I made Fuzzy Lumpkins his "cape" today, to keep him from biting at his sore, so it can heal. Not sure how it will hold up overnight but we'll see if this works.
A few more pics here http://photobucket.com/albums/v429/LERPhotos/MassPigs/
mites/sore/labored breathing/skinny
Kirk, the b&w boar with the wheezing breath, is still wheezing. We have not put him on antibiotics because there is no nasal or eye discharge and his lungs sound clear and the vet hears no wetness or anything on the breathing in and out when she listens. I am sure I don't explain it right but hopefully it made sense. We have been worried about using antibiotics needlessly due to their weakened state overall. I'd appreciate any feedback. I can't tell for sure but I think it is pretty much staying the same, not getting worse.
The eyes apparently look a bit better to her as of Wednesday and will be rechecked in a week.
Poor Fuzzy Lumpkins has developed a possible edema (?) (swollen area) under his chin from his cape. The cape is now off and he is being monitored by me tonight to see if the swelling goes down. We will need to refigure how to keep him from chewing/licking the sore. I will print out pics of the wrapped pigs. The sore is looking better but I suspect that it will regress tonight now that the cape is off. But, we will deal with it. Please keep the little guy in your thoughts.
I'm a little worried because they aren't gaining as much weight as I'd hoped. But, all appear to be eating well and they are up in weight, just not as much as I'd like to see, considering they are all pretty young. I guess perhaps they are using the ood food to improve their health first before they start growing and such? Not sure.
Thanks!
The eyes apparently look a bit better to her as of Wednesday and will be rechecked in a week.
Poor Fuzzy Lumpkins has developed a possible edema (?) (swollen area) under his chin from his cape. The cape is now off and he is being monitored by me tonight to see if the swelling goes down. We will need to refigure how to keep him from chewing/licking the sore. I will print out pics of the wrapped pigs. The sore is looking better but I suspect that it will regress tonight now that the cape is off. But, we will deal with it. Please keep the little guy in your thoughts.
I'm a little worried because they aren't gaining as much weight as I'd hoped. But, all appear to be eating well and they are up in weight, just not as much as I'd like to see, considering they are all pretty young. I guess perhaps they are using the ood food to improve their health first before they start growing and such? Not sure.
Thanks!
-
Lynx
- RESIST
Sounds like the boar might have only a throat obstruction that is causing the wheezing sound. Pinta has noted that in pigs with fluid filled lungs, you can't hear anything. If he seems pretty perky and healthy otherwise, this is unlikely.
Good luck with Fuzzy Lumpkins. Don't forget products like Chew Guard (see the supplies page). Peppery, stop chewing, prescribed by a vet.
Good luck with Fuzzy Lumpkins. Don't forget products like Chew Guard (see the supplies page). Peppery, stop chewing, prescribed by a vet.
Thanks Lynx,
We will experiement and see what we can use. It's in kind of a funny place.
My vet did mention if the wheezing got worse or no better, the next step would be to do a chest x-ray.
Everyone is eating Cavy Performance, all bowls were empty this evening so I filled them back up. They eat veggies and hay also, and are drinking. I just expected them to gain weight more quickly. I will post their weights since they came and the weight chart here and would love to hear feedback.
Here is the weight chart:
And here are the weights in it:
Kirk, black and white boar
4/17: 728 grams
4/19: 746 grams
4/20: 758, 780
4/21: 759, 776
4/22: 762, 752
4/23: 764
up 36 grams total.
Fuzzy Lumpkins , white and orange boar, with sore
4/17: 642 grams
4/19: 690 grams
4/20: 688, 706
4/21: 672, 688
4/22: 678, 678
4/23: 690
(weights adjusted to account for cape)
up 48 grams total.
Hawk, white and orange boar, baby
4/17: 374 grams
4/19: 402 grams
4/20: 398, 412
4/21: 410, 410
4/22: 408, 406
4/23: 408
up 34 grams total.
