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Illness Again.... Poor Piggies!

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Vet is keeping her overnight. I missed their call as was driving so not safe to answer. They were checking her teeth under anesthetic. Not the best method but at least they are checking, they were to do dental then and there if that was the issue. They left message to say she was ok and had come round but that is all it said so I do not know if she had dental work or not. Part of me wants her to have so that we can have an answer but other part doesnt as shes young and I dont want her to start with teeth issues so young.

she has pretty much given up eating for herself now. I have been feeding her round the clock and didnt sleep last night as worried and also wanted to be there to keep her guts moving. I just hope there is some news tomorrow or I am back at square one.

I asked about better spaced painrelief and they will sort it for when I take her tomorrow they also mentioned that they have several types of syringe feed so they would give me a selection. I have critical care and science recovery ordered off the internet but something else other than pellet mash would be good for meantime....
 
Thanx. I feel lost without lacey to look after going to have to have some quality "playing" time with my other 11!
 
Yes I have 12 I became a guinea pig rescuing machine lately. But I am going to stop cos my hubby is getting a bit jellious of the time I spend sorting them all. Although he does say that he loves how much they make me happy.

I have no kids so they are my babies id rather skip kids and just have guineas but dont think hubby agrees unfortunately lol
 
News on lacey she had some sort of absess in her neck which was hidden has been lanced and drained. Her teeth were a little overgrown probably down to her not eating enough over last few months so they've been trimmed.

So glad we have got to bottom of it. Can someone tell me best antibiotic for absesses as I want to ask for the best one if poss.
 
They are sending off a culture to see what it wss I didnt know they did that for absesses. They also mentioned pathology but that would be another £ 100 and it has cost me £550 So far. I need advice would it be advisable to get pathology done?
 
Poor girl, at least you have the answer now. I would always recommend Zithromax for abcesses. Is not licensed but mention that Simon Maddock in Northampton uses it and offee to sign a disclaimer. If they don't stock it they can give you a prescription for the pharmacy.

If you can afford pathology I would do it.
 
Its not a question of affording. Its all on credit cards and I dont care about the money if it will help I just didnt want to pay for something unnecessary as I hadnt heard of it before. I will ring them now and ask them for pathology! She is worth every penny I love her so much.

I really thought she'd pass over night as I kept randomly hearing her crying last night (it wasnt one of other pigs it was my imagination).

I didnt get an appointment til 5 so I have to wait.
 
Picked up lacey this evening and was given some syringe feed I have never heard of it is emeraid herbivore. Ots a white powder and it stinks. The vet said theyd been giving her 6ml every 2 hours which sounds low to me but I do not know what it is really. I thought ill try for more but sure enough she refused at 6ml so I thought id make some pellet mash id already blended a tub full the other day into powder so added water and mixed it up and got about another 10mls into her.

the food is vet only it states on packet only to be used by vet. The label vet stuck on says use as per packet and the packet says amount as per enclosed table which I presume is in the multipack I presume it came in as not in my sealed packet.

I have put some pellet mash in cage and soggy oats. She obviously has her usual pellets water and hay and she is managing water bottle.

I have critical care on the way but meantime do you think 6ml is enough as it is all I can get her to take?

Also when I was feeding her, her stomach was making a lot of wierd noises I think she may have been slightly starved at vets. She only weighed 800gms when she got home :(
 
The noises sounded like a loud gurgle / rumble a noise I have never heard before the noise haa got me worried I dont want her getting bloat
 
I would give her what the vet said of the stuff they gave you especially as you don't have the packet, then top her up with mashed pellets until your critical care arrives. She needs at least 120ml in a 12 hour period if she is not eating at all.

What antibiotics did they give you and is she still on pain relief?

As for the gut sounds, is she pooing ok? do her sides sound hollow when you tap them, like a drum?
 
She is pooing but smaller poos but they have been smaller for a few weeks. She seems to be struggling to swallow / chew when she is eating hay but she has had a dental and is at least attempting hay.

She is managing syringed food fine and is using water bottle but dribbling it down her chin but she is a messy drinker anyway.

