Poorly Pig Anything Else I Can Do? - Abscess/ Cyst?, Ringworm, Poss. Uri?

[2pink1blue]

Hello from a newbie.
I have two little girl pigs and recently brought home a little boy from pets at home (I just couldnt help it). He seemed fine, very lively, very vocal and a friendly little thing. I booked him in to be neutered which went well but just before he was due to go back for a check up he came out in ringworm and had a very small lump appear. Vet had a small amount of pus from it and said he didnt think it was anything to worry about but prescribed a weeks course of baytril just to be on the safe side. He also prescribex two week course of intrafungal for the ringworm and said to dab the patches of hair loss with diluted hibiscrub. That was 4 days ago and yesterday i noticed he had a small scabby patch by his nose and every now and then made a sort of sneeze/cough noise, I'm wondering if this could be the start of a uri or is it nothing to be concerned about. His personality hasnt changed, he is still a bit bonkers charging around popcorning everywhere but i just want to make sure I'm doing everything i can for him. Frominformation through this site, thank you, i have given him probiotics with his food, he is eating lots and drinking fine. Am i just being a worrier about nothing ? My last two piggies lived tilll they were 6 and 7 with not one day of illness so being a nurse to them is new to me.

 

[Beans&Toast]

It could well be the start of a URI. Have you heard any hooting/clicking sounds coming from him?

 

[2pink1blue]

Not really , more of a clearing throat cough and as if something has tickled his nose. Maybe I should take him to the vets to be on the safe side, its over an hour round trip so didnt really want to take him unless necessary but dont want to take any chances either

 

[GPTV]

Hi there & welcome to the forum

have a look at this link, it will give you lots of useful information on ringworm.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

here is a link for fungal that may come in handy too, lots of treatment names included.
Another Fungal I Think

this may come in handyy too
....

welcome to the forum

try having a read through these links... lots of helpful information in them.

Alapeshs, Scabby And Flakey Skin 10 Week Old Pig.

Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

if you take both piggies to the vets, then they can both be checked & treated at the same time if it is fungal/ringworm, make sure you take your receipt (take a copy too) to prove you only bought the piggies recently & P@h should reimburse any treatments/veterinary bills too, (if you need any cleaning or disinfecting products (F10, etc) make sure they pay for those too.

i've not really had much experience of fungal issues, but i think it's usually either ivermectin injections and/or a topical wash type treatment - itrafungal that's sprayed on & left to dry, there's another oral treatment that sounds similar i just cant think of it at the moment ;(

oh... here are some of the names of treatments in this thread, (if it does turn out to be diagnosed by the vet)

Crusty And Irritating Ear...?

Helen105281 is very knowledgeable on skin problems. but yes a vet visit looks like its required i'm afraid.
oh & wooden houses/bridges etc will need thorough cleaning or disposal too, if you have fleeces or washable bedding it will need a hot wash to kill off the spores.

good luck & let us know how those little beauties get on

xx

regards the pus, its probably the start of an abscess, he will probably need a change of antibiotic - Zithromax - seems to be the the most effective (& stronger) for Abcesses generally (although its not licensed for guineas, many members have used it successfully) Baytril - is the first line of attack from vets as it is a broad spectrum Antibiotic, but it probably wont be strong enough. i would discuss with your vet & see if you can change.
I would also ask if you could have some painkiller (metacam) as this may affect his eating if he is in pain. Its good that he still has his appetite at the moment though
you will need to step in& syringe feed if he loses weight or stops eating - just to keep his digestive system ticking along nicely.
Try weighing him daily whilst he's not 100%, then weekly afterwards for a helpful guide to his general health. Any more than +/- 50g can indicate a problem brewing.

if he is on AB for the abcess then if it is a URI then the Baytril should have nipped it in the bud i would have thought. however if he has just been rehomed & had an op, his immune system will be very low at the moment so will need a little extra boost.

