Zoe's Medical Thread

Delaine · Post » Thu May 21, 2015 7:29 pm

It makes sense to me. Just before Zoe went for her surgery we had an X-ray done. It was clear. A couple of months after the surgery the blood started. She was confined for two weeks.

I wish I could build a safe run for them when I was outside gardening but I live outside of a city and there are just too many predators waiting for an easy meal.

Delaine · Post » Tue May 26, 2015 8:25 pm

Zoe is doing very well. I have been documenting and have a diet that seems to be working well. Time will tell. The grass is back in. I had replaced the grass with ribs off the lettuce as treats and the sludge got worse. So it wasn't the grass and the reduction in moisture from it was not good.

The best thing I have done is soaking the hay. I have addressed this in a separate thread. The girls gobble it up and the container I left today was licked clean. They still get piles of regular hay. Zoe is starting to gain back the weight she lost after her surgery and is almost back to her normal weight. I contribute a good portion of this weight gain to the moistened hay.

Post » Tue May 26, 2015 8:53 pm

I would not be surprised if soaking the hay made it more digestible.

Delaine · Post » Tue May 26, 2015 10:25 pm

Maybe Lynx. I wish I had done this when Zoe was recovering from her surgery. At the time I was concerned about her water consumption. This definitely would have helped. The other benefit is better stools. Abbey has always been prone to smaller, drier stools and now they are larger and more moist.

Delaine · Post » Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:52 pm

I have made an appointment for Zoe to see her vet next week. Both my girls have always had red feet but I think the redness in one of Zoe's back feet is going to the next level and I am afraid she may be developing Pododermatitis.

I think the cause may be the fact she spends most of her day hogging the hay pile. It is second cut hay which is a good combination of stem and leaf but I don't think walking around on the stems is much better than being houses on wire.

For the first time in five years I have changed from a pile of hay to a hay rack. The rest of the cage is fleece so I am hoping by keeping her from walking back and forth on the rough stems things will improve.

I printed off the pages on Pododermatitis so I can read the information several times. I will also take the information to my vet when I go.

I started applying coconut oil to her back feet and if I don't see an improvement in a day or two I will start the Epsom Salt soaks.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jaycey · Post » Sat Feb 20, 2016 3:53 pm

I think they're usually okay with just ointments unless they start getting blisters or scabs on their feet. Epsom salts are very drying so I personally wouldn't start bathing them until they got worse, or on instruction from a good vet.

It might be worth giving the feet a quick wash and dry before putting the cream on so any pee is washed off.

I have a pig whose feet are starting to redden from hanging out in the hay. I admit to being a bit lax and not cleaning it fully each day, simply because my hay costs would rocket. So, he has a hay rack (well it's a bag) so he has access to fresh hay all the time. He likes to lay in his hay too, so he now has a really small hay box for lounging in and I dump that out each day. It's about 1/4 size of his last hay area so it's not as costly.

If the vet does think it's the start of bumblefoot it's a good idea to get some vet bed, of you don't have any already and just use that and fleece for a while so you can swap it daily. Most of my pigs enjoy laying on the vet bed.

Delaine · Post » Sat Feb 20, 2016 9:08 pm

Thank you so much Jaycey for the information. I will hold off on the Epsom salts and maybe just wash her feet. She has developed a dark spot on one back foot which worries me.

I drive about 5 hours every fall and pick up 300 lbs. of new crop hay so I can be generous with it. The hay tray gets dumped every day with additions to the pile when I am at home.

I have a ton of fleece pads I use in the heavy urine areas. They get changed at least twice a day (more often when I am at home) so she isn't sitting on damp bedding for long. I also bought some very soft fleece today to make some new floor covers.

What would you recommend for cream? Is coconut oil a good choice for now? Also I am not familiar with vet bed but will research it.

Thanks again.

Talishan · Post » Sun Feb 21, 2016 5:33 am

This stuff --

http://www.mountainside-medical.com/pro ... -gram-tube

-- has proven very helpful at our house for reddened feet, or what looks or seems like it might be pre-pre-pododermatitis.

That company is in upstate NY iirc so with any luck they'll ship to Canada. I've always been very satisfied with them.

Delaine · Post » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:21 am

Thanks Talishan:

I printed out the ingredients and will see if I can find a similar product here. If not I will try and order it.

I also wanted to talk to Zoe's vet first to see what she recommends.

GrannyJu1 · Post » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:29 am

Good luck, whatever the vet visit results in. Keep us posted.

Delaine · Post » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:38 am

Thanks GrannyJu1. I will let you know what the vet says. The first appointment I could get was next Sunday but I can take her in as an emergency earlier if necessary.

Delaine · Post » Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:21 pm

I took Zoe to the vet February 28th to have her foot checked. Although it wasn't serious yet she was afraid it could turn into something and wanted me to soak it.

She told me to put a small amount of Hibitane Skin Cleanser 4% on a clean cloth, wet it to make suds and wrap it around her foot for 10 minutes, rinse and dry it. Afterwards I applied coconut oil. After 5 days the scab came off and the skin was smooth underneath.

When the foot looked better I gave Zoe her pile of hay back rather than putting in a rack. After a couple of days of hanging out on the hay it looked like the area might be getting irritated. I put the hay back in a rack and kept soaking her foot.

Zoe's vet has been away on vacation so I can't get in to see her until April 1st. I will continue with the soaks and coconut oil until then.

She also did a wellness check and said one of Zoe's top teeth was thicker and wants me to monitor it. I haven't been able to see what she is talking about but I did notice Zoe's bottom teeth are a good length but have a slight slant to them. I will discuss this at her next appointment.

Zoe is having no trouble eating any of her food and her weight is good. I am weighing her and monitoring her closely looking for any signs of a more serious dental issue.

Any advice would be appreciated.