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Start treatment now? sick pig, no voice, please help

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MissAqua

MissAqua

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My friend was looking after my pigs for a week as I went away and on my return my pig (nearly 6 yrs old) has a low apitite and has completely lost her voice with some scratching popping noise instead, she is also a bit puffed up.

My vets is not open until Tuesday. I have some Baytril left from last time she was on it for a lump on her back which is fine at present.

Its a couple of months old and the previous vet said to keep it in the fridge in case her lump goes red and irritates her again.

Should I start her on the baytril I have left or wait till TUesday?

Please help
 
Does your vets have an after hours number? I would suggest ringing to make sure. Even if you can't get your vet it would be an idea to get some advice from another vet if you can. Sorry i'm not much help!
Poor little piggy i hope she gets better soon :(
 
no don't medicate her without having her diagnosed. I would call the emergency vet. Also if she's not eating you need to syringe feed her every 4 hours to keep her gut moving. What are her poos like? Can you provide more detail on symptoms? X
 
She has perked up a bit from 6.30 this morning, although she has ignored her veg she is munching on hay at present. I have some of the liquid feed in case of emergencies and probiotic.

She is pooping but they are very small which is not completely un normal for her. Its the lack of squeaking, I have had many pigs over the years and she has been the most vocal, doesn't shut up, I think I am freaking out that she is so silent other than this scratching/popping noise. Its not her breathing making this noise.

Maybe I am feeling the guilt that I left her for a week with a friend, I warned her that Caramel would wake her up for her breakfast and my friend said she never heard anything, now I know why. If I had not gone away I would have noticed it straight away :-(

I have found an emergency number for my vet and will call if she gets any worse or stops eating altogether. Hopefully I am panicing over nothing.
Thank you for your responses
 
this happened when we left one of our pigs to be looked after by a friend while we were on holiday.
it might not be the same, you need to see a vet, but in our case it was because the pig has run out of water and got constipated then bloated because of this, his poop were really small. if she's loosing weight (weigh the pig daily), you need to syringe feed her.
we'll never ever leave our pigs with someone who doesn't know about them as it's dangerous, no matter how responsible they are, we think one of the water bottles was leaking and run out and another one was finished quickly due to hot weather and even half a day without water was nearly fatal.
 
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just occurred to me you mentioned scratching/popping noise. a lot of people say it sounds like that when a pig has URI, in which case they need to be taken to the vet asap. perhaps she's had a sudden change in climate/temperature or was kept in a place with a lot of air moving (not in a draft, I hope). did you manage to get to emergency vet? I wouldn't wait.
 
HI and welcome :)
Really sorry to hear about your piggie.........i do hope you've been able to speak to a vet and they can see her pronto!
WOW 6 years is wonderful x)
Don't belt yourself around about being away, we have to do these things sometimes........ and it always seems to happen like this :{
Hope you can update us soon, sending healing wheeeks to your little one xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
OMG I just called the emergency number and was quoted £70 for just an over the phone consultation :-( I cannot afford it 8...
 
Can you borrow the money to have her seen by the vet? I would be very concerned by the symptoms you have described.

I would suggest that you contact Laura at the guineapig helpline. She may be able to give you some advice that will help you make a decision about what to do.
http://guineapighelpline.com/phone.html
 
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