Help with Melvin
What was prescribed for my guinea pig with a URI is Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ-TMP, DiTrim, Bactrim, Tribrissen). It is what appears to be a "cocktail" of antibiotics, so I would have to say yes, antibiotics can be mixed. Watch out for loss of appetite and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Make sure he's eating and drinking and start him on critical care if he isn't eating right or if his weight drops dramatically. I'm sure you are already aware of this, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. I am currently going through this with one of my pigs.
Something seems to be up with his pooping too. He's making perhaps twice what he normally does. And during the overnight he is making a liquid poop on his bed. His others are normal, there's just an unusual amount. For about 5 days now though, his bed cover has a large brown stain on it in the morning. I don't know what the connection might be with his urine being dark too?
- Sef
- I dissent.
The vet should be able to free-catch urine for a sample without having to resort to cystocentesis. The sample will be viable enough to look for red blood cells and determine if this is blood in the urine vs. discoloration due to diet or other causes.
Remind me, what pellet brand is he on?
I wouldn't be as concerned about the higher poop output as with the mushy poops. Has anything at all changed with his diet?
Remind me, what pellet brand is he on?
I wouldn't be as concerned about the higher poop output as with the mushy poops. Has anything at all changed with his diet?
We eat KMS Hayloft pellets. And I don't see where their diet is any different. They are accustomed to getting some melon rind in the morning. I was giving watermelon at the time it started, which seems obvious enough a cause, but we haven't had issues with it in the past. One thing I did notice was that he was leaving the green and only eating the flesh.
Not entirely. I will keep it from him today. It's hard because I want them to be getting Vitamin C. This morning I counted the poop each made overnight Henry: 64, Jack 36, Melvin: 132. That's a whole lot of pooping in about 9 hours. Suddenly he has a voracious appetite, and he's covering his pen in poop. This morning it was all normal, except for his bed, there was one spot of diarrhea. It seems to me, there is something going on. Like I said, he's had no problems on this diet previously, and the other two are not having this issue.
- Sef
- I dissent.
Watermelon is only moderately high in Vitamin C. See:
https://www.guinealynx.info/chart.html
It is, however, very high in sugars, and it's possible that he has a bacterial overgrowth as a result of those sugars (which might not have been problematic at first, but has had a cumulative effect). It's just a hunch, but it might also explain his increased appetite as an upset in digestive flora can impact absorption of nutrients.
I'd switch to better sources of vitamin C, keeping an eye on sugars and calcium. You could also try adding a probiotic such as acidophilus, which comes in a capsule form and can be sprinkled on his lettuce. That will help re-populate the gut with "good" bacteria. However, if the problem persists or worsens, I'd definitely have a fecal float done and have him evaluated by your veterinarian to look for other possible causes.
https://www.guinealynx.info/chart.html
It is, however, very high in sugars, and it's possible that he has a bacterial overgrowth as a result of those sugars (which might not have been problematic at first, but has had a cumulative effect). It's just a hunch, but it might also explain his increased appetite as an upset in digestive flora can impact absorption of nutrients.
I'd switch to better sources of vitamin C, keeping an eye on sugars and calcium. You could also try adding a probiotic such as acidophilus, which comes in a capsule form and can be sprinkled on his lettuce. That will help re-populate the gut with "good" bacteria. However, if the problem persists or worsens, I'd definitely have a fecal float done and have him evaluated by your veterinarian to look for other possible causes.