Brody's Thread - Anal Impaction, Vitamin Deficiency?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:48 pm


I think you have a very good vet.

"Has anyone heard of this use for Lotensin before? I read up on it in the medication files and it suggested that it can actually cause kidney damage."

1. No, but it makes good logical sense. 2. I haven't heard that it can cause (or exacerbate) kidney damage but that doesn't mean much.

How much is Brody drinking on his own?

"Do your guinea pigs tend to resent you or feel a lot of pain when being injected? Was the quality of life worth the suffering?"

Varies completely by pig. Some take it just fine, even multiple sticks a day. Some start out tolerating it well and then just get sick of it. For some it's not anywhere near worth it just from the get-go.

IME (check this with the vet), if Brody is drinking well on his own right now, I'd hold off on subcues at present.

"I have a feeling I'll know when we get there."

You will. I'm a control freak too. You will know.

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armoftheland

Post   » Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:37 am


Thanks again talishan. Just for information sakes I read up about the medication and got this from the Benazepril page on Wikipedia:
According to a 2006 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients with advanced renal insufficiency taking benazepril showed "substantial" kidney benefits.[1]

A long term study of patients' kidney disease revealed that patients who took benazepril had better kidney function and a slower progression of kidney disease. Kidney function was much better in the group of patients taking the drug than their peers who took a placebo drug.[2] This is notable because this category of pharmaceuticals have long been thought to cause further kidney damage or increase the rate of progression for kidney disease.
In other news Brody is currently full of beans and squeaking while exploring the room. Unsteady still on his feet and not speedy, but still moving and bright eyed. It seems like the medication has made him feel a bit better and I feel a bit better now too.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:30 pm


Thanks for adding that. I included your comment on the only thread we have about kidney disease with a link back here:

https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... ?p=269#269

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:04 pm


I'm choosing this thread because it has Brody's name in it. Please keep all info on Brody here so others can reference it:

Information about kidney problems here

Information about compulsive dropping eating here

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armoftheland

Post   » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:24 pm


Thanks! I realized that Brody's stuff was kind of drifting to the Renal thread I started, and I wanted that thread to be more about Renal failure in general, not just Brody's case. Sorry if I crossed any lines there. I appreciate the links coordinating the two :)

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:55 am


That's a really interesting reference, armoftheland, with regard to Benazepril and renal function. I printed it off and am going to do some more digging on it as well.

As far as subcues...if you go that route, I can't recommend butterfly infusion sets highly enough. They can make the process a lot less stressful for pig and human alike. :)

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armoftheland

Post   » Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:39 pm


For history sakes I think now is a good time for a recap of our daily schedule:

AM:
Dose of Flagyl (50mg/ml - 0.24CC BID)
BNP ointment (for scratch in right eye - DIN 005161414)
10cc of 1:4 Critical Care and Water
Benazepril (50mg/ml - 0.05CC SID topically - alternating inner ear flaps)
Long HUGS and praises about what a good boy we are for putting up with the morning torture. This is the most important part.
Guinea salad
PM:
Dose of Flagyl
Dose of Flagyl (50mg/ml - 0.24CC BID)
BNP ointment (for scratch in right eye - DIN 005161414)
Floor time with Murray
Guinea salad treasure hunt
Scale time
Poop soup with added pro-biotics and B vitamins.
Cuddle time

I urge people who think of guinea pigs as good "starter animals" for kids to think again....

As far as health goes I'm still researching a lot about renal failure and kidney disease. Brody really seems to be benefiting from the Benazepril. He has put on another 5 grams in the past few days and is drinking and eating well. When I come home he is again able to stand up and great me and beg for food and he even is starting to stand up a bit to Murray (his former cage mate who started trying to dominate him when he got sick) at floor time. He is exploring more on his own instead of hiding under a table and squeaks a bit while traveling which I've always loved.

During cuddle time last night he seemed so worn out from the days work (struggling to get out of hand feeding is a LOT of work) he just passed out on me. He sleeps in fits and spurts and lays very still with his eyes half open like he's a wise old man meditating. I know he'll never be out of the woods but little triumphs like holding weight on is a nice treat.

Thanks, Sef, for digging around on the Benazepril, please let me know if you find any more on it. I've been trying to find more on Renal Failure and treatments but haven't had much luck. I never realized veterinary treatment for guinea pigs was such a niche market. Sigh.

I read up on the butterfly syringes. I think if Brody continues to do well I'll still put off the subQs until he really needs them, but if/when he does I'll definitely be using those. This way if he stops drinking enough to keep hydrated at least we have an ace up our sleeve.

Thanks again for all of your help. I question whether Brody would have made it through without all of your wonderful knowledge.

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salana
GL is Just Peachy

Post   » Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:56 pm


ACE inhibitors mostly cause kidney damage when combined with furosemide (Lasix) and an NSAID (like Metacam or ibuprofen). They affect the circulation of stuff inside the kidney, which I would imagine could help or harm depending on the exact problem with the kidney.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Aug 11, 2010 12:53 pm


Here is the article referenced on that Wiki page:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE ... articleTop
(at the bottom of the page, click "View Full Article")

Interesting reading.

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armoftheland

Post   » Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:15 am


Full article is very interesting. I wonder if there have been any other studies about it?

Not too much more with human trials that I can find (multiple sites covering same trial. This one is a trial conducted on cats with similar findings:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17063696

Today is a very lethargic day. I spent a good few hours trying to hand feed fluids because he hasn't been drinking enough on his own. He went down from 100+ml a day to 40ml. He would pretend to be interested in the water bottle and then turn away after a sip. Dandelion greens are still amazingly yummy and pellets are surprisingly appealing. I wonder why the sudden drop in fluid intake.

SubQs will be the next step if this keeps up. Sigh. I REALLY don't want to have to force more on him if I can help it.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:23 am


Sometimes one subcue is all it takes to jump-start an interest in fluids. I think they sometimes forget what it feels like to be properly hydrated, then remember once they get there.

Also try syringing unflavored Pedialyte. Many pigs love this stuff (for reasons incomprehensible to me; if you haven't had kids, taste it. If you have, you know what I'm talking about ;-). If he likes it, put it, or a blend of water and Pedialyte, in his water bottle.

Pedialyte has no preservatives and is a mold factory. It can be kept in the fridge for 48 hours only (some GL members make ice cubes out of it to extend the useful life of the bottle). If you do end up putting it in his bottle, rinse and refill the bottle twice a day and change, bleach and clean the bottle *every two days* at a minimum.

PITA? You bet. Way less PITA than subcues, though.

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armoftheland

Post   » Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:39 pm


Thaaanks Talishan :) You're absolutely right. I've been giving him cold, clean water through a curved syringe and for some reason that is REALLY fun to drink from. I guess because the thin stream of water is different and tickles and makes him chew. He loves it. After a few times of doing that he got back into the swing of drinking and haven't had too many problems since, but I've been watching his food and water intake carefully just in case. It's nice to know Pedialyte will help if we go back down that path.

No kids here but have had enough animals that I've ended up trying it. Blech. :P No harm in trying him on it, I guess!

Today we're full of it again and running around the living room and in general being kind of a nuisance (chewing on furniture and the like) Of course, I say that with the utmost love and satisfaction. :)

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