Gus Gus’ Medical Thread

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:34 am


Update! Gus Gus is back to eating totally normally after 3 days of lidocaine! He had none yesterday and was able to eat everything without a problem. He’s back to only being uncomfortable because his bladder/urethra are full of sludge and I will take it! He’s gained back most of the weight he lost and he’s gone back to begging shamelessly any time he hears the refrigerator door.

I’m going to call regular vet to tell her about his progress but I’m not going to take him back in this week, at least not for his teeth. He’s just getting back to himself and he’s had a stressful few weeks. He must have poked or scratched himself on top of it all. This pig is really keeping me on my toes.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:37 pm


Eating normally is great news!

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Tue Apr 28, 2020 10:47 pm


Oh good. I hope he keeps eating well.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:11 am


Ditto! Good news.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:18 pm


Hi all -

Anyone have any experience with their guinea pigs making gurgling belly sounds??

I have been managing Gus’ sludge issues with extra fluids (a splash of carrot juice mixed with 40-50 ml of water), he put back on all of the weight he lost and then some, and for the most part he and his cage mate have been at their normal level of somethings-not-right-but-no one-knows-what for the past few months.

I’ve decided not to take them back to the vet for symptoms I can treat at home unless something changes - they start to lose weight, blood returns, etc. Since April, I have spent over 2,000 at the vet and every time I get sent home with the same medications/recommendations.

Since at least mid-June, one or both of them have been gurgling loudly and/or farting and I have no idea why! There was a soft poop issue which we took care of with benebac, but the gurgling remains. I have had them both on rounds of simethicone and/or metoclopromide, but neither actually seems gassy or uncomfortable- and the gurgling remains.

It is loud, sometimes I have to really assess whether it was my stomach or theirs LOL. I have never experienced anything like this. They are both eating, drinking, and acting otherwise completely normal. I hold them up to my ear and listen to their bellies, nothing sounds weird, but then they’ll both be snoozing in separate hideys and I’ll hear it over the tv. No way to know which one it was.

Right now it seems like no big deal, and if they’re farting -better out than in, right? But could this be leading to something or already a sign of something serious? It’s on my list of weird new habits to mention the next time I take them both in for a “well” visit - I’m just curious if anyone else’s pigs gurgle!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:11 pm


What is their diet?

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:21 pm


Lately, very restricted. They get KMS pellets (just under 1/4 cup between them) unlimited Timothy hay, 1 oxbow vitamin c tab split in half, red leaf lettuce, and some bell pepper. Since the soft poops, they have most often gotten lettuce or pepper but we’re easing back to both every day. The only other thing they get every day is their shilintong cocktail.

Every now and then they get a small baby carrot or a “cookie” (oxbow digestive supplement, oxbow reward cookie, or a similar baked treat from their piggie box subscription) .

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:24 pm


I'd do an elimination diet -- no veggies,no supplements, no shilintog, no treats for 48-72 hours. Just pellets and hay. See if the gurgling stops.

If it does, add things back, one at a time, 48-72 hours between each added thing. When you find whatever it is that causes the gurgling, eliminate that from the diet.

If it doesn't stop, switch to either a different hay or different pellets, but not both at the same time. If it still doesn't stop, you'll need some sort of med from the vet.

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:32 pm


That’s a good idea - I have been wondering if it was the pellets. We got a new bag of KMS at the end of May and the gurgling (and the soft poops) started in early-mid June.

Gus is SO calcium sensitive, though, I have been afraid to change them.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:10 am


It may also be an imbalance of digestive bacteria. The "bad" bacteria are notorious for producing more gas (smelly). If the new pellets have a higher sugar/carb content, that could contribute to making the bad bacteria happier, so bpatter's suggestion to include them in your test is worth trying. Though KMS Hayloft has not changed the formula, they depend on the mill they contract with to assemble precisely what they request. If the mill does any substitutions or makes any mistakes, they may not be the same.

I wish we could give our guinea pigs fecal implants to set them on a good course! Let us know if removing the vegs makes a difference. If not, I would wonder about the pellets and also see if you can find a friend with healthy guinea pigs that could supply good cecal feces (the only other thing I can think of).

I do think products like Equine Bio-Sponge may be able to bind to some of the bad bacteria.
https://www.guinealynx.info/diarrhea.html

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:22 pm


Food stuck in his teeth still sounds like a possibility, given his behavior

JJGiebz
Make Good Choices

Post   » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:46 pm


I did have them completely off veggies for about a week and then added them back in very slowly when we were trying to get the soft poops under control. That and the benebac helped with the soft poops - but it took a long time. Peppa was getting benebac every day for about a month, and now I have them both down to about twice a week (my quarantine memory is bad).

The gurgling persisted through out, though, and we are now even on a new bag of KMS that was weirdly milled BEFORE the one we got at the end of May. I wonder if whatever set them off was just that persistent.

I have never used biosponge, I will look into that, thank you! Unfortunately none of my friends have piggies I could swap poop with - they see how high maintenance these guys are and tell me to get a dog :)

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