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Gut Disturbance

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Adelle

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Crunchie, my ~6 year old sow has lost quite a bit of weight the past 24 hours and seems to have an upset gut. Her poos are all connected by strings of mucous...

I am syringe feeding and giving fibreplex and pro-c. She is already on Metacam and Cystease for IC and does have some blood on dipstick but tbh isn't showing her usual signs of a bladder flare up.

She is also a dental pig but just had her Spurs filed last month with no problems and minimal weight loss. It's suspected the dental issues are secondary to her bladder problems.

She isn't herself but is by no means lethargic or inactive. No signs of obvious pain but something must be bothering her.

Anyone any ideas?
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It's been a nightmare weekend as fudge, my elderly sow, was due her 3rd and final HCG injection tomorrow. But she has had further hair loss literally over 48 hours, blood on dipstick has rocketed and she is gassy.. All signs that this ovarian cyst has re activated despite being mid HCG treatment and nearing the end of an antibiotic course (to cover any UTI.) We are getting terrifyingly closer to the vet saying she needs to be spayed... Which at 8 years old and with congestive heart failure, we know she won't survive.

Going to be a nervous morning tomorrow! :-(
 
Oh no so sorry to hear of your poorly girlies. I will keep everything crosses for the best possible outcomes tomorrow
 
I am so sorry for you! You are doing all the right things; make sure that she also has got as much water as she'll take.
Fingers very firmly crossed for both your girls! It is so tough when you run out of options with older piggies. :(
 
Hi Adelle

Sorry to hear your piggies are unwell.
Have seen the connected poos. It's worrying to see isn't it.
A few years ago I asked a rodentrogist about this type of poos and she said it's a sign of dehydration.
 
Oh no I am sorry Adelle :( I expect you have already started syringe feeding Crunchie, hopefully that will help stabilise her gut a bit until you get to the vet's xx
 
Really sorry I can't offer any advice, but I hope all your piggies make quick recoveries. Sending healing vibes from my boars :)
 
Thanks guys, I will keep trying to get extra water into her but she just doesn't swallow it so obviously I don't force it. She just swishes it about in her mouth! She's a terrible drinker and does this even when she's well, probably why she has bladder issues to be honest.

My main worry is fudge because I'm terrified she's run out of options.. And what's breaking my heart most is she's still pottering about quite happily, playing football with her tweed ball. Shouting for her veggies as its 12.22 and I'm 22 mins late with them!

If she has any chance of surviving an anaesthetic (which is already extremely slim) , she has to be well in herself which she is at the moment... But how can I justify putting her through an op that will likely kill her when she's happy? Yet if I wait until she's poorly, she has no chance.

It's just so difficult!

Oh and poppet currently has a UTI too! Thankfully she's not up or down with it.
 
Could it have anything to do with their new pellets? I know one of my boys slowly lost 200g after I took him off regular ones and gave him a few JR Grainless ones a day.
 
Sorry that your piggies are poorly, that must be very stressful for you. Fingers crossed all goes well at the vets.
 
Oh @Adelle, what a dilemma. I know there have been many times where you have felt that Fudge is nearing the end of the road with her health and has pulled through with your help and the vet's. Sadly if the vet confirms the cyst is back and her only option is a spay then do you know how long she would have without the spay? There are no right or wrong decisions here. Perhaps if she doesn't have the op you may have to face having her PTS in just a few weeks. But then if she has the op and she doesn't come round from it then you know she wouldn't have reached the point of being too ill to let her carry on. It's so tough being faced with these uncertainties, but what ever you decide it will be done with her best interests at heart. Hun, you've given her a lot of extra time, and time full of quality moments, love, comfort and enrichment. You have been her rock and she has already been well and truly blessed to be in your care.
Whatever decision you make, and whatever her future holds now, and how long that future is for her, you have always done right by her, always.
Good luck today :hug:

