Midnight's Medical Topic

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:16 pm


Okay. Since this was an emergency appointment, I take it this was not an exotics vet real familiar with guinea pigs?

If they are teeth problems, an xray, read by a skilled veterinary dentist who has worked with guinea pigs or a veterinarian who can read them well is important. What could turn up is elongation of the roots, a minor spur (that this vet missed), an abscess, or something else interfering with his ability to eat. It is good that he can still eat most things okay (still eating hay, right?). I think you are focusing on the gradual weight loss and his problems eating carrots (let me know if I missed something).

If separating them is hard on the pair, I would not do so long term. I do not recall Pinta or anyone else mentioning a CT scan as a primary diagnostic for malocclusion, which you are worried about right now.

I don't trust the claim the KMS alfalfa pellets and timothy pellets have the same amount of calcium. I would use the timothy pellets when you can get them if those are the ones you want.

I can say if they are still using the same labels Linda was using before she sold the business, it is complicated to make any changes to the labels themselves (you need the software to do it). I know this because I used to be the person who made the label changes for KMS Hayloft before it was sold when there was an error or change in the ingredients.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:47 pm


He is an exotics vet. Dr. Julian Rivera at The Center For Avian & Exotic Medicine:

https://avianandexoticvets.com/team

At what point is an x-ray worth doing, given the risks of general anesthesia? Maybe if the blood and stool test return nothing? Should I also wait and see if the weight loss continues? For how long? I'm not totally convinced that my interpretation of his carrot eating behavior is correct.

Or is it feasible to x-ray teeth without general anesthesia, and I should just find a vet who will do it?

Identifying a "a skilled veterinary dentist who has worked with guinea pigs or a veterinarian who can read them well is important" seems like a challenge. It seems especially hard to get appointments these days too. :( I have a generally good impression of my regular vet's knowledge about guinea pigs (Dr. Lawrence Buchholz at Animal Clinic & Hospital of Jersey City) so maybe I should schedule an appointment, even if it's a month out.

Midnight is still eating hay. And at least nibbling on vegetables and pellets. It's a little tricky for me to tell how much he's eating. I can try to watch him more often / more closely.

I'll avoid the alfalfa pellets.

Thanks for all your advice.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:22 am


Did the vet suspect internal parasites for the weight loss? I ask because I don't recall many stool tests being done unless one is looking for particular parasites. And even then, some parasites can be hit or miss as far as finding them in the stool.
https://www.guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html

It sounds like you have decent vets and will be waiting for the results of the tests and moving from there, continuing to monitor weight and behavior.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:12 am


Yes, he suggested an internal parasite as a possible cause. I am skeptical given that:
- Moon seems fine.
- The gradual weight loss only began ~5 months ago, and it's not clear how they would have become infected unless it was from before I adopted them 3.5 years ago.
- I see no evidence of diarrhea.

But was non-invasive and relatively inexpensive so I agreed to proceed.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:35 pm


Both the blood test and the stool test were clean. Dr. Rivera asked me to bring Midnight back if I see 5% more loss in body weight, decreased fecal production, excessive salivation, seizures, etc. He said next steps could be teeth or abdominal imaging depending on symptoms.

Midnight is still exhibiting the unusual behavior with regard to carrots. Today I persuaded him to try eating a small carrot piece. But he took a few bites, mostly let it fall out of his mouth, and then lost interest.

To me all this seems like evidence of teeth problems. :(

I'm trying to get an appointment with my usual vet (Dr. Buchholz) next week. But it's possible I'll need to wait until Oct 4th.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:43 pm


If you read the most recent topic in the med forum, you will note how complicated sorting out some of these issues can be! It looked like teeth issues but may instead be ovarian cysts interfering with eating enough food. At least your male would not have this condition.

I hope you do not see excessive salivation and certainly hope there are no seizures.

I wish all we needed to do was pop a couple nutritious treats into their diet to maintain weight. Hope you are able to see your usual vet sooner rather than later.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:01 pm


Thanks for your support.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sat Sep 11, 2021 8:09 am


There are Midnight's test results from the visit last week. Dr. Rivera's interpretation was that these results are all fine. Glucose (147 mg/dL) to me looks on the high side, but probably not high enough to indicate diabetes or similar? Also, I suspect perhaps not reliable unless the test was done after a fasting period?

The reference ranges I've seen (such as the ones cited on GuineaLynx) indicate that 60-125 mg/dL is normal, but other sources (such as this old study) indicate that diabetic is more like >= 300 mg/dL.

I do have the impression that Midnight has been drinking more water, and my interpretation of that is was that eating less washed vegetables results in drinking more water. But I do see that both weight loss and excessive water drinking can be symptoms of diabetes.

I haven't noticed increased urination but it's hard to tell with their absorbent bedding.

Image

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:39 am


Would you like me to add your test result image permanently to your topic for future readers?

Unsure if reviewing how to tell if your guinea pig is dehydrated but since you are interested in water intake, I will add it here anyway. I note you say your guinea pig seems to be drinking more water so dehydration should not be an issue.

Dehydration: From what I understand, tenting of the skin at the back of the neck can be an indication of dehydration. A well-hydrated guinea pig, the skin would return to normal fairly quickly if gently pinched upward. A dehydrated guinea pig, the skin might be slow to return to normal. Teardrop shaped poops might also be a sign of not drinking enough (also an indication of not eating enough). Concentrated urine could mean your guinea pig is not getting enough fluids.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sat Sep 11, 2021 7:11 pm


Sure, I would appreciate if you added the test result image permanently. Thank you!

It doesn't seem like dehydration is an issue but to be sure I'll do the skin test tomorrow when I weigh him.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:32 pm


Thanks! I resized it slightly so it would load a little quicker.

It is good to have a baseline for comparison.

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AviN4
Supporter in '21

Post   » Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:30 pm


I took Midnight to my usual vet (Dr Buchholz) today. It seems like Midnight is showing signs of age.

He reported a cataract in Midnight's left eye, which he found by shining a light in the eye with the room lights off.

He also took a full body x-ray and found:
  • Likely arthritis in rear legs.
  • A bladder stone.
He did not find anything wrong with Midnight's teeth in either a physical examination or on the x-rays. The x-rays were not specifically dental x-rays though.

Among the issues, he said he thinks abnormal eating caused by pain from arthritis is the most likely cause of the weight loss. However, I'm still confused about the change in behavior with regard to eating carrots.

For arthritis pain, he prescribed Metacam (0.25 mL of 0.5 mg/mL) per day to start with and asked me to check back with him on Thursday. He said next steps would be to increase the dose. (On this topic, I found the dosing and administration to be confusing. I hope I got it right.)

I didn't have time to ask many questions or get many answers about the bladder stone as we had already spent a lot of time discussing other issues. I'll ask on Thursday.

I'll share the x-ray image when I get a copy.

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