Conditions Sam is Squeaking while Pooping

[bpatters]

It might not help, but I'd want to try the Flagyl.

 

[frotoandsam]

Okay, what is the correct dosage at 830 grams

"Dosage, oral 20-60 mg/kg q12h X 5days Give with food." https://www.guinealynx.info/antiparasitics.html#flagyl This is correct?

It might not help, but I'd want to try the Flagyl.

 

[bpatters]

He weighs .83 kilograms, so (.83 * 20) - (.83 * 60) every 12 hours for five days. That works out to 16.6-49.8 milligrams that he needs.

But you have to know how many milligrams are in a cc of the suspension before you can know how much to give.

 

[frotoandsam]

Right, I can do calculations. Just making sure this is the right range and if we should go for the lower or higher limit. Will see what the vet says. He has not called back yet.

He weighs .83 kilograms, so (.83 * 20) - (.83 * 60) every 12 hours for five days. That works out to 16.6-49.8 milligrams that he needs.

But you have to know how many milligrams are in a cc of the suspension before you can know how much to give.

 

[frotoandsam]

So we started Sam on the Flagyl. The vet only prescribed 0.10 ml of 100 mg/L every 24 hours (so 10 mg)...He is about 850g now so he should be at 0.17 ml at the low end of the recommended dosage. Should we increase the amount and/or number of times per day?

He is still really grunting while pooping and they are large, irregular, soft, and smell even worse then before (I mean horrible). He has stopped drinking water, eating hay (even alfalfa), and doesn't touch pellets either. He still will eat lettuce and other veggies. He smells like urine as well and doesn't clean himself as much. We feed him critical care about every 3 hours. I just want to see if Flagyl will make a difference within a few days...

 

[bpatters]

Like all medications, it takes time to work. But if it's going to, you should start noticing some improvement within 48 hours or so.

 

[frotoandsam]

This is how his poop looks now

 

[frotoandsam]

So starting last night, Sam had diarrhea. Should we continue the flagyl?

I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want him to suffer but this morning he was pretty lively and still squeals and comes for his veggies. I only gave him a small piece. Still not eating hay or pellets.

 

[bpatters]

If he has full-on diarrhea, I'd stop the flagyl.

 

[spy9doc]

Sounds as though his diet currently is a bit of veggies and Critical Care? If he has diarrhea, it could in part be due to almost no solid food in his digestive tract.

After having lived through almost the identical scenario of decline with Chester, at this point nothing is likely to help. If you are determined not to have him euthanized, ask your Vet to prescribe some Tramodol to at least keep him comfortable. Tramodol is a narcotic for pain and will cause him to be a bit sleepy but at least he won't be in any discomfort.

Once again, sorry to be blunt, but as a physician I'm sometimes faced with telling people the difficult truth. You know that I really feel for your situation.

 

[frotoandsam]

You are correct on his diet. Yeah, I was just about to make the call and he started eating some hay and drinking water again...I gave him a second dose of flagyl as I said I would give it 48 hours. His diarrhea is pretty bad and watery so if it continues then will stop after today. I know diarrhea is bad but at least he isn't straining while pooping and making grunting noises, maybe that is why he is eating because he doesn't have as much pain. He is on metacam. I'll watch him closely over today. I move 15 hours away next Thursday so I really don't want to put him through a move if he is sick. I also am hesitant because I know it will really stress out his cage mate if he is gone. Thank you for the continued support.

 

[spy9doc]

If he has copious loose stool or diarrhea, then you need to be syringing Pedialyte to keep his electrolytes stable. Buy the generic unflavored type as it is much cheaper.......Walgreens or Target will have it. My cavies have all loved the taste. Syringe the Pedialyte even if he IS drinking water.

Metacam is not a pain medication......it is an anti-inflammatory and only coincidentally alleviates pain. Tramodol is a true pain reliever and needs to be used if you are just doing palliative care. I wouldn't be too concerned about moving as cavies tolerate car trips very well. So long as the boys are together.......and are with you, they will be o.k. Get them familiar with whatever cage you are going to use for moving ahead of time so that it feels like home. Familiar smelling cozies, hideys, etc. will also make it seem familiar.

