Sonya Miles's Groups Activities

Does anyone have experience treating wet tail in hamsters?

Elizabeth — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:53:05 GMT

Just wondering what experiences you’ve had treating wettail. Is the prognosis helpless? Do they need antibiotics to stand any chance of recovery? I take it dietary management isn’t going to do much?

(student daughter’s housemate’s new pet - so I could do with help before I advise them to go to Vets Now)

Does anybody know where to refer rabbit dentals to?

Andreas Ege — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 17:20:54 GMT

Hello,

I am wondering where I can refer rabbit, guinea pig, chinchilla dentals to in the West Midlands with a good conscience? Both as a general inquiry and as a concrete cause I've just seen a rabbit with what looks like a complicated crown fracture on one of the lower incisors. I'm based in Ledbury, unfortunately we neither have dental xrays nor can I do intra-oral xrays with our machine.

Grateful for any suggestions,

Andreas

Guinea pig stifle disease: what is the significance of these radiographic changes?

Holly Lee — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 01:17:46 GMT

Hi all, I have a 1.5yo M Guinea Pig with an acute onset LH lameness which has not really responded to meloxicam. Pain seemed to probably localise to the stifle. We xrayed him today, I am not terribly familiar with normal GP limb radiographs but there appear to be some degenerative changes in both stifles and there is also an opacity near the left hip which I am unsure of the significance.

Just wondered if anyone had any input as to the significance of the radiographic changes especially with regard to possible causes and prognosis. The GP is overweight, we have recommended weight loss. He is on meloxicam and we are going to start either tramadol or gabapentin today (my colleague is looking into which our best option might be).

Thanks in advance for any input. Holly

What should I look for in rabbit with lack of blink response and keratitis?

alison silvester — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:27:57 GMT

Hello,

I have a bunny who came in today as her owner had noticed she had a sore left eye and had been head shaking/pawing the side of her face as if painful. She ate yesterday but didn't take her veg this morning but did take a treat. On exam she was bright, has good gut sounds. Her left cornea was dull and her eyelids and conjunctiva slightly inflamed. On palpating her cheek over the cheek teeth she did shake her head at this but it wasn't repeatable. There was a large fluorescein positive area on the left cornea and it looks subjectively dry. She is unable to full closed this eye(was refusing to blink either eye but definitely screwing the right eye up in response to exam where the left eyelids did not move. The rest of her face is symmetrical, ears up, both nostrils twitching and moving mouth normally. Her ears look fine externally with scope.

She was sedated and has had x-rays of her skull, bloods and examination. No evidence of ocular foreign body. Her left mandibular molars look to have more of a curvature toward the tongue than the right. Both sides had spurs forming on the lingual side which were removed. I think her x-rays look OK. She had a slightly low albumin and TP but her biochemistry was otherwise OK. The textbooks flagged up maybe trigeminal nerve vs facial but I can't see how teeth would be related.

She has no other symptoms but I could send bloods for E. cuniculi serology? She is now on meloxicam and lubricants for her eye. Anything else I should be looking for?

Many thanks,

Alison

What should I do for for a guinea pig passing necrotic uterine tissue?

Holly Lee — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 02:37:52 GMT

Hi, I have a 2yo female Guinea Pig that had a history of some bloody vulval discharge, treated for a UTI with enrofloxacin and meloxicam at an out of hours clinic, up and down with demeanour etc but then passed several pieces of tissue from her vulva. She has felt better since this happened and is currently on meloxicam and doing OK.

We sent the tissue for histopathology and the results are indicating necrotic mineralised uterine tissue (I will try and paste full report at the bottom). This is a new one for me and my thoughts on our options are that I can try and ultrasound but with limited confidence that I'll find an answer; that we could spay her - but with the associated risks, or that we can monitor her for ongoing ill health, but with the concern that if something happens again it could be fatal.

Anyone have a clearer idea what might be going on here? My instinct is to do an ovariohysterectomy to try and solve the issue but having never done this in a guinea pig I am unsure if this is being excessively invasive.

Thanks everyone. Holly.

HISTOPATHOLOGY:

SUMMARISED CLINICAL HISTORY: Guinea pig passed tissue and other similar lumps from her ? vulva. No known possibility of mating. Tissue submitted for histopathology.

TRIMMING NOTES: Received a tissue sample measuring 50 x 25 mm. Representative sections are placed in cassette 1. (SM 02/08/2023).

MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION: The sample primarily (95%) consists of necrotic tissue that is pale pink, amorphous and has lost most cellular details due to coagulative necrosis. There are extensive fine granular deep basophilic granules in the necrotic tissue, consistent with mineral deposition. Rarely, partial remnants of glandular structures are recognizable and these extend almost the full depth of the tissue sections. These glands appear to be simple branched tubular glands.

DIAGNOSIS: Uterine necrosis and mineralisation

COMMENTS: These histological changes are not specific for a cause to explain the tissue lumps expelled. The samples are not consistent with foetal tissue and do not support an inflammatory lesion. The glands seen in these sections extend fairly deep into the tissue. If this tissue is from the uterus wall, then it may be part of a uterine mass. An alternative to consider is metastatic calcification with subsequent tissue necrosis. Guinea pigs over 1 year of age can develop metastatic calcification due to low magnesium and high calcium and phosphorus. A diet high in calcium and phosphorus will interfere with magnesium absorption. The uterus is one of the organs where mineral deposition occurs. Other sites include subcutaneous soft tissues (elbows, ribs) and other viscera (lung, trachea, aorta, heart, liver, kidney, stomach and sclera). Further diagnostics such as ultrasound and / or exploratory laparotomy may be helpful, if feasible.

How long before treatment of gut stasis in guinea pigs?

