As of last week, Chance really started to slip. The baytril he was on had been working so well, then suddenly his URI returned stronger than ever and the baytril had no effect. He was then started on orbax late last week along with a steriod, but after only a couple days on it, he wasn't responding well. He was getting increasingly lethargic, and showing more discharge on his nose, some on his eyes too. He began drooling. His appetite was dwindling by Saturday he wasn't eating anything like he had been, and his stools were getting noticeably smaller. I began syringe feeding him veggies run through the food processor with mushed pellets and water.
Saturday morning Chance went back to the vet and we opted not to give him another steroid shot and stop the orbax immediately. I showed the vet the carrot Chance was nibbling at on the ride in and the carrot was a mess, and there was orange drool all over. He checked his teeth, and thought maybe the front teeth ere a bit long, causing some trouble for him in his weakened state. He gave them a small trim. Unfortunately, since that happened, his teeth don't quite touch together now, which is impacting his ability to tear big pieces of food, although teeth do grow very fast. It feels like another setback however, Chance's spirit is back up. I do think he's stable, although he's still got one heck of a fight ahead of him.
We put him on bactrim this time, which he's had for 2 days now. I'm still seeing discharge from his nose, but he looks brighter and more energetic. He's eating pretty well on his own again. He hasn't really been touching pellets for about a week, but he's a huge fan of grasses and hay, so I've been pulling lots of fresh grasses from the yard. Luckily we have a lot of land and don't mow it all, so we have some nice long grasses, along with dandelions and other delicious things. He's enjoying the special catering. Critical Care will be arriving tomorrow, and I'll be syringe feeding that to ensure he's getting all the nutrition he needs to fight this URI.
If I don't see this URI clearing up, I think the next step will be to get a second opinion from another vet.
It's been especially difficult because I came down with another cold too. Due to that, my contact with Chance has had to be limited to when I'm feeding him or giving him meds. As discussed here there is a small risk of transmitting illnesses to your guinea pig or getting one, although relatively minor, it's not a risk I want to take.
I hope that my next update on Chance will be to tell you how he's even better! ♥
No comments:
Post a Comment