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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 14:03:52 GMT
Post by Niki on Jun 18, 2009 14:03:52 GMT
My Maddie is 5yrs old & lives alone tho' previously lived with Toddie (neutered in Feb). She has "blown up" slightly once before but returned to normal & still acted, ate and drank as normal. About 2wks ago she had a UTI ab& was slightly swollen again but this cleared up after baytril. Last night whilst eating her veggies i couldn't fail to notice how swollen she was & rushed her to the vets, my worst fear was that she may be pregnant but it seemed highly unlikely. She had gained 5oz in 2wks & then gained 54g overnight. Here are pics of her, she's down in size from last night (200g) but still swollen & is having problems breathing & is clicking like a ticking clock when she breathes in. Apologies for the quality of the pics, they're off my mobile (she's on vets table) Any ideas? I'm not trying to make people look stupid but i'm trying to show that certain illnesses have similar symptoms & how the importance of acting quickly & getting the RIGHT veterinary advice can make all the difference. Last night i didn't see an exotics vet - it was a case of seeing who was on as i needed something for her. It was a waste of time & money as she was totally wrong & the meds given could have made Maddie worse or............. Today i did see one of the exotics vets & now have more of an idea as to what is wrong with her which is why i have put this here. I could've put this on other boards (due to her symptoms) which, with hindsight, would've turned out to have been wrong & may have led to the wrong advice been given.
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 14:59:36 GMT
Post by abby on Jun 18, 2009 14:59:36 GMT
She's beautiful. As you say she's "blown up" could it be bloat? I hope not as it sounds very serious. See Peter Gurney's advice: www.oginet.com/pgurney/bloat.htmI hope she recovers.
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Dawn - Admin
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MOTM May 2006, TPOTM Nov 2007
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 15:00:58 GMT
Post by Dawn - Admin on Jun 18, 2009 15:00:58 GMT
Hmmm.. could she have an ovarian cyst do you think Niki?
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 15:24:31 GMT
Post by Niki on Jun 18, 2009 15:24:31 GMT
I will take you thru' my diagnosis of her. When she first looked bloated about 4/5wks ago i thought "OMG she's pregnant" eventho' there was no way she could've been. About 2/3wks ago she started with a UTI, just a small amount of blood could be seen but no straining or wheeking on urination but she was a little "squishy" to feel. Baytril sorted the UTI but caused her mega bowel trouble & she had severe diarrhoea & again swelled up slightly. Follow up app with the vet: No more baytril & the gripe water i'd given her should sort her out - it did, she went back down in size. She was in the shed at this time & back to the old Maddie, wheeking for her veggies & acting normally. I brought her in Sunday to be a mate for Magoo & she was still the same Maddie until she was eating veggies last night - she was HUGE again i thought pregnant, then bloat then i heard her clicking so now i've got her with a URI. The vet last night thought bloat & gave her metacam & metaclop but couldn't feel an obstruction & Maddie is pooping altho' they are much smaller than they were & are slightly "sticky." Her inner eyelids (mainly bottom) are also up & are a milky white colour. Today the exotics vet said what i thought it's not bloat as she's not tight, she feels like a water-filled balloon & doesn't cry when you palpate her tum & she was eating as normal. At around 1am she was chomping dandelion leaves ( thinking diuretic). He patted one side & could feel "the wave of fluid" at her other side. She's literally drowning inside He said there are 2 poss causes 1. heart condition. 2. Liver infection. Her heart has a regular beat & he couldn't hear a murmur so he's treating her with frusemide (5mg twice daily) for the fluid, this can be increased & septrin (0.4ml) twice daily incase her liver is infected & due to her intolerance of baytril. He said her inner eyelids are a sign of dehydration & so i'm syringing her water & am relieved she's lost 200g overnight, normally i'd be frantic at this weigh loss. The importance of acting quickly & getting the right advice is paramount. I am guilty of "home treating" ie the gripe water but i was wrong as was the vet last night. My Mads is nowhere near well, she has a long way to go but i'm hoping once the meds kick in she will start to feel better. She's not got age on her side but in the 2.5yrs i've had her she's not ailed a thing bar mites & i am hopeful her fiesty attitude will aid her recovery Forgot to add - Her breathing is prominant low down in her abdomen (about where her back legs are), she goes right in & right out & it's when she breathes in that she "clicks" - this is pressure on her diaphragm caused by the fluid Someone else has suggested ovarian cysts Dawn & that did cross my mind in the early hours of this morning but i forgot to mention it to the vet today but i will be asking when i next go. I've no experience of ovarian cysts in piggies However, out of the symptoms given here www.guinealynx.info/ovarian_cysts.html Maddie only exhibits one - the swelling. Nothing else & it's happened intermittently over the past 3wks. It's also been said by someone that her inner eyelids being white is a symptom of anaemia yet no explanation of what causes anaemia - i am so confused!
