SEEKING ADVICE ON DIARRHEA

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Alison

Post   » Thu Jan 31, 2002 10:50 am


BB has the supply of Oxbow Timothy Hay + Cavy Cuisine + Xtra C + Critical Care.

I will keep you posted of the situation after the visit to my vet on Saturday.

Lastly, have anyone heard that a guniea pig may suffer from inflammatory. I read from the Internet that it happens with doggie.

If that is not inflammatory, any clue on what cause the diarrhea?

pinta

Post   » Thu Jan 31, 2002 8:32 pm


Have parasites been ruled out? Has the poop been chacked for them. Considering the diarrhea starts and then goes away and then comes back I would be suspicious that she is being reinfected/reinfested. Many parasites are extremely hard to find in samples. You might have to get 3 or 4 samples analysed to spot the culprit.

Unwashed vegetables or even bad water can be contaminated with parasites. Recently news reports have said that sprouts can imbibe bad stuff up thru the root system and washing will do nothing to eradicate it.

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Fri Feb 01, 2002 10:01 am


Parasite have been ruled out also. (skin scrapping has been done and found no mites / lice / mange. ) That´s why my vet try the anti-inflammatory. She´s doing fine at the moment. The dropping again seems to firm out (though still very soft).

I will ask my vet to do the skin scrapping and one more culture tomorrow.

I have stopped all greens 2 months ago when BB start diarrhea.

I am very sad with BB´s getting on and off with the problem. (Poor little girl!)

Thanks for the kind advice of everyone in the forum. If anyone knows anything regarding inflammation, please post.

pigpal

Post   » Fri Feb 01, 2002 1:01 pm


I think Pinta was referring to internal parasites, rather than those that live on the pig´s skin. Something like worms perhaps? I believe it is uncommon but not unheard of, I´ll try to find some more information for you.

Josephine provided the following information in an old post on this subject:

Cavies rarely get worms . There are various classes, of which nematodes are one. Generally, they must eat/come into contact with contaminated veggies/grass. It would seem quite plausible that most cavies that are infected with worms would do so through animal droppings on grass. Dogs cats, birds, and mice seem the most common contaminants. It just cautions one to wash all grass thouroughly or make sure that there is not any chance for contaminants.

Ivermectin will take care of many of these parasites if given orally or by injection. I would be very careful if giving OTC wormers, since many are not safe to use in cavies and/or are not very effective. Cavies have very delicate digestive tracts. I would normally not see a need to deworm a cavy at all, especially for an apparently healthy cavy.


Alison, when your vet examined a fecal sample and ruled out giardia, do you know if he was also checking for other parasites such as nematodes?

When you refer to "inflammatory" is your veterinarian talking about inflammatory bowel disease or just inflammation?
Last edited by pigpal on Fri Feb 01, 2002 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

pinta

Post   » Fri Feb 01, 2002 2:52 pm


Cryptosporidium is one of the bugs that can cause diarrhea. The pig can be reinfected by its environment if the "bugs" aren´t totally cleaned out. The term the med books use is protozoal diarrhea.

The "bugs" can be found via fecal examination or identified by histopathologic examination of the brush border of mucosal epithelial cells.

Sorry, no clue what that means - I assume a vet would.

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Sat Feb 02, 2002 1:22 pm


Hi, cavy lovers.

I have brought BB to the vet again today.

Comments from vet:
- Better
- Stools almost formed
- Inj depo 0.05 ml
- may need steroids intermitantly

My vet refer to inflammatory bowel disease. He said this may be the genetic problem which become surface when BB enters her middle age. He suggest to continue the treatment of injection of Depo Medrol 0.05ml (a 10 day course) and see if this help.

I will be on business trip tomorrow (has been delayed for two months) and back on midnight next Friday. BB will be under care of my mother and brothers. I am very worry and will phone BB everyday to check.

I will bring BB to the vet again next Saturday.

I will leave the forum for a few days and will keep posted the latest info. of BB once back.

God bless BB! She´s just 3 years old. And she is so lovely little creature. She will definitely get through the problem.

Goodnight!

Alison
P.S. This forum is wonderful for the cavy lovers from all over the world to communicate and help each other. Thanks.

pigpal

Post   » Sat Feb 02, 2002 1:31 pm


I´m so glad BB is doing better.

I´ve heard of dogs, cats and ferrets suffering from IBD but not guinea pigs before, although I know they are used in medical research on IBD in humans. I guess most people are not as caring as you are and don´t keep bringing their guineas back to the vet to find out what the problem is. Most people won´t spend a lot on guinea pigs, strange though it seems to us. I know in dogs and cats, IBD is often treateable with special diets and sometimes steriods. I hope your vet is correct and the treatment works for BB.

Good luck.

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Sat Feb 02, 2002 5:47 pm


Thanks, pigpal.

I have to leave in 10 minutes. Anyone who have similar experience please continue to post in the forum. Your info. may help my little piggie.

I will check the forum before I go to the vet next Saturday.

Bye!

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Sat Feb 09, 2002 9:50 am


I am back from the business trip.

I have brought BB to the vet today. Faeces are still soft, but in shape. I request the vet to do a second culture / sensitivity test. Results will be available on Monday.

Microscope Faecal Smear / urine has been done => confirmed no giardia. The vet said the culture should tell whether there is other parasites / bad bacteria. He suggest to continue KP + Critical Care and will decide what to do when the result of second culture is available.

BB is still doing fine, though sometimes reluctant to take the medicine.

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Mon Feb 11, 2002 4:30 pm


Second culture result = no growth => no bad bacteria

My vet also does not understand the reason why diarrhea goes and return. He now suggest to try ´trimazole´ for which is a medicine which clears yeast / cocccidia. On the other hand, he also refers me to another exotic specialist for second opinion.

I decide to take BB to the exotic specialist. I also decide not to use ´trimazole´ until the consultation.

Anyone who has ever heard coccidia, please post on the forum. Thanks.

pigpal

Post   » Mon Feb 11, 2002 5:26 pm


Coccidia are protozoan parasites. Here´s a link to more information:

http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/coccidiosis.htm

I don´t have any experience with this in my pigs, but I hope the information is helpful. Good luck with the second opinion, it seems the vet should be able to diagnose coccidia through a fecal flotation.
Last edited by pigpal on Mon Feb 11, 2002 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Alison

Post   » Mon Feb 11, 2002 9:53 pm


Thanks, pigpal. The information is very useful.

Here we have the Chinese New Year. All the vets will be closed during the holiday. I will bring BB and the info. to the exotic specialist once available. I will ask for a fecal flotation. Thanks again.

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