fungal infection so I should continue treating with the Miconazole lotion. She said she barely touched the hair and a bunch fell out. Thinking back, this area has been very thin haired for months. I wonder if FUZZ gave it to the babies when I brought them home, rather than the other way around, and they were so young and vulnerable! Whatever, I have to be more careful about washing my hands between each pig, so I don't accidently keep spreading it. (Dusty and Belle have new areas around/on the ears that I'm treating.)
Plus, I've decided to give her the Buprenorphine more often. It's not helping her when it just sits in drawer.
Dr. K. thinks Fuzzbutt may have a compromised immune system. :'o(
It's now more vital that I get the probiotic into her.
If she hated me before, she's going to REALLY hate me now. I'll need lots of "rags" because she poops and/or pees on me regularly now when I handle her.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
Posting x-rays of Fuzz. First set were taken in December but we were looking for G.I. issues, so not a good indicator of her lungs.
Fuzzbutt #1 12.11.17
Fuzzbutt #2 12.11.17
Second set we were looking specifically at her lungs.
Fuzzbutt #! 3.23.18
Fuzzbutt #2 3.23.18
Dr. K says there isn't enough white or opaque areas in the second set, which are of her lungs. She said these x-rays indicate fluid around her lungs (or in, I don't remember which). She diagnosed a URI and gave her Baytril. See above post for more specific information on that.
If you have any comments, observations, suggestions, etc., please don't hesitate to say them. Fuzz has had the on-again, off-again nasal congestion sound for months. I know nothing about reading x-rays.
Fuzzbutt #1 12.11.17Fuzzbutt #2 12.11.17Second set we were looking specifically at her lungs.
Fuzzbutt #! 3.23.18Fuzzbutt #2 3.23.18Dr. K says there isn't enough white or opaque areas in the second set, which are of her lungs. She said these x-rays indicate fluid around her lungs (or in, I don't remember which). She diagnosed a URI and gave her Baytril. See above post for more specific information on that.
If you have any comments, observations, suggestions, etc., please don't hesitate to say them. Fuzz has had the on-again, off-again nasal congestion sound for months. I know nothing about reading x-rays.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
No, but I searched out bpatters' instructions for building one. I may have to try that. She's fighting the syringes like she thinks I'm going to kill her. Actually, this little pig fights everything except snuggles that way, including the banana flavored stuff! I'll see if they can do strawberry next time.
On the bright side, her soft poops have all but disappeared. She's still eating and pooping, just not the soft mushy ones.
Do you think I should wait to give her a medicated bath with the URI still very active?
On the bright side, her soft poops have all but disappeared. She's still eating and pooping, just not the soft mushy ones.
Do you think I should wait to give her a medicated bath with the URI still very active?
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
Cover her eyes with your hand so she can't see the syringes.
You don't need to build anything for a nebulizer. I use a clear plastic box (you can use cardboard, but I have plastic and like the fact that light comes through) about 2 feet square. I tape the doohickey that holds the medicine to the side of the box, and put a thick folded towel over the top when the pig is inside.
You don't need to build anything for a nebulizer. I use a clear plastic box (you can use cardboard, but I have plastic and like the fact that light comes through) about 2 feet square. I tape the doohickey that holds the medicine to the side of the box, and put a thick folded towel over the top when the pig is inside.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
Fuzz is still having the "sinus congestion" sounds after 2 weeks on Baytril (10 mg/ml - 0.28 ml twice daily). It's not often but then it wasn't an every day thing before, either. I'm wondering if I a) should change antibiotics or b) get a solution that can be nebulized. Both would of course require a vet visit. We have a follow-up visit coming up on Wednesday, anyway.
She's started losing weight now. It takes both of us (husband and I) to syringe her medications. I can't remember if she ate Critical Care balls before, when I was trying to get them used to the taste. The only guinea pig I actually remember eating any was Peek and that was only twice the first day and none the second. Anyway, Fuzz fights to take anything but the pain med I occasionally give her (Buprenorphine). We all will really hate to add force-feeding to the regimen but will if this weight loss continues over the next couple of days, or if the vet tells us to do so.
