So she's hanging in the 940-960g range. Occasionally Boadicea looks puffed up as in pain, but she pops right out of it if offered food or nose rubs. She doesn't complain when being picked up. Mostly she lounges about and looks fine. Teeth are good, eating looks good. Wedge hasn't been picking on her. Pooing and peeing fine.
Vet was wondering if the metacam we've been giving her for arthritis (in her left leg) could be adversely affecting her. So she's been switched to gabapentin. I start her up on that tomorrow. She's on 0.2ml twice a day (250mg/5ml concentration). I understand it may make her a little loopy for the first day or two? I'll have to keep an eye on her. But I'm hoping, maybe, this will make her feel better.
Boadicea - another non-conformist - Medical thread
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
Boadicea went through a weekend of sudden dropped weight and not looking well. She was 880g on Sunday morning after weighing in at 930ish on Saturday. This sort of thing has happened before, and I think I've figured it out. No more butternut squash for Boadicea. It seems to happen a few days after she's had a small wedge of it - I usually give them a bit of the end whenever I prepare squash. I figured the high fiber would be good for guinea pigs. But evidently not for her. Have you ever heard such a thing?
She was gassy, had small poos. She was interested in fresh food but barely touched hay or pellets. A day and a half of simethicone and hand feeding and she perked up. She was 910g by last night (I haven't weighed her again today, but she's looking so much better).
Ever heard of high fiber, or squash, causing stomach issues? I'm definitely keeping her away from the squash!
She was gassy, had small poos. She was interested in fresh food but barely touched hay or pellets. A day and a half of simethicone and hand feeding and she perked up. She was 910g by last night (I haven't weighed her again today, but she's looking so much better).
Ever heard of high fiber, or squash, causing stomach issues? I'm definitely keeping her away from the squash!
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
Boadicea hit well under 900 for a few days two weeks ago, so we went to the vet. She found a small stone stuck in Boadi's urethra, and quickly removed it. Boadi also had a yeast infection. It was strange - there had been no crying or bloody pee. She hadn't even started to look ill until the trip to the vet. She just kept losing weight, mostly (although she had been getting a bit more screechy and demanding, which I now realize was a sign of the stone).
I brought her back home, loaded with some antibiotic, probiotic and anti fungal wipes and figured everything would get better. Her weight dropped even more (down to 830g) and she looked sick the whole week. I figured it may be due to the antibiotic, but stuck with it for a few days, hand feeding her, hoping in the long run it would make her feel better. But even after taking her off the antibiotic, she didn't perk up, and we were heading into the holiday weekend. I bought her back to see Dr Fisk (Holmes' partner).
I waved another xray, because I really doubted a stone could have grown that big in a week and not be seen on last week's xray. Teeth were fine, everything else looked and felt good. They managed to take a blood draw for an overall panel. (The hurt her leg doing it - I wasn't happy about that - but they got the blood, which amazed me.)
Yesterday she hit 800g in the morning. And I finally got the results back - it showed very high calcium and phosphorus levels. She's got kidney issues. It would explain the long term weightloss as well as this sudden stone development. I have a diagnosis, but what a rotten one. Why are her kidneys failing?? No!
I'm on vacation this week, she came with me. The sea air must be doing her good, because she gained 40g over the course of the day, even with all the traveling. We'll see how she is this morning - I haven't gone down to see her. I was worried about a two hour car ride, but she and Wedg did great and she acted like her normal Boadi self.
Long post - sorry. So - any advice on kidney issues? Push fluids it looks like. She got lots of cucumber during the trip yesterday, and I'm wondering if that helped with her weight.
I brought her back home, loaded with some antibiotic, probiotic and anti fungal wipes and figured everything would get better. Her weight dropped even more (down to 830g) and she looked sick the whole week. I figured it may be due to the antibiotic, but stuck with it for a few days, hand feeding her, hoping in the long run it would make her feel better. But even after taking her off the antibiotic, she didn't perk up, and we were heading into the holiday weekend. I bought her back to see Dr Fisk (Holmes' partner).
