Four year old losing weight (big thread inside)
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!)
(Hope I posted the photo right. Feel free to edit!)
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.
@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.