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Help! My little sow has Pyometra

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3littlepigs

3littlepigs

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Hello, I'm after some advice, please. I have a small 4-year-old sow who was diagnosed with Pyometra yesterday morning (Saturday). She had been under the weather for a week and was off her food - interested in it but not up to eating much. I woke up yesterday to find an unbelievable amount of blood in her run.

I took her straight to the vet and she's booked her in for a spay on Monday morning (tomorrow). My immediate problem is trying to keep her going until her op. She's now got diarrhea which may be caused by the Baytril. I also gave her some Metacam last night. She had another bleed in the night but not nearly as bad - a watered down patch. So my quandry is do I syringe-feed her some critical care every couple of hours or will that make her tummy worse? I've been doing so but she puts up a real fight so she obviously doesn't want it. I'm wondering how much I should give her as I'm lucky if I can get 2 x 1 ml syringe fulls down her.

I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Thank you.
 
Hi there

It's important to keep food going in and if she won't eat much then syringing may be the only way to do it. Try placing a small bowl of the CC mash or nuggets softened with water to see if she'll take that, fresh grass is also worth a try.

If you have some probiotics I would give those also to help her gut, poo soup from other healthy pigs works too.

I'll post back in a bit when I can.

Suzy x
 
I agree wh Suzy, keeping her warm, comfortable and getting as much food, vit c as you can into her is your best bet. I'm surprised the vet didn't spay yesterday?
 
Hi Suzy

Thanks for such a quick reply. I'd left some CC mash by her and also some of her favourite grasses from the garden but she can only manage a small nibble from each. She took quite a bit of water, though.

I've got some guinea probiotics - I didn't think of that - I'll give her some. Her mate is an elderly pig on meds for arthritis so I don't think her poo will be much good.

Thanks again
 
If you can encourage her to eat herself it will be best - you need to handle her as little as poss at this stage to prevent her condition worsening. If you need to pick her up try to usher her into an upturned igloo or similar so that you don't put any pressure on her abdomen.

Good luck, my thoughts are with you.

Suzy x
 
So do you think it's OK to leave her to have a nibble here and a nibble there rather than picking her up? I know what you mean about putting pressure on her abdomen - in order to get her to eat I have to wrap her in a tea towel as she struggles so much against being fed. I'm not sure how much she should be eating and how often and if by force-feeding her I'm making things worse. She's fast asleep now on her heat pad with her ears twitching. Bless.

Thanks for all the advice - it's much appreciated.
 
Thanks for your reply, Amanda1801. It's a great shame they couldn't spay her yesterday but they only stay open on a Saturday till 1:00 pm and my appointment was at 12:30 pm. I guess they don't have the staff in for operations on a Saturday. She's going in at 08:30 tomorrow so hopefully they'll treat her as a high priority.
 
Aw, poor little mite :(
Sending healing vibes to your piggy for tomorrow - know how scary it is leaving them at the vets :...
What's her name ?
 
So sorry to hear that you are having a bad time with your little sow. You must be so worried! You are in my thoughts and I hope all goes well for her tomorrow.
 
poor girl, can't believe some vets still don't give pro-biotic with baytril! :(

good luck with her
 
3littlepigs said:
Thanks for your reply, Amanda1801. It's a great shame they couldn't spay her yesterday but they only stay open on a Saturday till 1:00 pm and my appointment was at 12:30 pm. I guess they don't have the staff in for operations on a Saturday. She's going in at 08:30 tomorrow so hopefully they'll treat her as a high priority.
Click to expand...

Good luck with it. I guess I'm spoilt in that I have an out of hours surgical team where I go.

This has pushed me further towards the decision to get my sow spayed.

Got everything crossed for her and you!
 
I'm getting really worried now. She really, really doesn't want to eat anything. We just had a massive struggle to get 1 ml of Critical Care down her and I'm wondering if I'm doing more harm than good. I suppose at least she's still got some fight in her. Perhaps I should just respect her wishes not to be fed. I think she's probably in a lot of pain and I'm wondering if the kindest thing would be take her to rainbow bridge. . . tomorrow morning seems such a long way away.
 
Have you tried her with some grass ? Know it's a silly question to ask but when my boar was really ill with a bladder stone and had zero appetite, I fed him with grass and dandelion leaves. Anything to keep their gut moving helps :...
 