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 17:23:51 GMT
Post by luvcats22 on Jun 18, 2009 17:23:51 GMT
gosh poor maddie niki, and poor you. the only thing i can find on the internet about anaemia in piggies is that it could be caused by anti-biotics not allowing the body to absorb essential vitamins, (anaemia being a deficiency in the vitamin B same as in humans) so the page i found said to yringe a liquid iron (vitamin b) supplement into them, however from my experience in pharmacy this needs to be done carefully as it is very easy to overdose on iron,and this causes many health problems. personally i would expect the vet to give an injection of vitamin b (iron) to the piggy. i did not post the link to the webpage as it was through scientific experiments and not suitable viewing for everyone,however if you want the link pm me and i will try to find it for you again.
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Dawn - Admin
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 18:32:15 GMT
Post by Dawn - Admin on Jun 18, 2009 18:32:15 GMT
Oh I do hope you get to the bottom of why Maddie is ill soon Niki, I know oyu must be worried. Let us know how she goes wont you?
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Maddie
Jun 18, 2009 21:43:26 GMT
Post by Niki on Jun 18, 2009 21:43:26 GMT
This afternoon she took a romaine leaf from me & munched it. For some strange reason i fed the piggies earlier tonight & when i went to feed Mads she didn't come out of her pigloo. When i took her out i glimpsed a flash of teeth - she was mouthing. I wrapped her in a fleece & rang the vets. 2 mins later at 5.55pm she broke my heart when she passed away (v.peacefully) in my arms. We laid her to rest in the run, next to her man Albie & at 8.20 tonight a beautiful rainbow was outside my window & I knew he'd come for her.
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Maddie
Jun 19, 2009 5:54:09 GMT
Post by luvcats22 on Jun 19, 2009 5:54:09 GMT
oh niki, i am so very very sorry ((hugs))
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Maddie
Jul 5, 2009 11:22:00 GMT
Post by honey on Jul 5, 2009 11:22:00 GMT
I have only just read this thread and I am so sorry for your loss.
I just wanted to say that I have had experience of ovarian cysts and it didnt sound like she had them to me, in one of my guinea pigs she had ovarian cysts and she was very big and because they were so big it did put pressure on her lungs and she had breathing problems too, but lived quite happily for many years with cysts and her breathing problems. They did go up and down but not as dramatic as you have described over night.
I am so sorry and hugs go out to you
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Maddie
Jul 5, 2009 12:30:01 GMT
Post by Niki on Jul 5, 2009 12:30:01 GMT
I have only just read this thread and I am so sorry for your loss. I just wanted to say that I have had experience of ovarian cysts and it didnt sound like she had them to me, in one of my guinea pigs she had ovarian cysts and she was very big and because they were so big it did put pressure on her lungs and she had breathing problems too, but lived quite happily for many years with cysts and her breathing problems. They did go up and down but not as dramatic as you have described over night. I am so sorry and hugs go out to you Thank you
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