Non thriving sow

[KathT]

My sow Mya had a large bladder stone ‘manipulated’ from her urethra a few weeks ago by a guinea pig savvy vet. She seemed okay for a few days, her weight increasing nicely, then it started to decrease. After the completion of her meds with two weeks of small but gradual weight loss, I took her to another guinea pig savvy vet and had a full check done on her - he couldn’t find anything. Her bladder was soft, her teeth were fine (front and back) and her heart was strong. But she’s not thriving. Her weight yo-yos from 800-860g, she eats, but not voraciously like the others, she’s active on some days but less so on others. Is there anything I can do to help her? Would Pro C help stimulate her gut a bit more so she has a better appetite? I’m clutching at straws really. I don’t know Myas true age as she was a rescue pig, but let’s say she’s 2.5/3 years old. I think she is a slightly ‘special needs’ pig - I don’t know why but she gives the impression of not being ‘all there’ and has since I first got her. Any suggestions as to how to help her would be gratefully received.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Aw, poor little Maya. I definitely would try Pro C, I sprinkle a pinch on pellets once a day, see if that ups her appetite x

 

[Lady Kelly]

Has she had any x-rays done? I would be tempted to ask for one to check for other stones that haven't passed or bladder sludge which could be causing a problem. @Betsy has gone through this recently after finding a passed stone in the cage

 

[KathT]

She had xrays initially to find out where the stone was and everything else looked fine. When Simon examined her he said her bladder felt soft, so didn’t think anything was amiss and when she peed on the table it was crystal clear. Re-xrayingbis the next thing to do I think, if I can’t get her to put on more weight - she was 1kg before all this started!

 

[amy104]

Can your vet give her a Vit B injection - that can help them perk up and stimulate the appetite.

 

[Betsy]

Velvet had x-rays done on Tuesday. They showed bladder sludge and a thickened bladder wall. She is on a course of Septrim for 2 weeks (0.3ml twice a day), as much Pro-C mixed with water as she will take for at least 2 weeks about an hour or so after the Septrim (to flush out her bladder) and also Cystease disolved in 1ml of water (to try and settle her bladder) which I give just before the Pro-C as she hates the taste and I want to leave her with a nice taste in her mouth (she LOVES Pro-C).

I would be tempted to ask for an X-ray. My vet gave Velvet a whiff of anaesthetic so that he could position her correctly.