Here is the article referenced on that Wiki page:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE ... articleTop
(at the bottom of the page, click "View Full Article")
Interesting reading.
Brody's Thread - Anal Impaction, Vitamin Deficiency?
Full article is very interesting. I wonder if there have been any other studies about it?
Not too much more with human trials that I can find (multiple sites covering same trial. This one is a trial conducted on cats with similar findings:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17063696
Today is a very lethargic day. I spent a good few hours trying to hand feed fluids because he hasn't been drinking enough on his own. He went down from 100+ml a day to 40ml. He would pretend to be interested in the water bottle and then turn away after a sip. Dandelion greens are still amazingly yummy and pellets are surprisingly appealing. I wonder why the sudden drop in fluid intake.
SubQs will be the next step if this keeps up. Sigh. I REALLY don't want to have to force more on him if I can help it.
Not too much more with human trials that I can find (multiple sites covering same trial. This one is a trial conducted on cats with similar findings:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17063696
Today is a very lethargic day. I spent a good few hours trying to hand feed fluids because he hasn't been drinking enough on his own. He went down from 100+ml a day to 40ml. He would pretend to be interested in the water bottle and then turn away after a sip. Dandelion greens are still amazingly yummy and pellets are surprisingly appealing. I wonder why the sudden drop in fluid intake.
SubQs will be the next step if this keeps up. Sigh. I REALLY don't want to have to force more on him if I can help it.
-
Talishan
- You can quote me
Sometimes one subcue is all it takes to jump-start an interest in fluids. I think they sometimes forget what it feels like to be properly hydrated, then remember once they get there.
Also try syringing unflavored Pedialyte. Many pigs love this stuff (for reasons incomprehensible to me; if you haven't had kids, taste it. If you have, you know what I'm talking about ;-). If he likes it, put it, or a blend of water and Pedialyte, in his water bottle.
Pedialyte has no preservatives and is a mold factory. It can be kept in the fridge for 48 hours only (some GL members make ice cubes out of it to extend the useful life of the bottle). If you do end up putting it in his bottle, rinse and refill the bottle twice a day and change, bleach and clean the bottle *every two days* at a minimum.
PITA? You bet. Way less PITA than subcues, though.
Also try syringing unflavored Pedialyte. Many pigs love this stuff (for reasons incomprehensible to me; if you haven't had kids, taste it. If you have, you know what I'm talking about ;-). If he likes it, put it, or a blend of water and Pedialyte, in his water bottle.
Pedialyte has no preservatives and is a mold factory. It can be kept in the fridge for 48 hours only (some GL members make ice cubes out of it to extend the useful life of the bottle). If you do end up putting it in his bottle, rinse and refill the bottle twice a day and change, bleach and clean the bottle *every two days* at a minimum.
PITA? You bet. Way less PITA than subcues, though.
Thaaanks Talishan :) You're absolutely right. I've been giving him cold, clean water through a curved syringe and for some reason that is REALLY fun to drink from. I guess because the thin stream of water is different and tickles and makes him chew. He loves it. After a few times of doing that he got back into the swing of drinking and haven't had too many problems since, but I've been watching his food and water intake carefully just in case. It's nice to know Pedialyte will help if we go back down that path.
No kids here but have had enough animals that I've ended up trying it. Blech. :P No harm in trying him on it, I guess!
Today we're full of it again and running around the living room and in general being kind of a nuisance (chewing on furniture and the like) Of course, I say that with the utmost love and satisfaction. :)
No kids here but have had enough animals that I've ended up trying it. Blech. :P No harm in trying him on it, I guess!
Today we're full of it again and running around the living room and in general being kind of a nuisance (chewing on furniture and the like) Of course, I say that with the utmost love and satisfaction. :)
I know, odd. The rest were in the dishwasher from feeding and medication and I knew I needed water fast, so it was an improvisation. But he drank two full syringes from it. And wanted more.
And now the other syringes just aren't as cool...
And now the other syringes just aren't as cool...
Long time no update ladies and gents.
Brody's health had held steady for about two weeks with daily Benazepril doses in ears and diligent care. Bum cleaning, weighing and twice daily offering of water from syringes when he started to seem a little sunken, lots of greens when his tummy could handle it and vitamin supplements when it couldn't. He seemed to be doing well. The last week or so he's had a steady decline with a constant upset stomach, gas, soft stools, apathy and seeming depressed in general. He's not moving around much any more and drinking constantly. Today he had his first accident out of his cage since he was babe. Even now when I go to hold him he kind of stays hunched in his cage. When we cuddle he hunches and grinds his teeth. His head twitches to the side like he's in pain. He dozes all of the time, but restlessly.
Our follow up for how the Benazepril is working is this Saturday and unless the doctor has something amazing up his sleeve that he thinks could improve his quality of life it will probably be time to let go.
