[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Cinnamon Bear is having trouble

Dr Kay Dudman kay.dudman at londonmet.ac.uk
Tue May 23 14:12:28 EDT 2006


Dear Corinne

So sorry to hear that Cinnamon Bear is having trouble, and wishing him a
speedy recovery.  We all know how you feel about him - we all feel the
same about piggies.

Firstly, if the vet is suggesting that you have damaged his kidneys by
giving him 0.15ml instead of 0.1ml for two days, the answer is *NO* unless
he is very, very tiny indeed.  A dose of 0.1ml is a maintenance dose
(about 3 drops); I have known higher doses than this being prescribed.
However, you don't want to overdo the Metacam because it can cause
gastric upset (and we know piggies can't be sick, so it can affect the
other end by making droppings loose).  It's best to give food just before
or just after giving Metacam.  The important thing is that you helped
Cinnamon Bear cope with the pain; a couple of days on the dose you gave
him really isn't going to hurt him.  So please stop worrying about that.
See the guidance on Guinea Lynx at:
http://www.guinealynx.info/analgesics.html

The Guinea Lynx pages also have help on finding a Vet (and give the
Cambridge Cavy Trust's contact details, so you can text for emergency
help, even if you are not a member)
http://www.guinealynx.info/vet.html
and don't forget there is also the Digest Safety Net on the GPDD website.

Have you checked to see whether Cinnamon Bear has anal impaction?  Check
out the Guinea Lynx pages on this here:
http://www.guinealynx.info/impaction.html
that might be giving him trouble in extruding his penis, but I can't think
what would be causing the purple spots...could even be a reaction to
medication.  He might have a cyst or an abscess that is responsible for
the swelling.  Is it possible he has been bitten?  Either by another
piggy, or if he has been a little over-enthusiastic when gromming
himself.

If he is on antibiotics, it is often useful to give some sort of
pro-biotic (such as Bio Lapis, or even a little yogurt) to help restore
the natural "good" bacteria in the gut, but leave around half-an-hour or
more between the antibiotic and pro-biotic, or they will cancel each
other out.  If he is dehydrated, the chances are he will need several
doses of fluids subcutaneously in order to restore the balance).

If a specialist vet can't see you, they might be able to speak to you over
the phone, or might have an emergency out-of-hours service...it's worth a
try for your little Cinnamon Bear.

Best wishes, take care

Kay






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