Beautiful girl dropped, I'm crying...

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WICharlie

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:27 pm


Thanks for all of your replies. I am feeling a little better about it. Right now, she basically rests which is good. She has dropped two ounces and I'm keeping an eye on that. I pray I don't have to hand feed her, because I really don't want to handle her more than I have to.

To weigh her, I took out her hidey and then held the hat open. She went in headfirst to hide which turned out to be perfect, because her legs hung out and I was able to lift her and put her on the scale without jostling the legs (and she didn't struggle).

Glade, your Blue looks like what my other pig (Pig Fun Skipper) will look like when she grows up. She has the same smooth, red hair and the dented head with white on it (a crested?).

You could be right, Klynne. I was scared to death of the impaction issue with boy pigs and didn't want to foster boys...until I rescued Charlie and Chester. First thing Chester needed was an impaction cleaned out. Then he needed handfed and his teeth cared for, so I learned about that.

So, if Izabo mends, I will feel comfortable caring for a pig with a broken limb. Poor girl though. She was just getting happy about having some actual space to run around in after spending 3 years (probably) in a petstore cage.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:58 pm


She has dropped two ounces and I'm keeping an eye on that. I pray I don't have to hand feed her, because I really don't want to handle her more than I have to.
I know how hard this is, but I'd start handfeeding if she's dropped 2 ounces in such a short time. Was this weightloss the first day, or is it something that's happened since then?

You don't want her to go into stasis on top of all of this.

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Amy0204
We miss our sweet Oreo

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:13 pm


When Nutmeg was going through the same ordeal, he lost some weight. It seemed to be directly attributable to the metacam. I found that while he was on the painkiller, he didn't seem interested in eating. However, I could entice him with carrots (his favorite). The vet thought if that kept him interested, it wouldn't hurt for a few days. Sure enough, as soon as I started with the carrots, the weight stabelized and once he was off the metacam, the weight returned to normal.

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Brimstone
For Rocky

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:36 pm


I'd be very, very surprised if it didn't knit. It may not knit perfectly, but it'll knit.
I realize Talishan's talking about the bone knitting, but when I first read this I pictured a guinea pig sitting on her rump with wee little knitting needs and some yarn knitting herself a nice cozy cuddle or something. Sorry, I guess I'm just in a weird mood today.

Hope your pig heals fine. That's cool that she willingly went into the hat and could be easily picked up from there. I had 2 pigs who would hop into their cozy cuddles when it was time to put them back in the cage. Unfortunately they didn't teach this trick to their younger "nephews".

klynne

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:48 pm


Ah, had to remind myself repeatedly of my words to you, last night.

Autumn suddenly lauched herself out of my hands as I returned her to her cage, did a piggie swan dive, and landed on her left front leg.

Broken toenail (right at the joint, bled profusely) and broken toe, sigh. Thank goodness there were no worse injuries, but, um, we'd just as soon have not copied you in any way.

WICharlie

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:15 pm


Oh no, Klynne! It's such a feeling of helplessness when you are watching them fall and can't do a darn thing about it. I'm glad she wasn't seriously injured.

How do you know her toe was broken? And what did you do? I think I would have been freaking out even more if blood had been involved with Izabo.

WICharlie

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:26 pm


If I have to handfeed her, Mum, can you think of any way to hold her so I don't bump or put pressure on the broken back leg? I'm terrified of jostling it and maybe putting the two broken ends out of alighnment with each other and then they don't heal properly.

I've been weighing her with the hat, and my husband has been lifting her (very gently with both hands so the legs dangle) so I can give her the metacam every evening. That's all the lifting we have been doing. When she is out of the cage, I mix up the bedding (aspen) so there is a cleaner place under her each time.

With my husband at work most of the day, I could not count on his help for regular handfeeding.

She does like carrots...

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:34 pm


WICharlie, put her on the counter and corral her in the corner of one arm, feed with the other. This way all feet are under her and she will find the best and least hurtful way to stand.

I always thought metacalm helped appetite because pain suppressed it.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:42 pm


Or you could have your husband hold her, with her legs dangling, and put a hand to support her lower spine. Then you could feed her. It sounds complicated, but if you have to feed her then you'll have to find a way to make it work - although it may involve two people.

I always thought Metacam helped as well. As I understand it, animals in pain won't eat, and Metacam helps them to feel better and therefore to eat.

I'm thinking if people are saying the animals didn't eat because of the metacam, that maybe the problem was not the metacam but the initial problem that required the metacam (if that makes sense).

WICharlie

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:24 pm


Okay, I just weighed her (using "the hat") and she has gained an ounce back. I gave her a baby carrot afterwards and it was inhaled. Phew. I think we're good.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:24 pm


Yes, a second person would be nice. Try to make her feel comfortable and secure.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:26 pm


"... sitting on her rump with wee little knitting needs and some yarn knitting herself a nice cozy cuddle or something."

That's how it sounded to me as I typed it too, but I couldn't think of a better way to put it! :-P

WICharlie, do you have any Critical Care? You could try to mix some up, perhaps to a slightly runnier-than-normal consistency, and just offer it to her. See if she will take it voluntarily, without being picked up or moved. If she likes it and will take it that way, it would supplement her and hopefully help her to regain without a lot of handling and traumatizing.

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