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Vibes for Smudge

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Caviesgalore (EPGPR)

Caviesgalore (EPGPR)

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Can you all please send healing vibes our way as poor Smudge has been suffering from terrible bladder problems for the last couple of days and is currently at the vets for an x-ray and possible op:(.

Poor Smudge has been troubled by bladder infections on and off for the past year. Usually a couple of weeks of Septrin does the trick, however, the infections have been getting closer together of late and lasting longer, so we need to get things checked out.

Please keep everything crossed for this gentle little piggy.

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He is so lovely, is there himi in him?

Sending gentle healing vibes Smudges way and I hope an op isn't necessary xx
 
Thanks for the vibes everyone, still no news from the vets, almost have no finger nails left now! If I don't hear anything before 1pm I have to call to see how she is. I know they had normal surgery up until 10.30/11.00 so she may still be waiting to be seen.

Smudge does have a bit of himi about her Fiona, not sure where that comes from! She has dark ears and a slightly marked smut, her front feet and one back foot are pink, the other is grey.
 
Sending many healing vibes to Smudge, and hugs to you - having to wait for news is hard.
 
Just had a call from Rob the vet and it’s good news . Smudge has had full x-rays and has no sign of stones or calcified sludge. He put her under a light general anaesthetic and has catheterised and flushed through her bladder - no sludge, only a little bloody urine was apparent. He said he was watching her as he was talking to me on the phone and she was pottering around her cage, despite only having come round from the general 15 minutes ago.

He wants to keep her on 1ml Septrin twice daily for 3 weeks, plus Metacam morning and night for a few days. Assuming all goes well they want to see her again in 3 weeks.

I am so relieved for Smudge, we have been through this with 3 of our other piggies, I'm just glad she is stone free.

Off to make up her indoor quarters now ready to bring her home around 3pm today.

Thanks again for all the vibes.

Sandra
 
hi Sandra, good news about Smudge and the xray, hope the bladder problem clears up soon. Sharon s.
 
Just collected Smudge from the vets, she's now recovering with some veggies and a heatpad in our spare room:). Thankfully she doesn't seem any worse for wear following her ordeal today, just hope the meds kick in swiftly again and that she is soon on the mend.

I'm sure my vet has put his fees up recently, £20 for a GA, £52 for an x-ray seems far more than I paid 5 months ago! My wallet is feeling somewhat bashed as our total bill, including £19 worth of meds, came to £102 - that was without surgery ?/ but needless to say I'm just pleased Smudge is ok.

Thanks again for your support today, it's nice to know there are like minded piggy people out there.
 
I am glad to hear Smudge is okay. That is a high dose of Septrin so I really hope it does the trick. In any case, having her bladder flushed through should have soothed it and hopefully washed away some of the bacteria causing the UTIs.

One thing worth mentioning though - Metacam can sometimes irritate the bladder. When my pig was diagnosed with a kidney tumour, he was actually taken in to be checked for bladder stones due to bleeding when urinating. The vet said to go easy on the Metacam - given for his tumour - as it can mildly aggravate the lining of the bladder in sensitive piggies. Rimadyl I think is better as an anti-inflammatory for bladder problems.
 
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So glad to hear that the news was good and Smudge is now recuperating at home.
 
Just read about Smudge ... glad all sounds ok with her. Hugs coming her way!

Vets bills, eh? :( Everything is now just so expensive.

What a gorgeous piggy Smudge is ... and what a great name for her! x>>
 
I'm glad that Smudge is now home and recovering well. Fingers crossed that meds help.
 
Sorry I've only just seen this thread Sandra. I hope Smudge is still on the mend and doing well. Get in touch soon :)
 
I am pleased Smudge hasn't any stones x>>

Let us know how she goes x
 
Thanks for the well wishes everyone, we've told Smudge you are all thinking of her. She is currently upstairs in the girls play room and seems to be enjoying all the attention! On the up side she is eating her veggies and hay, however, despite the meds she is still in some pain, although seems to be passing less blood than a few days ago. At the moment she has a cuddly Garfield and heatpad for company but I am thinking of moving some of the others (if not all) to join her as she obviously can't now go back out into the shed.

Cleo our kitten has also become her best friend! They first met about a week ago when Smudge became unwell. Smudge gets very excited when Cleo and I go in to see her and comes over to sniff noses with the cat - it's very sweet. Cleo wasn't sure what to make of her at first, but she now has to hop into the cage and sit as close to Smudge as she can before giving her a good sniff all over - they even shared some hay yesterday (not so good for the cat!). Obviously I am with Cleo at all times, (and she is shut out of the playroom when the girls or I aren't in there) but she is being a very good girl and I am beginning to think she thinks she is a piggy!