Nicola Cole — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 19:54:56 GMT

Guinea pigs being pet-sat by a friend in their own home ie. not the Guinea pigs’ home (owners on holiday). Have only passed one pellet in the past 12 hours. Have eaten fresh food. Currently bright as far as I’m aware.

Is there ‘official’ guidance as to how long before you would want to see these Guinea pigs if nothing further passed?

Historically (I am no longer practising),I would have usually advised that they are seen at this point (as another 12 hours overnight I would say is too long). They don’t have a registered vet, not sure if owners gave instructions for what happens if there’s a problem (ie. take them to vets even if you can’t get hold of them etc)-am just waiting to hear back from pet-sitters.

Obviously the advice I will need to give is-you’re going to have to ring your local vets and discuss with them.

But what is the general consensus? How long would you wait (or not) with signs of gut stasis?

Rabbit that is wobbly to treat or not?

hilary warner — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 06:57:59 GMT

I have a rabbit that seems to loose its balance intermittently. No obvious ear infection, but worse when shakes head.

Bloods taken are unremarkable. Waiting on E cunniculi. Should I start treating for E cunicili just incase as results pending are 7-14 days?

Is it worth X-ray of the skull to assess the tympanic Bulla or is a CT likely to be of more benefit. Costs may become a factor.

Thank you

Guinea pig castrations

Benjamin Alyoshkin — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 07:49:11 GMT

Hello, Everyone!

I am due to excise two deep sitting broadbean-sized scrotal abscesses in two Guinea Pigs I castrated with a colleague 3-4 weeks earlier.

I already removed two from another animal. I excised a thick capsule as much as could, and I saw a granuloma and what seemed to be clean conduit-like space leading towards the abdominal cavity on one side, debrided the tissue and reduced the space as much as I could.

So excising the abscesses was more complex than anticipated.

I’m worried that marsupialisation in GP in this location will only attract further infection. Or am I wrong?

Would you marsupialise the thick wall itself once the abscess is cleaned out? I’m hoping to cut around the abscesses in their integrity without spilling the contents if I can.

Any advice re managing the post castration abscesses in Guinea Pigs will be greatly appreciated!

Bearded dragon mass advice

Joyce Whitehead — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 18:30:20 GMT

We have a 9 year old Bearded Dragon with a mass on the dorsum. It looked clinically like a cyst, with some infection at first so we tried baytril injections, but it’s now static, not worse, not better. The owner is keen to find out about removal risks, healing etc. We will refer if we can, but I’m not sure that is going to be an option. Any advice re whether it is even a good idea to attempt removal, and if so best anaesthetic protocol, suture etc. Thank you.

Snake with bulge in region of heart

janine redman — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 23:34:16 GMT

This is a recently rehomed boa . Thin , not eaten for a couple of months , recent and ongoing upper respiratory tract infection. Now has a bulge in the heart region . Any idea how I differentiate heart problems from other issues , any options for treatment or is prognosis hopeless ?

thanks

Guinea pig with vision loss.

Claire Godfrey — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:35:45 GMT

I have 2 blind Guinea pigs. They were given to the present owner 6 weeks ago and are 1-2 years old.

I saw the first on monday when the owners had noticed a milky looking eye. The right eye has a slightly irregular iris , appears to bulge at the bottom, looks like a cataract present, cannot see past to the retina. Left eye has a dilated pupil, retina does appear little pink. Both eyes plr is absent, menace absent, no conjunctivitis, no increase in scleral vessels. Fluro negative. No pain on retropulsion. Tried a simple maze and wasn't able to do this.

Second Guinea pig is related to first but unsure how. Came in today with enlarged right eye and eye looked blue/ cloudy does have fluro uptake. Left eye enlarged pupil. No plr no menace, no conjunctivitis and no increase in scleral vessels in either eye.

I have no idea if this is infectious? Congenital? And owner is worried as have another 6 guinea pigs that they've had a while.

Have included photos but found it difficult to photo

Lumpy corn snake

joanne mcallister — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:21:15 GMT

Hi,

We have a corn snake for re-homing that came in to us with diffuse soft tissue swelling caudal body. there is nothing obvious on xray (swelling appears to be subcutaneous soft tissue density) and fnab produced clear fluid of low cellularity (lymphocytes and adipocytes with no atypia). The snake is otherwise well but I am reluctant to rehome without a diagnosis of underlying cause. Any ideas anyone?

thanks!

When to spay a bearded dragon?

joanne mcallister — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:00:27 GMT

Hi,

We have a female bearded dragon for re-homing. she reportedly laid a clutch of eggs a few weeks ago before coming in to us (no record of how many eggs) and laid a clutch of 32 eggs 2 weeks ago. Lat week she was xrayed as her abdomen was looking bloated and there are many eggs visible. She has so far laid 2 over the last 24 hours.

My question is, how much egg-laying is harmful and should we be considering spaying her? If so, does anyone have any advice on how to do this?

Many thanks,

Joanne

Sticky surgical drapes for small mammal surgery

janine redman — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:19:43 GMT

Please could someone tell me what and where to purchase the little sticky drapes used for small mammal surgery ?

Abdominal castrations in rats

janine redman — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:13:00 GMT

[quote user="Sonya Miles"]It could make a difference. Normally I would perform an abdominal castration. But make the owner aware than some behaviours become learnt and in some situations it might not make a difference. I would also make them aware that is the others are entire. Others may become more dominant and cause issues. Resulting in potentially more castrations. Then at least they are warned. But I def would castrate over implant for behavioural reasons. As an aside it’s hard to source suprelorin implants atm too[/quote]

Tangent of: RE: Information on use of suprelorin implants in rats

hi Sonya , what do you mean by abdominal castrations? And why?

janine