Noddy's sick. Aerococcus. Please help

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Hilary Holmes

Post   » Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:12 pm


Thanks Lynx. Apologies for the 2nd thread.
I've sniffed both of them and still can't convince myself who it is. I will give extra fluids, keep a really close eye over the weekend and see if anything changes.
I've got some old urine dipsticks. Is it worth testing the urine, knowing Noddy has lots of abnormalities present anyway? Iguess if there is a UTI there would be blood present as well as the protein we know is always in his urine.
Should I start Noddy on a probiotic because of his loose poops? I don't know what's causing it because he's not had any antibiotics or a change in diet.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:24 pm


Have you checked Noddy over closely to see if there is any collected debris? The special poops are much stinkier than the regular ones too. I am hoping you can bring him around.

The link I posted earlier:
www.guinealynx.info/.html

Even though he's castrated, you might want to check this out too: www.guinealynx.info/.html

A probiotic will not hurt. Do read the diarrhea page closely and use any diet tips you find.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:12 am


Without reading back, have you considered metronidazole for him?

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sat Oct 08, 2011 4:05 am


Lynx. Thank you for that. He's not had any antibiotics for some time, so that cause doesn't seem to apply. He's also not had any change in diet recently. The only change with respect to his diet is that I've been away for a few days, leaving them in the care of my neighbours (who have looked after them many times previously). They have only fed them according to the instructions I left. They told me that when they came in to check in a morning, absolutely every scrap of food they gave the day before had gone (unusual).
Could this be a cause?
I don't think he's impacted, although it is something I have considered several times in the past. I have been able to squeeze a few strange looking droppings out on the odd occasion, but not now. I think I need someone to actually show me how to check properly, because despite looking here, and in text books, I'm not sure I'm doing it properly.

Talishan, no, he has not had metronidazole. I will suggest that when / if I need to take him to the vet. I'm really concerned that any antibiotic may give him bloat, as the last twice he has had Baytril, this has happened. Is metronidazole well tolerated?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:58 am


The intestinal tract can get off even without antibiotics. It's the care that might help.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:45 pm


Thanks Lynx. I've started him on a probiotic and Critical Care to supplement his diet in the hope I can maintain his weight.
I've heard plantain is good for the digestion. Does anyone have any experience of it?
Other than that, I will keep a very close eye on him and get him back to the vet asap if he shows any warning signs.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Oct 08, 2011 11:09 pm


"I'm really concerned that any antibiotic may give him bloat, as the last twice he has had Baytril, this has happened. Is metronidazole well tolerated?"

Yes. Metronidazole isn't really an antibiotic; it is an antimicrobial. It kills some bacteria but also kills protozoans, amoebae (sp???), and various other single-celled nasties. It is usually very well tolerated, even better than Septrin. We've had only one who could not tolerate it (and she could not tolerate anything).

Soft/loose droppings + bad smell = metronidazole (to start at least) IMO.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sun Oct 09, 2011 4:05 pm


Thanks Talishan, I was desperately trying to remember what group Metronidazole belongs to. It's really helpful to know it's better tolerated and less likely to cause side effects than antibiotics. I just don't want to run the risk of anything giving him bloat, as he's got enough to cope with as it is.
He's holding his own at the moment, so I'll see how he is in the morning before taking him to the vet

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BamBam

Post   » Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:52 am


You know how large doses of vit C can cause diarrhoea in us, could it be doing the same in Noddy?

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:23 am


BamBam, there's a thought! I'll stop giving it whilst I'm giving the probiotic and see if that helps. I'm sure he's getting plenty in his fruit and veg anyway, but just wanted to be certain, especially as he was so poorly not that long ago.

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gvstate01

Post   » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:26 pm


I've been giving my 9 pigs 50mg of extra vitamin c per day and no one has ever shown soft poos. I highly doubt it has to do with excess. They pee out whatever they don't need, I wouldn't stop giving it.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:28 am


Ditto gvstate. I doubt this would happen unless you were giving 500 mg a day or something. A reasonable amount of C supplementation should not give soft stool. (In humans, we can and do take megadoses. 50-150 mg/day of C for a guinea pig isn't, relatively speaking, anywhere near as much as what we will sometimes take.)

We've had more than one pig with multiple weirdnesses, so I know how you feel and it is not impossible that Noddy could be reacting to the C supplementation. I just think it's extraordinarily unlikely and much more likely due to something else.

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