Protozoa in Bladder/Urine and Metronidazole

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:52 am


Thanks for the update! I know how carefully you are caring for her and it is good to see she seems more or less stable for now. With the issues she has, definitely worthwhile to have a good vet to work with. You are so detailed, it gives the vet a lot to work with.

I agree with you about the possible crackling and the fact that she's already on a couple antibiotics. I hope it goes away - but expect waiting until Monday should not be a problem.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Sun Jun 05, 2022 11:55 pm


Thanks, Lynx. Hoping to slip in to the vet tomorrow morning or Tuesday the latest. She seems to still be in decent spirits, appetite, and weight through the day despite the crackle continuing. I am somewhat surprised her weight is staying as stable as it is given she was dropping only a few days ago. I am a bit worried that maybe the weight is coming from fluid or something like that, not sure if that can happen. Hate to see something like this cropping up when she was just kicking her UTI and poo problems.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 06, 2022 12:35 pm


If you are looking at fluids causing the crackling, perhaps another look at the possibility of heart issues might help. See what your vet thinks. Lasix can help control the fluids.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Mon Jun 06, 2022 6:21 pm


Update from today's vet visit. Looks like it is heart problems and she has some fluid in her lungs. She started on a diuretic and heart medicine. She is still in relatively good spirits and eating so I am hoping there is still some hope.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:47 pm


There are multiple guinea pigs who have been on heart meds successfully for some time. If you haven't read the heart page recently, it might be worthwhile to do so. Sometimes it takes a bit to balance medications. Hopefully your vet will give you guidelines.

The diuretic I imagine is lasix (furosemide). What was the other medication prescribed?
https://www.guinealynx.info/heart.html

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:54 pm


Yeah it is furosemide and the other is enalapril. The latter is in a kind of quarter tablet that is dissolved in a tiny bit of water (they quartered them for me). Both twice a day.

I read on the heart medications page that enalapril can come with some risk of kidney damage though I am not sure I have the luxury of not using it.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:52 pm


Guessing it is only some guinea pigs and more extended use so worth seeing if it helps.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Tue Jun 07, 2022 6:04 pm


I probably should note the dosages she is on here.

Twice a day she is getting:
0.2 mL of a 10 mg/mL solution of the furosemide (so 2 mg twice a day for a total of 4mg daily)
And
a quarter of a 2.5mg Enalapril tablet (dissolved) (so .625 mg twice a day for a total of 1.25 mg daily)

And for reference is is ~780g atm in weight

Not sure how this compares to other dosages. It seems about aligned with, at least for the furosemide, what is mentioned on the guinea lynx page for these medicines.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:09 pm


Thanks for the details. It helps to have a complete record!

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:32 pm


Also I was curious if there is any expectation of some slight weight loss if she is draining the fluids. For awhile (1 or 2 weeks) before this she was holding at around 770-780 grams. Then she started gaining weight to around 790 prior to the crackling starting and the recent diagnosis. Now I am noticing her back down in the 770s again. Not sure if this is a sign she is losing weight a little generally again or a good sign that maybe some of that liquid is draining. (And thus maybe it was partially artificial weight gain in the first place).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jun 09, 2022 11:07 pm


I think your theory is reasonable. I notice personal weight fluctuations caused by eating or not eating salty foods. The salt definitely affects water retention. A diuretic would likely make a difference.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:27 pm


Agree. I can definitely see a difference in my own weight when eating salty foods ("water weight"). That would make sense in this case as well, I would think.

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