Teeth Sly's Medical Thread

Just gave Sly another force feeding (have I said how much he HATES it?) And I've discovered poops in his cage and his hidey! Mostly small, misshapen poops, but we've finally got some output.

spy9doc said:

I still say to give him a couple handfuls of fresh grass. I would be surprised if you don't get dark, moist poops. And, I agree with @sallyvh in that if there is no sign of stasis or bloat, he is probably eating what output there has been.

Have you as yet tried mixing a bit of baby food with the CC? That changes up the taste for some variety. Beechnut makes an organic line that has some tasty cavy flavors.

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I've not tried that yet, @spy9doc. I will pick some up today, though I'm not sure if it will make a difference or not. For being such a sweet, easygoing little man, I can't believe how much he fights being fed. What strength he does have, he uses it to fight and the longer the feeding goes on the worse he gets.

He's gotten a few handfuls of grass the last couple of days, and while he has eaten some (in the past he would devour the pile in one sitting) He picks at it through the day. He'll sit there for five or six minutes and munch, then go and lie down again. The Baytril is REALLY not agreeing with him at all.

SSLee said:

I don't post much as I am an inexperienced cavy owner and have no wisdom to share. But I always read the new posts and look forward to Sly's Medical Thread updates. I hope to read that Sly has perked up and is once again enjoying his food (and of course pooping). Sending good thoughts to Sly. He is simply adorable .

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Thank you for the kind words, @SSLee. There have been a few bumps in the road this time around with the little fella. He's quite the character! I must say that I'm fairly certain we've beaten the infection, but he's going to stay on the Baytril the prescribed two weeks just to be sure as this go around very nearly took him away from us.

There has been more poop today, small misshapen ones. Nothing close to normal, but there IS poop. He's been eating more on his own today, and his attitude seems to be more improved especially when the force feeding is over! He's had 3 feedings today so far to supplement what he IS eating.

Kelsie said:

@Guinea Pig Papa, I have been closely following your posts regarding Sly. I have been keeping him, and also you, in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you so much for your continued updates. I know that we are all pulling for your little fella. We love you Sly!

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Thank you very, very much @Kelsie. This has been pretty rough on him, and to be honest it's been just as rough on me, emotionally. Today and tonight, he has been pooping more, but his energy seems to be dwindling. Tonight was clean cage night, and as always he comes out into pen on his own for some quiet time munching oranges while I clean his side. He was pretty weak getting out to the big box, and he kind of dragged his legs on the way in. He only ate 2/3 of one orange segment, where he usually devours two. Only 5 more days on the Baytril.

I decided to change things up tonight, and he got almost a full 12cc syringe of Emeraid. While I don't think he especially liked it more or less than the critical care, it's more energy dense and a LOT easier to get into him. A lot less of a fight.

THIS is the look I get when trying to feed him. He's a little heartbreaker.

Artista said:

Awe sly... ❤ hang in there buddy. Ate you going to finish out baytril if his eating worsens in hopes he gets more of an appetite back? Has anyone done that?

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The baytril has basically killed his appetite. While he will eat some on his own, he eats almost nothing of his favourites right now. He still eats some of the staples, and some of his veggies but he no longer eats critical care voluntarily. The pneumonia was bad enough that Dr Ker insists he finish the two week course. We have 5 days left, and although he is weak and not eating enough he is being force fed several times a day. As far as the infection goes, he is in a far better place right now. We will keep fighting, and helping him fight.

Artista said:

May the 5 days go by quickly.

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I desperately hope they do, too.

Update:

We are going to win.

Woke up this morning to find quite a bit of poop in Sly's hidey. He had more poop in there overnight, than he's had in close to week combined. He showed little interest in cucumber or a baby carrot this morning, nibbling both. He then proceeded to his hay pile to much a little.

New development, however. Sly has decided that he likes the Emeraid. It took us almost an hour to get 1/2 to 2/3rds of a syringe of CC into him, and it was a fight then entire way. This morning, I alone with no help, got an entire 12cc syringe of Emeraid into him in 20 minutes. He would open his mouth willingly (most of the time) for the syringe. While I won't say he gobbled it up like candy, it was SO much easier to feed to him.

He's now had his morning meds, and 12cc of Emeraid. I put him back in his cage, and he went straight back to his hay pile.

Soecara said:

I got some hits from "Emeraid", (broken link removed)

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Yes, that's the stuff, @Soecara.

It does the same job as Critical Care, just differently. It actually tastes like melted vanilla ice cream.

Sly continues to improve. I wasn't home yesterday at all following my morning post, and didn't return home until 10pm. I was told that he was more active, and was eating more on his own. While it still isn't enough, it IS promising. I'll be VERY happy when he's off the Baytril come Monday.

He now takes the Emeraid willingly. When I wave the syringe near his mouth, he opens it and takes it, and even tugged on the syringe a few times. His molars are overgrown, and a planing has been scheduled for August 14th. I believe the feedings will likely have to continue to that point to ensure he is as well as possible to endure that.

Yesterday morning, poop was found in his pen. It was in his box, and in a few places along the "fence" as it were. THAT means that he felt well enough, and had enough energy to go out walking around, and troll his little buddies at the fence like a prison warden.

