[Gpdd] HEALTH: SOOTY - I THINK THIS IS AN URGENT REQUEST

[scalabro3 at cfl.rr.com]

Julie, I was so sorry to hear that Sooty’s eye seems to be getting worse.  It sounds like it’s time to go back to the vet. I know you don’t want him back on antibiotics because of the diarrhea, but it sounds like the eye infection might have spread into his sinus cavity, so he might need more medicine. Only a vet can make that determination.

Please be sure to bring along print outs of Anne’s recommendations and other suggestions provided by GPDD members so that you and the vet can develop the best treatment plan possible.  

In Anne’s post, she recommended Kaopectate. If you are in the US, please make sure that you don’t give him the human version. In 2004, they changed the formula from kaolin and pectin to bismuth subsalicylate. It’s basically pepto-bismo now.  You can still get a veterinary kaolin pectin suspension from animal supply stores. I found it for horses on amazon.com. You can probably still find it locally in a place that sells supplies for horses. I’m not sure if the new human Kaopectate formulation is safe for Guinea Pigs, so I’d wait to hear from someone who knows more about it than I do.

I hope that your little guy feels better soon. Our Cocoa Puff has been dealing with a weepy eye for the entire time that he’s lived here. He hasn’t had a problem with puss, so you are probably dealing with something different than what he has.

Don’t feel bad about your herd’s illnesses. I’m sure that it’s not your fault. The same thing happened to me this year. I had three critically ill guys in January and February who all recovered, and then we lost our girl, Twinkie, in July. I felt the same way that you must feel now, and then my vet told me that it was just a matter of numbers. I have a lot of pigs, and I rescue special needs guys, so it’s more likely that I’ll have more problems with my herd than someone with one lone guinea pig. You’ve got six little guys and you pay close attention to them, so I’m sure they’re getting the best care possible.

I hope that things work out well for you and your herd. Best wishes,

ME in New Smyrna Beach with Donovan, Reese, Chakalaka, Dilly Jr., Puffy, Cocoa Puff, and Ghirardelli in our Home with Dillon and Twinkie Forever in our Hearts.