Milly is pretty much the same. She had another check-up at the vets, and I explained about the collapse. He said it could be her sugar level, but he had carried out several urine tests when she was kept in, and none of the glucose levels were that far off normal. He’s rather concerned that she may have collapsed before, when we weren’t around. She’s had two broken incisors in the last three months, and he wondered if she may have collapsed and hit her mouth on something. If she collapses again, I’m to rub a glucose solution on her gums, so it will get quickly into her blood stream. If she recovers straight away, we will know that it is her sugar level causing the collapse.
He also confirmed that he has done a fecal float, and there was no sign of parasites.
He reckons that all Milly’s problems may be linked to one underlying cause, but it may be difficult to identify what it is. We’ve got to see how she goes over the next few days, and think about having a full blood test done, to check all sorts of things like liver and kidney functions. It will be another £60 or so, on top of the £600 we’ve already paid out in vets fees so far this year. I want to find out what the problem is, but it depends on what the chances are of being able to treat it, or whether it will still be just managing the symptons like we are now.
I’ve had to cut out her veggies again for a couple of days to reduce her bloat back down. It seems to be the only thing that has any effect. I stopped the veggies yesterday, and have just given her a few dandelion leaves. She has plenty of hay and a small amount of pellets. Her bloat hadn’t gone down as much as I hoped it would by this morning, so she has had to go without her veggies again today, but she is looking thinner this evening, so I’ll probably give her a small amount tomorrow morning. She’s still on the metaclopramide.
Chronic Bloating
-
Talishan
- You can quote me
I know it's expensive, but have full blood work done (not just a CBC, the full monty) if you possibly can. This could also be a pancreatic problem. Not common but not unheard of in cavies.
A full blood panel doesn't necessarily decide anything, but it can often give a good direction in which to start looking.
A full blood panel doesn't necessarily decide anything, but it can often give a good direction in which to start looking.
How many veggies and how much do you normally give her? Since it seems she bloats up worse every time you give them to her and then becomes less bloated when you take them away you may have to severely decrease or stop them completely to control her boating. Sweetpea has to be very limited in what she can eat veggie wise.
Maybe try just giving her very small pieces when she is used to getting them so she won't be so stressed from not having any at all and see if she can tolerate much smaller peices.
I am sorry you have not been able to find the underlying cause of her troubles. I understand the frustration and fear. We all wish these little ones could tell us for themselves how they are feeling and what hurts.
Maybe try just giving her very small pieces when she is used to getting them so she won't be so stressed from not having any at all and see if she can tolerate much smaller peices.
I am sorry you have not been able to find the underlying cause of her troubles. I understand the frustration and fear. We all wish these little ones could tell us for themselves how they are feeling and what hurts.
-
Mum
- I GAVE, dammit!
Since you mentioned previoiusly that she has diabetes, how was this diagnosed?but he had carried out several urine tests when she was kept in, and none of the glucose levels were that far off normal.
You really need to get a blood test to diagnose this properly.
Some things don't show up in fecal floats. You might consider another float, and also a gram stain.
Blood is usually a starting point.
The pigs normally have a small selection of veggies for breakfast, and a larger selection and quantity early evening. They have enough so that most of the veggies are gone after 30 minutes.
I've given Milly a very small amount of just a couple of veggies this evening, and I'll give her the same tomorrow morning. I'm only going to give her small amounts from now on, rather than risk making the bloating worse. The bloat hasn't gone down as much as the first time I put her on a hay-only diet, but it is better.
I'd really like to try and get her moving around a bit more, as I think this may help. She's not running around the cage as much as a couple of months ago. I've tried leading her around the floor with a piece of parsley in front of her nose, but she only takes a couple of steps before giving up. Any suggestions for making a nearly blind pig move around? She won't follow the other pigs; she was always the leader, they followed her.
Milly's diabetes was originally diagnosed only from a urine test. She was only slightly diabetic then, the same as the current urine tests have indicated. I don't think the vet has done a blood test yet to check the glucose level because the urine tests have all been fairly consistant.
I don't know much about gram stains. She doesn't finsh the antibiotic course for another few days, and she is also on probiotics. Would these affect a gram stain?
I've given Milly a very small amount of just a couple of veggies this evening, and I'll give her the same tomorrow morning. I'm only going to give her small amounts from now on, rather than risk making the bloating worse. The bloat hasn't gone down as much as the first time I put her on a hay-only diet, but it is better.
I'd really like to try and get her moving around a bit more, as I think this may help. She's not running around the cage as much as a couple of months ago. I've tried leading her around the floor with a piece of parsley in front of her nose, but she only takes a couple of steps before giving up. Any suggestions for making a nearly blind pig move around? She won't follow the other pigs; she was always the leader, they followed her.
Milly's diabetes was originally diagnosed only from a urine test. She was only slightly diabetic then, the same as the current urine tests have indicated. I don't think the vet has done a blood test yet to check the glucose level because the urine tests have all been fairly consistant.
I don't know much about gram stains. She doesn't finsh the antibiotic course for another few days, and she is also on probiotics. Would these affect a gram stain?
