Baby Beast

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:49 pm

Baby Beast was born in June 2007, I adopted her in July 2007. She was spayed in March 2008 and lives with an intact male named Jasper

On September 27 2008 she seemed "off"- lethargic, sitting in the corner all puffed up. On Sept 28 she started crying when peeing and her urine was bright pink.

A vet visit on 9/30, Baytril was prescribed and for a few days she seemed to improve but over the weekend of Oct 4-5 she started crying again

I took her back to the vet on Oct 7, an xray confirmed a bladder stone the size of a pea and she was having quite a bit of pain.

Currently she is on
Metacam
Actigall
TMZ (Chloromenphocal (sp?))
and Shintilong sp?

Over the last week I think a combination of these medications are helping her remain comfortable. On Thursday Oct 9 she started acting more like herself

Her normal weight range is 1010-1020grams, her lowest was 945g and now she is back up to between 970-980grams. Her appetite is good and she is being much more active.

Her diet consists of lettuce, cilantro, KM Bluegrass and Oxbow Pellets.

My vet has been very open to any suggestions based on what I have read on GL. She was surprised when I asked about Actigall, but we are going to try it for a month and then recheck with an X-ray.

I feel torn over to have the stone surgically removed or to just keep her as comfortable as I can for as long as I can?

I am asking for input or suggestions

This is Baby Beast (white) and Jasper (black)

sus4rabbitsnpigs · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:42 pm

If she is young, she may be a good surgery candidate. It depends on your vet's skill too.

Lovemypig · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:50 pm

There's been alot of stone pigs here on GL. My boar had a successful surgery almost a year ago for his stone.

Here's a link on stones, in case you haven't read it yet. http://www.guinealynx.info/stones.html

Karin1 · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:04 pm

Hey, where did you get your Shintilong from? My pig Lilly currently has a stone and is in pain. I probably will go through with the surgery but want the Shintilong to keep her pain down.

Karin1 · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:08 pm

Whats the Actigall for? Is your pig eating right now? Mine chews her wood, and drinks her water, but wont eat her hay and pellets like she used to. I think its because of the pain. Lilly also crys, its so heartbreaking to hear isnt it.

What have you been feeding your pig? Lilly will feel better off and on. One minute shes walking around happy the next in the corner wheeking in pain when she goes to the bathroom.

rshevin · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:34 pm

Karin, do you have a thread for your pig? I would strongly advise one so we can focus on one pig per thread. There is a STRONG dietary component to stone management that I think your pig would benefit from.

Karin1 · Post » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:45 pm

Yes I have a thread but I wanted to know where she got the Shintilong from being that my piggie is in so much pain. Rshevin do you have any input on my pig?

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:35 am

http://www.fareastginseng.com/

That I where I purchased it from

Karin1- She is eating right now. If Lilly is not eating on her own you need to hand feed. I had to do that with Baby Beast for a couple of days until she felt better.

Is Lilly on any sort of pain medication? If not, she needs to be

Karin1 · Post » Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:47 pm

I have her on pain me Metacam but it isnt working and she is still crying. I have went to that sight but I am scared to buy it from them because it is made in China, and is written in chinese-- may not be getting the correct herbs. When was the last time you bought it from that site? Do you trust it?

Karin1 · Post » Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:33 pm

I went to that sight and bought some. How long does your pig have to be on it before you see results? Sounds like your pig and my pig are in the same boat (she has a pea size bladder stone also)

How did you give your pig the herb? dosing/anything special you did. I think I might talk to my vet about the ab your pig is on.

I get it in 3 to 5 days.

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:30 pm

My sister bought it last year when her pig was having trouble with a stone. The bottle has 100 tablets in it. I even gave some to a friend of mine who's pig was having bladder stone problems

Baby Beast has been on it for a for a week now, I want to say I noticed a difference after 3 days

I take 1 tablet put it in a small bowl and I put about 2 cc worth of water on it. Let it sit until soft, then I mash it with a spoon and suck it up into the syringe.

I do 1 dose in the morning and 1 dose in the evening

I read the dosing somewhere on here...I don't remember if it was in a thread or the medical section

I hope that something can be done for her pain

sef1268 · Post » Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:37 pm

This is just my own personal opinion, but you might consider switching from Oxbow pellets to Kleenmama. My sludge pigs have all done better on Kleenmama -- fewer incidents of bleeding, UTI's and (knocking wood furiously) stones. There are a lot of strong supporters of Oxbow here, and I'm not necessarily knocking it for most pigs, but my own experiences with three of our pigs have made me wonder if the high sodium content in it can exacerbate urinary problems in genetically prone guinea pigs.

Also, you don't mention what type of lettuce you're feeding, but many of us with sludge/stone prone-pigs have found it helpful to eliminate romaine and stick with green leaf and red leaf instead (mine also get endive and Boston lettuce).

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:32 pm

I just wanted to update, Baby Beast is still doing well. Her weight is still up and her appetite is good.

She has been on Actigall since 10/11, I continue to give Shintilong as well.

I cut all romaine/parsley out of her diet, and she gets about a tablespoon of Oxbow pellets in the morning. She gets cilantro and a mixture of endive,red and green leaf and unlimited hay.

I have a follow-up vet visit on 11/10 for another x-ray.

I have noticed that since she has been on the Actigall she is drinking ALOT more, but I think that is a good thing

Post » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:28 pm

I hope Baby Beast continues to do well. It will be wonderful if the Actigall is successful.

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:39 pm

I wanted to update. Baby Beast had to go into the vets today for a cyst that developed on her head. So bizarre, it is on the right side of her head between her ear and eye, it had to be debrided.

She is on and AB for two weeks

The great news though is that while she was sedated, they did some X-rays to see if the Actigall has had any effect and it was ***GONE***. It was not there! The X-rays from October 7 show a stone the size of a pea and the ones from today show nothing

I am so relieved!!

Post » Wed Nov 26, 2008 12:36 am

That is wonderful news!

TwoWhitePiggies · Post » Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:48 am

FANTASTIC news about the stone. Go Beastie!

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:23 pm

I wanted to update

Baby Beast is still doing well. She has gained a little weight and is not showing any signs of a stone.

I continue to use the Actigall at a .5ml once a day as to keep it from coming back.

I have switched from Oxbow to KM pellets. I also have cut out the veggies with a higher calcium content(parsley, romaine etc....)

sammianne · Post » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:47 pm

I'm glad to hear she is doing well and the changes you made are working for her.

izzywizzywoo513 · Post » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:19 pm

Baby Beast has remained stone free **knock on wood**

However she has somehow ripped one of the toenails on her back left foot off. There was initially a lot of blood, but it has not bleed since.

I took her to the Vet today. He prescribed epsom salt foot soaks. Baytril and something called DMSO twice a day to apply to the wound.

Is this safe to use in Guinea Pigs?