I hope that my sparse but still somewhat descriptive posts will help someone else care for their pig who has been diagnosed with Renal disease and will reassure them that there can be enough time left to enjoy your last days together with the help of a smart vet, medications and diligent care. Despite the difficult times I think it's definitely true that time spent caring for your pet can bring you even closer together.
Some people, even people I greatly respect in my life, believe that animals are not capable of conscious and organized thought beyond what their instincts tell them. I don't have enough recorded evidence to prove anyone wrong. But just sitting with Brody curled up next to my chin, I know he knows I would go to the end of the Earth to make him feel better. And just knowing he knows that makes it OK.
A special thanks to everyone who helped me along on my travels to the end of the Earth.
Love armoftheland and Brodus
Brody's health had held steady for about two weeks with daily Benazepril doses in ears and diligent care. Bum cleaning, weighing and twice daily offering of water from syringes when he started to seem a little sunken, lots of greens when his tummy could handle it and vitamin supplements when it couldn't. He seemed to be doing well. The last week or so he's had a steady decline with a constant upset stomach, gas, soft stools, apathy and seeming depressed in general. He's not moving around much any more and drinking constantly. Today he had his first accident out of his cage since he was babe. Even now when I go to hold him he kind of stays hunched in his cage. When we cuddle he hunches and grinds his teeth. His head twitches to the side like he's in pain. He dozes all of the time, but restlessly.
Our follow up for how the Benazepril is working is this Saturday and unless the doctor has something amazing up his sleeve that he thinks could improve his quality of life it will probably be time to let go.
I hope that my sparse but still somewhat descriptive posts will help someone else care for their pig who has been diagnosed with Renal disease and will reassure them that there can be enough time left to enjoy your last days together with the help of a smart vet, medications and diligent care. Despite the difficult times I think it's definitely true that time spent caring for your pet can bring you even closer together.
Some people, even people I greatly respect in my life, believe that animals are not capable of conscious and organized thought beyond what their instincts tell them. I don't have enough recorded evidence to prove anyone wrong. But just sitting with Brody curled up next to my chin, I know he knows I would go to the end of the Earth to make him feel better. And just knowing he knows that makes it OK.
A special thanks to everyone who helped me along on my travels to the end of the Earth.
Love armoftheland and Brodus
Thanks for the support. The suggestion is a good one lynx, I only wish you could be right! There were no stones found on the x-ray, only the enlarged kidneys. Sadly I think between his cecal pellet problems and not feeling well from the kidneys and just being plain old he's never regained his health completely. He's somewhat chipper in turns, but mostly he sits still in his cage. When he squeaks it's feeble and breaks my heart. I know he doesn't feel well. He tries to hide it when I talk to him or hold him, but he just isn't making it.
He can't go to the bathroom well, he is so stiff he can barely move and he's hardly interested in life any longer. He isn't even interested in me, it's more and more that I touch him or talk to him and he turns away and grinds his teeth. The only thing he is interested in is his favourite dandelion greens which then makes his tummy upset and gassy, and even when he's interested he seems to only pick at them.
He's down to 1lb 2.5oz. When I went to the vet Saturday he agreed it was nearing "that time" mainly due to the weight loss. My guess would be the lack of cecal pellets and the supplements just not cutting it, but who knows. It could be an underlying issue. Fact of the matter is we've exhausted the benazepril. It slowed things down but he spaces out. You can tell it's not much longer anyway.
I think that Talishan makes an excellent point of pain medication and to any one else I highly encourage you to consider this, but for us I think although it may ease the pain superficially the quality of life is so low that it's better to just say good bye.
It's been a harder road to take than I thought.
Our appointment is Thursday night. I took the day off work to spend it with him. We'll walk to the vet together and breathe fresh clean air, eat fresh clean grass and say good bye.
He can't go to the bathroom well, he is so stiff he can barely move and he's hardly interested in life any longer. He isn't even interested in me, it's more and more that I touch him or talk to him and he turns away and grinds his teeth. The only thing he is interested in is his favourite dandelion greens which then makes his tummy upset and gassy, and even when he's interested he seems to only pick at them.
He's down to 1lb 2.5oz. When I went to the vet Saturday he agreed it was nearing "that time" mainly due to the weight loss. My guess would be the lack of cecal pellets and the supplements just not cutting it, but who knows. It could be an underlying issue. Fact of the matter is we've exhausted the benazepril. It slowed things down but he spaces out. You can tell it's not much longer anyway.
I think that Talishan makes an excellent point of pain medication and to any one else I highly encourage you to consider this, but for us I think although it may ease the pain superficially the quality of life is so low that it's better to just say good bye.
It's been a harder road to take than I thought.
Our appointment is Thursday night. I took the day off work to spend it with him. We'll walk to the vet together and breathe fresh clean air, eat fresh clean grass and say good bye.
SHOP AMAZON