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Please help! UTI? Bladder stone? *piggie at vet overnight*

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kt1

Hi everybody, sorry haven't been about for a few months. I'm hopefully back to stay now. Anyways my boy that some of you know, Jed, isn't too well at the moment. I woke up this morning to a lot of blood in his cage, with poos in the middle of them, and urine which was more of a pink colour. On his white towel there was a brown stain, which I assume is dried blood? He was in the corner, looking sad for himself. He refused all of his favourite treats - even the special hay they have as a treat :( .
I took him to the emergancy vet with my BF and they felt about for any bladder stones and generally checked him. They said they weren't actually sure, and wanted to keep him in. They said call back in the afternoon (this was 9am ish and I was supposed to be at work as was bf). So called back from work and they tell me that they'd like to keep him in overnight. They said "he's mainly been sleeping, but has been lively when awake, quite alert too". They want to keep him in and have another vet look at him when they switch places at 2am or something, so I said that this was probably best, so they could try figure it out. His testicles and penis looked a bit swollen too at 8am, but I forgot to mention this to the vets and they didn't mention it either >.<
Will have to tomorrow.
But did I do the right thing by letting them keep him in? He's about 9 months old :(
 
I'm really sorry to hear about little Jed love 8...8...
Paws crossed for him xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>
Oh yes i'd def mention that to them......anything you can think of....it might help them xxxxxxxx
 
I'm so sorry that you are going through this :( Like Glynis mentioned, you should really tell them as every detail helps. If the vet insisted on keeping him in over night then there is a reason for it so you did the right thing. I have been having problems with one of my girls Connie since November and she is due back at the vets early next week. I hope that your boy is ok. Please keep us updated xx
 
I'm sorry Jed is not well at the moment. The vet may wish to try treating for a UTI initially (Septrin is the most ideal drug, Baytril can work but may take longer/be slightly less effective), but if there is reason for further concern then they may carry out an xray to check for stones. Pain relief is also useful in cases of bladder trouble.

Until you have an update from the vet on duty, just list everything you feel may be relevent and mention them when you call/visit.
 
Thank you so much everybody,
He is home now. They said it's coming from his, um "bottom hole" (:))) and that he wasn't bleeding and hadn't been since about 3-4AMish. However, I just found blood in his hospital cage again. He is alert, sure, but not drinking, and he has eaten a little, but barely anything. They said is bits looked fine to them and nothing to be concerned about?:{
They generally still don't know what it is, I'm to bring him back on Monday for a checkup but the E-VET over the weekend if needbe. My vets are great with the rats AND piggies, so I have no idea what it is:...

:0 My poor wee son
 
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Anybody know what this could be? It's really worrying me, and especially when the vet doesn't know. Please, does anybody have any ideas or advice? His wee brother is missing himmallethead
 
Treatment for a UTI would be a good first step, just to cover that base - Septrin and Rimadyl preferably, but Baytril at the least should be tried. Next step would be checking for stones if the antibiotics don't work. Do you know if the vets did any tests on Jed?

It is rare for a pig to bleed from the anus - unless they have seen the blood actually exiting this area (not just on the anus), I would still assume it to be bladder/urethra related.

Pain can affect eating habits, which *might* explain his reluctance to eat. If he isn't eating anything much, then syringe-feeding is something to start doing. Piggies digestive systems begin to shut down fairly quickly. Your choices for syringe-feeding are a pellet mash, Critical Care, Science Recovery or Nutripowder. Vets and some pet stores may stock Critical Care or Science Recovery, while the pellet mash is one you make yourself by soaking the dry feed in water. Syringing water as well as food is also important to ensure he stays hydrated.
 
Thanks CCC4.
I took him back to the vet, as was getting really worried due to still bleeding. It appears that the blood is coming when he poos, but it's running out of his penis more often. He was fine when I first brought him home, so it was a big worry when he started to bleed again :(
Anyway he thinks it's possibly a UTI but also a slight constipation so he is pushing so hard it's forcing blood out. He has given him a shot of Baytril but I have a course of Septrin for him, also a special gel to keep him hydrated. They also gave me a free bag of Critical Care when I first picked him up, incase I needed to syringe - I forgot to mention that. I have a big syringe which holds 5mls or something. Is that okay? I've syringed Hunter before (RIP :( ) so I do know that I'm doing. :)
If anybody has any further advice, it would be much appreciated. It was a different vet I saw, who said "I would be gobsmacked if he was bleeding from the anus". So what he said so far, seems more likely. Does anybody agree?
Thanks.
Kt
 
Also, I only have two breeder-piggies and he is one of them, so it's a shock that it's him and not one of the rescues/pet shop piggies.:(

I wouldn't want any of my babies to suffer this though.
:{
 
I think it is more likely that your boy has a UTI more than anything else. Hopefully, the course of Septrin will clear it. Personally, I think that a syringe that holds a maximum of 1ml is the right size for piggies as it is a nice size to fit in to their mouths. A 5ml one may be a tad big xx
 
A one ml syringe is the ideal size for syringe feeding. There is no need to cut the tend off the syringe.
 
kt, what is the name of the gel that was given to help with hydration?

