I just got a pig in that I believe is suffering from fly strike. She has maggots on her bottom and is not eating. I've been treating with bactrim since two nights ago. Can anyone give me information on how to treat her? Is a vet visit required for this or can I do things at home? I'm hand feeding and watering.
EDIT: I just wanted to note I think she has improved since two nights ago. She was more listless and squeeling in pain once in a while. She wasn't even eating veggies. Now there are no squeels and she is eating her veggies. She seems a bit more energetic, but still not quite the same.
Flystrike
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Can you remove the maggots? From what I understand, some maggots only eat dead flesh and actually do a service if there is a severe injury (though it looks horrible). It's important if you remove the maggots to clean things out well. You don't want to kill them and have them decompose in the wound.
Sorry I have no further info (and my advice looks kind of mixed but I imagine you get the message).
Sorry I have no further info (and my advice looks kind of mixed but I imagine you get the message).
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gotcavies
- Supporter in '15
There actually doesn't have to be dead tissue to get them started. Just dirty or even just urinated on fur for the flies to lay the eggs.
If there are now wounds from the maggots, antiobiotics need to be considered.
I can handle just about anything. Maggots make me seriously ill however. I'll deal with them, but I do it while gagging. This poor guinea pig.
If there are now wounds from the maggots, antiobiotics need to be considered.
I can handle just about anything. Maggots make me seriously ill however. I'll deal with them, but I do it while gagging. This poor guinea pig.
Yeah, it was pretty gross. I hate maggots too. The vet shaved her backside and said she didn't see any sores. She looked at a urine sample and said that there were a few blood cells in it, so she might possibly have a UTI. I think she thinks the maggots were just there, and aren't whats causing this pig to be sick. She gave injectable ivermectin and another oral ivermectin for 10 days from now. Gave me more bactrim as well.
Be very careful with this one--flystrike can be deadly for a number of reasons.
Maggots can and do also eat healthy tissue, and often invade internally through mucous membranes. Rectal/vaginal routes are common.
Maggots also release a toxic substance when crushed, so if any are (gag) smushed when removing them, and the skin is broken, it can cause a shock reaction in the affected animal.
Abscesses can form around maggot wounds, the animal can go septic, etc.
A pox on anyone who keeps an animal in conditions to be susceptible to this.
If you can find a knowledgeable vet, at least a partial bath/dunking is probably in order, and the pigs' nether regions need to be searched thoroughly for signs of internal infestation.
Maggots can and do also eat healthy tissue, and often invade internally through mucous membranes. Rectal/vaginal routes are common.
Maggots also release a toxic substance when crushed, so if any are (gag) smushed when removing them, and the skin is broken, it can cause a shock reaction in the affected animal.
Abscesses can form around maggot wounds, the animal can go septic, etc.
A pox on anyone who keeps an animal in conditions to be susceptible to this.
If you can find a knowledgeable vet, at least a partial bath/dunking is probably in order, and the pigs' nether regions need to be searched thoroughly for signs of internal infestation.
She's acting better, seems more energetic and she's eating and drinking. Her weight is up too.
However she has a fowl smelling discharge coming out of her bottom. From what I can tell its cloudy colored, like urine, but thicker and like I said, quite smelly. Her bowl movements look fine, possibly bits of mucous on them but I think that is coming from what ever kind of discharge this is.
Other than that she's acting just fine. Is this her clearing out her system or possibly a consequence of the antibiotics (SMZ-TMP Sulfa)? What do you guys think?
However she has a fowl smelling discharge coming out of her bottom. From what I can tell its cloudy colored, like urine, but thicker and like I said, quite smelly. Her bowl movements look fine, possibly bits of mucous on them but I think that is coming from what ever kind of discharge this is.
Other than that she's acting just fine. Is this her clearing out her system or possibly a consequence of the antibiotics (SMZ-TMP Sulfa)? What do you guys think?
The maggots may have invaded internal tissue in which case she needs to go back to the vet. This could be fatal. Good luck to resolving the problem and a pox on the person responsible. Don't forget the acidophilus about 2 hours after ABs.
Read Klynne's post 11-3 again. If the maggots have moved internally and they may have already done that before your visit to the vet but went unnoticed, whether she's 'acting better' or not she needs to be rechecked ASAP because she's in a world of hurt.
Bad smells (that aren't related to flatulence and cecal poop) indicate that something is seriously wrong in most cases. Better to have it checked and find another cause and treat, than to let the maggots attack more tissue if that's what has happened.
Keep us posted. Poor baby.
Bad smells (that aren't related to flatulence and cecal poop) indicate that something is seriously wrong in most cases. Better to have it checked and find another cause and treat, than to let the maggots attack more tissue if that's what has happened.
Keep us posted. Poor baby.
I always thought maggots will not eat healthy tissue as it says in this article. I am going to keep searching for information that says otherwise.
Poor piggie. I am surprised such a sensitive animal can survive such neglect. I think I will go hug all my pigs now.
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:X5PnZAIWd9sJ:library.thi ... ct=clnk&cd=1
Poor piggie. I am surprised such a sensitive animal can survive such neglect. I think I will go hug all my pigs now.
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:X5PnZAIWd9sJ:library.thi ... ct=clnk&cd=1
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Mum
- I GAVE, dammit!
Perhaps pyometra should be ruled out?However she has a fowl smelling discharge coming out of her bottom. From what I can tell its cloudy colored, like urine, but thicker and like I said, quite smelly. Her bowl movements look fine, possibly bits of mucous on them but I think that is coming from what ever kind of discharge this is.
I'd get her back to the vet asap.