She is on metacam still and I have been told I can give her vetergesic ontop so I'm alternating them. morning and evening.

Unfortunately she is on baytril but I will be taking her back in a few days should there not be sufficient improvement.

just crossing my fingers that the critical care fibreplex and select science recovery arrive soon.
 
A lot of vets insist on trying Baytril first as it is licensed for pigs but Zithromax really is the best antibiotic for abcesses, I know Debbie has used it.
 
Bit of an update. Scarily this morning lacey had dropped to 760gms but today my fibreplex critical care and supreme recovery arrived.

I have been religiously feeding her every 2 hours and by about 8pm which is normally weight time she was 820gms wahoo! Today I also introduced a new sow to the group a young girl I have been meaning to do it for a while but putting it off due to laceys illness. I was thinking that she wouldnt make it this morning so thought it would be better now than after she's gone as she is really kind to other pigs and accepting and actually it seems to have spurred her on. I may be imagining it but it feels like she is fighting again. The little girl had been on museli so I had to put some in and lacey has been eating away at it. She hasnt touched nuggets in days but think they are a bit hard for her to pick up or chew. i know museli is bad but if shes eating something on her own its gotta help her teeth.

She seems to be mothering the little one so well that anytime I come near she runs and hides behind lacey bless x I may have to call her angel, I was going to call her abi as she is an abyssinian but I think angel is more fitting
 
Bless them both, is good that she realises she has something to fight for. I would not worry about the muesli at this stage as all that matters is that she is eating.
 
She is defintely struggling she sometimes make a funny face when chewing and a kinda smacking noise. Think she may have to have another dental but would prefer a conscious one so will have to statt searching further afield
 
Poor girl, sounds like there is still an issue with teeth going on. Is she still on pain relief? Maybe worth an X-ray of the jaw to rule out any root issues also... One of our first girls was a dental piggie, but it was the roots causing her issues as opposed to teeth.
I would recommend ringing round every vet by you, we found our cavy savy vet that way in 2009.
Lots of love to your little one x
 
I do have a cavy savvy vets they deal with exoitics a lot. They are great they have done concious xrays etc.. but not concious dentals. I had an xray done 2 weeks ago but not sure if they did one good enough for teeth. She only had very slight overgrown teeth at back think it was the lump causing her pain which mafe them overgrow...

cant do a lot until we get results from the lump that was sent off. It could be lymphoma according to vets. For now I am trying to fatten her up as vet wants her heavier incase she needs another op.
 
helen105281 said:
Is there any way you could get her to Simon?
Click to expand...

I could drive but it is 161 miles each way around 3 hour trip each way, so 6 hours in car or possibly more dependant on traffic and my terrible sense of direction and lack of motorway experience! Do you think she'd manage that long in car? she does get stressed on car journeys. also would it be best waiting for results or just going straight to him? she is a very expensive pig, I think she has got upto around £500/£550 now. I don't mind though she is worth every penny as I love her so much!
 
I know some people have done it. She would be ok if you took breaks and made sure she was fed on the way, maybe speak to Debbie? Must admit I would struggle to drive there and I'm much nearer but an incredibly nervous driver, is possible by train though if I go via London. I think Simon would be best to do a conscious dental though.
 
OK well I will definitely think about it, even just for a second opinion on her teeth, On the plus side I have seen her plough her way through a giant vat of hay this morning, I held off on the syringe feed as I want her to use her teeth as much as possible. She's still not happy eating nuggets though so I am going to have to keep topping her up, I'm hoping the antibiotics have started to work and that's why there is the improvement but it could also be the fibreplex!
 
This is truly bizarre, I called vets for results as I'd heard nothing on Friday, I didn't get a call back until this morning, Lacey apparentely has a "bug" which is resistant to baytril. she has been doing so well she is eating loads and she has put on a ton of weight over 100gms. She is now eating on her own and managing all foods from nuggets to hay to veggies. I am no longer syringe feeding, it seems so odd! Anyway I aleaving for vets shortly so hopefully I'll come back with some better antibiotics & an explanation as she seems great in herself and is running around like normal!
 
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