I've always found that the end does need cutting off syringes; the hole of most 1ml syringes are far too tiny for a solution of any consistency other than water. Is there a brand of syringe that cutting the end off is not necessary?
 
Syringes have the same end diameter to enable the fitting of standard size disposable needles. So whether you use Braun syringes or those by Terumo the "working end" is the same size.
I use Burgess Supa Excel Pellets or, occasionally, Supreme Science Recovery.
By not cutting the end off the syringe you ensure that the consistency of the "paste" is just right ie the pig still needs to chew before swallowing. It would seem that you are making the mix too thick. It is possible to syringe-feed banana without removing the end.
 
CCC4 said:
kt, what is the name of the gel that was given to help with hydration?

I've always found that the end does need cutting off syringes; the hole of most 1ml syringes are far too tiny for a solution of any consistency other than water. Is there a brand of syringe that cutting the end off is not necessary?
Click to expand...

It's called science recovery.
My wee guy has eaten some cucumber himself this morning xx>>>
He is refusing grass and hay though, so I'm kinda worried stillmallethead
The vet called to ask how he was, which was really decent I feel. It was the second vet. I was glad to be able to tell him that there hasn't been any more blood, and he has pooped fine. However he isn't weeing. I've syringed water to him every 2 hours.... is that okay?:...
Is it a problem if he still doesn't wee?
He isn't in any pain that I can tell, and enjoyed seeing his brother for free range time:)
 
Are you sure the Science Recovery is a hydration gel? What packaging is it in? There is a syringe feed of the same name, which is why I ask. Syringing water every 2 hours is fine, a wise idea as hydration is so important.

The problem of not peeing is the risk that a bladder stone has blocked the urethra. With everything you describe, it is a plausible concern. If you know he has not peed at all for some time, I would seriously consider talking to the vet and getting the piggie seen to ASAP, even if just to check for urine retention in the bladder.

Please excuse me for pressing this matter on syringes, kt. I would take it privately were it not for the notion that it might be of use to others. AP: The tip of every syringe I have come across - whether 1ml or 10ml - is needle-sized, thus very small. Unless the solution is very thin, food pastes do not get through this gap; it gets clogged up extremely easily. I don't understand how you do nothing to the syringe yet manage to syringe a solution that has ANY grain and consistency through this hole. Surely (in most cases) as thick a paste as possible is preferable - reduces the likelihood of laziness as it encourages them to chew more normally?
 
CCC4 said:
Please excuse me for pressing this matter on syringes, kt. I would take it privately were it not for the notion that it might be of use to others. AP: The tip of every syringe I have come across - whether 1ml or 10ml - is needle-sized, thus very small. Unless the solution is very thin, food pastes do not get through this gap; it gets clogged up extremely easily. I don't understand how you do nothing to the syringe yet manage to syringe a solution that has ANY grain and consistency through this hole. Surely (in most cases) as thick a paste as possible is preferable - reduces the likelihood of laziness as it encourages them to chew more normally?
Click to expand...

Sorry, not really up on this thread with all that's happened, and don't want to be going off topic too much, but I tend to agree. An unadapted syringe is fine for sloppy feeding, but there's too much risk of blockage followed by sudden squirting when trying to feed something thicker, and the vast majority of syringe feeds are or at least should be fairly thick. I know there's Nutripowder (or something like that, not too with it tonight) which does syringe rather well in a standard 1ml, but it's not something you'll find at vets or off the local pet shop shelf.

I prefer the O ring type syringes, where instead of a rubber nub on the end of the plunger there's an O ring to seal, fractionally up from the flat end of teh plunger inside the syringe. You can nip the tip off the syringe at the shoulder, and the plastic plunger will butt up to the outer body befre there's any sign of the rubber seal. With the more common syringes I always worry about the rubber end coming loose in a syringe with the tip cut off...
 
Burgess Supa Guinea Excel is ideal for syringe feeding. The mix is still chewable.
The rubber bung syringes are not very good, they quickly lose their "suction".
Braun Injekt syringes (correct spelling) are very good, they do not have a rubber seal, the plunger mechanism is it's own seal, they have the big advantage that they will last for many more sessions than the other type. There is no problem with food exploding from the syringe if it is correctly mixed. If you like CCC4, the next time I go down to CCT I can give you a demonstration. One of the current pigs has been fed this way since last December, the "record" was a pig a few years ago who was syringe fed for 18 months before he decided to eat normally, he was an exception!
 
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