Pippin's Tummy Troubles (Long)

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:51 am


Both pigs are doing great, but I had blood drawn today. It was only one prick, but the woman squeezed and squeezed. I thought of how poor Pippin hated it. No wonder :(

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:03 am


Pippin is now officially five years and five months old but I think he’s closer to just five. About ten days ago I noticed both he and Pandora were looking a little puffed up and uncomfortable. This was during a cold snap – I don’t have central air/heating so I put it down to climate change. About a day later they both looked fine.

About one week ago I noticed both had lost a little weight. When I took them to the pignic, Pandora pooped and peed up a storm in her carrier. Pippin made only two poops, one very big one and a little one that looked like a ball bearing. He made a bunch of bigger-than usual poops at the pignic.

All week long his weight has been up and down and so have the size of his poops. Some are perfect, some are huge, some are tear-drop shaped or shriveled-up looking.

I have been giving him oral hydration and Mylicon. On Wednesday I took him to the vet. She said there are no abdominal masses and she could feel formed bowel movements. The poops he left in his cage were kind of small and he peed twice – urine looked normal, no blood.

She said continue what I was doing and give him a little pineapple juice diluted in water. Like a dummy, I also gave him some fresh pineapple chunks Wednesday and Thursday. Pandora got some too. Then I did a web search and found out pineapple is a diuretic, so I stopped giving him pineapple in any form.

Friday I started syringe-feeding Pippin sweet potato baby food in addition to his regular food and oral hydration. Saturday his weight was down a little more, but so was Pandora’s. Pippin is pooping well, but his poops are still inconsistent in size and shape.

I will call the vet again Monday morning regardless – she mentioned Reglan as a possibility but neither of us wants to over-medicate him. She is also reluctant to do an X-ray as she did one less than two months ago and that one was perfect.

I am hoping this is all temporary and just due to change in climate/irregular feeding schedules. This has happened twice before with Pippin and at least once with Pandora. Both are eating like horses, but Pippin has been a little weird, for instance, he was originally grabbing for carrots and chowing down, now he is less enthusiastic about them. A couple days ago he wouldn’t touch romaine lettuce but wolfed down several leaves this morning and would have eaten more had I given them to them. Ditto for broccoli, tomatoes and red/orange bell peppers.

The vet says his teeth looked good on inspection but has not ruled out tooth problems, however, the other day he tried to eat the bark off his play-log.

At about 5PM ET Saturday I left him and Pandora with some pellets, tim hay, romaine lettuce and water. Both their energy levels seem good, it’s just the weight loss and inconsistent poops which worry me. Shortly before midnight Saturday/Sunday I snuck (sneaked?) home to check on them. Pandora hadn’t eaten much but Pippin had left a dent in the food I left him and there was a goodly number of poops.

Sorry to ramble, but any advice, good thoughts etc are appreciated.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:41 am


You don't mention the actual weight variation. Maybe it is not extremely significant?

Do they eat lots of hay? Can you get your hands on some nice fresh grass? The vet likely suggested the pineapple on the theory there was some sort of hairball in the system and the pineapple would help it move along (this is pretty rare but was found once in a guinea pig).

Sounds like you're doing what you can. I imagine you're weighing at least once a day to keep track of things. Picking regular times to weigh would let you know if they are normal fluctuations or not.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:46 am


Thank you, Lynx. It was less than 10%, but I wanted to nip it in the bud -- didn't want it to turn out like Oreo's situation.

I am weighing them both once per day. I guess I could get them grass (they got some at the pignic) but in my neighbourhood I am afraid as it might either be sprayed or contaminated by dog/cat urine. They do get Oxbow tim hay. I am trying to feed them smaller amounts often, although that's hard with the hours I keep. I will be home in little more than an hour.

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3 Little Pigs

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:23 am


I'm sorry that Pippin isn't feeling well. Hopefully it is just him trying to give you a scare.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:26 am


That's what I'm hoping, Three Little Pigs. I know it sounds crazy, but I think the pigs, especially Pippin, can pick up on what I'm feeling. My stomach is in knots between work (See General Chat) and refinancing the condo.

Their tummy problems seem to coincide with very strenous/erratic work schedules or climate/diet changes.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:25 pm


When I got home about 9AM ET today both pigs were wheeking for food.

At about 4PM ET Pippin's weight was up a little, Pandora's was down. Pippin is now eating more enthusiastically than Pandora, which is normal. His poops were a little gloppy, but that's not surprising considering the extra food/hydration I've been giving him.

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Amy0204
We miss our sweet Oreo

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:54 pm


Keep an eye on what veggies you're giving. Maybe there's a connection between the item and the smallish poops, suggesting they clog him up a bit. Remember that it can take as long as 24 hours for food to move through a guinea pig, so think in terms of what was fed the day before you see the smallish poops.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:53 pm


Interesting. Thank you, Amy. I was reading about how it took a while for the motility drugs to have an effect on Oreo.

You probably don't realize how many pigs you've already helped and how many you will help in the future.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:29 pm


I am trying not to freak out. Pippin's weight continues to go down, up a little more, then down, mostly down. Both pigs, especially Pippin, were biting and scratching themselves last week. Friday I took both to the vet for Ivermectin shots -- this has helped with weight loss/skin issues in the past. Vet said continue Critical Care but give Mylecon only if he's clearly uncomfortable. Also, no veggies except romaine, with small amounts of parsley and spinach.

When we got home from the vet's he was great, so I gave him some extra romaine. Big mistake. Ten PM he was miserable, so I gave him some Mylecon. Sat and Sun he was much better, including less biting and scratching. Like a dummy, I upped his romaine and also gave him a little parsely.

Today he is worse -- weight lower than it's been in a year, appetite on and off, biting and scratching himself more. I gave him some Mylecon at 5:40 AM, and it's not helping much. He is pooping. Most poops look pretty good, but some are a little soft, a couple had little bubbles at the end. A couple minutes ago he was eating hay, now he's biting himself again.

Whatever it is, it seems a cyclical thing. One day he's bad, two days he's good but the long and short of it is he's losing weight. The vet is out until tomorrow, I will call her first thing. Obviously I am not giving him any veggies, as that seems to be the culprit.

I will bring both pigs in for an Ivermectin shot in about ten days, however, the question is what tests, meds do I ask for now? The vet mentioned Reglan last year but we are both unwilling to bring out the big guns. She did an X-ray in late August (suspected hernia, negative). Do I ask for another one, bloodwork, urine, stool cultures, anything else?

Thanks!

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:09 pm


I wonder if Pippin has something like Percy's IBD diagnosis. I'm just thinking off the top of my head here.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:08 am


Vet did a small mammal panel, sent him home. She sez if I haven't heard from her by 2PM EST to call her.

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