How bad is this?
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Mum
- I GAVE, dammit!
I'm thinking about the gas issue now!
I'd noticed recently that whenever I fed Spot it would seem to get the poop machine working - they would come out in soft clumps. Sometimes there would be no poops in his cage until I picked him up. I put some of it down to the baytril, which was clearly making them very soft and mushy. But now I'm wondering if this is gas related?
He's not pooped since I put him back in his cage about an hour ago, and he needs to be fed his CC, even tough he ate a small amount of wheatgrass and some pellets. Should I not handfeed him, because of the gas? Handfeeding has seemed to me to stimulate bowel activity, but I don't want to force cc down him if it will make him even more uncomfortable.
I gave him both simethicone and reglan about an hour ago.
I'd noticed recently that whenever I fed Spot it would seem to get the poop machine working - they would come out in soft clumps. Sometimes there would be no poops in his cage until I picked him up. I put some of it down to the baytril, which was clearly making them very soft and mushy. But now I'm wondering if this is gas related?
He's not pooped since I put him back in his cage about an hour ago, and he needs to be fed his CC, even tough he ate a small amount of wheatgrass and some pellets. Should I not handfeed him, because of the gas? Handfeeding has seemed to me to stimulate bowel activity, but I don't want to force cc down him if it will make him even more uncomfortable.
I gave him both simethicone and reglan about an hour ago.
The veg's best guesstimate from the x-rays which showed marked calficiation at the area where the ribs meet the spine.How didthe vet know his age? How can you tel how old a piggie is?
Is his tummy hard? have you tried gently rubbing it. Is he drinking.
Oh, I am so sorry for what you are both going through.
Oh, I am so sorry for what you are both going through.
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Mum
- I GAVE, dammit!
No, it doesn't seem particularly hard. I can't tell if he's had water since we got back - but I think he has. I should have refilled the bottle when we got back, but I didn't think to.
I sat with him for a bit on my lap on a heating pad and also tried gently rubbing his belly. Nada. I gave him another 5ccs of CC and Odwalla, and I've just put a romaine leaf in with him.
I sat with him for a bit on my lap on a heating pad and also tried gently rubbing his belly. Nada. I gave him another 5ccs of CC and Odwalla, and I've just put a romaine leaf in with him.
Mum, if you didn't already have your PhD in pig nursing, you will earn it over Spot!
One thing--be careful on your Simethicone. Not because of the Simethicone itself, which is generally considered safe, but because many of the formulations are sweetened with the so-called "sugar alcohols," i.e. Maltitol, Sorbitol, etc.
Sugar alcohols are not well-regulated or warning-labeled in this country--Australia and others do a better job of it, but these artificial sweeteners are known to cause INCREASED gas, specifically a kind known as Borborygmi. They also have a laxative effect. So, diarrhea and rumbling gas--just what we don't want and were medicating to get rid of in the first place.
But, since Spot isn't pooping--it might be because of huge gas bubbles as a result of the sugar alcohol. Check that package for the inactive ingredients!
I don't know how well the Simethicone gets to the intestines in pigs. In bunnies, because of their extremely acid stomach environment, it is thought the Simethicone may not even be taken into the intestines well.
There are a very few brands of Simethicone suspensions which don't contain the Maltitol, Sorbitol or others--if you need me to, I can post to my bunny lists and get some recommendations for in your area. I can't find any in my area and use homeopathic remedies and Chamomile instead.
One thing--be careful on your Simethicone. Not because of the Simethicone itself, which is generally considered safe, but because many of the formulations are sweetened with the so-called "sugar alcohols," i.e. Maltitol, Sorbitol, etc.
Sugar alcohols are not well-regulated or warning-labeled in this country--Australia and others do a better job of it, but these artificial sweeteners are known to cause INCREASED gas, specifically a kind known as Borborygmi. They also have a laxative effect. So, diarrhea and rumbling gas--just what we don't want and were medicating to get rid of in the first place.
But, since Spot isn't pooping--it might be because of huge gas bubbles as a result of the sugar alcohol. Check that package for the inactive ingredients!
I don't know how well the Simethicone gets to the intestines in pigs. In bunnies, because of their extremely acid stomach environment, it is thought the Simethicone may not even be taken into the intestines well.
There are a very few brands of Simethicone suspensions which don't contain the Maltitol, Sorbitol or others--if you need me to, I can post to my bunny lists and get some recommendations for in your area. I can't find any in my area and use homeopathic remedies and Chamomile instead.
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Mum
- I GAVE, dammit!
The only sweetener, right at the bottom of the list, is sodium saccharin (I assume that's the sweetener).
But he had gas before that, as shown on the x-ray this morning, so that couldn't have been the original cause!
The vet says he can see no blockage on the xray, and that he would suspect Spot to be looking much more poorly if he had one. His thought it that - with no blockage - what goes in must come out, so I should wait until tomorrow.
It makes me uncomfortable because I've never seen a guinea pig not poop for this long - now over 6 hours. But even if he had a blockage, neither the vet nor I think he would survive the surgery. I'm going out this evening, but I'll give him another small amount of critical care before I go and again when I come back.
Unless anyone has any other opinions?
But he had gas before that, as shown on the x-ray this morning, so that couldn't have been the original cause!
The vet says he can see no blockage on the xray, and that he would suspect Spot to be looking much more poorly if he had one. His thought it that - with no blockage - what goes in must come out, so I should wait until tomorrow.
It makes me uncomfortable because I've never seen a guinea pig not poop for this long - now over 6 hours. But even if he had a blockage, neither the vet nor I think he would survive the surgery. I'm going out this evening, but I'll give him another small amount of critical care before I go and again when I come back.
Unless anyone has any other opinions?
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Nurgle
- ...what, what, what?
I would, if you can, give him a sub-Q for some fluids, some down his throat, and then start feeding him a lot. 10-15 cc of CC at a sitting, every four hours. If he has emptied out his intestinal tract from not eating, or eating little, there is a lot of stuffing you need to do before it starts popping out the other end!
If he is slightly dehydrated, things might be sticky going down. If he isn't, no harm no foul from the sub-Q. I'd go for around 15 cc's of fluid in the sub-Q.
If he is slightly dehydrated, things might be sticky going down. If he isn't, no harm no foul from the sub-Q. I'd go for around 15 cc's of fluid in the sub-Q.
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