I waved another xray, because I really doubted a stone could have grown that big in a week and not be seen on last week's xray. Teeth were fine, everything else looked and felt good. They managed to take a blood draw for an overall panel. (The hurt her leg doing it - I wasn't happy about that - but they got the blood, which amazed me.)
Yesterday she hit 800g in the morning. And I finally got the results back - it showed very high calcium and phosphorus levels. She's got kidney issues. It would explain the long term weightloss as well as this sudden stone development. I have a diagnosis, but what a rotten one. Why are her kidneys failing?? No!
I'm on vacation this week, she came with me. The sea air must be doing her good, because she gained 40g over the course of the day, even with all the traveling. We'll see how she is this morning - I haven't gone down to see her. I was worried about a two hour car ride, but she and Wedg did great and she acted like her normal Boadi self.
Long post - sorry. So - any advice on kidney issues? Push fluids it looks like. She got lots of cucumber during the trip yesterday, and I'm wondering if that helped with her weight.
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in '21
My Peek was just diagnosed with kidney disease. All my vet could tell me to do was sub-q fluids. Since he hasn't taken to that, I'm pushing 10 ml of Pedialyte 3 or 4 times a day, more depending on how much he dribbles out.
Good luck with your baby. Please keep us updated.
Good luck with your baby. Please keep us updated.
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
So I just went through the worst couple of hours that ended with me joyously announcing to the emergency tech on the phone: She peed!
Boadicea started getting fussy about 4pm, and it escalated over the next hour or so. Her weight had been going steadily up all day, but when she hit a high of 843 - nearly 40g over what she's weighed all week, I got nervous. Did she get another stone? Can she pee? By the time I had come to this conclusion, it was 6pm. I sat with her, and kept her in the carry case with a dry towel until 7:30 (after eating a slice or two of cucumber) and nothing. I felt her bladder, and it felt large and hard. Of course all vets are closed. Called Tufts, trying to figure out my options while I'm down on the Cape and Boadi backed up and peed. I've never been so happy to see her drop 10g.
I'll be calling my vet first thing in the morning and seeing if I can get an appointment in the afternoon. I'm coming up from the Cape - it could be a LONG drive home.
This pig may kill me before she goes. Sheesh.
Boadicea started getting fussy about 4pm, and it escalated over the next hour or so. Her weight had been going steadily up all day, but when she hit a high of 843 - nearly 40g over what she's weighed all week, I got nervous. Did she get another stone? Can she pee? By the time I had come to this conclusion, it was 6pm. I sat with her, and kept her in the carry case with a dry towel until 7:30 (after eating a slice or two of cucumber) and nothing. I felt her bladder, and it felt large and hard. Of course all vets are closed. Called Tufts, trying to figure out my options while I'm down on the Cape and Boadi backed up and peed. I've never been so happy to see her drop 10g.
I'll be calling my vet first thing in the morning and seeing if I can get an appointment in the afternoon. I'm coming up from the Cape - it could be a LONG drive home.
This pig may kill me before she goes. Sheesh.
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
We stopped off at the vet on the way home from the Cape. Really glad I did. It wasn't a stone that had blocked her, it was sludge, and it was in the process of blocking her again. Bloodwork from the other day indicated a problem with her kidneys. Really high phosphorous - three times normal. And high calcium, thus the sludge. She's on Aluminum Hydroxide to try to lower the phosphorous. At least the vet cleared what was in her. I'm hoping the meds can take effect before she gets blocked with sludge again.
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PooksiedAnimals
- Supporting my GL Habit
I lost Boadicea on Monday. She'd been doing alright the last two weeks - cranky, but actually starting to gain a little weight. Then suddenly she just faded away. Wedgwood is left on her own a lot earlier than I had planned, but Wedgie needs to be my last pig for a while. I promised Rob and myself no more pigs. (I need to give my hay allergies a rest.)
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