Purdie - Blindness?

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dgarriques
Got Pigs?

Post   » Sun May 11, 2008 10:23 pm


Purdie I hope you feel better. Gosh too many pigs are getting sick all at once. Now stop worrying your Mom and please get well.

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Trick

Post   » Mon May 12, 2008 7:12 am


She does sound a little gassy EllieMom, but it all seems to be coming out rather than staying in like it did with Brie. I might give her a little infacol (simethicone) after her probiotic to see if it helps any though.

She seems to have cheered up a little today, I hope that's a good sign.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon May 12, 2008 5:40 pm


Try lengthening the time between AB administration and probiotic administration.

We've had best luck with 1 -- 1.5 -- 2 hours after AB administration. Sooner than that and there's enough AB still circulating around in the GI tract to kill off the organisms you have just supplemented her with.

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Trick

Post   » Wed May 14, 2008 8:09 am


Thanks again Talishan, that both makes sense and has made a positive difference! Purdie seems a lot happier now, and together with lengthening the time before probiotics and giving her a small dose of simethicone we have no more messy bottom which is a huge relief.

She also seems to actually enjoy her superpoo probiotic which makes me feel a lot less guilty about making her eat icky stuff, heh.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu May 15, 2008 6:44 pm


There's just no accounting for taste. ;-)

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Trick

Post   » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:35 pm


Okay, so Purdie had her first UTI diagnosed on the 7th of May and she had a 10 day course of Baytril (25mg/cc at 0.2ml twice daily for a 1kg pig).

All was well until a few weeks later when I noticed Purdie occasionally squeaking when she peed - she wasn't always squeaking but sometimes she would.

On the 8th of July we took Purdie back to the vets and her urine sample did show up traces of blood (not visible to the naked eye). Once more we were given the 10 day course of Baytril but told to come back after the 10 days for her to be checked again. We brought her back but for once Purdie had an empty bladder so there was no sample to test. The vet did physically examine her bladder though and said it definitely didn't feel swollen at all.

Fast forward to this week and once again Purdie is occasionally squeaking when she pees. Is this a really stubborn UTI and if so what length of treatment does she need? Or does this point to it being something else, bladder stones?

She doesn't seem to have a problem pooping at all, her behaviour is normal, her weight has gone up 2-3oz the last couple of months but I wasn't overly concerned about that as she is such a slim wee thing - she's 2lb 6oz now but still looks small next to the others.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:59 pm


Looking back, I don't see that you've had an xray to rule out stones.

I usually use bactrim for a UTI. Stubborn cases can take 14-21 days on bactrim to clear up.

A culture and sensitivity will tell you a) if she has a UTI, and b) what antibiotic should work.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:00 pm


I forget, is there a reason bactrim (trimethoprimsulfa methoxizole) doesn't work?

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Trick

Post   » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:23 pm


Ach, I forgot about bactrim, I'm an eejit :/

I'll make sure they properly test her urine this time around and ask about trying bactrim.

She hasn't had an x-ray no, the local vets will not do one without sedation for some reason. I'll try and find out if good vet will do one properly for us.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:09 pm


How squirmy is Purdie?

Our vets will try an x-ray without sedation on a calm pig. They won't try on a wriggly one. If Purdie is a real wriggle-butt, you might want to have her lightly sedated for x-ray, unless, without reading back, there's a serious reason for her not to have sedation.

Stones can hide and be hard to find; two views (usually ventral-dorsal and lateral, but with fancy equipment you can do others) are necessary to make sure the vet doesn't miss anything. This is one case where they really need to be still and the x-rays really need to be clear.

You're not an eejit. I suspect your local vets jump to Baytril without considering trimeth. Many vets that are reasonably competent but truly aren't super cavy and exotics experts do just that.

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Trick

Post   » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:17 am


She's a very calm girl, she'll sit right still so maybe we will be able to persuade them. I think I'll talk to good vet about it as I trust him not to sedate her if she doesn't need it. I'll maybe take her through on the train next week.

I wouldn't mind her being lightly sedated if we really need to, I'm just very wary after the time we had Rosie sedated for her x-ray last year and being an undiagnosed heart pig she took about 2 weeks to get over it, needing handfed round the clock and so on. It scared the bejeezus out of me, and while I don't suspect Purdie of being a heart pig at all, I'd rather avoid the sedation if possible. If she needs it I'll get good vet to do it :)

I'll definitely get good vet to do it I think, he knows his piggie stuff and I need to know I can trust the results.


I think I'm so used to just telling the local vets what I want done, I expect them to miss things so I shouldn't be missing them as well! I think what I'll do is get Purdie her bactrim this week and talk to good vet about an x-ray for her next week. If he agrees to do them without sedation especially I could always take Rosie along and get a newer x-ray done of her as well.

Thank you for all the advice again!

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Bugs Mom

Post   » Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:22 am


"I'm so used to telling the local vets what I want..." Yep, know the feeling. You get to where you just use them for things you can't do yourself : )

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