Hi everyone,
My little Mikki is suffering from GI stasis, started yesterday evening but I didn't notice it until this morning, gave him metacam straight away.
I took him to the vet that said he has a lot of gas in his colon, saw that via X-ray.
The vet gave him subcutaneous fluid (15 ml), afipran and vetergesic vet and baytril.
When I got home is bloat was worse and now is abdomen is very hard. I gave him Simethicone 1 ml and have him on a vibrating pad 2 times per hour for about 10 minutes. He has pooped twice since he got home but I can see that he is in pain. I'm also handfeeding critical care and water.
I'm worried that vetergesic vet and baytril was the wrong choice by the vet.
What do you think?
Thank you <3
Mikki's severe bloat
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Vetergesic appears to be buprenorphine, a powerful painkiller. Afipran appears to be metoclopramide, a motility agent (which in my opinion he really needs).
I wouldn't use Baytril prophylactically (i.e., just in case or to cover all the bases, so to speak). In my opinion any antibiotic should be used only if there's evidence of an infection. If there *is* an infection, fine, but not "just in case there might be" or to try to prevent one. Depending on the pig Baytril can be pretty harsh on their GI tract.
If he's pooped at all, that's good. Keep doing what you're doing with the vibrating pad and handfeeding/watering. Try to keep him moving around (without running him ragged). A little movement (i.e., not just sitting) will help.
Stasis/bloat can take time to resolve. **Did the vet send some metoclopramide home with you?** A bit more of it over the next couple of days should help him normalize and get through this.
You noticed it quickly, gave him metacam and got him to the vet quickly, which is the best thing you could have done. Keep feeding and watering, and hopefully you'll see lots of output soon. It may look, and smell, odd. Don't freak if it does, it should normalize after a bit.
Very best wishes to him and to you.
I wouldn't use Baytril prophylactically (i.e., just in case or to cover all the bases, so to speak). In my opinion any antibiotic should be used only if there's evidence of an infection. If there *is* an infection, fine, but not "just in case there might be" or to try to prevent one. Depending on the pig Baytril can be pretty harsh on their GI tract.
If he's pooped at all, that's good. Keep doing what you're doing with the vibrating pad and handfeeding/watering. Try to keep him moving around (without running him ragged). A little movement (i.e., not just sitting) will help.
Stasis/bloat can take time to resolve. **Did the vet send some metoclopramide home with you?** A bit more of it over the next couple of days should help him normalize and get through this.
You noticed it quickly, gave him metacam and got him to the vet quickly, which is the best thing you could have done. Keep feeding and watering, and hopefully you'll see lots of output soon. It may look, and smell, odd. Don't freak if it does, it should normalize after a bit.
Very best wishes to him and to you.
Thank you. I have owned pigs for over 15 years but this is the first time the guinea pig has it's eyes fixed wide open with bloat.
I'm very worried that it might be something more. I will also feed him a poop from another healthy guinea pig.
Should I give him metacam rather than vetergesic vet, I read it can have negative effect on the movements of the GI tract.
I know that the vet gives baytril to rabbits with GI stasis - but that should not be done with guinea pigs?
Thank you for all your help <3
I'm very worried that it might be something more. I will also feed him a poop from another healthy guinea pig.
Should I give him metacam rather than vetergesic vet, I read it can have negative effect on the movements of the GI tract.
I know that the vet gives baytril to rabbits with GI stasis - but that should not be done with guinea pigs?
Thank you for all your help <3
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Buprenorphine is a narcotic and as I understand it, all narcotics can slow the GI tract. That said, if Mikki is in serious pain, the painkilling effect of the drug is probably worth it. *That* being said, it can have a psychological effect -- we had one or two pigs that we could tell buprenorphine 'put them in a bad head space', for lack of a better way to put it.
You can give buprenorphine and Metacam together. Their mechanism of action is different and somewhat complementary.
Many otherwise very good exotics vets treat rabbits and guinea pigs nearly identically. There are a lot of similarities but they are not the same. If it were me I'd want to know the reason for using Baytril. If there's indication of infection, then fine. If it's more of a 'this is just what we do for all small herbivores' then I'd be uncomfortable with it.
Did they give you any of the motility agent to use at home?
You can give buprenorphine and Metacam together. Their mechanism of action is different and somewhat complementary.
