Alice- female discharge

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:07 pm


I hesitate posting, but always better safe than sorry.

Tonight, after her nightly salad, Alice got unusually green. It was nasty, so I took her to the sink. I hold her on her back with her back feet against my stomach and run a little water on the side of her face.
It is away from eyes, mouth, nose and ears.
I then take a paper towel and try to soak up the green.
She doesn't like it so I try to be quick.
Tonight, she opened her mouth to yell and turned it at the same time. She sucked in a tiny bit of water. Not enough to stop breathing but enough that it made her cough. It has eased up and she only coughs once in a while. She sneezed once too.
I am watching and everything else is as it should be.
Should I be worried about infection or pneumonia?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:47 am


Watch (and listen) to her carefully for the next several days.

With just plain water, and a tiny bit of it, she should probably be okay. Stuff like runny Critical Care, mineral oil, other liquidy substances will set up an aspiration pneumonia very quickly as I understand it. A tiny bit of plain water may not, and hopefully won't, but watch her like a hawk.

If you have a good relationship with your vet, you might want to call and just ask them if you could have some Baytril or Bactrim to keep on hand. That way you could start it **immediately** if you saw signs that it was necessary.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Aug 20, 2011 9:35 am


It was just a little tap water.
I watched her very closely and continue to do so.
She coughed a couple more times last night.
Nothing today, so far.
There is still a little congestion that I need to keep an eye on.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:04 pm


You're doing the right things. Keep watching.

A little tap water is nothing to us (I'm a swimmer and have inhaled more water and chemicals than I care to think about ;-), but for them it can be a problem. Their respiratory systems are extremely delicate and can go into a URI/pneumonia in a heartbeat.

That's not to scare you ... just keep watching the slight congestion and be ready to act quickly if you feel it's a problem or a problem developing.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:01 am


She sounds normal again.
I am still watching.
Thank you for the advice. I'm sure I say that a lot. :)

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:27 pm


I have a question about bloat and veggies.
Alice came down with a mild case of bloat/constipation last night. She was absolutely acting normal and eating normal.
She just didn't poop. Belly was soft but a bit distended. I was up half the night checking on her. She finally had a few poops this morning around 6:00.
Then nothing until after her morning veggies. She left a nice pile so I thought she was normal again.
She stopped pooping but kept eating hay and pellets this afternoon.
She isn't a water drinker (READ: she doesn't drink unless I syringe or I leave water on the veggies.) so I started stringing water this afternoon. I have gotten about 7 CC's into her.
She is poop snacking as usual and eating hay. She has given me about a dozen poops since I started the water.
Should I give her the nightly veggies (green leaf lettuce, cilantro and green pepper) or should I skip them? She has a vet appointment tomorrow either way.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:47 pm


I don't remember if it was in this thread or another that Talishan mentioned talking to a vet about having a supply of motility drugs if there are serious issues getting poops to pass. Maybe you can talk to your vet about this when you next see him/her.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:02 pm


I was thinking of that, Lynx. Hopefully there is something I can keep around. It appears that I may end up with a pig prone to periodic bloat. This came out of the blue.
I decided against her nightly veggies. She is pooping a little more frequently so I just made her a pellet mash. She seems to love the different texture.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:38 am


"I decided against her nightly veggies. She is pooping a little more frequently so I just made her a pellet mash. She seems to love the different texture."

Exactly the right decision IMO.

Ditto what Lynx said about seeing if your vet will give you a small amount of metoclopramide to keep on hand.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:39 am


For my own reference, Alice pooped a lot tonight. Not as much or as often as normal.
Syringed about 10 cc water over the course of the afternoon/evening.
Made a pellet mash that she willingly ate. She has been grazing on her hay very normally.
At one point, she was like a little cashew and just relaxing.
Still not pooping normally. Will make periodic checks tonight.
Vet appointment at 11:30 am. Will ask about something for motility that I can keep on hand.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:44 pm


Alice is healthy as can be. She just needs more fiber.
Vet said curly endive or raddicio or escarole.
If this continues, we may need an X-ray and possibly Reglan.
She didn't have Critical Care on hand but told me to get some.

User avatar
linshad02
Supporter in '13

Post   » Mon Aug 20, 2012 7:57 pm


Went to new vet today. Atrium Animal Hospital in Charlotte.
Dr. Laura was so great.
Alice has been passing a large amount of white in her urine. It started about two weeks ago when I switched from the filtered water in my fridge to a Brita filter.
We have extremely hard water that turns everything white.
The last few days, Alice has been occasionally crying while peeing.
No blood in the urine.
Had an X-ray and an ultrasound. Will get X-rays online tomorrow.
She showed it to me. There is zero indication of a stone. She also said no sign of sludge. Gastro is very healthy as well.
The urinalysis showed a high level of lipids. She was completely stumped.
Her words when she came back in were "it's not calcium or bacteria. It's fat. There is a high level of fat."
She asked if I feed her nuts. Never have.
Her temperature, taken rectally, was 104.3 and her heart rate was 240.
Her usual diet is:
Morning- endive and green or red leaf, green pepper, occasionally a small basil sprig or cilantro, occasionally a slice of cucumber.
Before my husband leaves for work, he gives her a vitakraft nibble ring.
(he gives her one in the morning, one at lunch and one at bedtime)
In the evening, Alice gets a combo of boston lettuce or red or green leaf, green pepper, (or another color if I find decent ones.) maybe a piece of fruit or other herb occasionally.
She always has Oxbow orchard grass and Oxbow pellets. She doesn't eat a ton of pellets.
I'm open to any and all suggestions.
She is on Bactrim for two weeks and then a follow up urinalysis.

Post Reply