Poppyseed, black and white sow, baby
4/17: 316 grams
4/19: 320 grams
4/20: 328, 340
4/21: 336, 354
4/22: 346, 346
4/23: 346
up 30 grams total.
Pattycake, white and orange sow, baby
4/17: 352, grams
4/19: 372 grams
4/20: 392, 402
4/21: 387, 414
4/22: 405, 402
4/23: 400
up 48 grams total.
Rebecca, black and white sow
4/17: 588 grams
4/19: 592 grams
4/20: 606, 620
4/21: 608, 609
4/22: 606, 612
4/23: 598
up 10 grams total.
The weights are down a little this evening but that I believe has to do with the empty dishes and the lateness of the hour when I weighed them. If only I was more consistent! I also forgot to weigh them this morning. (bad me)
Any thoughts?
I do have Critical Care here but have not been supplementing because they are eating well and are all up from their original weights, which is of course good.
Also, FL does drink a lot of water and seems to have a bit of a pot belly.
We will experiement and see what we can use. It's in kind of a funny place.
My vet did mention if the wheezing got worse or no better, the next step would be to do a chest x-ray.
Everyone is eating Cavy Performance, all bowls were empty this evening so I filled them back up. They eat veggies and hay also, and are drinking. I just expected them to gain weight more quickly. I will post their weights since they came and the weight chart here and would love to hear feedback.
Here is the weight chart:
And here are the weights in it:
Kirk, black and white boar
4/17: 728 grams
4/19: 746 grams
4/20: 758, 780
4/21: 759, 776
4/22: 762, 752
4/23: 764
up 36 grams total.
Fuzzy Lumpkins , white and orange boar, with sore
4/17: 642 grams
4/19: 690 grams
4/20: 688, 706
4/21: 672, 688
4/22: 678, 678
4/23: 690
(weights adjusted to account for cape)
up 48 grams total.
Hawk, white and orange boar, baby
4/17: 374 grams
4/19: 402 grams
4/20: 398, 412
4/21: 410, 410
4/22: 408, 406
4/23: 408
up 34 grams total.
Poppyseed, black and white sow, baby
4/17: 316 grams
4/19: 320 grams
4/20: 328, 340
4/21: 336, 354
4/22: 346, 346
4/23: 346
up 30 grams total.
Pattycake, white and orange sow, baby
4/17: 352, grams
4/19: 372 grams
4/20: 392, 402
4/21: 387, 414
4/22: 405, 402
4/23: 400
up 48 grams total.
Rebecca, black and white sow
4/17: 588 grams
4/19: 592 grams
4/20: 606, 620
4/21: 608, 609
4/22: 606, 612
4/23: 598
up 10 grams total.
The weights are down a little this evening but that I believe has to do with the empty dishes and the lateness of the hour when I weighed them. If only I was more consistent! I also forgot to weigh them this morning. (bad me)
Any thoughts?
I do have Critical Care here but have not been supplementing because they are eating well and are all up from their original weights, which is of course good.
Also, FL does drink a lot of water and seems to have a bit of a pot belly.
I'm hoping for a little more feedback on my concerns (not that I don't appreciate you, Lynx!)
Fuzzy Lumpkins drinks much more water than any of the other pigs. He attacks the food when I put it in. He has a pot belly. He is the piggie with the sore, is getting extra vit c because we suspect they were sufferring from a deficiency, and bring treated for mites. Should I be asking about other diagnostics? Which ones, if so? BTW, the edema has gone down (gone now).
Kirk with the wheezing, but good lung sounds, weight gain and activity. Should I get an x-ray? Lynx mentions a throat obstruction, how could we check for that? Any other thoughts?
Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Fuzzy Lumpkins drinks much more water than any of the other pigs. He attacks the food when I put it in. He has a pot belly. He is the piggie with the sore, is getting extra vit c because we suspect they were sufferring from a deficiency, and bring treated for mites. Should I be asking about other diagnostics? Which ones, if so? BTW, the edema has gone down (gone now).
