barbells

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lisam

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:56 pm


What a relief.

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melcvt00

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:57 pm


Feel the weight lifting off your shoulders a bit?

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Pigglies

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:59 pm


So so so very very happy!!! For Phyllis and all the pigs in that room! Yeah!

dribble

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:59 pm


I'm so glad for you! That's wonderful news. Really wonderful. What a relief!!

(and yet Ms. Negative Nellie lurks in the back of the dark recesses and wonders: Can they double-check the findings?)

Charybdis

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:04 pm


This is CP and I'd also like to say YAY!!! Lets get these pigs outta there!!! :D

(sorry Nik, didnt feel like signing out)

Nurgle
...what, what, what?

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:45 pm


Congratulations! Good news!

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PauloF

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:59 pm


Very good news indeed. It's great to know that your pigs are not in danger, and that the dumpster pigs are not spreading any disease.

Robyn3939
Lethal Lover

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:01 pm


I am so glad to hear this Chary!! You must be so happy and relieved.

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SusieQ
Scrapbook Addict

Post   » Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:48 pm


That's great! You really needed to hear some good news. I hope it keeps up!

Charybdis

Post   » Tue Sep 16, 2003 2:47 am


Some more info from Dr. K (she's really digging hard):

From an exotics vet friend of hers--

Since CL is caused by a bacteria, it should "resolve itself" and not create a carrier status.

Lancing or draining the abscesses does not necessarily make the pig more contagious.

Cases he has seen involved contagion through direct contact or contaminated water bottles.

But now Dr. R has come back from an exotics conference and says that the evidence he found there indicates that it is airborne.

Sheesh.

InkysMom

Post   » Tue Sep 16, 2003 5:13 pm


Boy, as we said earlier, it's just ridiculous that's there not more definitive information on this significant illness in guinea pigs. They are RESEARCH animals, for Pete's sake! Guess that only means inflicting human woes on them and not solving their own problems.

Hope the vets get to the bottom of this, Chary.

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Pigglies

Post   » Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:12 pm


It seems like since if it was a bacteria it shouldn't be able to be carried. And that a pig could recover. However, I would still think that draining the abscess would make it more dangerous.

Here's what my friend in the UK found, still waiting for more she says... but looks like all mostly stuff we've already figured out.
1. What is CL?
Cervical Lymphadenitis is a swelling or abscess of the cervical lymph
nodes
in a guinea pig’s neck.

2. What causes CL?
According to recent literature, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, a
gram-positive
Lancefield Group C streptococcus, is the most common cause of CL.
Although
not as common, bacteria such as other Streptococcus spp.,
Streptobacillus
moniliformis, Fusiformis and Pasturella spp. may cause CL.

It is also important to note that other diseases, such as Cavian
leukemia,
and bacteria, such as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Bordetella and
Salmonellae (S. linate) may cause CL-like symptoms.

A bacterial culture of the swelling/abscess must be taken to find out
the
definitive cause of the CL.

3. Mode of CL transmission
Almost all the sources agreed that abrasions to the oral mucosa and
conjunctiva were common modes of transmission. The CL-causing bacteria
was
also thought to be transmitted through skin and/or bite wounds. A few
of the
more recent sources stated that transmission could even be through
aerosol
or inhalation of the bacteria.

4. What is CL’s incubation period?
No information was found for a definitive CL incubation period in
guinea
pigs. However, Group C Streptococcus incubation periods in other animal
species ranged from 1 day to 2 weeks.

5. What are available treatment methods for CL?
Many sources written from a medical or laboratory viewpoint recommend
euthanizing affected guinea pigs. However, many pet owners would prefer
to
treat a beloved pet first before carrying out this option. Treatment
for the
pet owner’s guinea pig would consist of the following:
Isolate the infected guinea pig BEFORE the lymph node abscesses rupture
to
prevent spread of the disease-causing organism.
Treat with surgical drainage of lymph nodes.
Lavage/flush abscesses.
Antibiotic therapy for 7-14 days.
6. Antibiotics used to treat CL
Systemic antibiotics such as enrofloxacin (Baytril) or chloramphenical
are
effective in treating CL. However, Baytril is usually considered the
antibiotic of choice to treat adult guinea pigs.

Young guinea pigs generally should not be treated with Baytril as it is
believed to affect their growth. You may wish to discuss Baytril and
the
risks of using it on a young guinea pig with your vet if your pet has
CL.
Note that Bactrim and Doxycycline are safe antibiotic alternatives for
young
pigs but a veterinarian must be consulted to see if they would be
effective
against CL.
Click here for more Baytril and Chloramphenicol dosing information:
Baytril -- (Enrofloxacin [oral, subcutaneous or intramuscular])
Oral Dose: 2.5-10.0 mg/kg q12h
Chloramphenicol --(Chloramphenicol sodium succinate [Subcutaneous,
Intramuscular], Chloramphenicol palmitate [oral])
Oral Dose: 50 mg/kg q12h
A few sources recommended other antibiotics for controlling and
eliminating
CL. They are listed here for informational purposes:
Cephaloridine -- 25mg/kg, intramuscular dose for 14 days.
Cephalexin -- 50-100mg/kg, intramuscular dose for 14 days.
Important note:Cephaloridine and Cephalexin are Cephalosporins.
Cephalosporins should be used only under very careful veterinary
supervision
as they can be dangerous to your guinea pig!

7. What is the recovery time for CL in guinea pigs?
No specific recovery time for guinea pigs was found. However, in horses
with
Streptococcus equii, another Group C Streptococcus which causes
"Strangles"
(similar to CL in guinea pigs), the total time for the disease to run
its
course is approximately 3 weeks.

In other animal species, Streptococcal spp. have been isolated for as
long
as 4 weeks after symptoms of disease have gone. However, it is unknown
whether guinea pigs would continue to shed Streptococcus zooepidemicus
for a
similar length of time after their abscesses have drained and healed.

8. Are recovered guinea pigs carriers of CL?
There has been some indication that there could be carrier animals.

9. Is CL transmissible to humans?
Several sources stated that Group C Streptococcus, including
Streptococcus
zooepidemicus, may (but rarely) cause disease in humans. The people
most
likely to be affected would be the elderly or those with weakened
immune
systems.

10. Is there a vaccine available against CL in guinea pigs?
Yes and no. According to one source, the killed bacterins which would
be
found in a vaccine are not effective in preventing CL. However, studies
have
found that scratch injection of the oral mucosa with Streptococcus
zooepidemicus (recovered from swine) stimulates immunity in the guinea
pig.

11. Miscellaneous

*Limiting the amount of coarse feed, especially very coarse stalky hay,
may
aid in decreasing the incidence of CL because irritation to the oral
mucosa
would be less. Hay is an important part of a guinea pig's diet, though.
Therefore, a high-quality, dust-free, mold-free grass hay should be
available to your guinea pig at all times.
*Chronic CL infections can be exacerbated by stress. Lack of Vitamin C
may
also play a role in CL infections.
*A few sources said that Group C Streptococcus is relatively fragile in
the
environment. The environment should be properly disinfected. See Table
2 for
common disinfectants and their germicidal activity.

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