[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Huge swelling round shoulder/abdomen

[Debbie Jones]

  I feel a bit as though the Dolly Mixtures are monopolising the digest
  at present, but my fears are proving grounded as yet another Dolly
  Mixture SCAMP presents alarming symptoms. Nuage has developed a huge,
  hard swelling around her left shoulder and right round underneath to
  her abdomen. I noticed it when I brought her in for the winter, but I
  weigh her every week and I am sure I would have noticed if it had
  been this large last time I weighed her - so I feel it has come up
  quite quickly. My immediate thought was an abscess, as I have seen
  these come up quickly, both in piggies and in other animals. But I
  can't see any wound which might have caused an abscess, and she shows
  no sign of pain. I know, they are prey animals, they will not show
  pain. But we have all seen piggies in pain, how they hunch in a
  corner and are reluctant to eat. She is running around normally, and
  eating well. I have noticed that she is one of those piggies that
  drinks a lot, and I realise this could indicate diabetes.

  As you know, I have no access to a piggie-savvy vet. I am thinking
  this is probably a tumour, and absolutely no way would I allow my vet
  to attempt surgery. And to be honest, Nuage is a piggies' pig rather
  than human orientated, so I feel I would do her a disservice to drive
  her hundreds of miles to either Paris or the UK for treatment -
  unless there was a very strong probability that it would completely
  cure her.

  Has any slave here experienced a similar swelling in their piggy? If
  so, what was it and was there a successful treatment? My dilemma is
  that at present Nuage seems a perfectly happy pig, pleased to be
  indoors for the winter and quite comfortable with her friends and the
  service provided by her slave. Any intervention is likely to prove
  traumatic. She is 5 and a half years old. I have read on here of
  surgery on older SCAMPs. But I don't have access to a decent vet. I
  don't fancy taking her to the vet to be given just the usual Marbocyl
  to see if it does any good - just the fact that I was syringing the
  stuff into her once a day would be traumatic to her and increase her
  stress, plus of course the vet visit itself would be stressful. Might
  it be better to leave well alone unless/until she shows signs of
  distress? Or of course until she slips away to the Bridge of her own
  volition?

  All suggestions gratefully received.

  Debbie 

"We patronize them for their incompleteness, 
for their tragic fate of having taken a form so far below ourselves. 
And therein we err, and greatly err. 
For the animal shall not be measured by man. 
In a world older and more complete than ours 
they move finished and complete, gifted 
with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, 
living by voices we shall never hear. 
They are not brethren, they are not underlings; 
they are other nations, caught with ourselves 
in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners 
of the splendour and travail of the earth". 
Henry Beston

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