[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Lily losing weight

Ann Evans ann.evans at hintlink.com
Tue Jan 14 15:12:18 EST 2014


Mieke, I agree with everything that Penny has written but will add  a 
few things. To take blood you over clip a nail and pull the blood up 
into a hematocrit tube. Then you blow the blood into the blood 
collection vial that contains anticoagulant (if needed for a particular 
test). You may need to clip several nails and use 20 hematocrit tubes. 
Usually the bleeding stops by itself or by using styptic powder. Before 
taking blood I would first treat her for an internal fungal infection. 
You mention that Lilly has been treated for mites and fungus.But you did 
not say if she was treated for an internal fungal infection. Anytime a 
piggy has had an external fungal infection and then starts loosing 
weight we treat with an oral antifungal. I would recommend itraconazole 
10mg/ml oral suspension 0.3ml twice a day for 10 days. Then do not give 
it for 3 days. Repeat for another 10 days on and 3 days off until she 
has had a total of 30 days on itraconazole. If your vet can not get 
itraconazole then I would use Nystatin 100,000 USP units/ml oral 
suspension at a dose of 0.3ml twice a day for 14-21 days. Also when she 
was treated for mites was she given both ivermectin and fenbendazole or 
albendazole? I worm all piggys quarterly.
http://piggyville.com/index.php?id=9
Quarterly worming only keeps the parasite population under control. It 
does not kill all parasites and nor does it impart 90 days of immunity 
to them. Thus if a piggy has an outbreak of parasites be it external or 
internal I treat by giving orally 0.1ml of 1.0% ivermectin on day 1 and 
7 and 10mg of fenbendazole (panacur) or albendazole (valbazen)for 5 
consecutive days.  Also a simple 10 parameter dip stick urinalysis can 
tell you if she has a UTI or kidney or liver problems. I would treat for 
parasites, internal fungus and do a urinalysis before doing a blood test.
I am not a vet.
I volunteer as a consulting rodentologist to Drs. Danielson and Saleh 
D.V.M. of Ehrlich Animal Hospital Tampa, Florida.

Cheers,

Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USA




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