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Cappuccino Strong Heartbeat That Makes His Body Move

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PiggyOinkOink

PiggyOinkOink

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I have noticed my Cappuccino seems to have a strong heartbeat and jumps along to it, as in his whole body moves with it - compared to Snoopy, who is just still.

Can this be an indication of any problem? I picked him up and it's quite a strong heartbeat...Could it be heat as he is a Peruvian? I i

I have noticed this for a few weeks and thought it might be normal as I don't remember whether it was the same before or not.

I am planning to take him to the vets next week incase and also give him a severe cut and blow dry!
 
U say his whole body moves- do u mean u can see his heart beating in his chest, or his whole body is twitching?

Are you sure it isnt his breathing you are seeing? If you where to look at his sides, do they heave in and out? If u jusg look at his head, is he nodding as he breathes?

If so, he will need to see a vet sooner rather than later; as laboured breathing could indicate a more serious issue.
 
Now you mention it, it is likely laboured breathing as it sounds/looks it is not comfortable for him and takes is taking a lot of energy (well if that was me doing it that way!)..

I will see if they have an appt at the vet tomorrow hopefully..

It's very similar to this:
 
If its to the extent of the piggy in the video, it is pretty severe laboured breathing. Normally the first instance would be URI, but since this has been going on for a few weeks and he hasnt deteriorated, i would consider querying a heart issue with your vet. Is your vet piggy knowledgable? There is a vet locator on the forum for recommended vets in your area.

Does he have any other symptoms of a heart issue:
Blue/purple or pale tinge to lips, nose, tongue or ears?
Tires easily
Less active
Difficult to rouse from sleep
Seeming calm and willing to be lifted when this was never usually the case
Hooting/wheezing/gurgling sounds
Laboured breathing and nodding (which he does have)

I would definately aim for the vets tomorrow if you can. How is his weight and appetite?
 
He does have what I interpret as slight wheezing noises but this is long term and I did take him to the vet for a checkup a few mths ago and they said he seemed fine. I haven't noticed any of the other issues and his appetite is fine. The breathing is not as bad as the pig in the video...its more slight but noticeable that his whole body moves with it compared to Snoopy.

His weight, I've been a bit lazy with that for a few mths but I do have some previous to May and he has gained about 30g from then. He's generally quite energetic and curious and I've not noticed much difference in his behaviour.

I take him to the Royal Veterinary College in Camden where they have a Small Furries specialist, Joe...but I can't remember if she saw him last time or just a general vet as she only works there on certain days.
 
PiggyOinkOink said:
He does have what I interpret as slight wheezing noises but this is long term and I did take him to the vet for a checkup a few mths ago and they said he seemed fine. I haven't noticed any of the other issues and his appetite is fine. The breathing is not as bad as the pig in the video...its more slight but noticeable that his whole body moves with it compared to Snoopy.

His weight, I've been a bit lazy with that for a few mths but I do have some previous to May and he has gained about 30g from then. He's generally quite energetic and curious and I've not noticed much difference in his behaviour.

I take him to the Royal Veterinary College in Camden where they have a Small Furries specialist, Joe...but I can't remember if she saw him last time or just a general vet as she only works there on certain days.
Click to expand...

Excellent that you already have a specialist that will see your piggies! Best to have him checked over soon regarding his breathing x
 
I agree with @Adelle . Best get him seen by the vet to check his chest again. Chest problems can come on quickly and deteriorate very quickly so if he was checked a few months ago that's a long time in piggy time. I would get him seen again today if possible.
 
PiggyOinkOink said:
Now you mention it, it is likely laboured breathing as it sounds/looks it is not comfortable for him and takes is taking a lot of energy (well if that was me doing it that way!)..

I will see if they have an appt at the vet tomorrow hopefully..

It's very similar to this:
Click to expand...

That looks like diaphragmic breathing and can be the sign of acute heart problems or a build-up of fluid in the chest cavity. See your vet asap.
 
Took him to the vet today and she said she can hear and see the slightly laboured breathing. Since he has not changed his behaviour or patterns, she could not recommend anything except an Xray to see if there were any heart/lung issues and also to see the status of an abscess under his chin he has had since birth (which they originally said just keep an eye on, and it just comes and goes with no problem). She said they could give antibiotics but she would not want to without knowing what's causing it.

The Xray is £200! I am able to go to the RSPCA and they said they can do it for about £50 but I'd need to see the vet too. Have got an appointment next week so fingers crossed it's nothing congenital....he was the offspring of a brother/sister couple so there's a high potential for issues there :(

Otherwise, he is 100g too fat the Fat Pig! ..and is starting to get soreness on his paws. Was recommended to ration the nuggets to bring his weight down as it could be impacting his heart if there are issues.
 
I would maybe try and push to have the xray done sooner.. Laboured breathing isn't really something that should wait a week, and the sores on paws could indicate the start of bumble foot, which will need treatment.

Bumble foot can be a symptom of a heart issue, caused by poor circulation, but ofcourse could also be caused by him having too much pressure on his feet due to his weight.

I'm glad the RSPCA are helping, would they be willing to work with your more piggy savvy vet? This will mean you can recieve treatment from a piggy knowledgable vet, as well being able to fund it. It may be something to consider.

All the best x
 
I'm not sure about the bumblefoot as a few of my other pigs had the same thing (simply redness on the paws rather than any sort of infected sores) which I figured was caused by them rubbing against the fleece all the time so that skin did not harden; like in the wild. The vet before just told me to use Sudocrem on it.

They could have done it tomorrow but I wasn't able. The vet did say that since it's been going on a while, then it's not 'serious' and he's not going to die anytime soon; but it would be an idea to find out at some stage exactly what it is with an Xray. She said there was no indication of discomfort with her prodding etc but obviously, that doesn't mean he may not have it internally.

Yes, the RSPCA would be fine to work with the small furries vet. They even knew before there wasn't a small furries vet working at the RSPCA when I was considering going there for my Benji's Xray (but he ended up going to Simon then TEAS), so they seem to be connected with all the goings on! The RSPCA nurse on the phone said it was fine to go there just for the Xray so it's was good news as I can spend more money on any treatment if needed, than diagnostic tests. Whether we can afford it or not, every penny counts! Especially with these piggies who can end up costing a fair bit! I spent about £600 on Benji a few months ago!
 
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