We have to have a follow up vet visit in two weeks time to see how Smudge is progressing. I am offering her some cranberry juice (which she isn't too keen on) as well making her veggies wet - unfortunately she is a typical bladder stone candidate, she doesn't drink a great deal.:(
 
Cleo sounds cute!
I have 3 pigs that are very poor drinkers too, it is a worry and like you, I make their veg exta wet!

I don't know if I imagine it but from reading the various posts on recurring bladder problems, many of the pigs affected are PEW 's or himi's...I wonder if they are more susceptible?
 
lavenderjade said:
Cleo sounds cute!
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lavenderjade said:
I have 3 pigs that are very poor drinkers too, it is a worry and like you, I make their veg exta wet!

I don't know if I imagine it but from reading the various posts on recurring bladder problems, many of the pigs affected are PEW 's or himi's...I wonder if they are more susceptible?
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That's an interesting thought Fiona; two of my sludge/stone piggies have been PEW/himi's. Snowy one of the himi's had two sons who went on to have stones, one only had the one and has been fine ever since (touch wood), the other, our own Tetley went to RB. Smudge is also vaguely related to Snowy so I do think bladder problems tend to run in families.

I was reading on the GL website the other day that there are now some concerns about the high incidence of bladder prone pigs that are fed on Cavy Cuisine. There was some speculation about whether CC might be causing these pigs more problems - it is impossible to know what is best to do for these piggies. I changed over to CC some time ago, thinking I was buying the best for my gang, particularly as flake foods, with added colourings, have been shown to aggravate some pigs’ bladders. We can only try to do our best for these little guys, but I do wish someone could wave a magic wand and come up with a definitive answer!

 
I have had a few of my pigs suffer from bladder stones. Two in particular ... Joey and Poppy. Both had stones removed. I remember bringing Poppy's stone (the size of an acorn) home in a little bottle. Joey unfortunately had an invasive operation to remove his. His tummy was cut and he ended up with a hernia.
Poppy was a tri coloured Coronet and Joey a tri coloured Sheltie.

Both successful operations though.

I always fed mine on Gertie until I read bad reviews and a possible link to stones because of the artificial colours in it. I don't feed it any longer and I have to say that I haven't heard my sows that used to squeak when they wee'd squeak anymore.
 
I am so sorry Sandra as I have only just caught up with this thread as I haven't been on here much lately. I can not believe that we are going through the same thing. I am so pleased to hear that Smudge is on the mend x
 
Smudge's Health Thread

Just a quick update on Smudge. On the 2nd December Smudge had full x-rays and had no sign of stones or calcified sludge. She was put under a light general anaesthetic and was catheterised and had her bladder flushed through - no sludge, only a little bloody urine was apparent.

She was on 1ml Septrin twice daily for 3 weeks, (Metacam morning and night just for a couple of days) had a vet check prior to Xmas and was found to be much more comfortable so we dropped the Septrin to 1ml once daily for a week and gradually tailed this off. Smudge has been Septrin free for about 2 weeks now and this morning she is obviously uncomfortable again.:( She is still eating etc., but seems in pain when weeing.

I have started her back on the Septrin (which she responded to well) but just wonder whether anyone can recommend another antibiotic that we could try because each time she comes off the Septrin the old problem flairs up again - maybe the infection hasn't quite gone each time? I would really like to find something that knocks the problem on the head once and for all as I am loath to keep giving her abs.
 
Sorry to hear poor Smudge is poorly again :(
I was going to say perhaps the dosage wasn't high enough but actually 1ml is quite high. Zithromax is an AB which Debbie's (furryfriends) vet has used to great effect but I dont know if it is any good for Urinary tract infections. I know Debbie will happily give you any info she can about it.

Something else I read on the GG site was about Uriflow (you may have tried that before), again just a suggestion-it does sound like some breeds are more prone to Urinary tract problems than others :(

Sending healing vibes to her x
 
Sandra I have just seen this thread, I'm so sorry i didnt see this sooner - i havent had the time to be on here alot lately.

Poor Smudge, sorry to hear shes uncomfortable again. I dont think I can help you but I'm sure someone will come up with something.

Can you not take her back to the vets? xx
 
moonie8404 said:
Sandra I have just seen this thread, I'm so sorry i didnt see this sooner - i havent had the time to be on here alot lately.

Poor Smudge, sorry to hear shes uncomfortable again. I dont think I can help you but I'm sure someone will come up with something.

Can you not take her back to the vets? xx
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That is the next step Emily, but as we have tried the Septrin on and off for a year, more frequently of late, I would like to go armed with a few suggestions!
 
Caviesgalore said:
That is the next step Emily, but as we have tried the Septrin on and off for a year, more frequently of late, I would like to go armed with a few suggestions!
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good plan Sandra - hopefully someone will be able to help - i am sorry i am no use.
 
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