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Little Rodney

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He told me he was out Tuesday but to call Wednesday but she did say he wasn't in this afternoon so may be tomorrow i hear back.

Off home now, to sort the naughty pickle out!
 
Just got your message, sorry wasn't on last night, but how is he now? What dose of painkiller is he on? It may need upping but I would ring the vet & ask him what amount to give & as long as he is getting some every 12 hours that should help. If not he may need Tramodol as well x
 
Usually surgery day is Tuesday for John and Wednesday he is off, but maybe he switched days since i have last been :) .... Its been a couple of months since I have luckily had to go to vets.
How is Rodney now? Hope that was the only squeak *fingers crossed*. Hope you get a phone call anyway soon hun. Hugs to you all and try not to worry and hope the barley dose the trick x
 
He's a total monkey.

He's on 0.3 loxicom twice a day & there's been no more crying, in fact he just did 2 poops at the same time without even noticing.

Barley not a hit. He liked it for 3 seconds that was it. Have syringed in 3 lots.

That's 6ml syringed so far today & some water from his bottle he's taken a couple of times after I've held it up to him.

I'm disheartened to read it's recommended 100ml a day? I can't possibly manage that.

So worried this will come back. How am I supposed to hold down a job & syringe him 100 times a day?!

He's very hungry, eager to eat, and full of himself!
 
haha aw bless. I wouldn't worry too much, a few syringes a couple of times a day should be enough if he is eating veg.... veg quite oftern means they don't drink so much. Maybe leave a water bowl in the cage if you have not already. I did this for Haven when she was poorly and she drunk lots more... It will need changing a few times a day as they do like to flick poo and all sorts in it... lol.( make sure you use a big heavy bowl) x
 
Lol naughty Billy! :lol: I wouldn't worry about 100 ml a day, I would think poor Rodney would go off pop drinking that amount! Just have him out for some cuddles when you are at home & syringe him as much as you are able, time & Rodney allowing of course! :hug:
 
He's just not making syringing very easy, he's not my big cuddly blob at the moment he's wriggly & cheeky!

He needs to fluids to flush the bladder through so don't think veg will help that & I'm
Not giving them much they like at the moment cos I'm scared to give half of it now inc lettuce! Feels like a losing battle even tho he is currently doing so well. I'll never flush out any new stuff!
 
Just done his vit c and diuretic.

Total ordeal.

He's getting worse with the syringe. He has me completely Sussed.

Argh!
 
Give him a bowl of water hun as well as a bottle... really helps with fussy drinkers. When Haven was poorly that was all she would use. x
 
The bowl will need changing a few times a day to keep it fresh...but really encourages drinking. Just make sure its a heavy ceramic bowl ..x
A bowl was a life saver for my Haven when she was sick as she HATED the syringe and where she got so small she was much more wriggly and not much to grab. John usually recommends a water bowl for poorly piggies and I always use one...works a treat.
 
I've put a bowl in.

Guess who likes it?

Yep. Billy. :))

I have no idea how anyone could do that many syringes I don't see it's even possible. After 2 Rodney is totally fed up.
 
Agreed with how many syringes that must take. I only ever did a few a day and a water bowl. After a day or two she was fine without syringing. Hope Rodney will be the same soon and enjoy drinking again...bless you both.
lol Honor was the same...but Haven quickly caught on and drunk as much as Honor did. Rodney is proba just a little stiff and sore after an op just a few days ago. X
 
Full of beans this morning. Mega excited about breakfast, really into pepper at the moment, and he's had some water.... His new trick however is to just let water from the syringe drip off his lips :mal:

Tonight I'm going to try blending cucumber with water, see if he likes that....
 
Patrick would drink between 20-30ml's in the morning. The Pearl Barley takes ages to make you put half a cup full of pearl on a bowl, and them cover it with water. Boil for about 45 minutes adding water when necessary. It should turn into a gloupy texture when drained leave to cool. I found Patrick enjoyed it more when it was luke warm. This is from memory been years since I made it. I know it's a pain but you want to be syringing additional water for the rest of his life.

The stones will most likely return but stopping crystal formation though given additional water can slow down the process. My P had another 6 months and then the stones returned which is a long time in piggy years.
 
I just don't see how I can syringe 20-30 times in one sitting? He won't take it. So basically he is dying and It's a waiting game? Do they always return?
 
I can't believe this, why would a vet not explain to you this op isn't worth it in this case?

I am sat at working worrying. @flintstones how did you manage to get these syringes in? Maybe I am being too soft with him. Do you shoot the whole syringe in one go? I don't want him to choke. And can I do this morning and evening? I don't think I can go home every lunchtime it's just not going to work.

