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InkysMom

Post   » Fri Sep 12, 2003 7:04 pm


Chary, I can't believe it. I have been checking the thread constantly waiting to hear what was in Rowan's lumps, and now this. I can imagine the sickening, furious, hysterical feelings you must have experienced when you talked to the vet. It's so very frustrating when we can't fix what's done!!!

Despite this setback, (and despite not knowing/having never met you) I have confidence in your ability to help your animals. Have a good cry session with a healthy pig, and then figure out your next move. You are smart and dedicated and we're all pulling for you and your pigs.

Charybdis

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:10 pm


Some more thoughts from Dr. K:

On Antibiotics: She believes that Chloramphenicol would be more effective against Strep zoo. than Baytril. She recommended giving it by injection since, in her experience with rabbits, the animals tend to go off their feed on this AB.

On Airborne Particles: She said that she had not seen any information that aspirating the lumps caused the organism to become airborne, that it would be airborne through the respiratory tract and not necessarily from the abscess site. She's checking through Paisley's information now to see if there is enough evidence to support/refute this.

On Carrier Status: Apparently, one can do a blood titre (sp?) which would determine exposure to a certain organism. I believe she said that this is the method used to determine pasteurella in rabbits. It would involve more than one test and we would have to search around (perhaps a research facility?) for a lab that could perform such a test on Sebastian.

Her other thought was to put Sebastian (whose lumps have healed) in isolation with another pig and see if the other pig develops CL. Her reasoning was that, since it was cured with Sebastian, that it is not as deadly as we think, and that if the other pig developed it, then we would know 1) that Sebastian was a carrier and 2) That Sebastian wouldn't have to live the rest of his life alone in my bathroom because he would have a buddy.

An inquiry on VIN went nowhere.

My vet (Dr. R) is at an exotics conference this weekend and is going to try to dig up some information.

So far, Phyllis is doing fine and I have not noticed any lumps on any other pigs. Her culture isn't back yet.

We just have to find out if Sebastian, the other dumpster pigs, and Itchy and Scratchy are potential carriers of an airborne disease, potential carriers of a non-airborne disease, or free and in the clear.

Phylfish

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:19 pm


Wow (just reading the thread) this is a horror story! And its odd to read my name for a guiena pig too...

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:22 pm


Thanks for the update. It sounds like you have a direction to move it and a plan. I've always felt that helps when one is trying to get things manageable and under control.

p.s. you have a watch on a thread that is getting kicked off your yahoo account and labeled as spam (and sent back to me).

Subject: Topic Reply Notification - Baytril (enrofloxacin) Primer

ChunkyPiggies

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:57 pm


I like Dr K. I'm applying to be a poopie cleaner at her clinic. Glad we are gettting some "direction" in our fiasco.

Paisley

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:01 pm


Thanks for the update, Charybdis. It's great to hear that no more pigs have developed lumps.

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Pigglies

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:23 pm


Apparently, one can do a blood titre (sp?) which would determine exposure to a certain organism.
Yep, that's just like what you can get done on psittacosis (now called chlamydiosis but the other ones still is more common to most people) on birds. You can get a titer (I thought that was the spelling) to see if your bird is still a carrier after recovery. Ours was, so that's why we only had one bird. Dr. Bruce Levine at Tustana Animal Hospital was treating him and does titers. Not sure if he would/could do a titer for this or not. He did all sorts of exotics, but mostly birds and reptiles (which is why we drove for 2 hours to take our bird to him).

Charybdis

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:32 pm


Absolutetly not. Not that vet. I won't say any more because it could be an issue of libel. But we are not taking any pigs to him.

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Pigglies

Post   » Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:35 pm


Well, he's very good with birds... I hadn't heard anything about him with guinea pigs. But another warning, he's very expensive... does a lot of things and our bird had around $500 in vet bills there (friends thought I was nuts and said I could have gotten 100 more budgies for that much LOL). Also, a certain rabbit rescue *hint hint, wink wink* calls him "Dr.Hash and Slash" because he likes to do unnecessary surgeries to remove fatty tumors etc.

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Cindi

Post   » Sun Sep 14, 2003 12:57 am


I'm so sorry you are going thru all this mess. I hope you find an answer soon.

Regarding the test for Pasteurella for rabbits, all the rabbit people I have talked to say that a deep nasal culture is the most accurate way to detect Pasteurella in rabbits.

Cindi

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Pigglies

Post   » Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:06 am


I like Dr K. I'm applying to be a poopie cleaner at her clinic.
Ha ha! Just noticed this Chunky Piggies! So, is that like a kennel attendant? I keep hoping to get hired at the clinic I volunteer at, as a vet tech though. I'm thinking of giving up on that and trying out for dog bather though, or kennel attendant could be good (I get tricked into scooping poop a lot anyway, the first time one of the techs asked me if I wanted to "do a fun job that you get to go outside and be in the fresh air and walk around for awhile" and I got to clean up the dog walking area LOL).

ChunkyPiggies

Post   » Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:24 am


Hehe yea, Kennel attendent. Need a way to work myself up. Plus the ladies at Dr K's are really nice, so I wouldnt mind.

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