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Not Eating Friar Tuck's medical thread

bpatters

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I'd take him in. Teeth problems will never get better on their own, and they an ultimately result in major digestive problems that can kill your pig.

Also, they don't need much anesthesia to examine teeth. If he doesn't need any dental work done, they'll just "whiff" him under, check him, and then bring him up again. If he needs dental work done, then of course he'll have to be under much longer.
 

TheGuineaPigGal

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He drank from his water bottle 3 more times, and ate 6 more sprigs of cilantro. It's the only thing I think he'd eat the whole bunch of, if I let him! But I don't want to cause bloat or anything. I feel so bad because he acts like he wants everything (except the critical care) I offered red bell pepper in super thin slices (same size as the cilantro stems), and tried to eat it, acting like he wanted it, but then he'd spit it back out again or it'd fall out of his mouth. Same thing with hay. I got some pellets wet, not a slurry but so they were soft without losing their shape. He took one pretty quick and chewed it, but then wouldn't eat more.

The only thing exam wise that hasn't been done yet at the vet is giving him some anesthetic to be able to really look at his molars. It doesn't thrill me because I know that could slow down his digestive system even more and cause it's own issues, but at the same time there seems like there's no other way to get to the bottom of it. His appointment tomorrow he could only be examined, if there's dental surgery needed he'd have to go back and be put under anesthetic a second time.

Thoughts? What are your experiences? How much does anesthetic really affect them?

He's much better today than yesterday, I guess we'll have to see if he improves more tomorrow. I hope he does! I just know he can't stay like this, either.



It's good he is doing better! AMAZING :D
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Friar Tuck is improving even more today! Enough so we cancelled his vet appointment--- I hope it's the right decision, but I really think it is!

For the first time since he was sick, he plowed his hay pile all around the cage. He was snuffling in it when I checked on him first thing, though I can't be 100% sure he was eating it. And for the first time since he was sick, he was standing up on the bars and gingerly chewing on them at veggie time! He ate about five mouthfuls of fresh, hard pellets, chewing and swallowing them.

For veggies, he ate about 10 sprigs of cilantro, at normal speed instead of the slow chewing like yesterday. All by himself he went trotting over to the lettuce and ate 4 smaller pieces so far. I left five matchstick slices of red bell pepper in the cage last night, and I think he ate them because I can't find a trace of them. He ate one more bit of bell pepper about the same size this morning.

There was big pee spot and four fresh poops, all normal. He's hiding less today.

I think we're getting there!
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Ok, another update and a more eventful day than I anticipated...I have lots of questions again, but overall a lot more peace of mind now:

After about 12:00 noon today, Friar Tuck started going down hill again. While yesterday and this morning he was eating cilantro, lettuce, and celery well (besides critical care he was getting force fed) I couldn't get him to eat ANYTHING, even the smallest piece of cilantro, and he wasn't drinking from his water bottle. He would try and then sort-of act like it hurt to open his mouth that much or something. He acted like he wanted to eat things but couldn't.

So we called the vet he was going to see at 11am, and they're amazing. They let us bring him in at 3:45 today. She did another full physical exam, talked to the other vet we saw yesterday and looked at the x-rays from them. We agreed to "whiff" him under anesthetic and have a full sedated oral exam.

She couldn't find anything wrong with his molars that was apparent, or any sign of an abscess, etc. The only thing, something I had recently noticed, too, is his bottom buck teeth incisors (for lack of a better word, my brain is tired). I know incisors are rarely the issue.... But one tooth of the pair is longer than the other, something I had noticed and wondered about. She thought this could be contributing since there were no molar issues to be found. So she dremelled those teeth a tiny bit to the same length. They're just barely shorter than his top incisors now.

Biggest thing come to light: he peed while at the vet, and it was fairly pink. His pee wasn't this morning. This really seems to point to a UTI. I read about another gp owner whose first sign of a uti was lack of appetite. Thoughts???

Friar Tuck is now on Baytril for the possible UTI and any possible hay poke or infection in his mouth, etc. He got the first dose at the vet, and is prescribed it for a week twice a day.

He did well with the anesthetic and came around quick, thankfully!

I have bene bac! How much, how often do I give it to him to go with the Baytril??? The bene bac instructions aren't super clear for Friar Tuck's kind of situation.

Good news: I wish I thought of it before, but on the way home from the vet today we got Friar Tuck oxbow orchard grass hay, AND he ate it when we got home!! All by himself. I'd say at least 10 pieces of it, the most hay he's eaten at once on his own since getting sick! He started grazing on it after having his last critcal care meal for tonight.

I started adding about half a teaspoon of 100% natural orange juice, no sugar etc added to the water I mix his critcal care with. He normally loves oranges and it's making him like the critcal care more.

Funny note: Friar Tuck hardly ever rumbles at all. When we gave him critcal care after getting home from the vet and then put him back home in his house, he ripped us up one side and down the other with more rumbles than I've heard him make his entire life...we deserve it and I couldn't help but laugh!

Thoughts and help as always SO appreciated.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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The pink pee could definitely be indicative of a UTI. Not to scare you, but it could also indicate a bladder stone, though that would have shown up in his x-rays so I don't think it likely.