Many otherwise very good exotics vets treat rabbits and guinea pigs nearly identically. There are a lot of similarities but they are not the same. If it were me I'd want to know the reason for using Baytril. If there's indication of infection, then fine. If it's more of a 'this is just what we do for all small herbivores' then I'd be uncomfortable with it.
Did they give you any of the motility agent to use at home?
Thank you. Only afipran.
I live in Iceland and I would really like to inform the vet about this, but people with guinea pigs and rabbits are going to them frequently.
Mikki hasn't pooped now for 5 hours and his abdomen is still big and hard. How do I know when it's time to euthanize him? I'm worried that he wont make it through the night as he hasn't improved.
I live in Iceland and I would really like to inform the vet about this, but people with guinea pigs and rabbits are going to them frequently.
Mikki hasn't pooped now for 5 hours and his abdomen is still big and hard. How do I know when it's time to euthanize him? I'm worried that he wont make it through the night as he hasn't improved.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Afipran is the motility agent. If they sent you home with some of it for later use, that's good (and important).
Guinea pigs have a LOT of gut space. Most herbivores have a large percentage of their internal space taken up with GI organs and processing. I won't say 5 hours is nothing, but in the larger scheme of things it's not much. We've had pigs go 24-36 hours or more without defecating.
There is a procedure that uses a needle to draw off gas from the intestines, but it's very tricky and most vets really don't want to try it in my experience. Keep vibrating-massaging him.
If it were me I would not yet be considering euthanasia *unless* he shows evidence of excruciating, unremitting pain. If he gets this way you will know it. It's unmistakable.
How old is he?
Guinea pigs have a LOT of gut space. Most herbivores have a large percentage of their internal space taken up with GI organs and processing. I won't say 5 hours is nothing, but in the larger scheme of things it's not much. We've had pigs go 24-36 hours or more without defecating.
There is a procedure that uses a needle to draw off gas from the intestines, but it's very tricky and most vets really don't want to try it in my experience. Keep vibrating-massaging him.
If it were me I would not yet be considering euthanasia *unless* he shows evidence of excruciating, unremitting pain. If he gets this way you will know it. It's unmistakable.
How old is he?
Thank you very much. He might be around 4 years old, I took him from a bad situation with a former owner around 2 years ago.
He sometimes twitches when I sit with him while stroking his sides in circular motion. Just now he twitched a lot and he didn't seem to control it which made me very worried.
Sadly the vet did not tell me if the afipran should be given orally or as a shot, there are needles on the shots. On the pain med as well, but the description says it is oral medication.
He sometimes twitches when I sit with him while stroking his sides in circular motion. Just now he twitched a lot and he didn't seem to control it which made me very worried.
Sadly the vet did not tell me if the afipran should be given orally or as a shot, there are needles on the shots. On the pain med as well, but the description says it is oral medication.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Both of these, at least in the US, can be given either orally or via injection. In my experience injection works faster and can (depends on the med) be more efficaceous. It's also more painful and traumatic for the pig.
Are you comfortable giving injections, and are these supposed to be subcutaneous or intramuscular?
If it were me I would remove the needle(s) from the syringe(s) and administer the meds orally. (I suspect the vet gave them to you this way because that's how they were drawn from the med bottle. Doing this keeps everything sterile.)
If he's uncomfortable being touched or massaged, even gently, I would just stick with sessions on a vibrating pad, and gently try to encourage moderate movement.
Bless you and thank you for taking him out of a bad situation and caring for him so well.
Are you comfortable giving injections, and are these supposed to be subcutaneous or intramuscular?
If it were me I would remove the needle(s) from the syringe(s) and administer the meds orally. (I suspect the vet gave them to you this way because that's how they were drawn from the med bottle. Doing this keeps everything sterile.)
If he's uncomfortable being touched or massaged, even gently, I would just stick with sessions on a vibrating pad, and gently try to encourage moderate movement.
Bless you and thank you for taking him out of a bad situation and caring for him so well.
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Lynx
- Resist!!!
If the stomach s very hard, this massage technique (Bugs Mom's method) would probably not work but it could be helpful in the future:
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I am so sorry you are dealing with this.
viewtopic.php?p=1190291#p1190291
I am so sorry you are dealing with this.
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