2,5 y o boar with pulmonary edema not responding to lasix

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Marvenpimp

Post   » Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:30 am


Hi everyone!

So as the title says I have a 2 year and 10 month old boar who was recently diagnosed with pulmonary edema. I have suspected heart problems since he was about 6 months old but after several vet visits (including one this spring) I was constantly told everything was fine. 5 days ago I decided I'd had enough and I pretty much demanded they'd do new X-rays and bloodwork and this time they took me seriously. He was breathing heavily and put on oxygen immediately when we arrived, and was then taken for X-rays and blood.

X-rays showed lots of fluid in the lungs, but they couldn't say for sure if the heart was enlarged. Surprisingly the lungs sounded clear when listened to and his pulse was normal with no murmur. Bloodwork was fine and there were no signs of infection.

He is now on furosemide (orally) 10mg/ml and I give him 0.6 ml twice a day. It has only been 36 hours but I am worried that he's not showing any signs of improvement. It is quite the opposite actually and I find him to be even more blue/gray around the lips/ears/paws and his nasal discharge is way worse. I would say his breathing is a bit heavier too.

Any thoughts on dosage? I have no earlier experience with lasix and I'm not sure what a normal response is but I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to get worse. Nasal discharge is also green-tinted when dried up. I'm taking him back to the vet in 2 days to check for possible infection and/or further treatment.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:01 am


He could also be given benazepril, which might help.

The dosage of Lasix sounds right to me, depending on his weight, although I'm not a guinea pig heart expert. If he's more than one kilogram, it could be increased. Have you read https://www.guinealynx.info/heart.html#medications?

The green tint to the nasal discharge suggests infection. You should get that looked at ASAP.

You could email the user Talishan through this forum mailer and ask for her opinion on the heart issues. Good luck with him, and let us know how you get along.

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Marvenpimp

Post   » Thu Oct 05, 2017 3:26 pm


Thanks for your response. I couldn't wait 2 days. He was turning absolutely gray and I panicked and rushed him to the emergency vet. He was put on oxygen and taken for X-rays. Turns out you were right about him having an infection, bpatters. He is now put on metacam, zantac and baytril twice daily, I'm holding off the furosemide for now. I got no clear instructions on wether to continue with it or not but I think I'm going to wait until he is more stable.

I asked the vet about his heart and she said it didn't seem enlarged and that I should worry about one thing at a time. She gave him a 50/50 chance to live through the weekend. Can't believe this happened over night...

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Oct 05, 2017 4:22 pm


Make sure to watch how much he's eating, and force feed him if he stops. Many a pig has been lost because it wasn't aggressively force fed when it was ill. And antibiotics, baytril in particular, will absolutely kill a pig's appetite.

The guidelines say that a pig who is eating nothing else needs 100+ cc of Critical Care or pellet slurry for every kilogram it weighs, every day, divided into 6-8 feedings around the clock. Adjust up or down according to the weight of the pig, and down if he's eating some on his own. See https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html for more info, and post back here if you have questions.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:48 pm


Ditto bpatters. More on antibiotic intolerance:
https://www.guinealynx.info/antibiotic_intolerance.html

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Marvenpimp

Post   » Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:50 am


Thank you very much for your help! He's been in Baytril since thursday (3,5 days) and I feel like I'm not seeing enough improvement. His energy has clearly gone up a bit since he is walking around and giving the other pigs a hard time (a very dominant guy). He is also eating very well on his own and has amazingly not lost any weight since this whole ordeal started. I weigh him daily and he is given probiotics twice a day.

However, he is still nowhere near his normal pink color, and there is still discharge from the nose. I can't say I notice a big difference in his ability to breathe properly either. I'm taking him back to the vet tomorrow for a check up. I can't shake this feeling I could be doing more, and I feel so helpless.

One vet told me I could have him placed under 24/7 care at the clinic, but it's not a specialized exotics clinic. He would however be given oxygen around the clock which I think he really needs. Do guinea pigs take well to being hospitalized? I feel it would put him under great stress and might not be worth it.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun Oct 08, 2017 11:07 am


Sorry he's not improving.

No, they don't take well to being hospitalized.

Is there some reason you didn't want to try the furosemide? That would have been the first thing I asked for.

User avatar
Marvenpimp

Post   » Sun Oct 08, 2017 11:22 am


I was worried about mixing all the medications together. Do you think I should add furosemide as well? I was thinking it might help clear up his lungs faster, although I'm worried about dehydration and over-medicating.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:02 pm


As I said, it would have been the first thing I looked for. And I'd want the benazepril, too. I'm not a vet, but if he's not improving on the meds he's on, it's time to call in the big guns.

Lasix alone won't treat a heart condition. What it does is get rid of the excess fluid, but doesn't specifically target the heart. He's way more likely to get dehydrated from the Lasix, although that's not actually much of a worry.

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Marvenpimp

Post   » Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:40 am


Just thought I'd bring some closure to this thread.

On our last vet visit I was called in to look at the X-rays. They confirmed that his heart was very enlarged (just as I had claimed from day one). I once again asked for Benazepril but she wouldn't listen. She said we couldn't rule out cancer, and suggested maybe he should be euthanized. I was furious and demanded we take the next step in his treatment and we got an appointment with a cat/dog cardiologist for ultrasounds.

Sadly, my dear Scrampen (I know, my pig names are wierd) did not make it to that appointment. He died peacefully two days later surrounded by me and the other boys. It just breaks my heart that with all my experience, and all the money we spent, and all the trips we took it made absolutely no difference. The vets won't listen and guinea pigs are still considered disposable.
He never really liked me so most of his life I just let him do his own thing. Some days he would come up to me and say hello, and enjoy a little head scratch, but it was always on his terms. It still makes me smile when I think about what a little brat he was, and I loved him with all my heart.

Thank you Lynx and bpatters for your help, and taking an interest in him.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Dec 03, 2017 11:02 pm


Oh, I am so sorry, Marvenpimp. Our pets are each so unique and do carve out a place in our hearts. I remember almost writing off one of my new chickens because she seemed so timid. But now she is the calmest when I give her hugs while the other two new ones complain (my old chicken is fine with hugs). Trust means a lot.

I know you will miss him.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun Dec 03, 2017 11:06 pm


I'm so sorry you lost him. I'll never understand why vets are so reluctant to treat guinea pigs for heart problems.

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