Senior pig with ovarian cysts & hair loss

[PipandOreo]

Hi, I’m a bit lost at the moment with my pig Pip. She‘s 6.5 years old and has ovarian cysts. Myself and the vet have decided to not ‘treat’ them (ie. drain, spay or injections) but are rather giving her metacam to control pain. She‘s on a low dose of metcam at the moment as she didn’t react so well to it earlier this year so the vet decided to try a lower dose first, she’s on 0.15ml twice a day with the 1.5 dog metacam. Our review isn’t until the end of January but I’m thinking of maybe asking to up her dosage a bit just because I feel things are getting a bit worse. She‘s lost quite a bit of hair recently, it started thinning in August but has suddenly gotten worse.

She is still eating well and up at the bars wanting more food. Her weight does fluctuate but I am weighing her everyday so that could be why? The most she’s dropped in a day was 20g but then put it back on straight away, she weighs around 820g. She seems okay in herself but I’m just worried that maybe I’m being selfish. She looks so different but shes still got her sass and character so I feel she’s not given up. Even though she’s eating as normal I worry she could still be in pain and just hiding it super well.

(Sorry for the bad quality pictures but I didn’t want to bother her too much)

 

[sport_billy]

Certainly would advise speaking to vet about increasing pain killer warrior rather than later

Tagging in @Wiebke @Piggies&buns @Siikibam @PigglePuggle @Freela

 

[sport_billy]

Sending vibes to you little one also

 

[Claire W]

Aw bless her. I once had an elderly girl who had an ovarian cyst but as it wasn’t bothering her, my vet just kept an eye on her.

Does she appear to be in pain? If so, I would definitely speak to your vet about increasing the metacam dosage. Is there a reason why you’re reluctant to try the hormone injections?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, I’m a bit lost at the moment with my pig Pip. She‘s 6.5 years old and has ovarian cysts. Myself and the vet have decided to not ‘treat’ them (ie. drain, spay or injections) but are rather giving her metacam to control pain. She‘s on a low dose of metcam at the moment as she didn’t react so well to it earlier this year so the vet decided to try a lower dose first, she’s on 0.15ml twice a day with the 1.5 dog metacam. Our review isn’t until the end of January but I’m thinking of maybe asking to up her dosage a bit just because I feel things are getting a bit worse. She‘s lost quite a bit of hair recently, it started thinning in August but has suddenly gotten worse.

She is still eating well and up at the bars wanting more food. Her weight does fluctuate but I am weighing her everyday so that could be why? The most she’s dropped in a day was 20g but then put it back on straight away, she weighs around 820g. She seems okay in herself but I’m just worried that maybe I’m being selfish. She looks so different but shes still got her sass and character so I feel she’s not given up. Even though she’s eating as normal I worry she could still be in pain and just hiding it super well.

(Sorry for the bad quality pictures but I didn’t want to bother her too much)

Hi!

If you want to up the medication, then please contact the clinic and ask how much you can safely go up; especially in view of the upcoming holidays.

If you weigh daily, you need to be aware that the weight swings around 30-40g over the course of 24 hours. Just the difference between a full and an empty bladder can make 10g, just to put things into perspective. A piggy can weigh 30-40g more after their veg meal and pellets.
Ideally, you always weigh at the same time in the feeding cycle. Personally, I find first thing in the morning when the weight is lowest the best time for day to day comparison but even then, you are working within a 30g weight band rather than a steady weight. Because of that, we only speak of weight loss from 50g onward. Anything less, whether it is a sudden loss or a slow but steady downward trend is still within acceptable limits.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Merab]

Holding you in my thoughts

 

[Freela]

Regardless of how the hair loss looks, the fact that she is being her usual sassy self and eating well is a good indicator that she's pretty comfortable. It's definitely worth speaking to the vet about how to increase pain meds though... you could even increase temporarily according to the vet's instructions and see if there is any change in her behavior that way. If she seems perkier on a higher dose, it might be worth keeping her there as she may be more comfortable, but if she still behaves the same she is likely just as comfortable on the lower dose. Hope this helps!