Stella's Medical Thread

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dgarriques
Got Pigs?

Post   » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:23 pm


Poor Stella. Gosh that looks awful. She must be miserable. I sure hope you can find some help for her soon. Ahhh poor girl. It is so nice you are not giving up.

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SStroh

Post   » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:57 pm


Well I got the lime sulfur dip, and some baytril to start her on tonight. Has anybody ever had to do a lime sulfur dip before? It reeks of sulfur, and I have to keep it on her, so I'm wondering if there are any tricks to doing this.

From what the nurse at the vet's office told me, I just have to give her a bath and then cover her in this stuff and leave her be.

Any help or ideas?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:20 pm


Mum has used it. Does smell quite a bit from what I hear. I was always told to keep water out of their ears so I don't know what to say. Do the best you can. Your little pig needs all the help it can get! (I know how hard you are working to get this sorted out)

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SStroh

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 am


What I'm most worried about is her flinging her head around when I touch her ears and flinging the stuff everywhere, but I think I'll just do it in the bathtub so it'll be easy to clean up. I'm also worried about it getting in her eyes, or about her grooming herself and ingesting it (although I'm assuming they take this into consideration with small animals so maybe it isn't an issue).

The biggest problem I'm having now is trying to get her to take her meds. She doesn't like the torb or the baytril, so she fights me with everything she has, and it kills me to force her to take it while she's squealing at me! I was nearly in tears trying to get her to take everything tonight. I wish there was some way to get her to understand that I'm trying to make her better, because I'm sure she thinks I'm torturing her.

I didn't try the sulfur dip tonight because I had a softball game, but I'm going to stop by the pet store tomorrow and pick up some regular shampoo (says I need to bathe her before I do the dip) and then I'm going to make an attempt tomorrow after work. Maybe I'll e-mail Mum and see if she has any pointers.

Thanks to everyone for the support through this, I never knew it would be this hard!

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SStroh

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:06 am


Sorry, little to late to edit, and I just wanted to add that I did a search in the forum and I did find some info on the sulfur dip, I always forget to do a search BEFORE asking a question...

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:26 am


Yes, I've used lymdyp on a pig - that stuff stinks, but it's effective for certain conditions.

You're going to sponge it on. Stella may be a different pig in a kitchen sink - some pigs actually seem to enjoy being bathed. Avoid the eyes - I put puralube in both eyes just in case (this is like vaseline and protects the eyes).

If you take a full, small sponge you should be able to squeeze it over the ear without getting the stuff inside the ear or in the eyes (which will be protected in any event from the puralube).

I recommend doing it outside if the weather is warm enough, otherwise your house will stink for days!

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SStroh

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:07 am


Thanks Mum, that will help a bunch! It has been warm here lately, so maybe I'll be able to try that. I could even set up in the garage if I have to. I'll look for some puralube at the pet store today on my way home from work.

My only other question is that the bottle says I have to bathe her before I do the lymdyp, will it be necessary to bathe her every week before we do this, or will one bath every couple time work?

We have decided to set up the quarantine cage in the office to keep Stella in after we do this, which hopefully will help a bit with the smell, and will keep Shasta away from this whole mess.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:11 am


will it be necessary to bathe her every week before we do this, or will one bath every couple time work?
Sorry, don't know. I'd follow the instructions on the bottle though.

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SStroh

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:15 am


Thanks for all the help! I'd be lost without this board :-)

I guess I'll just give this a shot this evening when I get home. Wish me luck...

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SStroh

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:04 pm


It's official. Stella hates me and thinks she's being tortured...

I did the sulfur dip, and she is not happy, but I think her ears look better already (probably just wishful thinking). The only problem is now my hands reek of sulfur, and I don't know how to get rid of it! I would also like to dry Stella, but the blow dryer must bother her ears, as she flips out every time I try it, and I can't wipe her off because the dip needs to soak in. All considered it actually went fairly smoothly, she didn't seem to mind the initial bath, and she only shook out a little bit when I put the sulfur dip on her.

Thanks again for all your help.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:16 pm


Good for you!

(Wear rubber gloves next time - your hands will stink for awhile, as will Stella!)

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SStroh

Post   » Sat Jun 23, 2007 1:11 am


I don't know what to do anymore. It's been a couple days since the lymdyp, and she's still getting worse. This is spreading off of her ears and to the rest of her body. Her head is almost completely bald, and she has a bald patch behind her left front leg.

Right after the lymdyp I thought it looked better, but it quickly went back to the way it was before. Just now she was scratching and she must have scratched herself too hard and she started to squeal and just sat there with her head tilted, squealing.

I am completely lost. She is on baytril, torb and metacam, as well as the lymdyp once a week and nothing is helping. I don't know what to do anymore...

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