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Damaged And Repeated Prolapsed Penis - Suggestions And Pig Surgeons?

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Herts Pigslave

Herts Pigslave

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Wiebke and Helen have already offered helpful advice, but also suggested I post a thread to see what experience others have:

I'm looking for solutions to a repeatedly prolapsing, and damaged penis in a 7yr old neutered boar: I've seen on forums mention of using a stitch to it in place - does this not cause problems with keeping it clean/ infection?
Additional surgery may be needed: the tip is damaged: my current vet thinks the end of the penis may be necrosing and if so, suggests amputation (though has only done that for a rabbit), and we both agree he'd not survive 1.5 hours under anaesthetic.

Any other suggestions, or knowledge of good pig vets who've had success? (especially in the Herts area (or near) as an older pig, he gets very tired by travel).
Has anyone used Scotts exotic vets in Bedford for pig surgery of this sort; does anyone know if Simon Maddock has done such surgery?,

How did my 7 year old neutered boar damage his penis(?): he indulged in what only can be called a 'shaggathon' with his 2yr old sow, and caused terrible bruising. At present, he's quite happy and active, on metacam, and I have to gently lube and push the prolapse back a couple of times a day (monitoring it every couple of hours). However, after four days, while the tip looks less bruised, there is now swelling (internal bulge), that makes me think there's infection needing antibiotics.

Thanks for any help you can offer, and apologies if I've posted incorrectly - I'm not technie! Herts Pigslave
 
Herts Pigslave said:
Dear everyone,
many thanks for your recommendation of Simon - he seems to be someone we need to clone and distribute round the country!
Click to expand...
:agr: we need more Piggy Savvy vets - I can highly recommend a vet in South Yorkshire for our Yorkshire members .
 
Ditto to Simon being amazing. I really appreciate how open he is when discussing options. If it's a surgery he hasn't done before he'll tell you that, and give his honest opinion on his sucessful he think it will be.

I did lose a piggy when Simon operated on him, but we'd had a very long discussion on the success rate before hand so I knew the slim chance of success. It was a surgery that had to be done though.

I'd definitely give them a ring to see what they think, or make an appointment with him.
 
Thanks Jaycey for that info - I'll contact Simon to discuss as I'm trying to avoid surgery if at all possible, particularly as he's an old boy (despite his behaviour!), and as ever, it's quality of life not longevity that's the priority. I'm trying to minimise manipulation to avoid trauma to tissue, but also trying to keep the penis internal, to allow the tip to heal, in case he does need a stitch. [As far as Sammy (pig) is concerned, his quality of life would be best if he could get back with his sow (Ella) - they are now at opposite ends of the house so they can't smell or hear each other, to avoid excitement!]
I'm really sorry you lost your piggy - when there's no choice, you know you've made the right decision whatever the outcome.
May I ask what the surgery was, and did you lose your piggy to anaesthesia, an unsuccessful surgery or consequences of surgery?
 
Simon has also operated on 2 of my pigs, once to remove a retrobulbar abscess and the second time was to do an emergency spay on my 4 year old heart pig. Both flew threw their surgery and recovery. I was very wary about putting the heart pig through an anaesthetic but there were no issues.
 
I travel from Oxfordshire to see Simon with my rabbits and now piggies.I use a local vet for out of hours emergency but only really trust Simon.
 
Another vet you may wish to seek advice from is Rachel Mowbray at Vale vets - another specialist piggy vet - at one stage we thought she was going have to have to take Bumbles penis off (but managed to avoid it in the end -) she is a very experienced piggy surgeon and very well versed in alternative treatments / cutting edge stuff - she works at a referrals hospital ,so complicated cases that other vets can't sort out our referred to them - she is the exotics specialist and she also keeps her own piggies - your vet can email her on [email protected] or call 01453542092.
 
Dear All, ...an update on Sammy. I'm pleased to say that 2 weeks of gently replacing Sammy's prolapse every few hours seems to have worked....and he hasn't prolapsed again(I have absolutely everything crossed, as I really didn't want to subject him to a general anaesthetic at his age if avoidable). Initially, to get the swelling down, the vet had him sit in a solution of 'sugar-water' to get the swelling to go down by osmosis. Then, for a few days, as advised by vet, it was necessary to ease it back in by lubricating with KY jelly and very gently using the tip of a disposable cat rectal thermometer (v.small, nicely rounded tip), circling around to get the lubricant well distributed a few millimetres internally, before very gently pushing the prolapse back in with a fingertip. After a few days, as the swelling decreased, it was possible to just put a blob of KY externally, and apply gentle pressure then, once the prolapse is internalized, gently massage from the outside, stroking towards the head end (redistributes all the layers of foreskin etc correctly internally I guess). He was on Sulfatrim as the tip was so damaged, and up to 1ml Metacat (metacam for cats) for 2 days, then 0.5 ml per day for week, then dropping it down as soon as I could. Just as Sammy was getting totally fed up with this procedure, and stressing about being picked up, he stopped prolapsing. Phew!

