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This past week has been very difficult, with three piggies needing a lot of supportive care.
Zoltan - As some of you may know, Zoltan had surgery, just before Simon's leave started. Zoltan is still doing well, but has needed four abscess sites flushing, which would normally be a two-man job. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, as I needed at least one hand to hold him, another hand to position his head, so I could access the under jaw abscess and another hand to hold a syringe, with needle attached, to flush the abscess. I came up with the idea of using cushions. I propped up the cushions, on the sofa, then held Zoltan up, with his back pushed into the cushions, so they sort of held him in place. With the same hand I could then hold up his head, leaving the other hand to hold the syringe. He's been an absolute star and not wriggled about too much. All abscesses are still producing pus and another opening has appeared in his tummy, where pus from the other side is now draining. I think this is a good sign, as that side of his tummy had felt very hard and abnormal, so now that is draining, I am viewing it as a positive, but counting down the hours until he can see Simon on Tuesday.
Tilly - Tilly has amazed everyone with how well she does, despite having the most dreadful teeth and having overcome a retrobulbar abscess and a tooth-root abscess. She needs two weekly dentals, but has always eaten well for herself and hasn't needed any additional care for a long time. Well, a week ago yesterday, I noticed she wasn't eating. As I leaned into the cage to lift her out, the most awful smell hit me. I looked in horror, as her tooth-root abscess had returned with a vengeance. Luckily I have been able to keep it open and have been flushing it twice daily, in addition to administering antibiotic. However, it has obviously affected her teeth, and she isn't eating as well as she normally does, so again, I am counting down the hours until she can see Simon, so he can tidy up her teeth and take a better look at the abscess.
Freddie - This boy is really worrying me. He stopped eating at the start of the week and initially I felt sure it was a gut/bowel issue. This worried me immensely, as Freddie was treated for a large abscess on his bowel, about six months ago. I have spent all week syringe feeding him, whilst administering gut motility drugs and pain relief. On Friday I took him to the locum vet, as he wasn't wanting to take syringe food where he was given injectable gut motility drugs and sub-cut fluid. I am now suspecting that this is a mouth/teeth issue, as he really struggles to manipulate any syringe food around his mouth, which means it is taking me around an hour to get 10 mls into him. He's got an appointment to see Kim tomorrow afternoon, but I am going to try and move this appointment to tomorrow morning.
Please keep all three of these 'extra special' piggies in your thoughts! To say my stress levels are going through the roof, is an understatement!
Zoltan - As some of you may know, Zoltan had surgery, just before Simon's leave started. Zoltan is still doing well, but has needed four abscess sites flushing, which would normally be a two-man job. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, as I needed at least one hand to hold him, another hand to position his head, so I could access the under jaw abscess and another hand to hold a syringe, with needle attached, to flush the abscess. I came up with the idea of using cushions. I propped up the cushions, on the sofa, then held Zoltan up, with his back pushed into the cushions, so they sort of held him in place. With the same hand I could then hold up his head, leaving the other hand to hold the syringe. He's been an absolute star and not wriggled about too much. All abscesses are still producing pus and another opening has appeared in his tummy, where pus from the other side is now draining. I think this is a good sign, as that side of his tummy had felt very hard and abnormal, so now that is draining, I am viewing it as a positive, but counting down the hours until he can see Simon on Tuesday.
Tilly - Tilly has amazed everyone with how well she does, despite having the most dreadful teeth and having overcome a retrobulbar abscess and a tooth-root abscess. She needs two weekly dentals, but has always eaten well for herself and hasn't needed any additional care for a long time. Well, a week ago yesterday, I noticed she wasn't eating. As I leaned into the cage to lift her out, the most awful smell hit me. I looked in horror, as her tooth-root abscess had returned with a vengeance. Luckily I have been able to keep it open and have been flushing it twice daily, in addition to administering antibiotic. However, it has obviously affected her teeth, and she isn't eating as well as she normally does, so again, I am counting down the hours until she can see Simon, so he can tidy up her teeth and take a better look at the abscess.
Freddie - This boy is really worrying me. He stopped eating at the start of the week and initially I felt sure it was a gut/bowel issue. This worried me immensely, as Freddie was treated for a large abscess on his bowel, about six months ago. I have spent all week syringe feeding him, whilst administering gut motility drugs and pain relief. On Friday I took him to the locum vet, as he wasn't wanting to take syringe food where he was given injectable gut motility drugs and sub-cut fluid. I am now suspecting that this is a mouth/teeth issue, as he really struggles to manipulate any syringe food around his mouth, which means it is taking me around an hour to get 10 mls into him. He's got an appointment to see Kim tomorrow afternoon, but I am going to try and move this appointment to tomorrow morning.
Please keep all three of these 'extra special' piggies in your thoughts! To say my stress levels are going through the roof, is an understatement!
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sending you positive thoughts