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Three pigs who aren't eating

Hope you can get some rest after your doggy's sorted with meds. It is so stressful with poorly pets, hopefully they can get sorted with the vets and come home happy for you. So sorry you lost your one piggy but hopefully these two will pull through. Everything crossed for you and the piggies x
 
I just wanted to offer some support, and I will be thinking of you. I lost one of my pigs last week after a long illness and it was so stressful. Prayers to you all xx
 
Thank you to everyone ❤ I have just had a phone call from Valeria (the vet). It's her weekend off. I asked her if she had come in especially to check on my pigs, and she had. She's going to call in tonight and again in the morning to check on them. Marcus is still the worst of the two, but they are passing faeces. They still aren't eating food as yet. but it's possible they may be coming home tomorrow for me to continue their care. It was definitely the right decision to leave them in their care, at least to get them over the worst. I can cope then at home with the care. I have been through similar with my rabbit a few years ago.
 
GailM said:
Thank you to everyone ❤ I have just had a phone call from Valeria (the vet). It's her weekend off. I asked her if she had come in especially to check on my pigs, and she had. She's going to call in tonight and again in the morning to check on them. Marcus is still the worst of the two, but they are passing faeces. They still aren't eating food as yet. but it's possible they may be coming home tomorrow for me to continue their care. It was definitely the right decision to leave them in their care, at least to get them over the worst. I can cope then at home with the care. I have been through similar with my rabbit a few years ago.
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I love a vet that goes the extra mile, I hope you have managed to get some rest and the boys are on the mend, it does sound that way when they are pooping fingers crossed x
 
I had another call a couple of hours ago. Valeria had told me that the nurse (Beatrice) would call me at the end of her shift). Marcus is not doing too well. She said he's not wanting to swallow whatever it is they are feeding them. I expect it's the critical care stuff or similar. James is doing better. I will be updated again in the morning. I did manage to get some sleep last night. I was due to get up at 8.30 because of my dog's meds, but my conure decided to wake me at 7...x
 
I wonder if they have checked for bloat? I’m sure they know what they are doing, poor piggy’s I hope they pull through. Some antibiotics can effect the appetite massively in pigs, it’s so sad. I’m sorry you are going through this.
 
I'm so very sorry, such dreadful news. Please look after yourself. Xx
 
I'm so sorry for your devastating news. I hope the vet can find the cause. Just sad. We are all here to support you. X
 
Thanks everyone. I'm ok. I was expecting it to be honest. Not that it makes it any easier. The vet had said yesterday morning that he was the most ill of the two. I don't know whether I mentioned it before but Valeria had told me about a pig presenting with the same symptoms and that the vet (I don't know if it was my vets). The owner was asked if they could perform a post mortem but they refused. The vet said they understood why the client didn't want to do it, but that it would have helped from a scientific point of view, and they could learn something from their findings to help future pigs. When I spoke to Valeria this morning I gave the go ahead for a post mortem if one of them died. At first I couldn't stand the thought of it, but it could possibly help James and others in the future. I'd like to think I can help in some way towards that.
 
GailM said:
I've just had a call to say Marcus has died. James is doing well. I will be updated again in the morning.
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So sorry to hear this, but pleased James is doing well. A post mortam would be scientifically useful and if it helps other piggy’s then I see no problem with having one. It is personal preference though. Let us know the findings if you want to. I hope you’re ok x
 
So very sorry to hear this. Sending hugs to you and healing for James xx
 
Valeria has phoned. James is doing well and eating but his poos are too small at the moment. Once they are normal size he can go home. She is going to do a post mortem on Marcus, and then I can pick both pigs up together. I'm worried how James will cope on his own as he has always been with others. I had three pigs years ago, which gradually dwindled to one. I kept a close eye on the remaining one, especially with the eating, and she died three months after the previous one. I don't really want to go down the route of getting another pig. Plus I don't know what he'd make of another. I think once I lose James and my two girl pig, I need a rest.
 
