The Pigloo Forums

[DodgerPig]

Abuot a month ago I took my two-and-a-half year old pig to the vets for diagnostic heart x-rays. The x-rays showed an enlarged heart. Since then Mo has been on Lotensin once a day.

One of the symptoms he exhibited prior to treatment was going "hoo-hoo-hoo" at night. It wan't that often, but enough to be a concern because he had some other symptoms also.

Well the past three nights he has been hooting. His lungs do not sound congested when I put his chest to my ear. He is still eating and there are no crusties. So I was wondering a few things:

1. How long should it take to see results from heart meds?

2. I am supposed to see the vet again at the end of this month. Should I ask to put him on a higher dose or to try new meds?

3. Could the increase in hooting be the medicine working?

I am a total hypochondriac when it comes to my pigs; my regular vet knows this and doesn't charge me for vistits when it is just me freaking out over nothing, but for the heart condition I am using Chary's vet. I don't want to confuse the issue by bringing in another vet.

[Charybdis]

1. There aren't any scientific studies as far as I know, concerning guinea pigs and heart meds. The evidence we have is all empirical so it is going to vary. For example:

-- Meg showed dramatic improvements after 48 hours and her breathing difficulties improved. After she eats, though, she gets short of breath. I don't know the nature of her heart condition, although we do know that she has one.

-- Rain has left-ventrical enlargement (congestive heart failure) and chronic bronchitis -- no way to tell which came first. She was hooting continually before the Enacard. But now she hoots intermittently. When this happens I nebulize her and *may* give her Lasix.

-- Dusty has an enlarged heart and cardiomyopathy as well as arryhtmia. He doesn't hoot, but he does get frequent URIs and has to be treated with antibiotics.

-- Stef's pig Bruce was failing after neuter and surgery to remove a cyst from his side. Major URI symptoms and the vet was dragging his feet on the heart meds. So we tried it for 48 hours, and Stef can tell you how quickly he turned around.

-- Val's foster Bea hoots and snuffles intermittently despite being on Enacard. She gets Lasix if she is hooting. She fares much better on the heart meds than off.

Others will have different experiences. If he is hooting, pay attention to other possible respiratory symptoms, consider his dosage of Lotensin, and consider building a nebulizer (around 50$ and about as easy to make as a C & C cage).

2. Tell us the dosage you are giving (and how you are mixing it) so that we can tell you how the dosage compares to others. You *could* switch to Enacard and see if there is any difference. I think they are derivatives of the same drug.

3. Hooting is not a side effect of the medication. It occurs from fluid in the lungs -- which happens in congestive heart failure (CHF).

If you are bringing in another vet, be aware that Dr. R is the only vet in this area that I know of who is willing to accept the possibility of heart problems in guinea pigs. So he's the only one with any experience in that area. The rest will, I believe, put your pig on antibiotics and when that doesn't work, tell you that Mo has "damaged nasal passages" or allergies or asthma or something else that cavies don't get.

If it were any other condition I wouldn't be so strongly opposed to bringing another vet in. But 99% of vets are VERY behind in treating guinea pig heart conditions, so you are not going to get an educated opinion.

[DodgerPig]

I figured I would ride on the horse that brought me so to speak (aka Dr. R). The hooting stopped for a while, but started again about 3 nights ago. Do you think the heat could be triggering his hooting? Right now we are struggling to keep our bedroom (where the piggies live) at 75-80 degrees; that is with the airconditioner on high all day.

We are almost out of Lotensin, so we need to see Dr. R this week, or at least call for a refill.

Mo gets 10 milligrams in 5 ml of water once a day.

What is a nebulizer and how do I make one?

[Charybdis]

Stress can exacerbate a heart condition, of course. And their temperature really shouldn't exceed 75 degrees or else they are prone to heat stroke. So maybe look into a small swamp cooler?

Not sure I understand how you are dosing the lotensin. Could you be more specific on how you mix it and how much you give him? Because you can't be giving him 10mg of Lotensin dissolved in 5ml of water every day. At least, please tell me that you are not.

[DodgerPig]

Mo gets 10 milligrams in 5 ml of water once a day.

Oops! Forgot the last part- I then transfer .5 ML of the mixture into a syringe and give him that. Sorry!

[Charybdis]

ya LOL you almost sent me over the edge.

You need the link for Purrie's nebulizer to know how to build one. http://home.houston.rr.com/lundquist/Purrie/Nebulizer/Nebulizer.htm