Give him the Bene-Bac 1-2 hours after the Baytril. The Baytril is more than likely to mess with his tummy even more so be prepared to give the Critical Care on a regular basis. Definitely go and get yourself a digital kitchen scale, pronto. You'll need to, at this point, diligently follow his weights while he's on the antibiotic.

It certainly sounds like he isn't too thrilled about the vet visit, LOL. The only pig I ever had who LIKED the vet was Scooter. Maybe one day I'll tell the story, let's just say he felt like it was his second home and he owned the place.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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He also went from about 1270 on Tuesday to 1240 kg today. We're going to start weighing him every morning from now on.

One more nice thing: this week would have been his nail trim week if he hadn't got sick, and the vet gave him a very nice little pedicure for free while he was coming around from the anesthetic.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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[MENTION=35161]Guinea Pig Papa[/MENTION] How much bene bac should he have each time? This is what I have right now. I can get more.

IMG_20201112_185952041.jpg

I've loved many of Scooter's stories I've read on here <3
 

TheGuineaPigGal

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@Guinea Pig Papa How much bene bac should he have each time? This is what I have right now. I can get more.

View attachment 87410

I've loved many of Scooter's stories I've read on here <3
Hello again, I have heard you use about the size of a pea for a pig a day, or 1 gram per 10 pounds. For instance, if you had a 2 pound piggie, you would give it 1/5 of a gram. Hopefully this helps! :D
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Hello again, I have heard you use about the size of a pea for a pig a day, or 1 gram per 10 pounds. For instance, if you had a 2 pound piggie, you would give it 1/5 of a gram. Hopefully this helps! :D

Thank you!!!
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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I used the Bene Bac in the syringe type, and it only dispensed 1 gram at a time minimum. Scooter got 1 gram after each dose of antibiotic.
 

Smileandnod

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[MENTION=35161]Guinea Pig Papa[/MENTION] How much bene bac should he have each time? This is what I have right now. I can get more.

View attachment 87410

I've loved many of Scooter's stories I've read on here <3

I use a pea size amount about an hour after each dose of antibiotic.

If you do get more, I find the large syringe filled bene-bac with the twist dosage plunger is easier to get it out & get all of it from the tube.

I like to give mine some oat hay mixed with their Timothy or orchard hay too when they are on an antibiotic & need bene-bac because while bene-bac is a probiotic, oat hay is a prebiotic and seem to help if loose stools develop.

One of mine needs a pile of oat hay after veggies to prevent loose stools from developing, it just seems to work.
 

spy9doc

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I used the Bene Bac in the syringe type, and it only dispensed 1 gram at a time minimum. Scooter got 1 gram after each dose of antibiotic.

This is what I used as well. Having it in a multi-dose syringe is infinitely easier than those small tubes. It is available on Amazon, but apparently not until Nov. 19. You may be able to obtain it from another source.

(broken link removed)
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Still the same today...he won't eat anything, aside from being force fed critcal care.

He hasn't peed, either, and I read baytril can cause dehydration, especially if given orally vs injection, which is what he's getting. Is this true????

He got fluids at the vet yesterday, the first dose of baytril, and now the baytril, bene bac and critical care this morning.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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He won't drink from his water bottle, either.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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He picked at his hay a little after his latest critical care feeding right now! Probably ate two strands, and then he again chewed on his woodblock a little.
 

spy9doc

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One other suggestion......if he's not drinking water nor eating, you need to replace his fluids and electrolytes. Mix the Critical Care with unflavored pedialyte (generic is o.k.) or syringe straight pedialyte. Most cavies love the taste and will readily drink it.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Not too much big progress, but I'm feeling much better tonight than I was yesterday and this morning.

Since yesterday afternoon I have been using pedialyte for the liquid portion of pedialyte, [MENTION=19714]spy9doc[/MENTION], thank you! And during his last two critical care feedings today I got him to drink some straight pedialyte as well. Close to 1 cc the first time and a solid 2.5 the second time.

Five fresh poops tonight, a couple slightly smaller than normal but a good shape other than that. Two damp pee spots. The only bedding I have right now is light brown, but I couldn't see any bad colors in it.

He did go down 1240 to 1223, but it's the least weight he's lost yet since this started.

He picked at his hay a tiny bit two or three times today.

Friar Tuck didn't seem to be doing well this morning, with his eyes slightly...sunken? not dramatically but I didn't like something I couldn't put my finger on. I was worried. But he's much stronger, eyes back to normal and looks brighter and more alert since this afternoon!!
 

bpatters

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FYI, sunken eyes are a sign of dehydration. Increase the pedialyte. You should be giving 5-10 cc. at a time.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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FYI, sunken eyes are a sign of dehydration. Increase the pedialyte. You should be giving 5-10 cc. at a time.

I know... that's why it scared me. But he doesn't look like that at all tonight!
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Is Reglan a drug I should look into for Friar Tuck? I've been reading and re reading this sticky thread https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/69524-Treatment-of-G-I-Stasis and it says it's for nausea during gastric stress. Friar Tuck seems nauseous with veggies and normal food, acting just like a person that wants it really bad but then gets hit by a wave of nausea and spits it back out or turns away.
 
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