I made the mistake of ordering Banana flavored Flagyl and she absolutely hates it. As soon as she smells the banana she's trying to hide her head in the blanket. I know there are lots of flavors available so I'll try for strawberry next time. Until yesterday, it had stopped all mushy, messy poops, but yesterday I kept finding them stuck to everything, including the scooper when I tried to clean it up. I'll have to see what happened overnight. I have my own doctor appointment today and that will keep us away for at least 3 hours, so I won't be able to closely monitor her.
Antibiotic, Flagyl, and probiotic (Bene-Bac) continue twice a day. I set a timer for the probiotic so I don't miss any of those doses.
She's started losing weight now. It takes both of us (husband and I) to syringe her medications. I can't remember if she ate Critical Care balls before, when I was trying to get them used to the taste. The only guinea pig I actually remember eating any was Peek and that was only twice the first day and none the second. Anyway, Fuzz fights to take anything but the pain med I occasionally give her (Buprenorphine). We all will really hate to add force-feeding to the regimen but will if this weight loss continues over the next couple of days, or if the vet tells us to do so.
I made the mistake of ordering Banana flavored Flagyl and she absolutely hates it. As soon as she smells the banana she's trying to hide her head in the blanket. I know there are lots of flavors available so I'll try for strawberry next time. Until yesterday, it had stopped all mushy, messy poops, but yesterday I kept finding them stuck to everything, including the scooper when I tried to clean it up. I'll have to see what happened overnight. I have my own doctor appointment today and that will keep us away for at least 3 hours, so I won't be able to closely monitor her.
Antibiotic, Flagyl, and probiotic (Bene-Bac) continue twice a day. I set a timer for the probiotic so I don't miss any of those doses.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
I don't know why, but they only lasted the one day. We're back to normal poops all the way around.
Something I forgot to mention, and will tell the vet Thursday: I'm not sure the Miconazole is working 100% for everyone. Where Fuzz's back, butt, and the missing hair on the sides ARE growing back (to my inexperienced eye), I'm not sure about her face. The "ridges" from the fungus are just getting bigger. I try to pick them off as the vet suggested, but she cries so much I can only handle it for so long. The only thing I'm seeing come off are a few thick "clumps" of hair. Is this what I'm supposed to see?
Something I forgot to mention, and will tell the vet Thursday: I'm not sure the Miconazole is working 100% for everyone. Where Fuzz's back, butt, and the missing hair on the sides ARE growing back (to my inexperienced eye), I'm not sure about her face. The "ridges" from the fungus are just getting bigger. I try to pick them off as the vet suggested, but she cries so much I can only handle it for so long. The only thing I'm seeing come off are a few thick "clumps" of hair. Is this what I'm supposed to see?
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
Fuzz is no where near as bad as Joe's piggy was, thank goodness, the white stuff is not present. Her eye area does look bad (will try to get some pics later), but the crap on her nose and most of her body is clearing up. It's just the eye area that has me concerned. One spot on her upper eyelid looks kind of like a blister. I'll keep up with the Miconazole treatments since they work on her body, and I'll hope her eye starts to recover soon.
Vet visit scheduled for tomorrow.
Vet visit scheduled for tomorrow.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
Dr. K doesn't want to go the nebulizer route because she's afraid Fuzz won't get the proper dosage of the medication. She's never done this with guinea pigs and said with cats she uses a small mask. So... Two more weeks of the Baytril.
She's afraid to up the dose of metronidazole - Fuzz gets .45 ml twice a day. I must say, she must be getting quite the education with my pigs.
I'm also sure I'm putting someone's daughter/son through vet school. We did the same with my dog and one of my cats.
Here is a picture of Fuzz's eye. I hope it's clear enough. You can see part of the affected ear, also.
She's afraid to up the dose of metronidazole - Fuzz gets .45 ml twice a day. I must say, she must be getting quite the education with my pigs.
I'm also sure I'm putting someone's daughter/son through vet school. We did the same with my dog and one of my cats.
Here is a picture of Fuzz's eye. I hope it's clear enough. You can see part of the affected ear, also.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in 2018
I've been thinking (yep, it's a miracle!): since Fuzz's mushy poops cleared up the first week or so that she was on Metronidazole, could the Baytril be keeping it from working now? I know that Baytril can upset the GI tract and that's the reason we give them Probiotics. But if the Baytril is also keeping the Metronidazole from working, maybe I should just stop that for now since it is NOT working (and she hates it so much).