From:
"joclynatuo"
Date: 2009-02-16 18:07:55 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: What would cause a gurgling sound?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
if you've been giving the pred on an empty stomach, there could be
irritation and there might be excess acids being produced that are
causing more irritation. the irritation will, eventually, cause
ulcers to start and that's going to cause more irritation.
always give pred with food (mix it in the food) or give food first
and then give the pred - whichever works better/easier for your
particular little one. i've done it both ways and either way works
well. i do have to say that mixing it with the food is much, much
easier as you don't stress them with scruffing and forcing them to
take the meds.
even if you've been giving the pred with food, if your little one
has been on it for a while, it does cause issues - so this could
just be a normal course of events; especially since you've recently
upped the dosage.
your little one could also be developing some type of ibd. my simba
had that and, as it progressed, she started with the gurgling in her
tummy as well as further along in her digestive tract.
it became such a constant thing that i asked the vet about it and he
prescribed carafate (generic is sulcrafate) and that took care of it
with the very first dose!
the carafate is terrific medicine in that it coats the stomach and
keeps it from going overboard with producing acids - which is
basically what is causing the gurgling you're hearing...his system
is just in 'overdrive' and has to work harder to get rid of the
excess...thus, the gurgling.
the only thing with the carafate is that you need to give it on an
empty stomach - 20-30 minutes before food and then any other meds
that you need to give need to be spaced out at least an hour before
or after it. since the carafate coats the stomach, it will block
absorbtion of any meds that are given too close in time to it.
with simba, i'd give the carafate; wait and then give a small
portion of food and then, an hour later, give her the rest of her
serving with the pred mixed in. when her ibd progressed to the
point where all she was eating was soft foods (wouldn't/couldn't
deal with kibble any longer), i was able to give to split out the
meds throughout the day and gave the carafate at certain feedings
and the pred at others, instead of doing both at one, extended,
feeding.
the pepcid ac is also an option...i've used that, also (for a
different little one) and it did help - it just took longer to see
results. i'd opt for carafate any day!
you can premix the carafate by slightly crushing the tablet and
mixing with water - just shake it really, really well before pulling
it into the syringe. your vet can tell you the proper amount of
water to use and what dosage to give your linus.
oh, just so you know ahead, it's not the best-tasting once the
tablet is crushed...you do need to give it on an empty stomach (so
no mixing this one with food to hide the taste) and i found that the
easiest way to get it in them was to have two syringes - one with
the meds and one with plain water. a bit of meds, a bit of water, a
bit of meds and wash it down well with more water worked really well.
after the first couple of doses, they DO realize that this stuff, as
nasty as it is, DOES make them feel better, so they quickly
acclimate and take it calmly enough (they still react to the
bitterness, just don't fight so much when you put the syringe up to
their mouth).
if the issue with linus is something more serious than ibd or pred
related ulcers, then the carafate (or even the pepcid) may not be
the answer.
if your searches brought you to megaesophagus, then you do need to
fully investigate that with your vet.
whatever the issue is that is causing this, the earlier it's
diagnosed properly and treated appropriately, the better!
i wish you and linus the best - and hope that the issue is something
easily remedied, like just being gassy, rather than something
serious - good luck!
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