I don't know what to think about the situation with Crunchie's poops. Sunrise had colitis with grass and also had reactions to a supplement food I used to give. Looking at the ingredients perhaps some of them are not the best, which I didn't realise at the time, but it smelled gorgeous and the pigs used to love it where I popped a bit into their food bowl with the usual stuff. Anyhow on grass she would bleed out of her bottom, followed by soft poos. On this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/natures-touch-guinea-pig-145kg she would have either soft or stringy poos (like Crunchies stringy poos).
I think the only way to find out if it's the new food is to switch her back and see if it clears up xx
 
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Critter said:
Oh @Adelle, what a dilemma. I know there have been many times where you have felt that Fudge is nearing the end of the road with her health and has pulled through with your help and the vet's. Sadly if the vet confirms the cyst is back and her only option is a spay then do you know how long she would have without the spay? There are no right or wrong decisions here. Perhaps if she doesn't have the op you may have to face having her PTS in just a few weeks. But then if she has the op and she doesn't come round from it then you know she wouldn't have reached the point of being too ill to let her carry on. It's so tough being faced with these uncertainties, but what ever you decide it will be done with her best interests at heart. Hun, you've given her a lot of extra time, and time full of quality moments, love, comfort and enrichment. You have been her rock and she has already been well and truly blessed to be in your care.
Whatever decision you make, and whatever her future holds now, and how long that future is for her, you have always done right by her, always.
Good luck today :hug:

I don't know what to think about the situation with Crunchie's poops. Sunrise had colitis with grass and also had reactions to a supplement food I used to give. Looking at the ingredients perhaps some of them are not the best, which I didn't realise at the time, but it smelled gorgeous and the pigs used to love it where I popped a bit into their food bowl with the usual stuff. Anyhow on grass she would bleed out of her bottom, followed by soft poos. On this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/natures-touch-guinea-pig-145kg she would have either soft or stringy poos (like Crunchies stringy poos).
I think the only way to find out if it's the new food is to switch her back and see if it clears up xx
Click to expand...

Thank you x

It's not a matter of how long fudge would have without a spay.. It's the impact NOT spaying would have on her. If she wasn't so old and in heart failure, I'd already of spayed her for this ovarian problem.

Although she acts happy enough, this is impacting her health and if I leave it, it will only get worse (in a short period of time) to the point it's too late to help her.

The only way I will pts and not go for the op is if her heart is the problem or some other incurable condition strikes and makes her suffer. It's the anaesthetic that she's unlikely to survive, and if that happens she won't be in any pain or be aware of what's happening.. Il be giving her that chance and hoping she comes out the end. For her, she'll be going to sleep.. And may or may not wake back up.

But right now, I'm facing losing her to an operation to fix a fairly common problem. I'm not happy to leave her with this problem that will be causing her pain and upset from hormone injections... Despite the fact she soldiers on.

I know I need to spay her if she has any chance. I just don't know when to go ahead due to the implications. If I wait too long, her chances will be even lower.

It's the anaesthetic that she's unlikely to survive, and if that happens she won't be in any pain or be aware of what's happening.. Il be giving her that chance and hoping she comes out the other end. For her, she'll be going to sleep.. And may or may not wake back up.

I guess a week to early is better than a moment too late..
 
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Jaycey said:
Could it have anything to do with their new pellets? I know one of my boys slowly lost 200g after I took him off regular ones and gave him a few JR Grainless ones a day.
Click to expand...

My heads so far up my behind this past week, this didn't even cross my mind....

Will mention it to the vet. She's still not right though bless her X
 
When my dogs go like this it's normally something they've eaten.
Oh what to do about Fudge, going by humans we can have epidurals, is there no way that she can have something like that, or heavy sedation. Then her heart doesn't have to take an anaesthetic.
:luv: Coming to you Adelle, hang on in there.
Healing vibes coming to Fudge & Crunchie.
 
Adele, you are wonderful you know how much I think of you. You are so knowledgable on here and have helped save many a pigs life. You would never never make the wrong decision for little Fudge, whatever choose you make it will be the right one for her. I am sorry because there is no clear choice in her situation but you know her best and go with what you feel is right.

I am sending love to you and all the piggies X
 
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