It Never Rains But It Pours :(

[funnehmare]

They say that everything comes in threes and it certainly has for me this morning .

For the last two and a bit days Cola bunny has had a soggy cheek, I've been keeping an eye on it as everytime I pop into the shed to check on him he's either been slurping away at his water bowl, washing himself or having a grooming session with his beloved Pepsi. So he's booked in for a dental check to see if there is anything untoward going on with his teeth.

A day later I notice Winston has been sitting at his water bottle more often and I can him clanking the spout all the time. I've checked to make sure he is not simply playing with the ball and therefore emptying the contents all over the cage floor and that I've also checked that it is dispensing the water as it should. So I've been watching him like a hawk and yesterday evening noticed he has developed squeeky wees and poos. So I'm booking him in quick this morning to see if he's developed a UTI or the potential of stones.

Woke up last night needing a drink and as I was walking past the pig room I could hear rather loud hooting. I figured it was going to be either of two pigs, Jammy or my heart pig Dodger. It's Jammy, she's hooted on and off since I've had her but the intensity and frequency of her hooting episodes have increased, so I shall be taking her back to the vets to see if we can get to the bottom of her sporadic hooting. We've had her x-rayed which has shown a slightly larger heart than normal but nothing too concerning. I was wondering whether it might be symptomatic of something else but she's not showing any signs of anything?

Sorry for grumbling away but I'm feeling rather miserable this morning worrying about my little fur babies and feeling sorry for my bank balance taking a rather a bashing after the bills coming out last and now a spate of vet trips!

I hope everyone has a more pleasant morning, well as much as mornings can be I suppose!

 

[helen105281]

It can be a sign of a heart pig, does she have any of the other signs like random coughing, lethhargy, being difficult to rouse, weight loss, bloated abdomen, ascites? Hooting can be related to dust up their nose but always best to get it checked. What heart meds is your other pig on? you could speak to the vet about a heart med trial? Also get them to check if there is any fluid on her chest in case she needs diuretic. Heart conditions are extremely common in pigs and very under diagnosed.

 

[Goth Mummy]

Oh I am sorry and i do know what you mean. I feel like if one of my animals is ill then they all seem to suddenly have probems.....my horse sees the vet so often that its the running joke at the stables.

 

[piggyfan]

Aww poor you and your little ones. I really hope everything goes well at the vets.

 

[Wiebke]

I am very sorry for you! I call these times when everypig seems to be coming down with an issue at the same time a "rent-a-tent at the vet clinic" time... Unfortunately, with several piggies it happens sooner or later!

I hope that you can get to the bottom of all those issues before they become too serious.

 

[funnehmare]

It can be a sign of a heart pig, does she have any of the other signs like random coughing, lethhargy, being difficult to rouse, weight loss, bloated abdomen, ascites? Hooting can be related to dust up their nose but always best to get it checked. What heart meds is your other pig on? you could speak to the vet about a heart med trial? Also get them to check if there is any fluid on her chest in case she needs diuretic. Heart conditions are extremely common in pigs and very under diagnosed.

Nope not a thing, just the hooting. The vet had a good look, prod and poke of her and said she sounds rather throaty so we've decided the next best step is to have an ultrasound to see what's happening and whether there's fluid build up and/or the movement/retention of fluid is normal and then with a view of trialling some heart meds but the vet said she'd like to do a bit more investigation first. She did mention the possibility of diabetes though she did say that given everything she thinks it unlikely? My other piggie is on currently on Frusol but she's coming up for a review in the next few weeks to see how she is progressing. No signs of problems but she's going in for a check up anyway.

 

[funnehmare]

Oh I am sorry and i do know what you mean. I feel like if one of my animals is ill then they all seem to suddenly have probems.....my horse sees the vet so often that its the running joke at the stables.

Oh I know that feeling, it was like that when I had my horse on loan! She was constantly having the vet called out, we'd go through a good while injury/illness free and then suddenly the vet would be called practically every week! At least the bills for the small furries aren't quite so big!

 

[funnehmare]

Aww poor you and your little ones. I really hope everything goes well at the vets.

Thanks piggyfan! We seem to have resolved the wet cheek issue that poor Cola had. He had managed to get a hay seed embedded near his whiskers and so was washing himself lots there in an attempt to remove it, it was so small I didn't see it (combined with the face he is very wriggly and not keen on being held/cuddles he prefers to sit next to you for strokes) . He likes to shove all the hay about with his face and then flop down in it so I think at some point he's been a bit overzealous in his hayplay. Luckily the vet managed to get it out no problem at all and has said there shouldn't be any more problems but to just keep an eye on it. It now looks like a tiny red dot.

I am very sorry for you! I call these times when everypig seems to be coming down with an issue at the same time a "rent-a-tent at the vet clinic" time... Unfortunately, with several piggies it happens sooner or later!

I hope that you can get to the bottom of all those issues before they become too serious.

It certainly feels that way having been to two different vets with three appointments this week! The buns are still with their previous rabbit savvy vet but I shall be switching them over to Molly soon as it is just easier than having to travel to two different places!

 

[helen105281]

Nope not a thing, just the hooting. The vet had a good look, prod and poke of her and said she sounds rather throaty so we've decided the next best step is to have an ultrasound to see what's happening and whether there's fluid build up and/or the movement/retention of fluid is normal and then with a view of trialling some heart meds but the vet said she'd like to do a bit more investigation first. She did mention the possibility of diabetes though she did say that given everything she thinks it unlikely? My other piggie is on currently on Frusol but she's coming up for a review in the next few weeks to see how she is progressing. No signs of problems but she's going in for a check up anyway.

That sounds like a good plan.

Am surprised your vet has just put your other pig on diuretics and not an ACE inhibator such as Fortekor too, usually the 2 go hand in hand.

 

[funnehmare]

That sounds like a good plan.

Am surprised your vet has just put your other pig on diuretics and not an ACE inhibator such as Fortekor too, usually the 2 go hand in hand.

That's something I will have to ask at the review, I wasn't sure how common it is to be put on just a diuretic but as you've highlighted it's not I will ask! Thankyou Helen

 

[piggyfan]

Aww poor Cola. Glad he is okay now.