Kirk with the wheezing, but good lung sounds, weight gain and activity. Should I get an x-ray? Lynx mentions a throat obstruction, how could we check for that? Any other thoughts?
Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Kirk is going in on Thursday for chest x-rays.
We are also planning to do bloodwork and urinalysis on Fuzzy Lumpkins. My vet was wondering where blood is generally drawn on piggies (remember, she's awesome but not a piggie vet). She was thinking jugular but I said I'd ask and see if others had other opinions/thoughts. I'm thinking she'll take urine with a needle like with cats? If this is correct, any recommendations for needle size?
Finally, Rebecca is making that gagging/choking sound fairly frequently, it seems to me even when she isn't actively eating but I could be wrong (know know the sound they normally make when they eat too fast)? Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for any help.
We are also planning to do bloodwork and urinalysis on Fuzzy Lumpkins. My vet was wondering where blood is generally drawn on piggies (remember, she's awesome but not a piggie vet). She was thinking jugular but I said I'd ask and see if others had other opinions/thoughts. I'm thinking she'll take urine with a needle like with cats? If this is correct, any recommendations for needle size?
Finally, Rebecca is making that gagging/choking sound fairly frequently, it seems to me even when she isn't actively eating but I could be wrong (know know the sound they normally make when they eat too fast)? Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks Pinta.
Fuzzy Lumpkins is going in tomorrow at 3pm. Does anyone know what lab we should try to send to and what panel we should be asking for? Josephine? I think they send to Tufts, Cornell, and Michigan regularly. (I could be wrong).
Someone mentions "small mammel panel"? Would that be right? Any thoughts appreciated!
Fuzzy Lumpkins is going in tomorrow at 3pm. Does anyone know what lab we should try to send to and what panel we should be asking for? Josephine? I think they send to Tufts, Cornell, and Michigan regularly. (I could be wrong).
Someone mentions "small mammel panel"? Would that be right? Any thoughts appreciated!
-
Josephine
- Little Jo Wheek
Small mammal panels are appropriate. They vary from lab to lab. At the minimum, have a CBC and Chemistry panel done. I've added on T4s here and there but haven't any controls in this area. No one does, so who knows how accurate they are, but all of mine have been on teeth pigs and the T4s were all within normal. Our lab in CA does some exotics stuff (don't know about controls, but have been using the same lab for more than 10 years). It's called Idexx. You may have better options with the vet schools around where you live. Our VMTH at UCD doesn't really have great controls for cavies, either, but they've run stuff for me also and have been consistent with Idexx.
If the pig is anesthetized or very mild mannered, I'd do a jugular. Some people have been successful with cephalic and lateral saphenous sticks (that's where we usually put in 24 G IV catheters), but in untrained or green personnel, it can be a challenge and stress the pig more. Although they are uncomfortable, I usually do toenail overclips and fill up 5-10 heparinized microhematocrit tubes and send in two blood smears (coverslips or slides are both acceptable at our lab). Not much blood and VERY easy to do. I even just recently did this on my CHF pig and he lived 5 days past the "torturous" ordeal. Plus we did radiographs. That was probably worse since we had to do a lateral and he had tons of pulmonary edema, but I do digress.
For urine sticks, I usually find it very hard to palpate cavy bladders without expressing them. You can try blind sticks, but ultrasound guided sticks are the easiest, in my opinion. Of course I usually have to do this unaided (hold the pig with one hand in a v-positioner/hold the probe and stick the pig with the other). MUCH easier with help. Some pigs you can't do it unaided! I use the typical 22 G x 1 1/2" needles for the cysto, but I guess you could use a shorter needle with no problem. They aren't usually that deep. More habit from other species, I'm sure. 3 cc syringe usually.
