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A little off - could it be the heat

Posyrose

Posyrose

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My Bertie is coming up to 5 years old and was diagnosed with a heart murmur 3 months ago. He's on vetmed and the last check up showed He's responding we
 
Bertie's got a heart murmur and is on vet med which he's responding well to and frusol every few weeks when he starts hooting, but generally needs only one dose before he's fine. He's lost 20 to 30g over the last few days ( I'm weighing daily). It seems a consistent drop. Yesterday morning his poos were fine but in the evening they were a bit soft. They're still soft today but well formed. It was 30 degrees yesterday and due to be 28 degrees today. I try to keep the room cool, I have a powerful fan and ice bottles which he mostly ignores. Could the heat be causing this impression that he's not quite right. I gave him veggies last night which I probably shouldn't have. Should I hold off on veggies today? Does this need a check up or should I monitor him and see how he is once the temperature drops.
 
Posyrose said:
Bertie's got a heart murmur and is on vet med which he's responding well to and frusol every few weeks when he starts hooting, but generally needs only one dose before he's fine. He's lost 20 to 30g over the last few days ( I'm weighing daily). It seems a consistent drop. Yesterday morning his poos were fine but in the evening they were a bit soft. They're still soft today but well formed. It was 30 degrees yesterday and due to be 28 degrees today. I try to keep the room cool, I have a powerful fan and ice bottles which he mostly ignores. Could the heat be causing this impression that he's not quite right. I gave him veggies last night which I probably shouldn't have. Should I hold off on veggies today? Does this need a check up or should I monitor him and see how he is once the temperature drops.
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Please keep in mind that the poo output reflects what has been going into him 1-2 days before. It takes about a day for food to pass from one end to the other.

However, it is not a good idea to overfeed fresh food and fruit in hot weather because piggies don't have sweat glands nor do they pant like dogs. They regulate their body temperature via increased blood flow close to surface areas, especially the ears.

It is much more effective to offer a good supply of cool, drinkable water (not ice cold although you can add crushed ice if you are out all day) and to keep the room they are kept in as cool as possible but not up their veg intake as that can cause diarrhea.
Only if you cannot guarantee a supply of drinkable water all day or when you travelling, we recommed to leave a large chunk of cucumber in the cage/carrier as it holds the coolness in the core for longer and provides a non-drip supply of edible fluid.

The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather
 
Wiebke said:
Please keep in mind that the poo output reflects what has been going into him 1-2 days before. It takes about a day for food to pass from one end to the other.

However, it is not a good idea to overfeed fresh food and fruit in hot weather because piggies don't have sweat glands nor do they pant like dogs. They regulate their body temperature via increased blood flow close to surface areas, especially the ears.

It is much more effective to offer a good supply of cool, drinkable water (not ice cold although you can add crushed ice if you are out all day) and to keep the room they are kept in as cool as possible but not up their veg intake as that can cause diarrhea.
Only if you cannot guarantee a supply of drinkable water all day or when you travelling, we recommed to leave a large chunk of cucumber in the cage/carrier as it holds the coolness in the core for longer and provides a non-drip supply of edible fluid.

The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather
Click to expand...
Thanks Wiebke. He has access to two water bottles and has been drinking. I'll stop his veg until his poo gets better. Are you worried about the consistent 20 to 30g weight loss over the last week. It has fluctuated during the week rather than steadily losing.
 
Posyrose said:
Thanks Wiebke. He has access to two water bottles and has been drinking. I'll stop his veg until his poo gets better. Are you worried about the consistent 20 to 30g weight loss over the last week. It has fluctuated during the week rather than steadily losing.
Click to expand...

Hi

20-30g weight fluctuation is still within the daily normal weight fluctuation over the course of 24 hours.
To put things into perspective: the difference between a full and an empty bladder is about 10g and between a full and an empty tummy 30-40g.

You may find this newish guide of mine helpful in order to put any weight loss/fluctuations into more of a perpective and be more aware of what the various monitoring methods can contribute and what not: Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

If you wish to, you can give your boy some freshly made poo soup now and then again tonight in order to help firm up the poos a bit more quickly if you have another piggy not on antibiotics.

Older piggies can have a more sensitive digestion and they can also suffer from hot weather more - the same as older humans. They tend to have more underlying issues and their body is no longer as flexible in adapting.

My oldies like a fridge cooled snugglesafe/microwaveable heat pad under their denning area that I keep changed over at need. It is a more gentle method that a wrapped frozen bottle which piggies only take notice of when they are actually feeling overheated.
 
I didn't give Bertie any veggies last night and his poos are normal but he lost some more weight ( even accounting for the lack of veggie dinner) so I've booked a vet appointment for tomorrow. I can feel he's more bony around his spine/hips. I've given him a bowl with syringe feed and his usual small amount of pellets mushed up and he's eating that. If his weight hasn't increased in the morning I'll step in with syringing supplementary feed.
 
Posyrose said:
I didn't give Bertie any veggies last night and his poos are normal but he lost some more weight ( even accounting for the lack of veggie dinner) so I've booked a vet appointment for tomorrow. I can feel he's more bony around his spine/hips. I've given him a bowl with syringe feed and his usual small amount of pellets mushed up and he's eating that. If his weight hasn't increased in the morning I'll step in with syringing supplementary feed.
Click to expand...

All the best. Hot weather can bring underlying issues to the fore, especially in the older and frailer.
 
Thank you for your good wishes. Bertie was feeling better this morning. His poos were normal and he'd put on 50g. He's more active now the temperatures have come down.

The vet gave me clearer instructions on when and for how long to use frusol ( diuretic), for example to use it whenever we have a heatwave). She confirmed my feelings that he was probably struggling with the heat. I think in future when it gets that hot, I need to move him to a makeshift cage in my dining room as that doesn't get the sun and is much cooler. She said his heart rate and breathing were good. She said she wants to see him in three months but highlighted signs of worsening health which if I see I should bring him in.

It's sad to see his rather bony frame on the exam table. He seems to have lost muscle mass quite quickly or maybe I just haven't noticed or didn't want to believe it.

He's such a lovely boy, I'm so relieved that he's feeling better.
 
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