Noddy's sick. Aerococcus. Please help

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DMac
Supporter in '10, '11, & '12

Post   » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:37 pm


Agree with Lynx. I winced when I read about palpating.

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gvstate01

Post   » Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:32 pm


You're welcome, I was just throwing anything out there hoping something would help :) And agree with Lynx. I would be careful with palpating with stones. You never know if there's something going on inside of them you don't know about. My Truffles had wafer thin intestines and ruptured very easily. The xray is your best friend :)

I'll post a pic here of my Ginger's stone that was completely blocking her urethra (if it wasn't for the slight curve in it). It's extremely small and I can't imagine it could be felt but it was so big it was creating a 99% blockage! (sorry for the slight blurriness)

Image

Edit: My vet had a very sick piggie in last year and called me and asked if one of my pigs could give a caecal sample. She described it as the pig needing a "fecal transplant" which is poop soup basically. That pig hasn't been back at the vet for serious problems so far. It seems as though Noddy's problem may be more urgent, but getting their gut flora back to normal is very important as well :)

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:43 pm


Ditto to gvstate and the other responses you have received. Please let us know what the rodentologist says.

We have a female now whose previous owner took her to the vet, I believe essentially for a well check. The vet palpated what he thought was some kind of harmless mass in her vaginal/perianal area -- sorta like an impaction. No hematuria; behavior, appetite, drinking, urination, defecation all fine.

I took her for a baseline x-ray when we got her. She had a bladder stone about as big as the above picture in her urethra. Not blocked or close to it -- but still! Vet worked it out with a tweezers under light sedation. She's fine.

Very best wishes to Noddy and to you.

gv: I've had some odd requests from my vets, but a cecotrope has never been one of them! Glad to hear your pig's donation did the cure.

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gvstate01

Post   » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:54 pm


My vet was able to get in there too without surgery :) It was stuck so she used some lube and a catheter! I think Ginger still wishes she could have that raspberry flavored Vibramycin haha. And my response to the fecal transplant.."ummm..." lol.

Hope Noddy's goin strong and well wishes to you both :D And ditto on what the rodentologist says, crossing fingers for some good news :)

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BamBam

Post   » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:13 am


gvstate01 - I am SO glad you brought up the strep/staph question. My research had thrown up the same stuff but I figured that a professional lab simply wouldn't make such an error.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:28 am


Hi Folks, thank you ALL, so much for all your helpful advice and support, it really is truly appreciated.
I get you point about the palpation, and will make sure it never happens again. You trust the person as the expert, which I know she is, but I'll be better prepared in future.
I'm seeing the rodentologist later today, so will go with a list of questions and see what she says.
I'm still trying to get Maggige to part with some poop, but she just won't do it to order, and Boy, has she got a strong will. I'll discuss that this afternoon and maybe the rodentologist will have a pig who can help, otherwise, I'll be asking for donations!
Noddy is still hanging in there, and his weight is the same as yesterday, which is good. However, his poops have become a bit softer again, though still formed, and quite smelly. Do you think there could be an underlying malignancy? Or is his weight loss to slow for that?

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:25 pm


Just a quick update, having returned from the rodentologist. She checked Noddy's teeth, which were fine, as expected, but best to rule out the simple things first.
She's going to try some topical anti-fungals, which stupidly, I hadn't tried, although he has had systemic anti-fungals.
In view of the aerococcus, she's going to put him on Septrin, to see if that helps. She knows of a vet locally who can do X-rays without anaesthetic, so if there's no improvement, or even if there is, I can pursue that route.
The only other thing she's wondering, is whether Noddy's kidneys are failing, given his age. I had wondered that myself, as he's drinking more. She's going to test his urine, although a recent test showed no abnormality and I would have expected there to be protein in his urine if his kidneys were failing. However, it would account for the sudden, unexplained weight loss.
She's kept both Noddy and MaggieMae in, to observe them, so I'm pig-less and don't know what to do with myself. If anyone has any pigs they need a holiday home for, for a few days, you know where to come!
I feel better now someone is at least trying to get to the bottom of the problem, rather than just writing him off as an "old "pig, as the vets have. As soon as I have any more news, I'll update you.

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gvstate01

Post   » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:54 pm


BamBam, I thought I'd just throw it out there since the aerococcus seemed, through research, to most likely be a contaminant. I'm glad you're going to put him on Septrin again. If it's strep/staph, it should work. Even if it seems to get better, make sure to give the full 10-14 days (whichever your vet gives). I thought you said you tried the topical anti-fungals already?

That made me laugh about the poop soup and donations hahah :) My male that donated was at the vet and when he bent down to get a caecal, they took it from his mouth HAHA.
And only in my opinion, I wouldn't rule out a tumor. I've had way too much experience with those :( And unfortunately it seems as though every pig is different and it depends on where the tumor is and if they're in pain or not. Have you noticed Noddy in pain? A good sign is grinding their teeth. I hope it's not a tumor, but just throwing it out there since you were thinking about it.

And Noddy isn't *that* old :) And I just thought of something else too since you mentioned kidneys. My Custard was tested for a UTI but my vet found glucose in her urine. The test for diabetes was negative so that led my vet to her having a kidney infection. Hoping for an infection rather than them failing (both not good, but hoping for the best of the worst!). Custard is on Septrin for 6 weeks and seems to be doing very well.

Sending good vibes! I know it sucks to be pigless! I wouldn't know what to do with myself! Sending good vibes :) You're a great parent and luckily have a very caring vet :)

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:59 am


Hi gvstate01, Thanks for all that. You're right. I did say he'd had topical anti-fungals, I guess I shouuld have said chlorhexidine, which isn't an anti-fungal at all! I'm getting so confused with all that's gone on, even though I've kept a diary of what's happened when.
I've still got a nasty feeling about tumour, and although an X-ray won't be definitive, it might help to rule certain things out. The only time Noddy has been teeth grinding has been when he had bloat. There hasn't been any recently, which at least reassures me that he's probably not in pain.
You and I know that Noddy isn't "that " old, but unfortunately, most of the vets round here seem to feel that once a pig hits 5, that's it, but I'm not giving up on him yet. And he's got a new "wifepig" in MaggieMae to look after.
Thanks again for all your really useful advice and info.

Hilary Holmes

Post   » Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:09 pm


Hi Folks, Just a quick update on Noddy. The rodentologist has tested his urine and there was loads of protein in it, and also a lot of ketones. This is obviously a sign his kidneys are failing and would account for the weight loss. She also felt he was very dehydrated (which has made me feel a really bad Mum and very neglectful, although there's always water available), this was indicated by the ketones in his urine. The only other reason I can think of for there being ketones would be diabetes, but there was no glucose, which would have supported that argument.
She doesn't feel he's ready to give up just yet, and is keeping him a bit longer to re-hydrate him and to give the Septrin. (I could give that, but the law means she isn't allowed to give it to me to take home!) She's hoping once we get on top of his hydration, he will fel a bit better and maybe start eating more
It's not the news I was hoping for, but at least I now know he's not in pain, and I can at least support him with syringe feeding for as long as it's necessary.

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BamBam

Post   » Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:04 pm


Oh H, I'm sorry. I know that this is just the news that you were dreading.

Are there really no other possible reasons for the proteins/ketones aside from failure of the kidneys? Tumour?

Damn.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:48 pm


If an animal is not eating, do you find ketones also?

Hoping you can turn him around.

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