If the pig is anesthetized or very mild mannered, I'd do a jugular. Some people have been successful with cephalic and lateral saphenous sticks (that's where we usually put in 24 G IV catheters), but in untrained or green personnel, it can be a challenge and stress the pig more. Although they are uncomfortable, I usually do toenail overclips and fill up 5-10 heparinized microhematocrit tubes and send in two blood smears (coverslips or slides are both acceptable at our lab). Not much blood and VERY easy to do. I even just recently did this on my CHF pig and he lived 5 days past the "torturous" ordeal. Plus we did radiographs. That was probably worse since we had to do a lateral and he had tons of pulmonary edema, but I do digress.
For urine sticks, I usually find it very hard to palpate cavy bladders without expressing them. You can try blind sticks, but ultrasound guided sticks are the easiest, in my opinion. Of course I usually have to do this unaided (hold the pig with one hand in a v-positioner/hold the probe and stick the pig with the other). MUCH easier with help. Some pigs you can't do it unaided! I use the typical 22 G x 1 1/2" needles for the cysto, but I guess you could use a shorter needle with no problem. They aren't usually that deep. More habit from other species, I'm sure. 3 cc syringe usually.
Ok, My appointment is bumped to Monday due to the alpaca emergency.
However, I did get to hear what she thought of the x-rays of Kirk. She said she didn't see any fluid in the lungs or around the heart. She said she did see nodules or lesions or something like that on the lungs that could possibly be from the vitamin C defiency (and perhaps painful to him which might cause his breathing sounds) but she doesn't know enough about guinea pigs to know what normal looks like in a pig x-ray and suggested I might try and find a good pig vet to take a look at them. She doesn't feel anything she has seen from him is concerning - the only symptom is the wheezing, there are no abnormal lung sounds, etc. He is eating great and has gone from 728 grams when he came on Sunday the 17th to 776 last night, the 27th. So a gain of 48 grams in 10 days. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts.
Fuzzy Lumpkins (and George) will go in Monday morning at 10AM.
However, I did get to hear what she thought of the x-rays of Kirk. She said she didn't see any fluid in the lungs or around the heart. She said she did see nodules or lesions or something like that on the lungs that could possibly be from the vitamin C defiency (and perhaps painful to him which might cause his breathing sounds) but she doesn't know enough about guinea pigs to know what normal looks like in a pig x-ray and suggested I might try and find a good pig vet to take a look at them. She doesn't feel anything she has seen from him is concerning - the only symptom is the wheezing, there are no abnormal lung sounds, etc. He is eating great and has gone from 728 grams when he came on Sunday the 17th to 776 last night, the 27th. So a gain of 48 grams in 10 days. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts.
Fuzzy Lumpkins (and George) will go in Monday morning at 10AM.
Argh. I just read Pinta's post in another thread about diabetes, and possibly being caused by dietary issues?
Fuzzy Lumpkins drinks so much water. His stomach is so big, and when I put my hand under him I can feel something like a huge vein (like a milk vein in a dairy cow if anyone knows what that is). Huge, squishy. What could this be? I'm assuming it must be related to him drinking so much. He has an appointment Monday morning at 10am, and we are doing blood work, blood glucose, and urinalysis.
Obviously we won't know until then (hopefully we will know then) but what I was wondering if it was/could be diabetes, the vit C I have been supplemnting them with contains sugars. Should I stop using this? Could it make him feel even more lousy? I'm so stressed with all my unwell piggies! Monday cannot come soon enough for me. Is there anything I can do for him in the meantime?
Fuzzy Lumpkins drinks so much water. His stomach is so big, and when I put my hand under him I can feel something like a huge vein (like a milk vein in a dairy cow if anyone knows what that is). Huge, squishy. What could this be? I'm assuming it must be related to him drinking so much. He has an appointment Monday morning at 10am, and we are doing blood work, blood glucose, and urinalysis.
Obviously we won't know until then (hopefully we will know then) but what I was wondering if it was/could be diabetes, the vit C I have been supplemnting them with contains sugars. Should I stop using this? Could it make him feel even more lousy? I'm so stressed with all my unwell piggies! Monday cannot come soon enough for me. Is there anything I can do for him in the meantime?