Four year old losing weight (big thread inside)

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:43 am


I so hope it works too and that this dose will make a difference.

Squiggles

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:20 am


His weight has been fluctuating between 672 and 653. I hope it doesn't get any lower, but I also know he's only been on the medicine for not even a week yet. He has spent more time in the playpen because I feel that's better for him, and he seems to be more relaxed and snuggles under his blanket. I do put him in the cage to see his brother at breakfast, but then I remove him because his brother wants to "play" and doesn't understand climbing on him isn't a good idea right now.

(Hope I posted the photo right. Feel free to edit!)


Image

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:30 am


Photo showed up fine! Having trouble finding him in the pen, though!

Squiggles

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:37 am


@Lynx, he's actually in the cage in that photo. Haha.

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Tracy

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:52 am


Squiggles, I don't know what time period to determine whether medication is "working," but definitely keep in mind that even holding his weight may be success, a.k.a. not losing. Weight GAIN is very hard. Also, with tapazole it sometimes takes a few adjustments to get the dosage right. I'm not sure why... I guess there's a range. At one point my vet realized we were giving wrong dose (perhaps miscalculated?); another time I was advised to double the dose and watch carefully. Be sure to discuss with your vet. I do hope it helps your piggy.

Squiggles

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:16 am


@Tracy, I'm just glad he's still eating. My last guinea pig (that I think I realized the weight drop too, too late) just wanted cucumbers. He stopped eating hay entirely, and that's how I knew I couldn't do anything more. Think he ended up bloating as well because of that. This guy is eating everything, hay, pellets, vegetables, even the little oxbow "cookies". Right now he's on 0.1 twice a day, and boy, does he hate it. I tried to get it in a "better" flavor, banana, but maybe when this is done, I'll see if they have watermelon flavor.

Here he is in the pen. So tiny compared to his brother, who, ironically, was always the smaller of the duo. It's like they somehow switched weights, and then he got sick.


Image

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Tracy

Post   » Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:02 pm


My Inca (with thyroid mass) ate and ate also. And while I don't remember what flavor medication we had, she cooperated at first and then really didn't like it. My advice is to stick with it regardless. I tapered off (after several weeks, maybe months) and then stopped the med because she didn't like it, it didn't seem like it was working, and I wanted to preserve a good relationship with her. But tapazole should not be discontinued; that's my understanding from vets. Although Inca's death was relatively quick (may have been a thyroid storm), I regret stopping the med and would act differently if I ever have another thyroid piggy. It may have been helping imperceptibly.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:35 am


Can you mix the med into a flavor of Critical Care or other recovery food that he might like? I do that with the orange-flavored vitamin C drops for Gidget.

I’ve also used watermelon juice to mix meds and feed with a syringe.

Squiggles

Post   » Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:57 pm


I have thought of mixing it with his Emeraid, but then I worry he won't eat it. I've stopped syringe feeding him since I'm concerned about his lungs, and that lump doesn't help. He has no problem eating it off the spoon by himself. He was 661 tonight, but then I weighed him after he ate his vegetable dinner, and he was 730. I know that doesn't count, but it's amazing that all that will be dropped in the morning.

Watermelon juice sounds like an interesting idea. He loves watermelon.

I also should mention, he has crusty eyes. I have taken him numerous times to the vet and he has no URI, so I'm beginning to think it's an immune response. Earlier in the year his eye was insanely watery, and turned out he had a sty that had to be popped, but now both are crusty, so I wipe them gently off. Today though, it was less crusty, so I wonder if his immune system is trying to latch onto the medication.

Squiggles

Post   » Tue Sep 27, 2022 8:49 am


I don't want to put all my hope in, but he's climbing. He was 684 at the vet, then fell between 653-668, then the other day and night he was 698, today he's 703. I want to be happy, but at the same time, I know it could plummet and everything could become worse, but I'm at least glad to see this. The crust is also very little now and only one eye and he seems to be more alert and exploring again. Wheeking more as well. But always, always insanely hungry.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Sep 27, 2022 9:19 am


That is encouraging. Hopefully progress will be clear. The weight numbers are so small with a guinea pig. We often talk about normal variations so trying to weigh at regular times of day can help (I'm sure you're aware of the difficulties).

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Sep 27, 2022 8:51 pm


Yes, that is encouraging! I hope the trend continues. Is he still on the meds?

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