Blood spots on Lacey’s bedding

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:23 pm


I would push Critical Care. It's high in fiber and will aid in keeping the gut moving. It will also help ensure that she's getting the nutrients and vitamin C that she needs, which she can't get from those few veggies alone. Massage, fluids and CC should all go a long way towards getting her gut back on track. I do think she could benefit from a motility drug, and possibly a probiotic if she isn't reingesting the cecals.

Agree -- these guys can be a very challenging pet!

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:47 pm


Thanks, I’ll try the CC again. After a tummy massage she pooped and it looked normal. I found more grass that is partially dried out in the yard so she ate that mixed with hay. We don’t use chemicals and she had fresh grass all through summer so this isn’t something new to her system.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:35 am


I contacted the vet clinic, told them the situation, and asked if I could get a probiotic from them. They use Probios so I bought a 15 gram syringe of gel. I gave her about half a gram this afternoon and again this evening when I gave her some CC. That’s a wrestling match.

She is getting floor time now and pooped again, smaller quantity and size than normal but not too bad. She’s drinking water and I’m giving her veggies soaked in water. She’s still not really interested in hay, just picks through and takes the best pieces. But she’s also had a few little bunches of grass that I’m still finding in the yard. And with the corn husks, lettuce, and cukes I think the quantity of food is good, just need to transition to more hay.

Again thanks for all the advice and valuable info on this site.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:34 pm


Update: Lacey has an appt. at a different clinic at 2:30 today. She was doing better over the weekend - I would say she was about 75% back to normal but still eating selectively. Today there were no poops in her cage and she’s not interested in hay or pellets. There may have been a slight blood stain on her fleece.

I called and talked to the vet we saw last week. He basically said he’s sorry but they don’t have diagnostic equipment to determine what might be going on. Could be an underlying issue, cancer, tumors, etc. He’s not aware of any exotic specialty in the area. How frustrating.

So I’m going to try the clinic where I got the probiotic. She has exotics listed on her website and the vet tech said she sees a lot of guinea pigs and that she owns guinea pigs and hedge hogs. Fingers crossed.

Lisa12

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:58 pm


I & Irie wish you both good luck (and that issue is fixable,of course)!!! I know you need it with vets;).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:02 pm


I wish you luck too!

rjespicer

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:12 pm


If you can get it locally you could also try Wheatgrass. Our piggies love it and it seems to keep them regular, it may also get her back in to eating hay again and I am guessing has a fair bit of fiber and water content.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:29 pm


What a difference in vet clinics! This vet got a weight, temp, listened to heart and lungs, thoroughly felt her gut, checked her privates, ultrasound of uterus, bladder, and stomach, motility injection, flavored CC, and flavored Albon. She’s very familiar with this forum, talked about general care and feeding, gave me advice on using the probiotic, and discussed calcium and stones. After all that Lacey decided she needed to poop a bit.

So tonight we’re going to have some CC and Albon. Then an hour later, some probiotic.

I do grow wheatgrass but like so many of her favorite things, she gets tired of it. So she was a huge fan for about a week, then not so much.

She does this with some veggies, too. A while back I had to freeze green peppers because right after I bought a pack of three large ones they were no longer on her list of favorites. Then she decided she liked them frozen.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:14 pm


Glad to hear you got a thorough exam! Albon is pretty infrequently prescribed for guinea pigs. I believe Albon is given for coccidia. Was coccidia diagnosed? I imagine it could be helpful for some intestinal issues.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:49 am


The Albon was a question I had as well. Apparently Albon doesn't attack and kill bacteria but somehow starves the bacteria preventing it from multiplying so the immune system takes over. I may not be understanding that process completely. It is used in dogs for coccidia, but also herbivores for a variety of infections including urinary.

The vet questioned if there was a UTI. Lacey was eating well and active when I noticed blood on her bedding. The spots weren’t wet like urine and blood, they were smears like an injury. The spotting stopped Thursday, after only 3-4 doses of Baytril. I stopped the Baytril last Friday (after 6 doses) when I noticed GI issues.

So we don’t know the cause of the spotting but we need to get the digestion back on track.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Nov 26, 2019 6:54 am


Agree; gut should be the first priority for now. I'm so glad this vet is knowledgeable and is trying to get to the bottom of things.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:54 am


It is possible the spotting was related to her menstrual cycle. I recall one of my guinea pigs passing a few drops of blood for two or three days or so very intermittently. I think this intermittent spotting has happened to a handful of other guinea pigs too.

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