Blood spots on Lacey’s bedding

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:44 am


I'm not sure I agree with that suggested daily C requirement, which is quite high. Most veterinary sources list the requirement between 25mg-50mg daily for healthy animals.

As has been discussed here before, there is the potential for higher levels of C over a prolonged period of time to cause a condition known as "pseudo survy" which presents with many of the same symptoms as scurvy.

I would also disagree that a guinea pig cannot obtain adequate vitamin C through diet alone. Were that true, owners would be seeing signs of deficiency left and right.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:07 pm


I was surprised at that myself and thought it was quite high. I’ll stick to supplementing 25-50 mg while she’s recovering and then back to half that amount when she is well. She gets pellets and peppers so vitamin C should not be an issue.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:54 pm


Unless things change, Lacey will be headed back to a vet tomorrow. She’s not interested in hay or pellets, only fresh veggies, fresh grass, and corn husks. So she’s still eating fresh food. She was drinking a lot of water up until earlier today, now not so much. My bigger concern is that she hasn’t pooped today. She was going last night and everything was fine but nothing today. So now I’m concerned about her digestion stopping.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:03 pm


Sounds like the Baytril is affecting her appetite--a common problem with that particular antibiotic. See if they will switch her to Bactrim. Does she seem at all bloated? They may need to give her a motility drug to help jump-start her gut. Keep us posted.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:35 am


Of course these things always happen evenings and weekends. So I got worried and called the Blue Pearl emergency vet. Talked to the tech who said they treat guinea pigs but don’t specialize in exotics. She recommended I have her seen there tonight rather than wait until morning to see a local vet that does treat exotics. So we took her in and the vet was pretty much clueless. They don’t have any probiotics or motility meds, but she said some people try yogurt. I told her that dairy was a bad idea with guinea pigs. They gave her sub-cu fluids and sent me home with CriticalCare and a bunch of syringes In 2 different sizes. Then they said I should check with a local clinic tomorrow morning, which is what I asked on the phone to begin with.

The only bright spot is Lacey pooped in her carry crate. Poops are green and softer but she’s been eating mostly veggies and corn husk for 12 hours.

I gave her a tummy massage and she’s squishy, not firm like a balloon so I don’t think she has bloat.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 7:00 am


Crazy as it may sound, it's entirely possible that the vibration from the car ride may have stimulated her gut enough to get it moving again. Fluids would have helped as well, so not a wasted trip.

Glad she is a little better this morning! And yes, never fails (weekends, holidays, right before you go on vacation, etc.).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:26 am


I think Sef may be right on saying the car ride may have helped.

I think of green poops as the stinky special cecal poops that are very smelly. Usually you don't see them and the guinea pig reingests them.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:33 pm


Overnight Lacey had a small amount of poops and some wet bedding so digestion and peeing is taking place. Just not as much output. She drank water this morning and wheeked when I sliced an apple. She only picks at her hay and pellets, but has more enthusiasm for lettuce, cilantro, cucumber and corn husk. I found some grass and a dandelion green outside and she ate that right up.

I thought about the cecal poops and I notice her reaching under herself and grooming so she may be pooping and reingesting just to throw me off the track.

I stopped the Baytril so she only got 6 doses, but I think her digestion has to get back in shape to handle any AB. Her regular vet isn’t open weekends, but there is another one who treats guinea pigs and exotics and they’re open Saturday and Sunday. I’ve been to them for dogs and a cat.

So my plan is a few tummy massages today since that seems to get digestion going, try to entice her with hay, grass, and corn husk. And see if I can get her moving more - maybe floor time. Since she’s eating a good quantity of everything other than hay, I don’t know if I should be pushing CritcalCare. She won’t eat it on it’s own, or on lettuce. The fiber would be good, but I don’t want to overload her digestion either.

Thanks so much for all the info. These little babies can be so challenging at times.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:23 pm


I would push Critical Care. It's high in fiber and will aid in keeping the gut moving. It will also help ensure that she's getting the nutrients and vitamin C that she needs, which she can't get from those few veggies alone. Massage, fluids and CC should all go a long way towards getting her gut back on track. I do think she could benefit from a motility drug, and possibly a probiotic if she isn't reingesting the cecals.

Agree -- these guys can be a very challenging pet!

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:47 pm


Thanks, I’ll try the CC again. After a tummy massage she pooped and it looked normal. I found more grass that is partially dried out in the yard so she ate that mixed with hay. We don’t use chemicals and she had fresh grass all through summer so this isn’t something new to her system.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:35 am


I contacted the vet clinic, told them the situation, and asked if I could get a probiotic from them. They use Probios so I bought a 15 gram syringe of gel. I gave her about half a gram this afternoon and again this evening when I gave her some CC. That’s a wrestling match.

She is getting floor time now and pooped again, smaller quantity and size than normal but not too bad. She’s drinking water and I’m giving her veggies soaked in water. She’s still not really interested in hay, just picks through and takes the best pieces. But she’s also had a few little bunches of grass that I’m still finding in the yard. And with the corn husks, lettuce, and cukes I think the quantity of food is good, just need to transition to more hay.

Again thanks for all the advice and valuable info on this site.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:34 pm


Update: Lacey has an appt. at a different clinic at 2:30 today. She was doing better over the weekend - I would say she was about 75% back to normal but still eating selectively. Today there were no poops in her cage and she’s not interested in hay or pellets. There may have been a slight blood stain on her fleece.

I called and talked to the vet we saw last week. He basically said he’s sorry but they don’t have diagnostic equipment to determine what might be going on. Could be an underlying issue, cancer, tumors, etc. He’s not aware of any exotic specialty in the area. How frustrating.

So I’m going to try the clinic where I got the probiotic. She has exotics listed on her website and the vet tech said she sees a lot of guinea pigs and that she owns guinea pigs and hedge hogs. Fingers crossed.

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