So sorry for that sad news, hope you're ok. Hope James carries on improving bless him xx
 
GailM said:
Valeria has phoned. James is doing well and eating but his poos are too small at the moment. Once they are normal size he can go home. She is going to do a post mortem on Marcus, and then I can pick both pigs up together. I'm worried how James will cope on his own as he has always been with others. I had three pigs years ago, which gradually dwindled to one. I kept a close eye on the remaining one, especially with the eating, and she died three months after the previous one. I don't really want to go down the route of getting another pig. Plus I don't know what he'd make of another. I think once I lose James and my two girl pig, I need a rest.
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That’s understandable, there are a few options you could do so that James doesn’t feel lonely: put him in his own cage next to/cordoned off from the lady’s where they can interact through the bars or (once he has recovered from all this) get him neutered and have all three together? I’m no expert with this but it’s just a suggestion. You know him best and will know if he is lonely. I also had piggy’s when I was a child and my boy lasted over a year on his own after his brother passed away, every pig is different I think.
 
So so sorry you have lost Marcus, what a horrible time you are having, sending hugs x Fingers crossed for James, hope he make a sound recovery x
 
G&C said:
That’s understandable, there are a few options you could do so that James doesn’t feel lonely: put him in his own cage next to/cordoned off from the lady’s where they can interact through the bars or (once he has recovered from all this) get him neutered and have all three together? I’m no expert with this but it’s just a suggestion. You know him best and will know if he is lonely. I also had piggy’s when I was a child and my boy lasted over a year on his own after his brother passed away, every pig is different I think.
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I can't put his cage next to the girls. I had a house specially made. It looks like a giant rabbit hutch. Boys at the top, girls at the bottom. They each have two levels. It's fixed together by brackets at the back. I could separate to make two, but they are five foot wide and I don't have the room. Plus that would mean the top part had no "legs". I wouldn't want to get his neutered after all he's been through. I would be frightened of losing him under the anaesthetic too. I will keep a really close eye on him and see how he goes on.
 
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G&C said:
So sorry to hear this, but pleased James is doing well. A post mortam would be scientifically useful and if it helps other piggy’s then I see no problem with having one. It is personal preference though. Let us know the findings if you want to. I hope you’re ok x
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Marcus had an enlarged heart. She said something about the liver and gut. I'm going to ask her again tomorrow morning when I update her on James.
 
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I didn't get to speak to Valeria yesterday. I spoke to Amanda, the nurse. Updated her on James. I haven't had a call back. I'm going to phone tomorrow as James will have been on Loxicom and Zantac a week by then. The other meds began two days later. He seems to be enjoying his kale. I think he might have had a tiny amount of pellets between 10.30 last night and 8.30 this morning. He's quiet unless I'm picking him up and spending a lot of time is the little house. I call it his igloo. I was told to block part of his cage off which I have done, but he still has loads of room with it being five foot across. I've just taken the ladder away so he can't get to the "bedroom".
 
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Sounds like he’s doing well which is great news. Is him hiding in his igloo normal behaviour for him? If not it could be that he is in pain or lonely :soz: continue to keep a close eye you are doing an amazing job
 
G&C said:
Sounds like he’s doing well which is great news. Is him hiding in his igloo normal behaviour for him? If not it could be that he is in pain or lonely :soz: continue to keep a close eye you are doing an amazing job
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All three went in it, often all at the same time! How they all fit is beyond me. I've just had to have the vet out to my dog. Emergency echocardiogram Thursday. It should have been next month.
 
GailM said:
All three went in it, often all at the same time! How they all fit is beyond me. I've just had to have the vet out to my dog. Emergency echocardiogram Thursday. It should have been next month.
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Oh gosh, poor doggy. It maybe smells like the other two and providing him with some comfort :)
 
Glad James is feeling a bit better. Sorry about your doggy. Hope you're ok and James carries on his munching x
 
GailM said:
lt maybe does smell of the other two. I feel so sorry for him. He must wonder where they are.
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He may be pining for them both but this should subside in a day or two if he’s still hiding away after then, maybe get him vet checked again.
 
alpacasqueak said:
Glad James is feeling a bit better. Sorry about your doggy. Hope you're ok and James carries on his munching x
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I'm trying not to cry. If I cry too much I won't be able to see the numbers on the syringes. I'm using reading glasses and a magnifying glass as it is for James's medication. I can read Coco's (parrot) without the magnifying glass. I'm about to lose my dog. I don't know whether it's days or weeks. Maybe a bit longer. He's ten and I've had him since he was a puppy. A lot of my tears now are for him.
 
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