He finished the Emeraid this morning, and when I put him back in his pen he toddled back over to his hay pile and is still munching now, 15 minutes later.

We are using the IC.

I've ordered a second bag from our veterinarian. The bags themselves aren't all that large, but you don't need as much as the critical care

Squiggles said:

I was just over in a thread at GL, tearing up about how this owner did everything for their piggy, but in the end, she didn't make it. So seeing a positive update in this thread made me feel a bit better. Go, Sly, you can do it.

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You sound just like me. Bad outcomes with other people's piggies make me very, very sad.

Damn. I just realized it was the little girl just down the highway in Hamilton.

This evening, Sly doesnt seem to be doing as well. He isnt up and around at all, but when I do disturb him he goes and eats some on his own.

Hes had two syringes full of Emeraid today and he will get a third before bedtime. The infection I'm sure is no longer the problem. I believe he is simply in a debilitated state now primarily from the Baytril. He does eat on his own but nowhere near enough to sustain him and due to his age and the infection we just need to nurse him as best we can. Some days may well just be better than others.

Update:

Sly's wheezing returned last night. I'm unsure if he has something caught in his airway that needs to be coughed out (this does happen occasionally with him, but this seems different). The wheezing was more noticeable this morning, but his sides are not thumping anywhere near as hard as they were when he was first ill. He is still rather lethargic, only getting up and trying to eat or move around only if disturbed. That said, I can tell that he WAS up and eating some veggies during the night as the pile was noticeably smaller, and he has some fresh hay that has been disturbed.

He has been given his morning meds, and most of a syringe of Emeraid. He wasn't as co-operative as he has been about taking the Emeraid. He'll get his probiotic and some Vitamin c shortly.

Sly has had a rough day.

He's not been up very much at all. Only two more days on the Baytril. However, he appears to be having significant difficulty breathing. At times it is just a wheeze, and others it sounds almost wet.

Again, I'm not sure if this is because he has something caught, or if there is a significant issue. The difficulty breathing is what is concerning me most. He eats when he is brought out and force fed, and then he goes and eats some veggies when he is put back in his cage. Basically, he only eats when he is disturbed enough to get up.

It is a holiday weekend in Canada. I am desperately hoping for some sort of turnaround here.

No, he has never had a trial of heart drugs. When Dr Ker saw him last week and listened to him, he was very congested. Believe me, I'm fighting the urge to stop the Baytril very strongly. He has been on it since Monday of last week.

Artista said:

2 more days of baytril is really necessary? Infection probably gone by now?

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I thought so too, until the wheezing returned last night, and then what sounded like congestion when he breathed. That congested sound came and went once or twice, but the wheeze has remained since last night. It seemed to start literally at the drop of a hat, and has disappeared just as quickly.

His breathing tonight is laboured.

bpatters said:

My feeling is that if the Baytril were really effective against the organism, you'd have seen significant improvement by now.

Some vets will "pulse" antibiotics by alternating them -- 7 days on Baytril, 7 on doxy, back on Baytril, etc. It can be any two antibiotics. And sometimes they're given together. They could also put him on nebulized Gentamycin with a steroid added

It's your decision, and the vet's, of course. But there are alternatives to just sticking out it with Baytril, and I think I'd want to explore them.

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He has improved, and then he has gone right back down. I'm unsure what to think at this point. I cant even get him to Dr Ker now until Tuesday, and unless a miracle happens his breathing is so bad that getting to Tuesday may not be in time.
His breathing worsens whenever we try to feed him now. And when I put him back in his cage he goes to his vegetable pile, eats for a minute or two and then finds a spot to collapse.

bpatters said:

My feeling is that if the Baytril were really effective against the organism, you'd have seen significant improvement by now.

Some vets will "pulse" antibiotics by alternating them -- 7 days on Baytril, 7 on doxy, back on Baytril, etc. It can be any two antibiotics. And sometimes they're given together. They could also put him on nebulized Gentamycin with a steroid added

It's your decision, and the vet's, of course. But there are alternatives to just sticking out it with Baytril, and I think I'd want to explore them.

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His breathing did not improve overnight. I checked on him at 4am and he seemed somewhat disoriented, and he hadn't moved around much.

By 6am he had relocated his hidey. I have stopped the Baytril. I agree that if it were effective, we would not be where we are now almost two weeks later and after much reading I believe the issue may actually be his heart.

At this point being a holiday weekend there is nowhere to take him on an emergency basis. I am hoping for him to gain some strength and appetite after being off the Baytril over the weekend to perhaps stabilize him long enough to get him in Tuesday, but the condition he is in right now I am not optimistic. He is being syringe fed, switched back the Critical Care for the time being and he is taking that willingly now as well. He is also being syringed water. He is rarely mobile on his own, and will eat some if he's disturbed. The crackling that was present yesterday for a short time is gone, but the wheeze and laboured breathing are still present.

I think I'm going to need a miracle for my little bear.

This thread can now be closed. My hope is that someone else will find some value in these posts, that may help save their piggie.

sallyvh said:

Oh no, I'm so so sorry. We were all rooting for the little guy and you gave him absolutely every chance. He has had an amazing life and it takes a very special owner to go through all the dentals and medical issues.

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I would have done anything to make him well again.

I'm sorry, Artista.

We lost him earlier today.