Toby - potential URI and heart issues

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:58 am


I hope you see results!!

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:31 am


Toby is maintaining his weight, however when I bring him out he still sounds wheezy, there's a very faint whistle from his nose. We decided to stop treating him with Antibiotics and the nebuilser although the occassional discharge is still evident Toby has seemed unaffected until last Sunday.

Last Sunday, I found Toby lying with his head curled round and eyes flickering to the left this is also the side of the nasal discharge, he couldn't stand and was limp when I picked him up. I immediately called the emergency vets and took him in. By the time we got to the emergency vets, Toby was standing and eating as normal no evidence of the previous episode, and no head tilt. I wished I would have took a video but obviously my priorities where elsewhere. He got Metacam which he is still on now, as they checked his previous X-ray and found a little bit of swelling in his ear canal.

I was away for the week, and my other half has been watching him. He advised of Toby's new behaviour. Toby used to run around like a maniac when you wanted to catch him and the only way to get him was to lure with vegetables. This last week, you could catch him easily from anywhere in the cage no objections are made. My thought process is he's blind and I'm thinking this is linked to Sundays episode. Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

He is still maintaining his weight and first up for vegetables.

adorolecavie

Post   » Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:44 am


I just wanted to say that the head curled to the side and the eyes rolled back is exactly what happened to my girl Dory last spring, rushed her to the e-vet and after a few hours she was completely back to her normal self. They diagnosed a stroke. She is still with us a year later, although her head was permanently left a tiny bit tilted to the side.

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:58 pm


Hi Guys,.

Just thought I'd give a little update, Toby still has a nasal discharge we have never managed to get to the bottom of it. Recently he began losing weight again. He dropped to his lowest weight 719grams.

He had a dental today, and has bounced back amazingly. I have some pictures to share.

Image

After -

Image

He's eating like a trooper since returning home.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:08 pm


Those are great pictures! Would you like them added to your topic permanently for future readers?

I am so glad to hear he is doing better!

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:36 am


Hi Lynx,

I know the pictures are awesome(feel free to permanently add them), the vet took them before and after. He was concerned initially that he had a slight over lap but because it was so slight we did not treat them. I took him in for his follow up on Wednesday the vet advised his initial concern was now potentially causing him issues. Those pictures show just how much of an issue they where causing, you can tell they are definitely going over his tongue. It's amazing that he thinks to document such issues and share them so that you get a clear picture of what is going on. I'm so impressed with little Toby already he is munching away, I'm really hoping he is now going to start putting weight on now.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:53 am


I hope he won't mind my adding them. I have another set of drastic pictures showing the molars cut back and the tongue trapped.

https://www.guinealynx.info/malocclusion_pics.html

Image

Image

It looks like your vet did a more thorough planing of the molars.

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Fri Dec 28, 2018 5:26 pm


Toby's on-going saga continues, I took him to the vet as he was having trouble eating again he was checked over and the decision was made to delay his dental a week. Fast Forward to Christmas day and he had begun swelling up. He was given a full MOT and on examination he was found to have a heart murmur.

We had full body X-ray's done, dental, urine analysis and blood work. Nothing obvious showed so we are now inclined to treat him as a heart pig. He's started Heart medicine and diurectics.

Strange thing is now he's absolutely crazy for food, he's even way more active this is just after a day of medicine mainly diurectics Is this normal?

He was struggling to walk a little bit I presume this is due to the swelling (just a little off balance) , he did fall over this morning which was heart breaking but a lot better this evening. It's like I've had my pig swapped, after he was not interested in anything this morning.

Lynx - Could my thread name be updated to include heart issue now. I would love other people's experiences of this.

He's currently on Frusol and Benazepril (Lotensin), we only started them today.

This is a picture this morning, you can see the swelling underneath him.
Image

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:40 am


I updated your title.

Supposedly guinea pigs with heart issues may eat less because of related distress so I am guessing the heart meds may have contributed to his appetite.

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Sat Dec 29, 2018 5:50 pm


I'm really worried he's definitely alot more lethargic and unhappy today also unstable on his back legs. I have been trying to top his food up but it's a mission and giving his breathing issues I don't want to force him and risk aspirating him equally I don't want gut stasis.

I took him out for a top up and decided to give him an extra dose of Diuretic and got some lettuce. He eats his vegetables with passion, like he's starving but not keen on hay ironically once he finished the veg he realised nothing else was coming and he's eating hay again. I don't know if the behaviour is down to the diurectics he's still full of fluid, any ideas how long this will take to go away(fluid)?

We're back at the vets Monday again I really hope we can get him stable.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Dec 29, 2018 8:58 pm


I am sending good wishes your way. I hope he improves and eats more.

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Fred_and_co

Post   » Sun Dec 30, 2018 4:45 pm


He was brighter this morning and has been eating some hay himself it feels like an emotional rollercoaster. At times I think I'm going to have to make a difficult decision and then he runs up to me and takes his vegetables.

I have some news to report all his fluid is gone - is this indicative that it is his heart or is it just the diurectics?

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