Thanks to everyone for recommendations of vets - they are all filed as I'm sure Sammy will do something else scary soon - that's a pig's purpose in life, to scare pigslaves!
However, now he is not chasing his girlfriend non-stop, he is more prone to blood in urine, so am looking for a solution to that and will be following threads on that...
 
Herts Pigslave said:
Dear All, ...an update on Sammy. I'm pleased to say that 2 weeks of gently replacing Sammy's prolapse every few hours seems to have worked....and he hasn't prolapsed again(I have absolutely everything crossed, as I really didn't want to subject him to a general anaesthetic at his age if avoidable). Initially, to get the swelling down, the vet had him sit in a solution of 'sugar-water' to get the swelling to go down by osmosis. Then, for a few days, as advised by vet, it was necessary to ease it back in by lubricating with KY jelly and very gently using the tip of a disposable cat rectal thermometer (v.small, nicely rounded tip), circling around to get the lubricant well distributed a few millimetres internally, before very gently pushing the prolapse back in with a fingertip. After a few days, as the swelling decreased, it was possible to just put a blob of KY externally, and apply gentle pressure then, once the prolapse is internalized, gently massage from the outside, stroking towards the head end (redistributes all the layers of foreskin etc correctly internally I guess). He was on Sulfatrim as the tip was so damaged, and up to 1ml Metacat (metacam for cats) for 2 days, then 0.5 ml per day for week, then dropping it down as soon as I could. Just as Sammy was getting totally fed up with this procedure, and stressing about being picked up, he stopped prolapsing. Phew!

Thanks to everyone for recommendations of vets - they are all filed as I'm sure Sammy will do something else scary soon - that's a pig's purpose in life, to scare pigslaves!
However, now he is not chasing his girlfriend non-stop, he is more prone to blood in urine, so am looking for a solution to that and will be following threads on that...
Click to expand...

Glad that it has worked out for Sammy. is the bloody urine down to problems with the urinary tract or to his damaged penis?
 
Hi Wiebke,
I don't think it is down to his damaged penis, as it's a problem he had before, intermittently. The first time it happened (around 1 year ago) was spectacular - sudden onset and very bloody puddles: he was put on Septrin and Metacat, and it cleared within 48 hours (but continued Septrin for 6 days). There's no major hint preceding an event, though he is a bit quieter the day before, not moving around so much or drinking so much, but no painful squeaking on peeing or pooing. However, in the couple of months he was chasing Ella non-stop, there was no problem, so I'm suspecting bladder sludge irritating his bladder (?). I've used Septrin/ Sulfatrim and Metacam again on a couple of subsequent occurrences, as well as boosting his water intake. For the past two events, I've just given Metacam plus up to 60-80ml water extra daily by syringe (whatever he takes without forcing it) + probiotic (ProC is one he tolerates, though I see that is high Ca) as well as a lot of wet food - notably cucumber, and encouraging exercise (hiding poops from Ella all around his cage, or letting him run alongside her cage). He 's enthusiastic about water from a syringe, and his water intake is increasing all the time (slow kidney failure/ diabetes?). He has lost about 20% weight from a high of 1.35kg, but he's been through a lot over the past year, especially with the prolapse. Sulfatrim doesn't seem to make a difference to the bleeds, and he doesn't seem in discomfort as he produces scary amounts of bloody urine. What is odd is that, within a flare of the problem, he can alternate between clear urine and scary bleeds in successive puddles - might this be IC or bladder sludge irritating fragile blood vessels (vets says not stones, by palpation, not scan - though the bladder palpation triggered a big bleed! )? I hesitate to go for anything that requires anaesthetic at his age, especially as he seems overall happy.Just exercise and water seems to make the difference.( Is cystease widely available? what is it used for? advisable?, side-effects? Any thoughts gratefully received. )
 
I'm sorry this is a serius medical problem but i cant help but quote you on this i laughed straight fr 10 min's and my sides hurt so much.
"he indulged in what only can be called a 'shaggathon' "

I'm so sorry i hope he gets better soon.
 
Glad his willy is back in place, lets hope he is a bit more restrained in the future. I had a piggy that got bloody urine with stress or travelling. I remember one instance when l took him to the vet and she tested his urine, it was completely normal, then l got him home and he passed frank blood! It was managed with metacam alone as needed.
 
Hi Kiara,
yes, renaming Sammy 'Austin Powers' did come to mind at the time..... Despite the horrendous swelling and purple brown bruising, he would not be distracted - the vet said the considerable pain would be enough stimulant to keep him going. He now gets two half-hours per day galloping up and down outside Ella's pen (advantage of exercise seems to prevent/diminish the bloody urine) and he settles intermittently to socialize/ eat through the wire mesh. However, the vet says he's lucky this time, and not to risk him doing it again. He was delighted but exhausted the couple of months he shared a cage with Ella....but no more.
 
-covers mouth with a hand to stop laughing- Oh gosh maybe just a few days next time XD
 
Interstitial cystitis thread, posted with a link in earlier message by Piggyowner (Sammy also has symptoms of intermittent but dramatic blood in urine, and it seems this is not an unusual problem but hard to manage...so it'll be good to see what others find helps....)
 
Oh noes thats not good there seems to be so many piggle problems recently
 
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