The Legend of Barry Jenkins

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:58 pm


They took samples from both ears and from all 4 quadrants of his body for parasites and another one on the spot where his hair looks like it's thinning a little to test for ringworm. The Ivermectin is .16 ml once a week for 4 weeks and the Benadryl is 1.2 ml twice a day for his itching. He doesn't like having the syringe in his mouth, but he doesn't struggle too much, so I'm able to get him to take it as long as I have someone helping me hold him.

I'm wondering if the Benadryl will make him drowsy or hyper. I forgot to ask the vet. His weight is 1.52kg or about 3.3 lbs. They estimate his age to be between 2 and 3 years. He's a rather large guinea pig. Noticeably larger than the rest of my boys, so I'm comfortable with his weight where it is. He's only .5 pounds heavier than Mr Bubbles and .3 heavier than Sammy. Hopefully he'll get some relief from all of the itching now.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:24 pm


Just as an FYI...skin scrapings for parasites are notorious for yielding a false negative. It's very good that they opted to go ahead and treat for mites despite the negative findings. I'd be surprised if he doesn't have mites, based on the symptoms. The gunk in his ears could also be caused by ear mites.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:09 am


They didn't use skin scrapings. They pulled hair and checked the follicles under the microscope. Not sure if that makes a difference, but I should have been more clear on that. Dr Landon also said that they usually prescribe Revolution for mites, but she decided to use Ivermectin for BJ because of the negative samples and because of it's ability to treat pretty much most parasites. I'll have to wait until the culture for ringworm comes back to see if that's what BJ has.

The Benadryl is relieving BJ's itchiness quite a bit, but he still has a little. The teeth clicking has stopped too. He slept pretty soundly this evening and was pretty lively when he woke up. I changed his fleece today and put his hay and veggies down for him. He ate a few bites of the orange bell pepper slice, but favored the cucumber and carrot stick.

I also brought up his unwillingness to eat leafy greens. They said that without any dietary history on him, it's difficult to know for sure, but it's possible that his previous owner never gave him any. They advised me to keep offering them and see if he starts eating them.

Another possibility, if parasites are not the cause of BJ's itchiness, is something he's allergic to. Possibly the laundry detergent I use to wash the fleece bedding. I use Tide with Febreeze. I do 2 extra rinces, but there could still be enough detergent to cause this reaction if he's allergic to it. I'm going to wash them without detergent and rinse them a few extra times to see if it makes a difference. I suppose it could be the fleece itself too. I hope not.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:21 am


I also brought up his unwillingness to eat leafy greens. They said that without any dietary history on him, it's difficult to know for sure, but it's possible that his previous owner never gave him any.

We got Jemma and Jasmine at 3 weeks of age and it took years to get them to eat green leafy vegs, and Jay have had her 13 months and all she'll eat is tomato, cucumber and carrot, hay and pellets(when they're not a toy or toilet). BUT when we gave them grass at first wary of it then it was an all out attack. Grass never stood a chance. RIP.

Of Course Jemma and Jasmine have left this world but Jay and Jersey are still here to give me more grey hairs! Hoping all goes well with BJ and tests come back negative!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:12 am


That sounds good. I don't remember how much physical contact BJ has with the other pigs, if any, but do watch for any signs of itching/scratching in the others. Mites can be easily passed back and forth, but you can always treat them yourself if you notice anything concerning.

As far as the laundering fleece, I always use an unscented laundry detergent. It's possible that something in the Tide w/ Febreeze could be causing skin sensitivity. If it were me, I'd switch regardless.

On the off-chance that he has ringworm, do read:
https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:35 am


The Ivermectin is .16 ml once a week for 4 weeks

What was the concentration? Given topically? Here's how to figure out the dosage:
https://www.guinealynx.info/calculate_dose.html

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:38 pm


The Ivermectin they gave him is an oral solution. It says 5mg per 5 ml on the bottle. BJ doesn't have any direct contact with the other pigs, but there is indirect contact through me. I try to minimize it as much as possible by using separate blankets for him when I handle or hold him and a lot of hand washing.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:22 pm


Then the concentration is 1mg/ml so you are giving a mere 0.16 mg of ivermectin to a 1.52 kg guinea pig so, using the calculate dose link above, you are giving an oral dose of .11mg/kg.

The standard oral dose is 0.2mg/kg

I don't think you are giving enough. I also think a topical dose would be easier and more effective (split behind the ears). The topical dose is 0.5mg/kg

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:43 pm


How long is this stuff good for?

OASIS #80254 Vita Drops-Pure C ...

I bought a bottle of it in october, but it mysteriously disappeared. I still have the other one I got for Scruffy from last February, but there's no expiration date on it. I know it's not toxic, but the vitamin c breaks down. I need to give BJ a little extra vitamin c.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:01 pm


Was it refrigerated? If stored properly it may still be viable but not very potent after a year (which is supposedly the shelf-life of Kordon Vita-Drops). It's hard to say how old the product was when you bought it, though. If it were me, I probably wouldn't use it.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:35 pm


Yeah, now that I think of it, I probably should have tossed that bottle when I bought the new one in October. Since I can't seem to find the new one, I'm going to buy another bottle. BJ doesn't need a whole lot of supplemental vitamin c since he's eating pretty well and getting enough from his food. The vet just wants him to have an extra little boost since he's having medication for his itching. 10 mg should be fine.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Feb 21, 2020 12:23 pm


It doesn't have to be refrigerated. It just has to be stored in an opaque bottle, and it comes that way. I'd think it would be fine.

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