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Help with sick pig!

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teddy2011

teddy2011

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I took my 6month old boar to be neutured on thursday..all went well,he is eating and drinking fine - but hes very quiet, and hes not moving around much which is probly because he is sore.
I took him back to the vets yesterday because his bottom was wet - like he is sitting in his wee and I told the vet that there is white stuff in his wee, which I know can be calcium compounds but this is like sludge!And she siad he is fine and that an antibiotic would be too much for him and that he it is all stress!He doesnt seem to be in pain when he is passing urine!
I'm very worried about him - he is also very cranky, he keeps snapping at me and the little boar i have paired him up with (his son)!He just jumps at my hand and nips it,its not sore but its very out of character for him!
He isnt chattering his teeth but he just seems like he wants to be left alone!
Does anyone know what this could be! x
 
Can you take a photo of the area and post it, is the white stuff coming from the wound or from his urine? Also did they stitch, glue or leave him open?
 
Too often vets don't give pain meds after a piggie has surgery. I would say that your little guy is really uncomfortable and does just want to be left alone because of it. I'm sure that's all the snapping is that you've described.

It's good to hear he is eating and drinking normally. Some piggies when in pain or discomfort won't.

Could you talk to your vet about pain medication? Even just a few days of minimum doses of metacam/meloxicam will make him feel a lot better.

If the vet that did the surgery will not prescribe pain meds I would find another vet.
 
They glued him,and I saw that the glue in the area of the wound was white and that his bum was all wet,thats why I took him back,but the vet said that the wee is from stress and that the white was the glue!
I know the white that I am talking about is definatly in his wee because it is in a few spots on his blanket..The only way I can decribe it is,it looks like the fat in the water when * boil a ham..and then it dries in and is like powder!
I am definatly bringing him back tomorrow but if she tells me she cant give me anything I'm going somewere else - I'm bringing his blanket in to show her!
 
I'm not sure on how to put photos on here,even at that - he really wont let me pick him up 8... he is just so out of sorts!
 
teddy2011 said:
They glued him,and I saw that the glue in the area of the wound was white and that his bum was all wet,thats why I took him back,but the vet said that the wee is from stress and that the white was the glue!
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Him being soaked in urine isn't because of stress. It's because he doesn't feel well enough to move around. Pain meds would help him with that and I think you'd probably see him up and moving more often.


teddy2011 said:
I know the white that I am talking about is definatly in his wee because it is in a few spots on his blanket..The only way I can decribe it is,it looks like the fat in the water when * boil a ham..and then it dries in and is like powder!
I am definatly bringing him back tomorrow but if she tells me she cant give me anything I'm going somewere else - I'm bringing his blanket in to show her!
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The way you're describing this sounds like bladder sludge to me. This can still be a normal process for a guinea pig, as they release excess calcium this way. The concern is when it goes on too often and on a regular basis.

Some of my pigs that have had surgery have had some bladder sludge for a day or two after the surgery. I believe its simply the body getting back to normal operations after having been sedated and put through stress.

If the sludge continues on a regular basis it could be indicative of things. I would think that the appearance of this sludge now - just after surgery - is no coincidence though.

If it were me, I would keep an eye on the bladder sludge and see if it subsides - how frequent it is happening, etc. But I would definitely get the pain issues under control for your little guy as soon as possible. He's probably swollen, achy and cranky as a result. He doesn't want to move and not moving about can mean not healing properly. Just like they want people to get up and move after surgery, piggies should be doing the same thing. Alleviating his pain should go a long way toward that goal.
 
Thank you so much!

I will get him something first thing in the morning - poor little man!I feel terrible for him!

I took a picture of the dried sludge on his blanket,will I try and put it up?

Thanks again for all the advice! xx
 
teddy2011 said:
what kind of neurofen and how much would you give?

Thanks! x
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I'm not at all familiar with this med, so I can't help there. Keep in mind that any dosage should be based on the particular type of medication, the concentration of the medication, and the guinea pig's weight. Best to consult a vet if you're not very familiar with all of these things as overdosing can be fatal regardless of what medicine you're talking about.

teddy2011 said:
I'm not sure on how to put photos on here,even at that - he really wont let me pick him up he is just so out of sorts!x
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If you set up a photobucket account (which is free and easy), you can upload pictures there and then just copy and paste the IMG coding into a post here on the forum.

I really hope your little guy gets to feeling better soon. Sounds like you aren't hesitant about being his advocate. Sometimes vets need a little pushing to get a piggie taken care of. If you aren't able to get what you need from the one that did the surgery, I would just look elsewhere for a knowledgeable guinea pig vet. Take care!
 
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