Pinniped's problems: random calcification (+ sludge, cysts)

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:28 pm


I'm weighing three times a day (each time she gets meds). She's at least 100g less than the minimum she should be, so any kind of a loss makes me unhappy. She feels so lightweight. She fluctuates between 790-830, and she should be, at a bare minimum, over 900g.

The calcium deposits have gotten fewer, which I'm taking as a good sign from all of the subcues. Originally she was leaving bloody calcium deposits. I think there's some blood still in her urine, but I'm seeing a lot less of it in the bedding.

When she's not flirting with me, and not acting normal, she's puffed up in the corner, and cries occasionally (I'm guessing it's when she pees, but not every time she pees.

The last xray showed the back calcification started to break up.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:17 am


Pinni's been pretty stable for the last month or so. She's still on the hydrochloralthiazide (which I can now spell and pronounce without looking at the bottle), as well as fluids. She's keeping her weight up in the 850-890 range, with occasional weigh-ins at over 900 (which causes happy dancing).

Fluids are becoming an issue. As she started to stabilize, I pulled the subcues to once a day, instead of twice a day. But now, she's fighting me even with the once a day, and seems to be in discomfort for several minutes afterwards. It's demoralizing.

I just went into the office yesterday to pick up more meds and fluids, and asked the vet about it. The goal is to keep up with the 30ml a day of fluids, and she said if I can syringe feed that into her, to skip the injections. She also said I could give her the lactated ringer's orally. Have you heard of doing this? I tried it last night, and Pinni took it quite eagerly. I had noticed that Cannoli loved licking off the extra that squeezed out of Pinni's injection site. I'll try plain water today and see how it goes - I might end up with a mix of the two, if it gets Pinni to drink it willingly.

I tried googling lactated ringer's orally, but didn't really find anything. My guess is giving her Pedialite would be similar?

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:55 am


My sludge/stone piggy has extra fluid each day as I give him Potassium as a supplement.

He easily takes 30ml of water from a syringe if I add in a tiny bit of 100% fresh orange juice. He won't even take 2 syringes if it's just water.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:59 am


I hope giving oral fluids helps. Perhaps the lactated ringers is a little like giving pedialyte orally? Don't know enough to comment on giving it orally.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:11 am


This is from Wikipedia:

"Ringers Lactate solution is grouped with intravenous fluids known as "crystalloids" – which include saline and dextrose solutions (compared to the "colloids" which contain larger molecules such as starch or gelatine)." (Emphasis mine.)

Here are the ingredients:
  • 130 mEq of sodium ion = 130 mmol/L
    109 mEq of chloride ion = 109 mmol/L
    28 mEq of lactate = 28 mmol/L
    4 mEq of potassium ion = 4 mmol/L
    3 mEq of calcium ion = 1.5 mmol/L
I see nothing in there that could not be ingested. If she likes it orally, I'd say go for it and if you can get as much (or more) into her than via subcue, you're not only ahead of the game, it's much less stress on her and on you.

I've not tasted it but I would think it would have a slightly sweet taste due to the lactate. (Bpatters, am I way off the mark here??) I'll taste it next time we have to use it.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:03 am


And perhaps a slightly salty taste?

I guess we need a taste-tester :-)

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Jul 12, 2014 10:15 am


Like Lynx, I'd guess more salty than sweet. But googling the taste turns up a bunch of hits that say it doesn't taste good at all. Except, apparently, to PA's guinea pig!

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:30 pm


Oral fluids had been working well, and Pinni had been on that for a while, along with the hydrochloralthiazide. But Pinni had been feeling poorly the last week or so. Extra fluids (subcues) worked, but then she lost weight and started bleeding on Sunday night. She went to the vet today.

Both the vet and I expected to xray her and see stones all over, or at least one farther down her bladder. Imagine our surprise. The weird calcification near her spine had split in half, and was much less dense, but still in about the same spot. Evidently the hydrochloralthiazide was working! But then an ultrasound revealed a mass in her bladder - even I could see it on the screen! It looked like a mountain right in the middle of the bladder! She also had fluid all around her organs. Dr Holmes says it's some kind of tumor, likely cancer.

So she's on baytril, which seems to help with her incontinence and reoccurring infections. We're swapping the tramadol for metacam, and we're sticking with the 60ml fluids twice a day (I'm giving 30 subcue, and 30 orally, which suits Pinni). And basically, I'm trying to make her comfortable for as long as I can, until the Schnoz doesn't feel up to nosing around any more. :-(

Added bonus for shocking news: Dr Holmes is leaving Windhover. I panicked until she confessed she's setting up her own practice along Rt 1 in Walpole - so same town, different spot. Whew! But things could be dicey getting care in between her leaving Windhover (in 2 weeks) and getting the new place operational (sounds like it will be a few weeks after that).

So - I could use good thoughts for Pinni, and I am hoping she'll take herself out quietly and pain free when the time comes like many of my other tumor-y pigs have done. But given the source is in her bladder, I suspect I'm going to have to be the one to help her along. I hope the metacam helps and she has some pain free days until that happens.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2014 11:16 pm


Oh, lots of good thoughts for Pinni, and hoping she has many good days left.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Nov 11, 2014 11:50 pm


I'm sorry. Pinni is such a beautiful girl

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:09 am


Best wishes and thoughts for her and for you.

What about using pred?

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:49 pm


Talishan - I somehow missed when you posted this. I'm going to ask the vet about that tomorrow. The metacam just isn't doing the job.

Pinni had perked up until yesterday. She dropped back out of the 800g back into the 750s. She'd been dry up until the weekend as well - she's incontinent again. We gave her a rump dunk this evening because she smelled so much, but I HATE handling her, because I think jostling her around just makes her hurt.

She's uncomfortable often. But she eats all of her favorite food with gusto, and I see her with her nose in the pellet dish. I work at home, and it breaks my heart when I hear her cry so often. Sigh.

ETA: - can I use metacam and tramadol at the same time?

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