Abbey's Medical Thread

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:26 am


My Peekaboo and Fuzzbutt are both on Metacam. Peek's been on it for a couple of years and Fuzz can only take it once in a while since it really messes with her. She becomes very lethargic, so I give her a very small dose for a few days when she seems in pain. Peek has been getting .5 ml of the .5 mg/mL strength daily.

So far everything seems ok as far as kidney/liver problems go.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:22 pm


My pig that I just euthanized had spondylosis as well as degenerative joint disease of her stifles (knees). Her radiographs are in my thread about her and I should actually add the radiologist's report (since I finally received it) to that thread, he was very thorough in his reading.

As far as the metacam. I have given it for chronic pain, such as arthritis, and it did help. What my problem was is if the treatment lasted more than a few days, it seemed to upset their tummy. Some pigs can be on it for extended periods just fine and others can't. Some people can take vicodin after surgery and it helps them, I get sick as a dog. If her eating habits change in a negative way you could try lowering the dose or alternating treatment days with non treatment days and see how she does - of course consult your vet about that. If you still have trouble, Tramadol is always an option.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:38 pm


Lynx: I will contact Abbey's vet and see if she will sent a copy of her X-rays. I would like to see them myself.

GrannyJu1: First of all thank you for your kind words on Zoe's thread. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and understanding in the loss of our little piggy. I checked the strength of the Metacam I have. It looks like it is 3 times stronger than what you have. It is 1.5 mg/mL so that is why her dose is so low. I am glad you haven't seen any problems with long term use.

Clint The Cuy: First of all I am sorry for your loss. After just losing a pig I understand how hard it is. Thanks for your information. I looked up her X-rays and was wondering if the darker area on her spine was where the problem was? I am giving Abbey her Metacam on a full stomach to see if that will help with any digestive issues. So far she is okay. She is on a low dose but I will monitor her for any changes in her eating habits or stool. I like your idea of alternating treatment days. She has had a dose the last three days. I may skip today and see how she is tomorrow. I also started supplementing her with the pellet/critical care mash at the same time so it is hard to know if it is the Metacam or maybe the increase in water and Vitamin C. Oxbow Critical Care has about 20 mg. of Vitamin C per teaspoon so she is getting an extra 30 mg. of Vitamin C per day. That in itself might be helping.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:10 pm


Spondylosis can encompass several different conditions of the spine. In my girl's case, she had narrowing/thinning of her discs and she had mild osteophyte production, or "bone spurs", on her vertebra. This is most apparent on the VD view of her spine when focusing on her lower back.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sun Aug 27, 2017 3:05 am


Ditto all the advice you've received. You're doing a fantastic job caring for her, and doing everything right.

We've had pigs on arthritis-level dosages of Metacam for years with no ill effects. A few pigs have reacted badly to it, and for those we have used Rimadyl (carprofen).

CtC -- do you see carprofen used in practice as frequently as it used to be? It's worked well for ours if they could not tolerate Metacam, but did not need to step up to Tramadol.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:25 am


Thanks Talishan: I didn't give her Metacam last night so monitoring her today to see if there is a difference in her weight and/or activity level. I will definitely look into Rimadyl if she starts having issues with Metacam. It says to give Metacam with food but I make sure she has lots of food in her tummy. I give it to her after her greens and 20 ml of pellet/critical care slurry. Hopefully that should help buffer some of the side effects.

Another factor that may be affecting her activity level is summer. Abbey has never done well in the summer even though we have air conditioning. Windows open at night create new scary sounds, people coming and going and different routines seem to throw her off especially since she has lost her sight. We have had the longest, hottest, and driest summer in British Columbia this year and it is not over yet. It has also been the busiest. I think once Fall comes and we get cooler nights, shorter days and no company we will all perk up a little. I know I will.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:41 pm


Actually the carprofen is not a bad idea if the metacam does not pan out. I have never had a pig on carprofen and I have never had a vet prescribe carprofen for my pigs, but it's definitely a viable option. I know that it is still heavily used in small animal medicine. We do not use it in large animal. It has the same potential side affects as the metacam, but is a different drug and could work for Abbey. Also, Tramadol works better when paired with an anti-inflammatory anyway, so knowing if she can tolerate one would be helpful in the event that an NSAID is not enough in the future.

I was also wondering if anyone may have used adequan in these cases? I have heard of its use in guinea pigs, but I did not know if there was any literature on it now. I do know that in horses the protocol has changed to one loading dose (one dose every 4 days for 7 doses) every 6 months, instead of the loading dose followed by a single dose each month for maintenance. The monthly doses did not seem to maintain the therapeutic levels of the loading dose. Would be an interesting option in some of these cases.

Also, has anyone ever heard of treatment with firocoxib in a guinea pig? I am having a difficult time finding anything about it, but maybe someone has had experience with it? Just curious.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:09 pm


I don't know if the posts turned up using the search feature would answer your questions but there is a page worth referencing adequan and nothing for firocoxib.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:23 pm


I did see the one thread that mentioned adequan in here and also came up empty handed with the firocoxib.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:37 am


Clint -- thanks very much for the input.

I've not used the other two (yet, anyway). Previcox is the brand name for firocoxib if that rings any bells for anyone.

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Delaine
Supporter in '14

Post   » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:04 pm


Update on Abbey. She is just over 6 years 7 months old. Abbey has been holding her own the past two months but her heat cycles are becoming longer and harder on her due to her ovarian cysts. This past week she has been in heat and her weight and appetite took a nose dive. I took her into the vet and she confirmed her ovarian cysts, especially the right one have increased significantly in size.

I am still supplementing her with a ground pellet/critical care mixture 3 time a day but this week she wasn't as interested in it. I am not sure how many more heat cycles I will let her suffer through. Once her cycle is over she perks up a little and her weight and appetite increases but she still sits most of the day. I think she is a little more active during the night because most mornings I see poops all around the cage and the hay piles are flattened. She has developed a sort of blister on her right foot. It hasn't opened up so her vet suggested soaking it in a saline solution for now. I am sure it has developed because she is so inactive.

She is on Metacam for pain but the dose isn't enough so we are going to increase it. I don't want to give her too much and creative digestive issues so would appreciate some advice on how much. Her vet looked up the new recommendations and she can have up to 0.3 ml every 24 hours. Her suspension is Meloxicam 1.5 mg/ml. As of yesterday I am giving her 0.1 ml in the evening. Should I ask the vet about dividing the dose into two doses per 24 hours instead of the one dose? How much have others found their pigs can tolerate? Any advice on keeping my old girl comfortable would be appreciated.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:29 pm


As far as dividing the dose goes, I understand it is often more effective.

Good luck to you. I think you are doing the right things.

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