Swollen or bloated female

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JudiL-MetroGPRescue
Poop Obsessed

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:23 pm


I'm so glad to see this happy ending.

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Tracy

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:01 pm


I was not online this past weekend, but great news about your piggy! I remember a bloat episode in my Inca that had me up all night with her trying every trick I could think of to keep her alive until we could see an exotics vet. I definitely believe that when a loving human is present, our critters are more inclined to hang in there and tough it out. I thought Inca would die but didn't want to leave her alone like that. And I do think if I went to sleep I would have found her dead the next morn. They can be very hardy animals! As others have said, monitor your piggies' diet, have an ER vet on hand in case of future emergencies, and maybe keep some Reglan on hand (but only give it if you're sure animal is not obstructed).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:48 pm


Tracy, what did you do and what did you think was most effective?

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Tracy

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:48 pm


Lynx, I'm going to look for an e-mail I saved, in which I told about my harrowing night with bloated Inca. Offhand I'd say I first gave simethicone, then maybe metacam since she seemed in pain (both relatively harmless, I think). I was massaging her abdomen and trying to get her to move around. Once I saw poop come out (after a long wait), I knew she wasn't obstructed and gave reglan (on hand from vet since Inca had a history of chronic gas). Since I've seen improvement with reglan within a half hour (another piggy) and didn't see it in Inca, I then added cisapride (also on hand from vet). I probably gave some acidophilus at some point, too, in an attempt to balance gut flora. For previous gas episodes I had tried Beano and gripe water, but didn't give them during the bloat night (they didn't really help Inca ever). But I was trying everything else!

When she seemed cold with eyes glazed, I thought she was giving up and I panicked in desperation. I brought her into the bathroom with the idea of heating her up with my hair dryer (low setting), but I ended up using my overhead heat light instead, plus rubbing her body. When she seemed to drift off I pinched her ears and feet to snap her out of it, thinking if she went to sleep she wouldn't wake up. Throughout, of course I was telling her I loved her and to hang in there until morning, plus I was praying and pleading and crying, etc. Really thought she was dying before my eyes and didn't expect her to pull through. But I was going to keep trying and to be there for her in case love helps them to not give up. It was an awful, awful night.

Without re-reading my notes (need to find the e-mail), I think I first was concerned around 10 or 11 PM (at which point I was not confident in the ER vets at my hospital; not piggy savvy), and I finally felt like maybe she'd be OK during the wee hours (maybe 3 or 5 AM). Took another day until she was back to her self, I think.

Quinfin, I hope I haven't hijacked your thread about Popcorn. But my experience may be helpful when others search for info about bloat. Good job that you helped her pull through! (As a friendly aside, I know a pair of piggies named Popcorn & Candy, along the same lines as your duo.)

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:42 pm


I was planning on adding a link to this thread from the emergency bloat entry. Sometimes you just don't have a vet and you have to do whatever you can to hellp.

It sounds like it was a very scary, sad night. I'm glad she pulled through.

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Tracy

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:54 pm


I've commented on a few threads about bloat, though it's not a do-it-yourself scenario by any means and I was very lucky Inca pulled through. (She taught me a lot about hyperthyroid, too.) If I find my detailed notes (written morning after it happened), I will be sure to correct any info I may have mis-remembered here.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:01 pm


You are welcome (encouraged) to link to your bloat comments on other threads if you wish.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:36 pm


Ditto Lynx. This is a topic upon which we can never have too much information.

Quinfin

Post   » Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:34 am


No Tracy, you havent hijacked anything. Im glad you shared what you did. Its going to make me try to get some meds from my vet. To all that have posted, I thankyou for your care and support, and am sorry I havent been posting more. This is new to me, in fact the first forum, or whatever, Ive been involved in. Popcorn seems to be at 100%, cause shes showing her dominance and picking on litttle Soda. (why you girls do that I dont know).

Since Lynx wanted to know what Tracy did in her sitauation, I'll share what I did without meds. At about 7pm I put her in a clothes basket with a vibrating pad in the bottom. About every 30 min. I would turn the pad on for about 5min. Ild then pick her up and rub her belly alittle and give her about 2 or 3 ccs of water with a syringe.

The first 12 ccs had a dose of vitamin C in it. Since she wanted to be under a pillow or some kind or cover, before placing her back in the basket, I would put her on the bed where she could see a pillow and then she would get up and walk towards it to get under it. After that little bit of exercise, I would put her back in her basket to rest for about 20 min.

I continued this through out the night.

At about 3am I noticed her first droppings, which were only 2. I set a little plate with hay and pellets in her basket but she would not get up to eat them. So when I took her out the rub, water, and exercise her, I would hand feed her a couple pellets which she ate. By the time we left for the vet (6:30 am) she could stand up a little and eat a little out of her plate, and had left a little more droppings in her basket. It was when I took her out of her carrier at the vets when I saw she really let go and droppings were everywhere.

Everything I did that night I got from you people here. So again, I THANKYOU, cause youre the reason shes alive today.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:25 am


Thanks for the recap. Sef, maybe you could add a "vibrating bed" to the emergency supplies list on your site? Mention how important it could be if veterinary care is unavailable for a case of bloat?

I wish competent veterinary care was not so difficult to find in an emergency situation at night.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:34 pm


Quinfin, you're welcome but know that what you did, as outlined in your post above, was absolutely perfect and *you* did it. It was not easy to stay up all night and do what you did as frequently and as thoughtfully as you did it. It may have been our advice but it was your effort, and your recap may help others down the road.

One other thing that has helped others in the past is simply putting them in a carrier and driving them around for a while. The car's vibrations can help, especially for those who don't have a vibrating pad or massager thingy. I suspect that's part of why she really let go in the car, but your care got her to that point in the first place.

CordandSylv

Post   » Fri Feb 26, 2021 11:01 pm


This thread is a decade old but I just had to say thank you to everyone who contributed advice!! I found my boy Sylvester super bloated, easily twice his normal size, the night before last. His belly was hard and ballooned out so big, and he was in a ton of pain and basically trying to lay down and die. There are no emergency vets in my area that treat small animals, the normal vets were already closed because it was late at night. I followed the advice on this thread the best that I could with no meds or critical care on hand (I now have a stash of critical care!) - I syringe fed him a couple ml of water every 30 minutes, placed him on a towel with an adult toy vibrating underneath it (it was all I had.. lol!), and massaged his belly gently. The vibration was what helped the most and the most immediately. After each time laying on the vibrating towel for like 5 minutes he seemed to be significantly more comfortable and even started to nibble on hay again. I stayed up all night doing this routine and he was quickly a lot more alert. The combo of hydration and vibration undoubtedly saved his life, so thank you all so so much from the bottom of my heart. He went into the vet at 10am the next morning and passed his first poop there! By the time I picked him up an hour later he was way way less bloated, eating, drinking, and going potty again. He was so happy and not in pain anymore. He was given pain meds and critical care, and I am happy to say that today he has been eating, drinking, pooping, and playing like a champ! Thanks again! And if anyone else stumbles upon this thread because your piggie is bloated, don't underestimate the benefit of the vibration and don't give up on your baby!

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