strange guinea pig!

Re: strange guinea pig!

Marie Kubiak — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:55:58 GMT

Also worth looking at Lafeber's info website (http://lafeber.com/vet/) - loads of articles and guides on there for free. Not as handy to consult quickly as an app but they go into a lot of detail and have nice pics of blood sampling etc.

Re: strange guinea pig!

Elivet — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 14:42:22 GMT

Mark,

I have tried downloading the exotics app onto my android phone in vain. All payment methods (Paypal, debit and credit card) declined! Would you know why?

Sorry for diverging from the topic but I think it would be a good resource to have at hand for us who find exotics a bit challenging.

Re: strange guinea pig!

Tamsin Livermore — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 12:12:49 GMT

Thank you to all for suggestions!

I agree that scanning would be great - sadly i am frustrated that we don't have a scanner at my practice.

I am hoping to persuade the owner to have x-rays and i will certainly attempt a blood sample but i have had 3 failed attempts to do that before in a g pig! I'll definitely watch the youtube clip!

We have just heard from the lab that after 2 weeks there is one colony of Microsporum canis but they want to wait another week before confirming this. If this is the case is griseofulvin the way to go? we have asked her to start povidine baths but only twice weekly at present. I am a little concerned that perhaps the ringworm is a secondary problem as there may be systemic illness meaning she's more susceptible to infections etc.

I'll keep you posted!

Re: strange guinea pig!

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 20:10:24 GMT

another one with no photo access.

With that caveat, and described broken hairs I would consider dermatophytosis as a distinct possibility but also barbering either from a companion or self-barbering relating to localised pain. we have a few GPs with localised chewing over the back that on radiographs have spondylosis and respond well to tramadol long-term. Cushing's causes follicular atrophy so you should have loss of complete hairs not a predominance of brittle and broken hairs.

The abdominal distension may be ascitic, retention of ingesta in the GIT or something else! The GIT side of things is fairly non-specific as any discomfort/stress/disease can lead to increased cortisol and adrenaline and compromise GI motility. Ascites causes follow the same differentials on the whole as in cats and dogs and radiography or ultrasound would help you out a lot with trying to narrow the long list that need consideration at present. Also consider uterine neoplasia if ovariectomy alone was carried out (or metastases if the uterus was abnormal).

I tend to bleed GPs from the medial femoral vein and this is pretty easy to do conscious in a relaxed GP but I would be planning to sedate anyway for imaging so you have the additional options of jugular (tricky in short and fat-necked creatures) or cranial vena cava.

Marie

Re: strange guinea pig!

Mark Rowland — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 18:13:18 GMT

Cant open the Rads but:

HAC is rare but documented. Ive got a lovely case if I had the time to write it up :(

GA, rads and Bloods are what you need. Evaluate the heart size on the DV, cardiac disease is under diagnosed in gps

If you rant sure about the blood taking, Ive done a you tube gp blood sample and theres a video on the App

Post the results and rads if you can

Goodluck

Re: strange guinea pig!

Suzanne Kelly — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 10:54:44 GMT

Hi I can't open the photos, but based on the history a scan and pig-o-gram xray would be good, maybe blood tests too?

Re: strange guinea pig!

Mair Tyler — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 01:14:29 GMT

Would it be worth trying scanning her? Maybe just a fat GP and the hairloss is a separate issue??

Re: strange guinea pig!

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 13:24:19 GMT

No GP expert either, but ? poss Cishings.

Wynne