[Gpdd] [HEALTH]<Checkies problems>

[Janneke Staaks]

Hi Sandi,
I'm so sorry that checkie is feeling so bad. I have no actual experience with Osteoarthritis, but i do have experience with Osteodystrophy (OD, Common in Satins). There is not much i can do about it but i do know ways to ease pain. (my brain is also telling me that peter gurney had something interesting to say about it but i cannot find it online)
 
You can put a warm water bottle/bag in the cage for her to lay her painfull bones on. I use a snuggle safe, which is a plastic disc that you can put in the microwave. My yaya cannot chew parts off from it and it stays warm for 8 hours. (my yaya is not in such a bad state yet but i'd like to be prepared). I have also heard from people who use a special lamp (i think to breed chickens?) when their pig has backpain, because a water bottle on the floor cannot reach that high.
 
You can adjust the cage. Make sure everything (water bottles, feeding bowls) is on one level and easy to reach.
 
There are also other painkillers. I dont know if they are available abroad. But carprofen is also an option. It is non-steroid, like metacam, so it has less side effects. Many dutch satin owners feed their pigs 'spirea' when they are in pain. It's latin name is Filipendula and in english i think it is Meadowsweet (http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/meadowsweet.htm). 
 
The red mucus sounds like a uterusinflammation (i hope i translate it right). If you want to, you can let your vet check it with a sonogram(?) (the thing they use on pregnant women to check the baby). If Checkie has trouble walking and a sore back, it is understandable that she is not very able to keep herself clean. And your vet is right, a uterus inflammation is not that uncommon in elderly sows, but this does not mean it should go untreated!! Of course you can help keep checkie clean but it probably needs antibiotics. In the netherlands the homepathic medicine Utero Vetsem is very often used. I cannot find something similar in english with google but, it contains Pulsatilla D6, Sepia gruneris D6, Sabina D6, Secale cornutum D3; alcohol 56% (v/v). It is very effective in case of pyometra (pus with blood from the uterus) and other uterus problems. If problems with the uterus persist, surgery is the only option. I hope it helps...
Grtz
Janneke
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