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Impaction

Chloe B

Chloe B

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Hi,

One of my boars looks to be impacted, he is almost 4 years old. I have read the thread on impaction, watched the videos etc and these are helpful. I just have a few questions if anyone is able to help? ...

1) can I use coconut oil instead of mineral oil? If not, can I buy mineral oil from uk supermarkets? So far just been using warm water and cotton wool.

2) the hay he has been sleeping on is really wet and smelly every time I get him out. I find one of his legs is a bit wet and worry he might get skin infection. Is this normal with impaction?

3) once impacted, is this life long?

I've only noticed the actual impaction yesterday, couple of weeks prior to this I noticed the cage was smellier than usual and "cow pat" like poops in the cage but my boy wasn't wet until yesterday. I gave him a bum bath last night but to do that daily will not be practical.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
 
I would personally go to a vet to have him checked. Wetness doesn't always come hand in hand with impaction and it sounds like there may be something else underlying that is causing the impaction. I don't know the answer to your first question
 
I agree I'd check with a vet, but if it is impaction I wouldn't say it lessens their quality of life so long as you keep on top of it and keep it clean. My Mo got impaction and it meant cleaning it out everyday, but I never noticed anything different about him. He'd certainly perk up a bit after having it cleaned though lol. I think it's just a job you have to decide whether you're ok to do it or seek a vet. I know my Mo was not greatly appreciative all the time and I did have to wrestle with a wriggling biting piggy.
 
Thank you! How many times a day did you clean and for how long? I've did yesterday evening, I'd say i pushed about 7 poops out and then a soft impacted bit from the sac. More came out half an hour after whilst bathing.Then this morning I've checked him again and I'd say roughly the same amount again plus more soft impaction. Not sure I'm able to get deep enough though. Is it normal for the regular poops to just stay in there too?
 
I did my Mo once a day usually in the evening but it really depends on how quickly he becomes impacted. The thing I think I didn't realise is just how deep the anus goes and that entire bit can be almost inverted- gross but it really helps get to the deeper bits. I applied a little bit of pressure either side of the anus after doing the initial clean up with a cotton bud, my own fingers and coconut oil and the deeper parts usually just popped out. However if they didn't, as you did I would bath him in order to soften the clump and then it either fell out in the bath or after a second attempt dislodged.

I did find some smaller regular shaped poos sometimes fell after during or after so I think this is normal.
 
Thanks for the advice :) your piggy looks so calm there is no way I'll get Chester like that. Have to wear dressing gown as he tries biting and pulls my clothes etc if you try doing any dirty work! He's not pooping them out himself, it's like his normal poos are collecting too and not coming out - not just the soft impacted part...if that makes sense? Also should I be worried if he isn't able to ingest those softer poos as they're supposed to do, is he going to suffer from lack of nutrition?
 
Chloe B said:
Thanks for the advice :) your piggy looks so calm there is no way I'll get Chester like that. Have to wear dressing gown as he tries biting and pulls my clothes etc if you try doing any dirty work! He's not pooping them out himself, it's like his normal poos are collecting too and not coming out - not just the soft impacted part...if that makes sense? Also should I be worried if he isn't able to ingest those softer poos as they're supposed to do, is he going to suffer from lack of nutrition?
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I know some people give them a poo soup (literally just that poop with water and syringe) but if he has a friend it's likely he'll just munch on his friends ones. I don't think he'd suffer from lack of nutrition just because he'd still be getting all the good stuff from his veg, pellets and hay etc. And yeah in terms of the normal poos coming out as well I wouldn't worry it's likely they were a bit blocked up by the impacted ones.
 
Chloe B said:
Hi,

One of my boars looks to be impacted, he is almost 4 years old. I have read the thread on impaction, watched the videos etc and these are helpful. I just have a few questions if anyone is able to help? ...

1) can I use coconut oil instead of mineral oil? If not, can I buy mineral oil from uk supermarkets? So far just been using warm water and cotton wool.

