[Gpdd] HEALTH: GP's and baby aspirin

[Candy G.]

Just as I sent the first version of this, my system crashed. . . hope I am 
not jamming the digest with two posts for the same subject.

First and foremost, thank all of you who sent me direct emails concerning my 
question about paralysis in piggie hind legs.  I hope that I wrote a 
personal note to each of you to thank you - that was my intention.  If you 
did not receive a note from me, please forgive me.  Things continue to be 
very chaotic here and sometimes I think I did something, but find out that I 
didn't.  If I missed anyone, thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU.  Digesters 
RULE!!!

I just wanted to report on what we finally found out.  Mollie recovered that 
same day, but was still very quiet and staying in her little "fluffed up 
meatloaf" position.  I took her to our exotics vet and xrays were done to 
rule out cardiac disease and blood clots, and also a possible back injury.

Her heart was absolutely fine (thank goodness), but the xray clearly showed 
a malformed vertebrae in her spinal column right at the end of the area 
where the last rib is attached.  It is quite visible on xray.  The vet says 
that is was almost certainly a birth defect and it is probably just now 
becoming noticeable as a problem because of the aging process.  She thinks 
that Mollie either twisted or jumped just the wrong way and the vertebrae 
moved slightly and pinched a nerve, causing the temporary paralysis.  She 
(the vet) says that the problem and the pain will continue to "come and go". 
  Hopefully the paralysis won't happen again.

I had already given Mollie Metacam - it had worked so beautifully with her 
stone surgery and UTI, and I thought she was just under the weather still 
with that until the paralysis incident.  It (the Metacam) wasn't helping, 
though, for some reason - she was still obviously not feeling well.  The vet 
put her on 1/2 chewable baby aspirin (1/2 of an 81mg tab) twice a day.  
Within a couple of hours of her first dose of aspirin, she was a NEW 
PIGGIE!!!  Animated - scooting around, eating everything in sight and 
wanting more - interested in everything, and PURRING again (haven't heard 
that from her in a long time).

She'll be on the aspirin twice a day for 6 weeks, then it will just be prn 
after that unless she starts showing chronic discomfort again.  It that 
happens, then she will be on aspirin for the rest of her life.  I guess the 
up side of that is that it will also help prevent blood clots and strokes.  
Anyway, the aspirin has worked miracles.

Has anyone else used aspirin for your piggies?  If so, why aspirin?; and, 
had you also used Metacam in the past?  Inquiring minds want to know.   :)

Gee. . . there is so much to know about these little guys!

Thanks to all of you for your continued concern and good wishes for little 
Mollie bug.

Candy, Relieved Topper and SuperMollie