Advice/help needed please

[Woodlouse]

Hello. I know I haven't been around on here lately but I have a poorly piggie and know you're the people to help me!

Lynn is a 6 year old sow who we adopted about 7 weeks ago. She lives with 4 sows and up until Wednesday night was a normal piggie. Noticed on Wednesday night that she wasn't interested in her food. Started syringe feeding her on Thursday and took her to the vet who checked her teeth and had a good feel but found nothing untoward. Started pain meds and continued syringe feeding. Admitted on Friday for a conscious x-ray which showed gas in her gut. Asked for her teeth to be double checked, this time under a light sedation, but no problems there. Started gut stimulants (vomend, twice a day) and am continuing pain meds and syringe feeding.

She will go to the food bowl with her friends and take out something but then drops it and makes no attempt to eat it and certainly doesn't ingest anything. She is remarkably bright and alert and is still fighting me with the syringe feeds! We have had some small/mis-shapen poo's but it's intermittent. All in all she's not declining and not improving ...

Any ideas please? Thank you in advance xx

 

[amd1985]

Hello,

My sow is currently refusing to be syringe fed but keeps pottering over to the food bowl with her sister, wandering around it and then just going back to chill in their sleep side. I have had frustration and tears these past few days but have found that having her inside with a box next to her with some of her favorites is working (advice given to me on here).

All I can suggest is that you perhaps try and give her some of on her own away from the other girls and then fuss/encourage and she may well decide she fancies giving it a go.

I feel your pain and I know how disheartening it is when they refuse.

Please let me know how you get on.

xx

 

[Abi_nurse]

It must very very disheartening for you but you've done the best thing, got her on a gut stimulant and pain relief. It may be worth asking to add in a drug called Ranitidine (Zantac), this will help with hind gut motility where are the vomend (metoclopramide) is best for the fore gut motility. If she doesnt improve by next week i would consider doing more investigations such as blood test and scans.

Hope she picks up soon.

x.

 

[sport_billy]

Agree with Abi_nurse above. Speak to the vet about adding Zantac it worked wonders when one of our girls was suffering from bad bloat. I would also suggest giving gentle tummy massages this will help move the gas. Would recommend doing this as often as you can. Lots of healing vibes to your piggie.

 

[Wiebke]

All the best to your poorly girl! Keep her off any fresh food. If necessary, keep her on her own.

Sometimes, the vibrations from a little car trip can also help with moving the gas. I also got zantac for my gassy older girl with good success. You may find that she will have a more dodgy digestion for some time afterwards, so be very careful what you feed her even after she has recovered.

 

[Woodlouse]

Update 27/8/13

Thank you for all the advice and well wishes.

We have had a SLIGHT improvement in that she has eaten a LITTLE overnight and will NIBBLE something if she feels like it although this is unpredictable. She is poo-ing fairly regularly now although they are varying is shape and how solid they are. She remains bright and alert.

I am still syringe feeding and giving metacam & Vomend. Been to the vet this morning so have more Vomend and some ranitidine aswell. We are plodding on until Friday and will re-assess then. Am getting her out in the run with her friends as much as possible and then caging her overnight on her own so that we can monitor food intake and output.

Come on Lynn! Please keep the vibes coming! xx

 

[sport_billy]

Sounds like she is heading in the right direction. Lots of healing vibes to Lynn