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Severe diarrhea - advice please

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LennyPig

LennyPig

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ADVICE PLEASE. Got a poorly piggy here at the moment :...

Brillo, my 4 year old Rex sow has get severe diarrhea the poor baby and she is in a right mess :0

Just after some piggy savvy advice really.

It started yesterday evening with a bit of soft poops but not too severe so I cleaned her up and gave her a dose of pro-biotic and, as she was acting and eating/drinking normally, decided to keep a very close eye on her for now.

This morning, I checked on her first thing and she was in a right state :( Still eating a little, but not as much and full diarrhea now, with it all over her back end and feet, and little puddles of it in the cage.

I obviously note from her weight chart that I keep that she has lost exactly 60g in weight in the 10 days up to Sunday when she was last weighed. Going to weigh her again later when I have her out but didn't want to bug her too much all in one go.

Obviously, I whipped her straight to the vets. The vet has given her an injection of fluids to help prevent dehydration and has instructed a weak of low dose Baytril with plenty of Pro-biotics too. I'm also to supplement her food with some Critical Care.

How does this sound to folks?
 
yeah defo no veg poor thing, my first piggy had diarrhoea and was in a mess, i had to leave him every day to come to work and i was traumatised :(

Hope your little one recovers soon xx
 
A couple of weeks ago one of the Sanctuary piggies had severe diarrhoea and was so ill that he was just lay flat with lots of watery, smelly diarrhoea running from him. I really didn't think there was any way that he could recover from this.

What Simon, my vet, suggested was to try the antibiotic metronidazole (flagyl) as it's good for bowel infections, and in addition to make up syringe feed and add probiotic and colestyramine (Questran) - he said to use about 1/4 of the sachet of colestyramine per day mixed in with plenty of syringe food. This is very good for firming up the stools but you have to be careful not to use too much as it can cause the piggie to become dehydrated. He also gave sub cut fluids and said to give metacam twice a day.

Little China was so very poorly that I nearly said that we should put him to sleep as I couldn't see how such an ill piggie could possibly recover and felt that we were fighting a losing battle and just delaying the inevitiable. However, I decided to go with Simon's suggestions for 24 hours and then make a decision. By the next morning he was back up on his legs and the diarrhoea was starting to ease. We continued with the colestyramine for another couple of days, and with the metronidazole for 10 days and he has made a complete recovery.

I have never had a piggie who has been so desperately ill with diarrhoea ever recover before. His wasn't just soft poo it was brown, smelly water and he was so ill he couldn't stand up or move around.
 
Poor girl isn't really eating and to be honest I'm struggling to get Critical Care down her as she fights it and just spits a lot of it up.

What can be done if this is happening?
 
So tired :( ... Been up night just having light dozes now and then, because I have been keeping vigil over my little Brillo pig ♥

Poor baby is having to have her back end and feet all cleaned every couple of hours and being syringe fed every couple of hours too.

She seems to be having some sort of neurological symptoms too, trouble moving around and reaching.
 
I have everything crossed for Brillo.
It really sounds like you are both going through it.


You are doing all you can, come on Brillo, rooting for you.
 
LennyPig said:
So tired :( ... Been up night just having light dozes now and then, because I have been keeping vigil over my little Brillo pig ♥

Poor baby is having to have her back end and feet all cleaned every couple of hours and being syringe fed every couple of hours too.

She seems to be having some sort of neurological symptoms too, trouble moving around and reaching.
Click to expand...

This sounds very similar to how China was. I found syringe feeding difficult. He could only swallow very small amounts, so found giving about 0.3ml and then waiting 5 mins and giving another 0.3ml. Add plenty of probiotic to the syringe food. I put two huge scoops into each cupful of syringe food.

You're doing great! Try and get some rest. Sending you hugs xx
 
Been taking care of a very very sick Brillo all day again (yes, I'm exhausted!).

Been back to the vets this morning. Not sure if she's going to make it to be honest :( .

Vet suspects possible kidney damage due to the dehydration... We can only hope and do all we can to continue rehydrating and syringe feeding her.

It is up to her now. She's a strong little madam and still affectionate despite obviously feeling so poorly.

I'm NOT giving up on her. She's a fighter.
 
So sorry to hear about your poorly little girl, i have been there aswell, not the diarrhea thing, but a very poorly piggy, i was syringe feeding around the clock, i know how tiring and emotionally draining it is, he was at death door, but i kept going, he hated being syringe fed, he put up such a fight, but i used gentle force proving who was boss, he soon got used to the idea and i believe realized why i was doing it, and although he didn't like it, he took the syringe food, 4 weeks later we was back to full health, he is now perfectly well and very happy. So it can be done, it will be hard, tiring work, but fingers crossed it will be worth every second! Huge hugs and healing vibes xxxxx
 
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