I'm sorry that you have so much on your plate right now. You need all your wits about you to accomplish the move, not to be obsessed with a very ill cavy. You have some difficult decisions ahead......be strong and I know that you will do the best for all concerned.

 

[frotoandsam]

Thank you for the extra tips and suggestions. My vet said Metacam is for pain relief so that is why I said that. It makes sense that it is only an anti-inflammatory. Thank you for your continued support and understanding. It is a difficult time right now and I'm behind in packing and final projects. Luckily I have had a month between contracts so I have a flexible schedule but soon it will be busy and I will only be able to feed him in the morning and at night. I don't want to just end his life because that is what is convenient for me though :/ They will be in their older, smaller cage that they know and I will be sure to put one of their houses in there and their fleece. They used to fight in small cages so hopefully they will behave.

He seems to be doing better now and more active and eating hay and pellets and drinking water. His poops are starting to look more normal but are really wet. We will see over the weekend. I know I may just be prolonging the inevitable but he still squeaks happily for his morning lettuce and cuddles in his usual spot on my arm.

If he has copious loose stool or diarrhea, then you need to be syringing Pedialyte to keep his electrolytes stable. Buy the generic unflavored type as it is much cheaper.......Walgreens or Target will have it. My cavies have all loved the taste. Syringe the Pedialyte even if he IS drinking water.

Metacam is not a pain medication......it is an anti-inflammatory and only coincidentally alleviates pain. Tramodol is a true pain reliever and needs to be used if you are just doing palliative care. I wouldn't be too concerned about moving as cavies tolerate car trips very well. So long as the boys are together.......and are with you, they will be o.k. Get them familiar with whatever cage you are going to use for moving ahead of time so that it feels like home. Familiar smelling cozies, hideys, etc. will also make it seem familiar.

I'm sorry that you have so much on your plate right now. You need all your wits about you to accomplish the move, not to be obsessed with a very ill cavy. You have some difficult decisions ahead......be strong and I know that you will do the best for all concerned.

 

[Shieme]

I'm praying for you and little fighter, Sam, everyday. You are always on my mind. I agree, don't jump into putting him to sleep. Make sure you know there s no hope. Maybe his good day will continue into DAYS. But if he is having more bad days than good, make sure our think of him. It's hard but you know him better than any of us!

 

[frotoandsam]

An update on Sam. He finally has regular looking poops again!! though they are a little soft and smell bad. He was hanging out by the hay and pellets all morning. His weight is relatively stable around 815. We are still giving him flagyl and critical care 4-5 times a day. Not sure if improvement is from adjusting after being off baytril or from flagyl or both. I know not to get excited but it is nice to see regular poops again. I think I heard him audibly fart though. He doesn't seem to have bloat. He is also still straining when he poops

 

[wigglemish]

So glad to see happier poops. I know the feeling after fighting an illness so long that any victory is gratefully received. Praying for you guys.

 

[frotoandsam]

Thank you @wigglemish , I really appreciate your support. I hope your guinea pig gets better soon too.

 

[spy9doc]

You're funny! ;-) When you fart, do you assume that you have bloat? It's probably just simple gas. When one has as much going on as Sam has, it wouldn't be unexpected for him to have a little flatulence. He's entitled to it.

It's nice to see him bounce back and to be relatively stable for the time being. I do hope this continues for quite some time. I would be happy to be proven wrong with my diagnosis! I hold my breath every time I see this thread pop up.

BTW, you are familiar with Simethecone drops, aren't you? They are marketed as Children's Gas Drops and should be a part of every cavy owner's medicine chest. They are good for simple gas and digestive upset. I usually dose an entire dropper q.d. for 2-3 days. If it is going to be of benefit, it should work by then. If not, it won't harm the piggies.

 

[frotoandsam]

Thank you @spydoc ! Yeah, I was just reading on different threads about bloat related to flatulence. He doesn't seem to do it often and you're right it is understandable. I saw on another thread that Simethecone is recommended. If he continues to have gas, I'll give it to him. I just also want to limit the foreign supplements going into him. Hopefully you are proven wrong but this is a lot to recover from and we may just be prolonging things. We will see.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I just wanted to chime in. I don't have any experience with what Sam is going through, so I'm not going to offer any advice. Just wanted you to know that myself and my herd are sending our best wishes and positive thoughts for you and Sam and hoping for a recovery