Sundae

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PigWorrier

Post   » Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:00 pm


Sundae is in my thoughts. Poor little sprout.

maremma

Post   » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:46 pm


Aww Mum, I am so sorry he is not doing well. Give that sweet little one extra kisses from me.

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LAWomans
"Live Long and Prosper"

Post   » Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:44 pm


Well, Sundae has joined my "Special Needs" herd. All but Polly are heart pigs, and now Sundae is here with Millie, Frosting and Freddie. He too has an enlarged heart. I need to get some stock in Lotensin!

Sundae weighed 1lb 6.2oz and was basically a skeleton with hair, when I got him on July 4th. I took him to Dr. Kanfer and discovered he has impacted roots (you can feel the bumps) and hooks on his molars. He can't eat pellets or regular hay. He does eat veggies and the leaves from alfalfa hay. I have been syringe feeding him at least twice a day and giving him dishes of Critical Care during the day. He has gained almost 4 oz over the past month. Our goal is to get him strong enough to have those hooks filed down so he is able to eat better. The odd thing is he can eat carrots. That was always my guide to whether they are having teeth issues. Guess that doesn't work anymore.

Sundae isn't frantically searching for something he could eat, like he was and isn't drinking as much water, trying to satisfy his hunger.

If anyone has suggestions on how to put weight on these little ones, I would appreciate it. I include baby cereal with the Critical Care and pumpkin or squash.

He seems very happy in his 2x4 CC cage. Now if I can just figure out how to get that green stain off of his beatiful white coat! I've tried shampoo, but because he drools his food out, it just gets messy again. I am going to get some baby bibs to see it I can eliminate some of the mess.

Tracis
Let Sleeping Pigs Lie

Post   » Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:55 pm


I was just thinking of Sundae the other day! So glad to read that he's still eating and being a happy guy. He's really special.

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LAWomans
"Live Long and Prosper"

Post   » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:45 pm


tracis,

Thanks! He is very special even if he looks a little like Kermit, the Frog!

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:31 pm


Corn has more carbohydrate than they normally should have, but it's generally palatable and has lots of calories. If you can find a baby food that has corn in it, without other stuff you don't want or need, try that in with his Critical Care.

I've seen old-fashioned oatmeal (not the instant, the kind that you would normally cook) mixed with baby applesauce suggested a couple of times in other places. We never had any success with it; the pigs we gave it to wouldn't touch it. Maybe Sundae would like it, though.

We had good success with our dental pig with shelled, hulled organic sunflower seeds from a health food store. These are solely the black meat part inside -- no shell, hull, or anything else. They're high in fat and calories, and he loved them. Don't know if they really helped his weight any, but he loved them.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:41 pm


As you know, I was feeling steel cut oats mixed with CC and pumpkin, which he was eating twice daily.

But if he will no longer eat out of a bowl, I think your best bet is to syringe feed him when you can.

I would also occasionally give him corn (off the cob) as Talishan says - he enjoyed that also!

Incidentally, if you've got him up to 1lb 10 ounces, whatever you're doing is obviously right - carry on!

capybara
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:01 am


Aww, Sundae. Good luck with that little guy.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:51 am


A thought has crosssed my mind: you mentioned to me on the phone that he will eat no pellets or hay (this is a change). You'd also said (I thought) that he would no longer eat the critical care out of the dish? If this is the case, and he's merely eating green leaf veggies and being syringe fed twice daily, then I can't see how he could have gained 4 ounces in a month? (If he has, it's a miracle- but I think you should check your scale! And my weights are always taken first thing in the a.m - perhaps this accounts for the difference?)

Also, please remember that it was me who thought his heart was enlarged - my vet disagreed. I didn't take the xrays to Dr. Kanfer when I took him in, but you might want to get a second opinion from her on this.

I can give you the xrays I had taken up here by Dr. Beeder, which show clearly both his heart and the tumor. On his second vet visit, when I took him to Dr. Kanfer to have his teeth checked, she didn't think the spurs on his molars were necessarily causing issues. We were both very surprised that a pig who hadn't eaten a mouthful of hay in a year didn't have molars entrapping his tongue.

If you're considering having his molars filed down you should get dental xrays first to check those roots - the molar planing is usually handled differently with elongated roots, from what I understand. (I've never had dental xrays done for him).

But, as I said, I do think anesthesia for this boy is highly risky.

You might consider getting an ultrasound done, since you can get one done so inexpensively through Dr. Kanfer. Having a good look at both his heart and that tumor might be extremely worthwhile.

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LAWomans
"Live Long and Prosper"

Post   » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:49 pm


Thanks everyone for your suggestions and good thoughts. I spoke to Dr. Kanfer, while she was out of town, and we decided to increase the Meticam to .15cc twice a day. He seems more comfortable and was eating some of my Timothy this morning. He is trying so hard to survive!

Talishan, the sunflower seeds you recommended are a huge hit. How much do you suggest I feed him daily?

Please keep him in your good thoughts and prayers.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:18 pm


Go very light on them. They are fatty and actually a poor choice for a guinea pig food but I understand you are trying to do what you can.

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LAWomans
"Live Long and Prosper"

Post   » Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:52 pm


Lynx, thanks! What do you think of rolled or crimped oats?

I think this is one of those long processes to get him back to a normal weight. It took Millie six months of syringe feeding to gain enough weight to be able to be spayed. She ws very thin, too. Now she is a bit chubby, but has a little extra incase she needs it.

Once animals are so emaciated it seems to take ages to get the body to recover. He does have some meat on his ribs now and he has a nice tummy which he didn't have before. Fortunately, I have learned to be patient from the rabbits I have rescued in this condition. Now if my boss would just understand why I am always late for work these days!:)

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