Well she is surely more familiar with her own cage. Do you have her food and water at opposit ends of the cage? That would in the least get her going from one end to the other to get her moving while she will still feel secure.
I keep Sweetpea's hay on the furtherest corner form her favorite bed and her food and water on opposits sides too. She has to make rounds every single time she wants to eat her beloved hay!
I keep Sweetpea's hay on the furtherest corner form her favorite bed and her food and water on opposits sides too. She has to make rounds every single time she wants to eat her beloved hay!
We have the food, water and hay spread out around the cage, so she does have to move for those. We also put food and hay up on the platforms. We've kept the layout the same since she lost her sight, so she's quite happy going up on the platforms, although she does tend to feel her way down carefully.
She's still bloated. Not badly, but quite noticeable. Nothing I'm trying seems to reduce it now, but at least it's not getting worse. She hasn't been herself since she reacted against the baytril. Most of the time, she just sits there slightly puffed up. She perks up soon enough if you wave a piece of her favourite veggie under her nose, so I think she just feels a bit uncomfortable and sorry for herself. He whole day always centred around feeding times, so it hasn't helped cutting out most of her veggies. I take her out the cage now and feed her separately, and I'm sure she can smell the food that the other two have had when I put her back in with them.
If I can gradually increase the amount of veggies she has without any further bloating, I'll be able to start feeding them all together again, but I will stick to smaller, more frequent meals, to see if that helps her bloating.
Milly will be seeing the vet again towards the end of the week, so I'll talk to him again about a full blood test. If I can't get the bloating down any more, we'll have to try the blood test, and hope that it gives some pointers towards the cause of the problem.
Capybara, thanks for sending the Shilintong, I'll let you know when they arrive.
She's still bloated. Not badly, but quite noticeable. Nothing I'm trying seems to reduce it now, but at least it's not getting worse. She hasn't been herself since she reacted against the baytril. Most of the time, she just sits there slightly puffed up. She perks up soon enough if you wave a piece of her favourite veggie under her nose, so I think she just feels a bit uncomfortable and sorry for herself. He whole day always centred around feeding times, so it hasn't helped cutting out most of her veggies. I take her out the cage now and feed her separately, and I'm sure she can smell the food that the other two have had when I put her back in with them.
If I can gradually increase the amount of veggies she has without any further bloating, I'll be able to start feeding them all together again, but I will stick to smaller, more frequent meals, to see if that helps her bloating.
Milly will be seeing the vet again towards the end of the week, so I'll talk to him again about a full blood test. If I can't get the bloating down any more, we'll have to try the blood test, and hope that it gives some pointers towards the cause of the problem.
Capybara, thanks for sending the Shilintong, I'll let you know when they arrive.
I feel so bad for Milly. Have you sent for Entrodex yet? I am going to send for some and see if it helps Sweetpea more than the one she has now.
Are you putting probiotics WITH the veggies you give her? I have just recently begun sprinkling acidophilus on every veggie I give Sweetpea and it does seem to be helping keep her belly down.
It does feel cruel to restrict them the veggies they so love, live for and their friends so easily can eat with no trouble. I can't help but keep trying ot find ways to let her have as many different veggies as possible.
I am lucky in that Sweetpea doesn't seem to get upset to be taken out of the room when they other babies need to eat something I know she can;t have. I just take her out with me and hand feed her some criticare with a little bit of something she can have. Again lucky for me she ADORES celery and it doesn;t seem to create any trouble for her so I usually give her some of that. It also takes her much longer to eat it and so she THINKS she is getting a lot more goody than she really is that way. LOL
Are you putting probiotics WITH the veggies you give her? I have just recently begun sprinkling acidophilus on every veggie I give Sweetpea and it does seem to be helping keep her belly down.
It does feel cruel to restrict them the veggies they so love, live for and their friends so easily can eat with no trouble. I can't help but keep trying ot find ways to let her have as many different veggies as possible.
I am lucky in that Sweetpea doesn't seem to get upset to be taken out of the room when they other babies need to eat something I know she can;t have. I just take her out with me and hand feed her some criticare with a little bit of something she can have. Again lucky for me she ADORES celery and it doesn;t seem to create any trouble for her so I usually give her some of that. It also takes her much longer to eat it and so she THINKS she is getting a lot more goody than she really is that way. LOL
Yes, I've got the Entrodex; I'm adding it to their drinking water. I can't say that it has made any difference yet. They've been on it 4 days. It is encouraging Milly to drink more, so that is something.
I'm still trying to find just plain acidophilus capsules. All the shops I've tried all have products with extra probiotics added, like the Acidophilus Plus. I may have to order some over the net.
I'm currently looking at herbs that help digestion, and checking to see if they are safe for pigs. I'll see what I can find in the Health Food shops, and see if anything helps her.
I'm still trying to find just plain acidophilus capsules. All the shops I've tried all have products with extra probiotics added, like the Acidophilus Plus. I may have to order some over the net.
I'm currently looking at herbs that help digestion, and checking to see if they are safe for pigs. I'll see what I can find in the Health Food shops, and see if anything helps her.
SHOP AMAZON