Noddy's sick. Aerococcus. Please help

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:27 pm


Glad to hear his appetite is picking up. I have heard diazepam (Valium) helps with appetite.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 1:28 pm


Thanks Lynx. I have some in my guinea medicine chest, so will bear it in mind.

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BamBam

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 1:45 pm


Really? How interesting.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:39 pm


Lynx, Diazepam sedates in people. Do you have any information about this effect in Cavies? Also, what dose would you recommend, in a guinea pig that weight 1200g?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:12 pm


I think you can find it in the guide. I found the info in a veterinary book, I believe.

www.guinealynx.info/.html

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gvstate01

Post   » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:53 pm


Hilary, I'm sorry to hear this :( But he's glad to have a mom like you to not give up :) I was reading through and was wondering what a vena capa stab is? I feel dumb I don't know it lol. My piggie's blood has been taken before through a vein in the foot. Normally vets don't have needles that small, but the one near me does (go figure!). Otherwise I've heard of cutting a nail a little too short to get blood :-/ Not my fav, but I'm assuming it'd be better than using anesthetic? Hope his appetite keeps increasing! :)

Edit: my pigs have had valium during/after surgery so I'm sure it's safe. Just not sure on dosage

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:47 am


Vena cava (not sure if it's different or a misspelling) is a heart stick. The animal is sedated and a needle is inserted directly into one of the major major blood vessels right above the heart. Done generally (in the States, anyway) by veterinary teaching hospitals and/or vets with a *ton* of experience and skills. You do not want your ordinary vet doing a heart stick on your guinea pig.

Vitamin B12 can work very well as an appetite and energy stimulant. It has at our house anyway, in both cavies and husband. ;-)

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:28 pm


Thanks for your kind words gvstate. Also for the info about diazepam.
I did wonder about the toenails. If you cut them too short, they can bleed for ages. I don't know whether it would be ethical, for the vet, because it would hurt Noddy, but that's obviously venous blood, so is that a good way of collecting it, or would there be insufficient? It wouldn't be for culture, only electrolytes, so any bacteria wouldn't be a major problem.
Talishan, it is vena cava. And I'm definitely not happy about having this done. There's no-one locally with much cavy experience, my vet practice is a general one, dealing mainly with dogs and cats. The vet with an interest in "exotics" has just left, and I'd rather have a sick pig than a dead pig!

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BamBam

Post   » Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:04 pm


Yes, the last vet I saw to discuss blood samples used to over cut a toe nail but apparently the new analysis equipment (you'd know more about that Hilary) requires more than can be provided by the technique.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:15 pm


I'm sorry to report Noddy seems to have taken another dip, his weight is falling, even though I'm syringe feeding with Critical Care and tempting him with is favourite treats. There seems little point taking him to the vet, given what was said last time, and I fear the vet will just say the time has come, which I don't believe it has.
Noddy is eating the newspaper which lines his cage, is there a reason for this, and is it harmful?

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DMac
Supporter in '10, '11, & '12

Post   » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:27 pm


I had a pig eat cage liner once while he was having a soft poop episode. I thought at the time that it was probably because he was unable to eat his caecal pellets because of the soft poop situation, so he was eating it off the the cage liner where it ended up. Can you give your pig poop soup?

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:24 pm


DMac, thanks for that. I'll try anything! Sorry to seem dense, but what is poop soup? He's passing solid poops, some of which I'm hand feeding him. I've not seen any other poops. In the past he has had some problems with impaction, which I've had to help him with, but that doesn't seem to be an issue just now.

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