This is awful.
 
I think what filntsones means is in a number of cases they can return...like dental issues, once they have a dental issue...allot of piggies keep getting them, some will not....this is the same with bladder stones.
The op was well worth it... 6 months for a piggie is probs 10-15 years for us, getting bladder stones dose not mean a piggie will die hun...its a condition he just may have to live with and may be prone too (like one of my girls has a heart condition and arthritus, my other girl (r.i.p), she had a number of conditions- (hyperthyroidism, arthritus, dental issues) and my boy has cataracts, they are all life long conditions, but we adapt and so do they...

Hopefully plenty of fluids and a low calcium diet will mean no more stones. i know a good few of people who have piggies/Bunnies with bladder stones... only a couple of them have had them return...but a number have not.

Have you thought about getting these? http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/urinary-support-oxbow-natural-science.html
Skinnypigs1, from youtube uses these for her bladder pig (and non bladder pigs), plus a number of people i know use them. I use the joint care ones for my arthritic pigs.

I am sure others can put your mind at ease... please dont worry hun.
I am going to tag
@helen105281 and @Wiebke, as they may be able to advise about water intake.
 
Please try not to panic, even if you try to get 10ml in at each sitting, it's all going to help. The Glucosamine if you get it can help too as will the changes in diet if you put them in place. If you get yourself in a state he will pick up on it so try to stay calm and put the things in motion that we have all suggested. You need to be strict with yourself though and try not to think how they will miss a certain food if you cut it out, yes they will do but they soon get over it, same with minimising the amount of pellets. Hay is the best thing he can have, all different varieties.

Bladder stones are not a death sentence in a vast amount of cases, but it is a case of doing your best to limit the chance of them coming back.

I know it is a minefield of information out there and we are possibly all suggesting different things to you, the diet that I use has been proven to help numerous times in my own pigs, pigs at the clinic in Broxbourne and my friend's other clients plus all of her own pigs as long as it is followed to the letter.
 
@helen105281 Thank you - I am in a panic I need to stop reading stuff.

He is on the diet pretty much apart from corn on the cob. He's had a tiny bit of spring greens, red pepper, celery, and a little parsnip this morning. Tiny pile compared to normal, and for dinner he will have a little grass & a slice of cucumber.

My mum has managed to get him to drink a little from his bottle this lunchtime.

I will buy all of these products being recommended, @jenniferanneharris thank you - those look good, I will order some tonight.

I am also changing pellets & increasing types of hay.

What is the opinion on fibafirst? Anyone?
 
Bladder stones is not a death sentence! I have had several piggies who have lived a normal lifespan after theirs and never had a comeback. It all depends what is causing your particular stones in the first place. Most stone piggies can be controlled by a low calcium diet. Over time you will finesse your own particular diet as you go along and work out what exactly works for Rodney and what not.

Many bladder stone piggies are bad drinkers in my experience; it is a major factor in the formation of them as the bladder is not flushed out as well and as much. However, you cannot change a piggy's drinking habits. Just try your best with syringing but don't panic. Feed more watery veg like grass instead. What can really make a difference is to use filtered water ;)
 
Thank you @Wiebke ! He has grass for dinner every evening usually. I read not to give wet grass, but should I?

I just desperately want to keep him well. I need to stop reading horror stories. I am making changes, have ordered the supplements suggested and new pellets. I will try my best with the syringing, at the moment it doesn't help he is on anti biotic, painkiller and diuretic - so that's 6 syringes of nasty medicine a day on top.

Just worry he doesn't drink enough in the day when I am at work - I bought a water filter when he was in pig hospital so he now drinks filtered water x
 
You can pat any freshly picked grass fairly dry with a bit of kitchen paper in the morning. It's worked for me without causing diarrhea or bloat in any of my piggies.
Not sure why he still needs to be on diuretics with a stone; they are only advisable at the beginning of a UTI to help flush the bacteria out of the bladder and relieve the acute symptoms.
 
He has been given an anti b and a diuretic for a week post op. The diuretic was to help flush his bladder.

I will call & double check that is correct.... The vet hasn't rang me yet.
 
PAMELAKT said:
He has been given an anti b and a diuretic for a week post op. The diuretic was to help flush his bladder.

I will call & double check that is correct....
Click to expand...

OK, that makes sense as there are often crystals and some much stuck behind a stone. This should help prevent a new build up.
 
My mum has got him to drink some more from his bottle, helps I am living at home for a few more weeks!

Billy of course then got in on the act and drank tons. What a boy :))
 
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