2) the hay he has been sleeping on is really wet and smelly every time I get him out. I find one of his legs is a bit wet and worry he might get skin infection. Is this normal with impaction?

3) once impacted, is this life long?

I've only noticed the actual impaction yesterday, couple of weeks prior to this I noticed the cage was smellier than usual and "cow pat" like poops in the cage but my boy wasn't wet until yesterday. I gave him a bum bath last night but to do that daily will not be practical.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please have your boy vet checked before you treat for impaction. Often there is another underlying problem and the impaction is only secondary.
It sounds like he has got an infection somewhere (likely UTI or cystitis, perhaps even a bladder stone causing in the infection) if you have noticed increased and very stale smelling urine. Until any medication is on top of that, you will have to change his bedding daily and give him a gentle bum bath/wipe around his belly, bits and foot pads to prevent urine scald and germs getting into tiny cracks in the skin.

Coconut oil is fine but you are likely going to find that the impaction is disappearing as you the real problem is treated appropriately.
 
You really would be best to get him vet checked to find out if there is any problem that has led to the impaction and also to check for any other problems as Wiebke has said. Good luck.
 
Thanks all. I did not realise impaction was secondary to another issue. Everything I've read suggests it's just one of those things. I'm heading to the vets now as I've managed to get an appointment. Fingers crossed its nothing too serious but he is really not looking good :(
 
Chloe B said:
Thanks all. I did not realise impaction was secondary to another issue. Everything I've read suggests it's just one of those things. I'm heading to the vets now as I've managed to get an appointment. Fingers crossed its nothing too serious but he is really not looking good :(
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Good luck. Everything crossed
 
Thank you. The vet did a urine test - not thought to be infection, very alkaline. She couldn't feel any lumps other than very hard and swollen bladder. She thinks he's got urinary incontinence which could be causing the impaction issues too. No real diagnosis given. Just guesswork. Got 3 meds to give him twice a day and if no improvement in a week, might have to consider PTS apparently! :( as it's no quality of life for piggy to sit in his own filth day in day out. That is 2 palliative pigs i have now, ( plus a very clingy 2 month old baby who just had her vaccinations today!) I just want the ground to swallow me up!
 
Sending you hugs, it's horrible when everything happens at once. Hope you can find some time for you too, there is light at the end of that tunnel.
 
A hard swollen bladder does indicate something else going on. Is your vet particularly cavy savvy? And have they recommended any other tests such as an xray?
 
Thanks everyone. Lady Kelly, my vet is not cavy savvy as such, they specialise in rabbits, and they are the better vet in my town for small animals. They can offer further investigation, but I spent a lot of money on my other pig going down that route, and he's now palliative.

So my boy is on metacam, domperidone and sulfatrim, will see how he goes. But as fast as I clear the impaction, it's back again. And as fast as I get him clean and dry, he's wet and smelly again. I feel so sad. I've given my boys a good life - plenty of love, good space, attention, loads of hay, everything clean and fresh, fresh veggies. Really not sure where I've gone wrong.
 
Chloe B said:
Thanks everyone. Lady Kelly, my vet is not cavy savvy as such, they specialise in rabbits, and they are the better vet in my town for small animals. They can offer further investigation, but I spent a lot of money on my other pig going down that route, and he's now palliative.

So my boy is on metacam, domperidone and sulfatrim, will see how he goes. But as fast as I clear the impaction, it's back again. And as fast as I get him clean and dry, he's wet and smelly again. I feel so sad. I've given my boys a good life - plenty of love, good space, attention, loads of hay, everything clean and fresh, fresh veggies. Really not sure where I've gone wrong.
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Is he fine in himself par the impaction and this smell? Because it sounds very very weird that they advised euthanasia...my vet never really thought impaction was an issue and my boy lived totally fine with it.
 
Chloe B said:
Thanks everyone. Lady Kelly, my vet is not cavy savvy as such, they specialise in rabbits, and they are the better vet in my town for small animals. They can offer further investigation, but I spent a lot of money on my other pig going down that route, and he's now palliative.

