Jan's Toothy Smile medical thread

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:52 pm


The Epsom salt soak (carefully, paying attention to the cautions on the pododermatitis page) is what I would have recommended. How long did you soak the foot? How many times?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Feb 24, 2019 11:06 pm


What caused it, do you know? Is it actually infected? I second the epsom salt soaks while you sort out which antibiotic to use. Also, have you tried Metacam to get some of the inflammation down?

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Feb 26, 2019 12:18 am


Joy sees Carol again Friday. Seems to be swollen before where the toes are. Not sure if infected, paw a grey to blue in colour, warm to the touch.
What caused it, do you know?
We got bale of hay-Meadow-full of hay seeds. Joy managed to get a very small one almost like a splinter into her paw. We tried getting it out but couldn't. Vet had a go when they did her teeth and the skin was 65% hanging on her paw.
How long did you soak the foot? How many times?
Twice a day for a few minutes each time. She just hates being wet. Mostly we just have 2 containers one of salty solution Epsom or plain and one of water and we use cotton balls to wet the paw.
Also, have you tried Metacam to get some of the inflammation down?
Been on very low dose-0.3mls for 800g piggy(0.5ml cat strength)a day any more than this and she stops eating. She also gets Protexin daily. On Meloxicam now for nearly 2 months-teeth before paw.
Chloramphenicol penetrates bone very well if you think it's a bone infection.
Hasn't ventured any further than the paw for now. Leg not swollen. The paw is grey to light blue in colour a scab(which keeps coming of when bathed) and warm to the touch, swollen foot especially around little toe.

Thanks for the replies bpatters, rjespicer, Lynx, and sef1268. Paw is also now more flexible. Keep you posted. Too hot here over 40C and will be all week. Much cooler inside though for everyone, pigs and humans. Send us some snow please?

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:58 pm


I do hope she improves. I don't have any more advice for you and her, but I'll keep you all in my thoughts.

rjespicer

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 1:55 pm


Not sure if pigs react the same way but when I get too hot my feet swell up. Could it be heat related?

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:54 pm


Thanks for the replies rjespicer and GrannyJu1. Will find out tomorrow! What gets my goat is why couldn't they have done when she was there to get her teeth done 2 weeks ago today!

GrannyJu1 did you get book and keyring? Bought before Jan left us! We don't trust postage service especially at that time of year!

We have had guinea pigs for 30 years, rarely seen a grey and white one. Ones we have seen have all been boars, aren't there any sows grey and white?

GrannyJu1 have our own little fuzzbutt now. Had her 2 weeks tomorrow. Been in quarantine when Joys foot is better will start intros. Curly fur, black, white and cream. We felt no matter how we felt Joy deserved a friend. She looks like baby Ewok from Return of the Jedi. She's now 6 weeks and named Jay. Still miss little wishbone Jan. Think of her every minute day and night! SHE WAS JUST SO SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!

Let you know how we get on at vets tomorrow! Thanks guys!

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Thu Feb 28, 2019 12:39 pm


Congratulations on getting Jay. She sounds adorable! We need pictures. Be warned, that fuzzy little hair grabs onto everything and drags it all over the place. I always have hay/grass scattered all over the cage, and can see it comes from Fuzz.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:19 am


Okay been busy with Joy then Jay and intros. Now for many years Joy will lose fur on her tummy but it would grow back. Took to the vet Carol could feel cyst in the right or next time it would be in the left or there would be no cyst. Can cyst do this?????

Anyways on her left side(same side as 2 sore paws) she has a bald patch of around 6 inches long and 3 inches wide but nothing on the other side. Paws getting better slowly though front one little claw still deformed. Like her sister Jan she has started to bite her toes whilst syringe fed is this normal?

So off we go to the vet, Carol and felt nothing. Said her favourite saying TAKE HER HOME AND WATCH HER. HATE THAT!!!!!! She said she wasn't worried as bald patch wasn't symmetrical. What ever that means?

Well nothing has changed, she's eating peeing, pooping weight up or down or steady. I got a text from Carol saying it was cyst when I suggested HRT she shot me down and said you can't do this.

So again one of my girls suffers! Going back to Jessie she had NO symptoms except weight lost, no cyst felt or found with ultra sound or X-Rays. Started her on HRT, with in 4 weeks weight started to go up. So why are things so hard this time?????

Two things have changed which may have caused Joy's fur lost. Switching from one Meadow hay to another(this one better than the first). Second thing is Jay. This lady is starting up a rescue but feeds them nothing but mix(seeds, grains etc) and fruit. Quarantined for 2 weeks and slowly introduced them to now they get on well.

Fur lost started around the same time of both. Weight lost however has started since Jay went in with her even though we make sure she gets food and we syringe feed. I weigh her once a day roughly same time every night. Before feed she was 821g a lost of 9 grams from last night. Syringe fed for an hour, weighed her 812grams another lost of 9grams she did do a pee.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated, for those reading Joy turned 6 on Christmas Eve 2018, lost her sister Jan November 2018. She we remove Jay and see if this affects her weight? Or will it undo all the work we did to get them together? Jay 9 weeks this coming Friday. Thanks in advance and for reading.

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:35 am


In my inexperienced opinion, removing Jay from the cage wouldn't help Joy maintain, or even slow the weight loss.

My Fuzz, at 5 years old, is still steadily loosing weight, I guess I should force feed her a bit more. I've watched Fuzz eat some of her evening meal then leave it. I can "chase" her back to it and she'll eat some more. Same thing with hay - she loves the fresh stuff but doesn't eat a whole lot at once.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:48 am


Don't separate them. The pup may just be making her more active, which could translate to a slight weight loss.

And don't weigh right after you've fed them -- you're just weighing food AND pig and you don't know how much of which is which. The only reasonably reliable weights are those you get early in the morning before they've been fed, and even then it can bounce around. You're looking for a trend.

Cysts can definitely grow and shrink.

HRT only works on certain kinds of cysts. I tried it on one of mine and got no results at all.

I'd try a vitamin C supplement for the hair loss. Older pigs just don't process food as efficiently as younger ones, and it's possible to have a vitamin deficiency in spite of a good diet. One of my senior pigs had hair loss that looked exactly like that of ovarian cysts, but no cyst. A few weeks on supplemental vitamin C, and all the hair was back.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:07 am


I'd try a vitamin C supplement for the hair loss. Older pigs just don't process food as efficiently as younger ones, and it's possible to have a vitamin deficiency in spite of a good diet. One of my senior pigs had hair loss that looked exactly like that of ovarian cysts, but no cyst. A few weeks on supplemental vitamin C, and all the hair was back.
Would she not be getting this from Critical Care and Oxbow pellets? How would one give this? I think it comes in powder form. I am off to bed as it is late at night here.

Thanks for the replies bpatters and GrannyJu1. Hoping fuzzy is keeping clean bottom for you!

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:13 am


She won't be getting enough from the pellets and CC if the problem is lack of C.

Oxbow sells vitamin C supplements, as does Vita Drops. Just don't put the drops in the water bottle. I sprinkled the drops on veggies, but you can mix it with a bit of juice and syringe it if that's easier.

You can also use a human plain vitamin C tablet. Chewables made for babies may work, or you can split a tablet made for adults. Aim at about 40-50 mg per day for a few weeks and see if that helps. If it does, you can cut back a little either by cutting down on the dosage or giving it every other day.

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