Healing Vibes For Frankiepig

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Jerrybelly

Jerrybelly

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My chunky bundle of black fluff is poorly. Frankie is my quietest pig, who is easily pleased. He has a wonderful, gentle personality, and dotes on his cagemate, Marley.

I first noticed something was 'off' last night. He didn't run straight to the hay rack, as usual. This morning he seemed a littler quieter, and would only eat food that I tempted him with. I've come home from work to find the bowl of nuggets half full, suggesting that he hasn't touched any. He's unitnerested in his hay. There are very small poos in the cage, and it looks like his gut is slowing down. I have no idea what is wrong, other than this sudden loss of appetite.

I've just rung the vet and am taking him straight in. Healing vibes would be greatly appreciated xx
 
Hope the vet can work out what's wrong and he is soon on the mend.
 
Thanks :) It wasn't my usual veterinary practice as I couldn't get an appointment for him there until tomorrow and I knew with something like this every hour counts. I was a little skeptical, but generally impressed with the vet. He's had Emerprid and Zantac injections, with more for me to give him at home. We've also got probiotic and baytril. The vet couldn't find anything obvious - his teeth are fine and he's not in any obvious signs of pain. He is perhaps a little bloaty, but not a great deal. I'm hoping the gut stimulants perk him up soon
 
Lots of love to Frankie, hope those gut stims help him feel better soon. Zantac is really great in our experience for bouts of ilieus. Hope he feels better soon, keep us updated Cath x
 
I've been lucky enough not to have a poorly pig for quite a while, and I'd forgotten how heartbreaking it is :( He's just gone downhill so quickly. This morning he was just a little off, and now he's refusing everything. He's had all the medication possible by injection, and so can't have anything else until the morning. I hope it all starts working soon.

I've syringe-fed lots of times before, but never with Frankie. I just tried a little Recovery, but he was completely uninterested. He didn't even try to chew, but just let it run out of his mouth. He's even refusing grass, which is unheard of! I'm off out to get some different kinds of hay, and will try to feed him again when I return. It's going to be a long night :(
 
Healing vibes and hugs coming Frankie's way... xx
 
Aww poor Frankie :(
Speedy recovery &a big bucket full of healing vibes coming your way... &a hug for you at this distressing time.
Hope he gets sorted&the medication kicks in quickly :)
Good luck Frankie :)
From the girls &I
Xx
 
I find stroking from the head all the way down the back can help stimulate the chewing motion, it's horrible how quickly these little guys go downhill. I hope Frankie gets better soon!
 
Started on the oral gut stimulants and Baytril today. He took a few syringes of feed last night, 3am, and again this morning. He has barely any appetite. He will eat a piece of cucumber every few hours, and then when I offer a second piece straight after he will just refuse it. He's not interested in his nuggets or hay.

I think Marley can sense that he's poorly too as he's really bullying him. It's nothing too nasty, and Frankie is still seeing him off (which I suppose is a good sign), but it's so sad to see :(
 
Frankie isn't showing any signs of improvement, and after feeding him round the clock for the past 3 days I'm now pretty exhausted :( He seems stable, at least, and the syringe feeding is maintaining his weight at just over 1.1kg. He has moments of being like himself, which keep me positive, but then he very quickly looks sad again.He is pooing, thankfully, due to the gut stimulants, but they are very small. He has no interest in water, nuggets or hay. He will eat the odd piece of cucumber or carrot, but will promptly refuse a second piece.

His check-up is tomorrow, and I think that a load of tests and scans are going to have to be done to try to figure out where we go next. There are no outward signs of anything being wrong. I don't think it's his teeth as when he does eat the odd piece of veg, he does so just fine. There are no signs of discomfort. He just doesn't want to eat at all.
 
Grass, baby sweetcorn, sweetcorn &coriander were all invaluable on my battle for an appetite stimulant for ellie when she was poorly at the beginning of the year. oh +celery tops. If u have any maize growing near you try taking the stringy cornsilks off a few of them, either brown &dried or the fresh green &pink ones mine eat as a special treat &go nuts for them :)

Poor little man :(

Hope he improves soon. More healing vibes for him &a full &speedy recovery from the girls &I
Xx
 
I'm really saddened to hear he is not improving. Hopefully the vet can help.
 
I sincerely hope that a scan and tests can find out what is actually the problem. It is so exhausting having to hand feed a very ill piggy round the clock even though you are doing a great job!
 
Oh no Cath I am sorry to hear this :( As you say next thing I would ask for is an x-ray try to see if that can pinpoint any cause. I know how exhausting this must be, massive hugs to you both. x
 
How's he doing today Cath? x
 
After nearly 4 days of round the clock feeding, and times when I really didn't think he was going to make it, my Frankiepig is fighting back! He's started walking around the cage again, and is nibbling at bits of hay. He's got a long way to go, but he's definitely got a twinkle back in his eye :) I'm off to get some sleep (finally!) x
 
Great news... upwards and onwards Frankie... xx
 
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