Hello, yes, I've tried her with some different types of lovely fresh grass, dandelion leaves, melon, lettuce, all her special treats and she doesn't want to know.

Thank you everyone for your support it's really appreciated.
 
I'm so sorry you are going through this :(
Could you not find an emergency vet - think this could honestly be your only hope now of possibly saving your little one :...
 
As Guinea Pig Slave has said, I think your best bet is an emergency vet.

Did your vet give her antibiotics or pain relief? If not, this alone may help.

If you call around, an emergency vet may even be able to operate today...

Good luck and thank you for considering her best wishes over your own - takes a good piggy parent to do that!
 
Hello. I've just taken little Violet to the emergency vet. They checked her out, and gave her 3 injections: one Septrin, one to keep her gut going and another huge (10 ml) fluid and saline under her skin which apparently she'll absorb to keep her hydrated. Violet was stressed but very brave - and so was I ;)

So I'm extremely relieved that they think it was worth keeping her going and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my regular vet will think it's worth operating in the morning.

A huge thank you to all of you for all of your support - it's really kept me going today. I'll keep you posted with Violet's progress.
 
3littlepigs said:
Hello. I've just taken little Violet to the emergency vet. They checked her out, and gave her 3 injections: one Septrin, one to keep her gut going and another huge (10 ml) fluid and saline under her skin which apparently she'll absorb to keep her hydrated. Violet was stressed but very brave - and so was I ;)

So I'm extremely relieved that they think it was worth keeping her going and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my regular vet will think it's worth operating in the morning.

A huge thank you to all of you for all of your support - it's really kept me going today. I'll keep you posted with Violet's progress.
Click to expand...

Good luck!
 
I'm so glad you were able to get to the emergency vets, sounds like they were very caring also :)

LOTS OF HEALING WHEEEEEEEKY VIBES FOR VIOLET XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Hi, I've never posted before (long time reader!) but just wanted to wish you and Violet well for this morning. Come on little one, you can do it!
 
That emergency vet may have made all the difference, so happy you found one.
Imagine the worst scenario possible 8... - you would have felt lousy and always asking yourself 'if only' so you know it was the only route to go.
We're with you today and sending massive healing vibes to little one x>>
 
I have to say, it's great seeing people who give sick (very sick) piggies a chance. Far too often at work I see people deciding that the cost "isn't justified".

You've done everything you possibly can to give her the best chance. Hope her op goes well today. Keep us updated!
 
Fingers firmly crossed for your girl! I hope that the emergency vets have been able to make the difference!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Hello all. Violet has been to the vet for her appointment but the vet thought that she needed to be built up for a day before her risky op as she hadn't eaten much yesterday. He gave her another 10 ml fluids (injection under her skin) and another injection to keep her gut going. I have to give her Baytril twice today, ie double. I also have to give her critical care every two hours, some mushed veggies if she won't eat any and to give her extra vitamin C in water. No more Metacam.

The good news is that she's eating a little for herself now and drinking from their water bottle so the jabs must be doing the trick.

We've got another appointment at 8:30 tomorrow for her op - I'll keep you posted.

And thank you so much again for all your best wishes and encouragement - it really helps!
 
Aw Violet, you must be strong and eat all you can rolleyes
We had to feed Critical Care intensively for 48 hours before Harley's bladder stone op as he was so lethargic and not a good surgery candidate but he did it and is a boisterous and fat piggy again now x)
 
3littlepigs said:
Hello all. Violet has been to the vet for her appointment but the vet thought that she needed to be built up for a day before her risky op as she hadn't eaten much yesterday. He gave her another 10 ml fluids (injection under her skin) and another injection to keep her gut going. I have to give her Baytril twice today, ie double. I also have to give her critical care every two hours, some mushed veggies if she won't eat any and to give her extra vitamin C in water. No more Metacam.

The good news is that she's eating a little for herself now and drinking from their water bottle so the jabs must be doing the trick.

We've got another appointment at 8:30 tomorrow for her op - I'll keep you posted.

And thank you so much again for all your best wishes and encouragement - it really helps!
Click to expand...

Could you puree some veg for her? Maybe puree up some pepper and stuff so shes getting veg AND vit C? If you're able to puree it you might be able to syringe it
 
Ah, well done little Violet, wonderful to hear that she has started to eat and drink a little. And well done you for staying strong and positive and doing everything you can for her. She is a lucky little piggy. Good luck for the rest of today and obviously for the op tomorrow.
 
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