[Gpdd] Fw: [Health] Benadryl and Cocoa Puff

[Cazza177]

Dear ME

 I cannot say for certain what may be wrong with Cocoa Puff. I am so sorry
 you have this worry. I am forwarding here a response I sent to someone else
 here on the Digest (I have a feeling it may have been for your friend) 
whose
 vet thought their guinea pig was asmathic. I am not saying that is the
 problem with Cocoa Puff, but I would be grateful if you would read the
following, even if you read it before. A lot of what you are saying sounds
simialr to that of my BG. I strongly advise an x-ray -- a digital one if at
 all possible. I sincerely hope Cocoa Puff will be ok, and am thinking of
 you, as I know you will be worrying about him. Kind regards  Carole

 Dear ME

 Because I have no idea how good your friends vet is or how the diagnosis of
 astham came to be, and because I had a gp with breathing problems which 
were
 not initially properly diagnosed and dealt with poorly by vets, I would be
 grateful if you could pass this onto your friend.

 It may not be asthma at all, but a problem with a certain type of hay or
 even other bedding he is kept on. If he's kept on blankets, it could even 
be
 a reaction to the washing powder or fabric softener used. It could be
 allergic rhinits or it could be the start of a more serious problem such as
 a URI, or a lung and heart issue beginning to show itself.

 Your friend may be interested to know that even if her vet anesthetized her
 gp to investigate further, Vedra of the CCT has told me there are no probes
 small enough to put up a gp's nose, so the idea the vet would find anything
 this way is very doubtful, and I am glad your friend was reluctant to take
 that route. An x-ray should be next -- please try for a digital one if
 possible, but the standard type is fine if not.

 One of my guinea pigs, BG, had breathing problems. It was not asthma. BG 
did
 wheeze on occasion (a kind of whistly nose now and then) and although given
 antibiotics, they didn't appear to have any affect on his problem. His case
 may be entirely different from that of your friend, as you have said her
 gp's breathing problems are 'on occasion'. BG's weren't, but it was gradual
 and I was told for a long time that his problem was allergic rhinitis.
 Looking back, it may have been that
 in the beginning that was all that BG had, but I am not sure now. He began
 to develop a clear discharge from his left nostril for quite some weeks and
 he also had a watery eye on the left as well on occasion, and everyone I 
saw
 (I can't tell you how many times I got him checked out, as I'd lost count,
 as I was worried sick about him), said it was allergic rhinitis. His 
problem
 turned out to be lung and heart related in the end and it got serious. He
 was a senior piggy, so old age may have played its part also. I have no way
 of knowing for sure.

 What I would want to stress to your friend about gp's with breathing issues
 is that I saw at least 3 different vets and even though BG's heart was
 sounded using a specialist cardiac stethoscope, none could hear a problem
 with his heart or lungs, no matter how many times I took him to be checked
 out -- and it was A LOT. It was an x-ray which finally revealed the extent
 of his problems. Had he had an earlier diagnosis, he may well have 
benefited
 from the available medications. With hindsight, I can hand-on-heart say 
that
 I would urge your friend to ask her vet to listen to the piggy's heart and
 that she get an x-ray (digital if poss) taken to be sure there is no fluid
 in or around the lungs or that there aren't any heart issues -- even if her
 vet says she
 cannot hear anything amiss (-- your friend can use my story of BG as an
 example of how 'sounding' is not an irrefutible indicator in these
 situations). Please ensure your friend insists the x-ray is taken without
 the use of general aneasthetic -- epseically as there are breathing issues
 with this gp. An x-ray can easily be taken by bandaging a gp to a shoe box.
 It sounds crude, but vets do know how to do this. Make sure she insists on
> this, she has every right to as it's her guinea pig. I cannot stress 
> enough how much an x-ray is important with an on-going breathing issue in 
> a guinea pig.
>
> Trust your hunches and don't be fobbed off with round after round of 
> antibiotics from your vet, as that is not going to get to the cause of the 
> problem. Please get the x-ray and please -- especially as your gp has 
> breathing issues -- make sure this is done WITHOUT general aneasthetic.
>
> Also, please remind your friend that each time her gp is on anitbiotics 
> (and for at least a fortnight afterwards), he should also be given 
> probitoics as
> well. Give the probitoics about an hour and a half after the antibitoics, 
> otherwise gut issues can arise. I am guessing you can help with doseage 
> and
> also how to administer probiotics, as I know you have lots of expereince 
> with gp's, but if you need more info, please do get back to me.
>
> Here is what I could find online:
>
> This link came up for asthma on Guinea Lynx
> http://www.guinealynx.info/uri.html
>
> It could be that the respiratory distress your friends gp has is connected 
> with a heart problem) the x-ray should reveal anything). If that is the
> case, please ask you friend to ask her vet to take a look at this link on 
> Guniea Lynx regarding examples of gp x-rays where they have heart/lung
> issues. http://www.guinealynx.info/heart.html  Peter Gurney also says this 
> about heart issues http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/heartproblems.htm
>
> Here's what Peter Gurney says about allergies (I can find no reference to 
> asthma by him):
>
> ALLERGIES
> There are a few guinea pigs that suffer allergies, which affect the 
> respiratory system and I seethe with anger every time I hear that a vet 
> has
> prescribed antibiotics for this problem. The symptoms are totally 
> different from a bacterial infection and the onset is far more rapid. If 
> your guinea
> pig suddenly develops a dry sounding rasp in its chest and nose yet in all 
> other respects it seem perfectly healthy, has a good appetite, not a
> laboured respiration and is behaving in a bright and alert manner then you 
> can bet it is suffering from an allergy or just a cold.
>
> What it needs is a decongestant, BISOLVON being the veterinary medicine. 
> However, if your vet will not prescribe this then give it 0.4 Sudafed, the
> cough medicine formulated for chesty coughs in humans.   In many cases one 
> dose is sufficient but it can be given up to three doses.  If the 
> condition
> persists there are other drugs that can be given but these are 
> prescription only medicines.
>
> When these conditions develop try to think if there has been a change of 
> hay or bedding which could cause the allergy. However, allergies, in many 
> cases,
> can be airborne and extremely hard to track down. If this is the cause of 
> the wheezing then it can clear up as quickly as it came, as the irritant 
> in
> the air moves on.
>
> The lips of some guinea pigs are extremely allergic to the acid in fruit, 
> particularly in apples. It breaks down the membrane and can cause a fungal
> or bacterial infection, which causes painful scabs. I use the 
> old-fashioned Gentian violet. DO NOT LET ANY CHEMIST TELL YOU THAT THIS 
> PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. This excellent product can be obtained in 
> most corn merchants or establishments that sell horse tack.
>
> Paint over the scabs on the first day but be sure to pick them off on the 
> second and every subsequent day as you repaint the site of the scabs.  In
> sixteen years of living with guinea pigs I have never known this treatment 
> to fail!
>
>
> Thank you for passing this onto your friend and I sincerely hope her gp 
> will be ok.
>
> Kind regards
>
> Carole