So my boy is on metacam, domperidone and sulfatrim, will see how he goes. But as fast as I clear the impaction, it's back again. And as fast as I get him clean and dry, he's wet and smelly again. I feel so sad. I've given my boys a good life - plenty of love, good space, attention, loads of hay, everything clean and fresh, fresh veggies. Really not sure where I've gone wrong.
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Please don’t think you have done anything wrong, sometimes these things happen :hug:if he is otherwise happy then do your best and see what happens. X
 
Unfortunately, he's gone downhill quite a bit. He's not happy. He is sitting hunched, facing the wall of his cage. He ate some veg this morning. I offered fresh pile of hay when I noticed him sat hunched, but no response. I then offered readigrass, which he took. He has taken his meds well, had another bum bath last night, and I've cleared him out twice today but he's still smelly and wet. I'll continue with the meds and cleaning and offer him food as normal. I haven't seen him take a drink for ages. My poor little man.
 
This is Chester, hunched and not wanting to really do anything. Normally he is laid all spread out, comfy under is arch. He has never been a chirpy lively pig, but I've never seen him like this.
 

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Chloe B said:
This is Chester, hunched and not wanting to really do anything. Normally he is laid all spread out, comfy under is arch. He has never been a chirpy lively pig, but I've never seen him like this.
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Aw, so sad, did she rule out stones?
 
Bill & Ted said:
Aw, so sad, did she rule out stones?
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I could get him x-rayed or ultrasound. This is what I've done with my other pig, and they found an unknown mass in him... he is still alive and well 3 months later... but the difference is he has never shown any signs of deterioration and is very bright. Chester is different as he is definitely subdued and unhappy. The vets can't seem to help much. I really hope these meds do some good soon.
 
Poor Chester he does look an unhappy boy! You are doing your best for him. Once the medication kicks in, hopefully he'll feel much better.
 
Please be assured this is nothing you’ve done or not done. The hard bladder is a worry. You just have to decide whether he has quality of life and whether he is improving in his treatment or not. If not you have to decide whether to have further investigations or to call it a day.

I’m afraid that my Poppy was similar before I had her PTS earlier this year. She had bloat which we later appreciated was as a result of another problem and not the cause of it. She had something going on with her kidneys/bladder and she absolutely stank. After having xrays and her bladder flushed and trying 2 different antibiotics I was still bum bathing her 3 - 4 times a day and cleaning and changing her pee pads every couple of hours and she was soaking. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it. In the end I made the decision that enough was enough. She was miserable.

These decisions are so tough to make, these little guys can suddenly perk up or go downhill.
 
Chloe B said:
Thank you. The vet did a urine test - not thought to be infection, very alkaline. She couldn't feel any lumps other than very hard and swollen bladder. She thinks he's got urinary incontinence which could be causing the impaction issues too. No real diagnosis given. Just guesswork. Got 3 meds to give him twice a day and if no improvement in a week, might have to consider PTS apparently! :( as it's no quality of life for piggy to sit in his own filth day in day out. That is 2 palliative pigs i have now, ( plus a very clingy 2 month old baby who just had her vaccinations today!) I just want the ground to swallow me up!
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BIG HUGS

Has your vet considered an x-ray for bladder stones, which can cause the kind of bladder you are reporting, as can a severe cystitis?
Guinea do normally have a very alkaline urine (hence why they are so prone to bladder problems) but the alkalinity of the urine can vary individually and it can also be higher during a cystitis, which can in turn contribute to the formation of stones if this is going on for any length of time.

What are the meds you have been given? Especially the strength and dosage of any metacam?

Please accept that you cannot prevent every illness or medical emergency. You can only give your piggies a good diet and care during the time they have been given with you. When and from they die from is not in your control. You just can give your piggies as many happy todays and support them as long as they have the will to live - but that is a lot and it means the world to your pets!

I am very sorry; illnesses are like London buses - they tend to either come all at once or not for a long time... :(
 
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