[Gpdd] HEALTH: GPs with gas

[Patricia Simon]

Our Suzy is a gassy pig.  Foods that particularly bother her (but don't
bother her cage mates at all) include peppers, cucumber, melons, and
cauliflower.  We were told (by our vet and others) to use baby
antiflatulance drops containing Simethicone, and have found that this works
wonderfully.  (Make sure there's no alcohol in the drops.)  We give Suzy 1/2
the infant dose, and repeat it in 1-2 hours if her belly is still roiling,
although this is pretty rare -- usually a single dose does the trick.

The exact ml dose to use will vary depending on the concentration of
Simethicone in the drops you use.  For example, we use Ovol brand drops
which contain 40 mg Simethicone per ml.  The recommended infant dose is 0.25
to 0.50 ml with or after meals, not to exceed 1.5 ml per 24 hours.  Suzy
gets a single dose of 0.15 to 0.25 ml when she's gassy, and is a much
happier pig for it.  Also, the drops we use are mint flavoured, so Suzy
thinks it's a real treat to take.

Hope this helps,
Patricia