Smokey - pharyngeal abnormality

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jacqueline

Post   » Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:37 pm


So, just to share some good news as well as the bad. . .

As with Olive, Smokey eats his veggies well if I slice them into little pieces. He seems to have trouble getting pellets out of a dish, so I tried putting them on a flat plate and he was able to gobble them up.

The increase in Metacam is helping. When syringe feeding him, if I slide the syringe into the side of his mouth, rather than ask him to take it with a (slightly) up-turned head he does better.

The above makes me think there really must be something happening in his neck area that interferes with his eating, breathing, etc.

He's come to enjoy lap time. I elevator him out in his hidey, then we sit on the sofa. I take him out and put him on my lap and he gets his CC until he decides he's had enough (I usually try to push at least one more syringe full in anyway!). Then I bring the hidey back and he clambers in. I pull him back on my lap for awhile, and that's when he gets funny.

He'll get brave enough to poke his head in and out, even occasionally venturing a bit down my leg to the sofa, then quickly scrambling back inside. He'll just stare at me, while I do some paper work. Last night he came out and sniffed my face, then dashed back in like he was being by a hawk!

I just love this guy!!

Crazy4me

Post   » Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:46 pm


Smokey sounds like he is coming out of his shell. He definitely is a happy camper even though he has his medical issue. This is because you give him love and great care.

Talishan
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Post   » Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:31 pm


Ditto. Carry on. There will be bad days and good days, probably. If the Metacam is helping, by all means keep it up. It's possible the anti-inflammatory action of it is keeping the neck/throat problem swelling reduced a little, at least enough to give him some relief and that's what you're shooting for.

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jacqueline

Post   » Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:33 pm


Well, who'd have thought! I decided to move Smokey into the soft herd. I figured if he was going to just hang out in his hidey, he may as well do it there. He wouldn't get picked on, and it would free up a spot for a cage and some other pigs.

Well, I put him down, via an elevator ride in his favorite hidey, and he's become a different pig! He's running around like a maniac - even popcorning!! He's alert and hasn't yet spent a minute inside his hidey since landing. He's terrifying Dak (my pig with LWS), but not too badly. He just seems so happy!!

I'm keeping an eye on his breathing, but so far he's doing okay. I'm guessing he'll self-regulate anyway.

I'm astounded and pretty happy. I'm hoping that Dak and he will come to terms pretty quickly however. Dak doesn't really do well with new pigs - he's pretty defenseless - deaf, blind, no opposing teeth to bite with. .

Talishan
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Post   » Sun Jun 08, 2014 11:23 am


That's awesome. :-)

Please keep us posted. I hope he and Dak can come to terms beneficial to them both.

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jacqueline

Post   » Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:38 pm


Alas, Smokey simply could not stop terrorizing Dak, I had to remove him for Dak's sake.

But seeing the change in him was so heartening that I decided to try to pair him with Hawkeye. So far, so good. the two of them are getting along as good as any boys would. There's chasing, only a little teeth chattering and rumbling. But the hair standing up has almost disappeared, so I'm guessing it's settling down to boys just pestering each other and rough housing. There was never any biting, whihc I take as a good sign. Maybe the two of them were each so lonely being together, they appreciate the company.

They're in a pretty big space right now with hay and a tent - no hideys. I'll leave them here all day and put them in their new cage tonight. I may try to make their cage a little more than 2x4, at least for now.

Cross all crossables, please!

Talishan
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Post   » Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:48 pm


Done. :-) Please keep us posted.

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jacqueline

Post   » Fri Jun 13, 2014 6:14 am


There's an interesting thing here. I think it happened with both Smokey and Charlie Brown. Both of them are/were special needs - CB had a too much trauma and was emotionally scarred and Smokey has the breathing problem.

Both of them always came out of the gate fighting and on the offensive. Makes me wonder if there isn't something else at play her. Like a perspective towards the world that means you have to fight extra hard when you're sick and vulnerable.

I don't have an other explanation for Smokey right now. When he's alone, he sits quietly in the corner, and runs to hide when I just walk past his cage.

But when I move him in with other pigs, even quiet gentle ones, he turns into a ninja pig. Sad for him. But he has such a limited life span that I don't need to push this. The last piig I had with this abnormality lived only a couple of months.

Talishan
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Post   » Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:11 am


I think your psychological analysis is probably correct.

User avatar
jacqueline

Post   » Sun Jun 15, 2014 4:02 pm


Smokey's gaining weight - that's the good news.

I fortuitously discovered two small bite wounds that were infected. but not yet abscessed. Cleaned them out and am treating, He's already on ABs. They must be close to 2 weeks old, since that's the last time he was housed with another pig.

The really bad news is that his breathing has worsened. It is quite an effort for him to breathe - his whole body just struggles. I don't know quite how to describe it. But when I hold him, his whole body kind of spasms.

He still eats hay, veggies and pellets. He's very sweet and docile at this pint - I suspect mostly because he just doesn't have the energy to run away or resist. He's a great snuggler, and will just perch himself on my shoulder, under my chin, while I whisper sweet nothings in his ear and hold him.

It's breaking my heart. He's pretty much on the highest does of the metacam my vet is comfortable with. There's not much else that can be done.

How long do I let him struggle for every breath like this? What the vet and I foresee is that a respiratory crisis will occur and lead to his death. That's what happened with Olive.

There's a part of me that thinks I should just let him go now, and not put him through any more suffering. On the other hand. . .

I just don't know. Any thoughts?

Crazy4me

Post   » Sun Jun 15, 2014 5:14 pm


What a dilemma Jacqueline, and I wouldn't know either what to do.

I think you just have to do what you think is right in this situation (which we all know you will).

Is there anything other than the Metacam that would help his breathing or relax him?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:31 pm


It's hard to know what they would define as "suffering". We can define it for ourselves, of course, but to him it may just be a factual "it's hard to breathe" like "it's hot today" would be for us. They don't think about it.

Do you see the spark of engagement in him still? Engagement with you, his surroundings, his food? Is he in pain, at least as far as you can tell? And what dose of Metacam is he currently on?

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