Should I worry? Lazy "rag doll" pig

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:20 pm


Mid afternoon would give the grass to sun warm if it would make a difference.

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poppypiggy

Post   » Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:28 am


She was on Fortekor as a possible cure against kidney dysfunction for a total of 6 months - first 0,625 mg once a day for about 2 - 3 months, and then 0,625 mg twice a day for the last 3 - 4 months (I wrote previously 0,75 mg, but 0,625 mg is correct, as the tablets are 2,5 mg, and I had to divide them in four- it was so difficult and incredibly expensive to get the medicine compounded).

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poppypiggy

Post   » Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:54 am


Back from the vets - my little trooper is doing fine! Her eye seems to be healing as it should and I can cut back on the Atropin-application to only once a day.

When I asked about the anestethics he used, Ketalar, he explained that it is widely used here because it is secure and tolerated by everybody – humans and animals alike. In pediatry it is used mixed with an other sedative because used alone it gives the childeren very vivid nightmares (“And we don’t want that for the babies, do we?”). The only other negative sideeffect he knows of is that it takes a long time to wake up from it, and the breathing might be a bit unstable (so yes, Lynx, it does depress the breating system a bit), but not seriously, he claims. Yeah – why didn’t he tell me! I was so scared when I tought Poppy were gone on our way home.

But all in all I am getting to like this vet more – he said he were willing to e-mail Dr. Legendre and ask about the prosedure for isoflurane sedation of pigs! And the consultation was free this time! Yay!

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poppypiggy

Post   » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:04 am


Pinta - I have been searching for Dr. Legendre's contact info, but only found the "snail" adress and phone number. Do you have an e-mail adress I could send my vet?

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poppypiggy

Post   » Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:18 pm


First: Thank you pinta (and Kristina) for sending me Dr. Legendre's e-mail address. I think the vet contacted him, but I forgot to ask, and now it doesn't really matter, because Poppy "operated" her eye herself!

At least that is what I think has happened, as she has been scratching her eye carefully a few times, and about two weeks ago I noticed that the "tissue-bridge" the vet had stitched onto the cornea in order to nurture the wounded area had been cut off (a procedure the vet had planned to do under anesthesia around 20.th of Des.). I took Poppy to the vet again, but he said that was OK, as everything seemed to be healing nicely. We have been there this week too, and all but one stitch has dissolved itself, and everything is growing perfectly! I have to continue applying ointment for another week or so, until the last stitch is dissolved, but otherwise just leave it alone.

But the big news is that I have found a new vet office with the most wonderful vets! The two I met are young, enthusiastic and thorough, very friendly to animals and owners, and easy to discuss with. They even aknowledged that I know something about guinea pigs (thanks to GL!), and were just happy to hear my suggestions and ideas. When we first arrived the youngest of them examined Poppy all over, asked for detailes about her problems, read through all the printouts from the other vets I had brought with me, and took an x-ray (ventral - without sedation). The x-ray didn’t show much, and I am not surprised, but it rules out a few things, at least.

After some discussion we decided to go on with ultrasound, as they have a very new and fancy machine – much, much better than the one the other vets have! I know because I was allowed to hold Poppy when she was examined, and the detailes were very clear. It was not easy for me to understand all I saw, but it was very visible. The vet said she wasn’t sure about everything herself either, as she is not the ultrasound expert in the office, so she called her more experienced collegue, even if it was her day off, and she came in just to help out with the ultrasound! I am soooo grateful!

After a new thorough exploration with the probe they were both positive that Poppy’s kidneys look just normal, and that she has two large cysts in the area they had expected to find her ovaries!

My poor little baby! Those cysts must be hurting. No wonder she has been so aggressive with Pippi lately!

Suregery will be sometimes next week; they have to make an appointment with a third vet that is a very skilled surgeon, and will be calling me back, probably on Monday.

I got a CD with some of the ultrasound pictures on. One is showing the kidney and cyst very well:

Image
The kidney is to the left, cyst is the “black hole” to the right.

I really hope this is a cyst and not a tumor, and that there isn’t other things going on with Poppy as well! I can’t say I am looking forward to the operation and recovery period, but I hope for a good outcome and look very much forward to having a happy, healty, pain free Poppy with me!

If anybody can interpret the ultrasound pictures I am most happy to hear what you see!

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:30 pm


Sorry, I can't help with the ultrasound, but I hope she does well during the surgery.

Did you happen to get an ultrasound of her heart at the same time?

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poppypiggy

Post   » Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:11 pm


I didn't! How stupid! I did think about it first, but was so excited when they said the kidneys looked OK, so I forgot.

pinta

Post   » Sat Dec 15, 2007 3:37 am


The pic is covering the posts on my screen.

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poppypiggy

Post   » Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:30 pm


Oops! On my screen it covers about half of it, so I thought it was OK. Are others having this problem? I don't know if there is there anything I can do to change it.

ETA: By the way - it is a 3 sec. video - if you click on it you will see the supposed cyst more clearly to the right.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Dec 15, 2007 3:40 pm


Pinta has a problem -- has for years -- because she is using a REALLY OLD BROWSER. I have known her for many years and I think she inherited this browser from a distant relative. In fact, this browser actually preceded the internet by a few millenia.

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poppypiggy

Post   » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:27 pm


So she used to be ahead of time, in a way? And now she is ... a fossil?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:33 pm


Worse.

A living fossi.l
(p.s. this is in NO WAY a criticism of Charming Fossil Barb who DOES have a functional browser)

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