URI, Ileus & Diarrhea in a Geriatric Girl

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Sun Aug 13, 2017 12:58 pm


I'm so sorry for your loss. 6 is a good mature age for a pig, so you know you did everything right. Your decision was the kindest you could make.

Rest in peace, little one.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sun Aug 13, 2017 7:01 pm


Thank you everyone for the kind words. She was a sweetheart and it's always harder to let them go when they are a kind and gentle soul.

The necropsy revealed that indeed she had heart disease, what appeared to be some chronic changes in her lung tissue, but no torsion. Her stomach was distended with gas, not food. However, she did have a mass on her liver and a mass on one of her ovaries. I am glad I had her do the necropsy. It is so hard when there is not enough literature on cases like these to refer to and most of the information comes from a post-mortem exam. It may help another pig, it may not. I still have no radiographs to post. Thanks again everyone.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:05 pm


Necropsies can indeed help understand what happened. I think it was worthwhile for you.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:39 am


Radiographs were sent today, but the radiologist's report has still not been sent. I actually have not seen the official report from the radiologist. I only heard the interpretation of the vet at the referral hospital. Figured I'd post them anyway for educational purposes since they are abnormal. By the way, her cecum is so filled with gas it appears to extend above her back because she is so distended and on her side (lateral view). This is what the vet at the hospital interpreted as a possible torsion that ended up not being a torsion. When she was in sternal recumbency, she did not have any gas distention extending above her topline (back), if that makes sense.



Digiorgio, Lafonda R lat by Renee Digiorgio, on Flickr



Digiorgio, Lafonda R vd (1) by Renee Digiorgio, on Flickr

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:54 am


That bulge does look dramatic. You can see from the location of the spine that she was not completely on her side.

Let me know if you'd like your pictures added permanently to your thread for future readers.

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:30 am


You are right, her pelvis and hips are actually obliqued, not lateral and those crazy looking last ribs too.

Please do add them to the thread. I appreciate it!

Clint The Cuy

Post   » Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:49 pm


Radiologist Report for the Radiographs

*The suspect cutaneous mass that he mentions, was in fact cutaneous and was noted as a sebaceous cyst by a vet 3 months prior to this.

HISTORY
Consult Type: FILMINTERP, SIG: DOB: 8/12/2011, Age: 6 Y, Sex: F UNALTERED, Wt: 776g, Breed:
Guinea Pig, Species: RODENT, Images: 2,
Case Details: Progressive weight loss over a month,
previous courses of abx for sneezing and not eating.

Findings
WHOLE-BODY: 2 views.

ABDOMEN: There is marked gaseous distention of the stomach and cecum. Some small intestinal
segments are mildly gas distended. Hepatic volume is normal. There is a cutaneous soft tissue
opacity along the left caudal abdominal body wall that probably mimics an intra-abdominal mass on
the lateral view. Evaluation of remaining intra-abdominal structures is difficult. There is bilateral
gluteal mineralization there is mild spondylosis deformans of the lumbar and lumbosacral
spine.Stifle DJD as noted on the lateral view.

THORAX: The cardiac silhouette appears large and rounded on the VD view. There is increased
opacity in the caudal lung fields. There is impression of increased opacity in the cranial thorax on the
lateral view probably due to cardiomegaly. No pleural effusion is noted. The visible trachea is
normal. No abnormalities of the extrathoracic skeletal structures are identified.

Conclusion

1) Marked gas distention of the stomach and cecum with some intestinal distention. Ileus is suspected.
There may be a component of aerophagia playing a role in the large volume of gas noted
throughout the digestive tract.

2) Cardiomegaly.

3) Increased opacity in the caudal dorsal lung fields may represent pneumonia or pulmonary edema
secondary to heart failure, particularly if a murmur is present.

4) Degenerative changes of the spine and stifles with bilateral gluteal mineralization.

5) Cutaneous nodule probably mimicking a caudal abdominal mass on the lateral view.

Recommendations

1) Consider echocardiogram.
2) Antibiotic therapy may be indicated, particularly if white blood count is elevated.
3) Aggressive therapy for presumed ileus.
4) Consider placing barium on the cutaneous nodule and repeating a lateral view to ensure that the
impression of an abdominal mass on the lateral view is artifact.

Read By:
Steve Pokorny VMD DACVR

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