Try giving him some red pepper & other vit C high foods just to help him out.

congratulations on your new boy & let us know how he gets on

Oh & edit... what are they bedded on? Sawdust or wood shavings can often aggrevate respiritory problems, its often the wood reacting with urine & giving off chemicals. if that or the hay is dusty, this could be making him cough or rattley, although there are a few other things it could be, try that first.
xx

 

[Wiebke]

Hello from a newbie.
I have two little girl pigs and recently brought home a little boy from pets at home (I just couldnt help it). He seemed fine, very lively, very vocal and a friendly little thing. I booked him in to be neutered which went well but just before he was due to go back for a check up he came out in ringworm and had a very small lump appear. Vet had a small amount of pus from it and said he didnt think it was anything to worry about but prescribed a weeks course of baytril just to be on the safe side. He also prescribex two week course of intrafungal for the ringworm and said to dab the patches of hair loss with diluted hibiscrub. That was 4 days ago and yesterday i noticed he had a small scabby patch by his nose and every now and then made a sort of sneeze/cough noise, I'm wondering if this could be the start of a uri or is it nothing to be concerned about. His personality hasnt changed, he is still a bit bonkers charging around popcorning everywhere but i just want to make sure I'm doing everything i can for him. Frominformation through this site, thank you, i have given him probiotics with his food, he is eating lots and drinking fine. Am i just being a worrier about nothing ? My last two piggies lived tilll they were 6 and 7 with not one day of illness so being a nurse to them is new to me.

I am very sorry that you are having such a rough time!

Did your vet say whether the lump was an abscess or from a cyst? In the first case, please keep a good eye on it and see your vet promptly if it makes a return.

Here are our ringworm tips, especially when it comes to hygiene and preventing transmission and a return. Please be aware that ringworm is the one highly infectious and transmittable thing between all mammals, including other pets and humans!
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

It would be good if you had your boy checked for a potential URI asap, latest if you notice changes in breathing, more yellowish/greenish gunk around nose and eyes and a decline of appetite (the need to breathe comes before the need to drink and thirdly the need to eat). Alternatively, the scab could be another ringworm scab as your vet is only treating topical, but not systemic.

 

[2pink1blue]

Thanks I will note all this down and ring the vet tomorrow. The girls are in a c and c cage with felt bedding and at the moment Sausage is in a ferplast 140 I think it is on a paper type bedding from what I can remember it's called fitch? I didn't think to ask the vet what it was to be honest, we were waiting a long time to see him because they had an emergency come in so obviously we had to miss our appointment time. I didn't go to our usual vet as they are more large animal, the vet we went to has three piggies and neutered them all himself so I feel quite confident with him.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks I will note all this down and ring the vet tomorrow. The girls are in a c and c cage with felt bedding and at the moment Sausage is in a ferplast 140 I think it is on a paper type bedding from what I can remember it's called fitch? I didn't think to ask the vet what it was to be honest, we were waiting a long time to see him because they had an emergency come in so obviously we had to miss our appointment time. I didn't go to our usual vet as they are more large animal, the vet we went to has three piggies and neutered them all himself so I feel quite confident with him.

Please note that you will have to conduct a full 6 weeks safety wait until your boy is 100% safe to go with girls, whatever your vet tells you! My Tegan is a living example that a supposedly safe, vet cleared over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine) can still father a baby! I have since heard of more cases; it is rare but it can happen to anybody. So far, I have yet to hear of an over 6 weeks pregnancy although many good standard rescues in this country practice the 6 weeks cut-off with their own neutered single boar or bonding their sows to a newly neutered boar.
here are our tips for post-operative care - what you can do in supportive home care and what to expect/look out for at various stages. Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[2pink1blue]

Yes I was told 6 weeks minimum to keep them apart, hopefully the ringworm will have cleared also so there wont be any chance of him spreading it to the girls. Hate seeing him on his own so counting down the days for him to move in with the girls

 

[Wiebke]

Yes I was told 6 weeks minimum to keep them apart, hopefully the ringworm will have cleared also so there wont be any chance of him spreading it to the girls. Hate seeing him on his own so counting down the days for him to move in with the girls

Please read the tips in our ringworm guide, so you can prevent carrying anything across. It gives tips for effective disinfection (there is only one product that is know to also kill ringworm spores) and also tells you what to expect and when a piggy is safe. Once he, he can live next door to the girls, so they know each other before the formal intros. it usually makes for easier bonding. You can find lots of tips for that at the top of our bonding section when you get there.

 

[2pink1blue]

I have read through and bought some f10 so much good information on here .