[Gpdd] health: herbie update

[warmbreath]

I'm sure you know this but just to be sure to use unsweetened cranberry 
juice. You can freeze it in partially filled ice cube trays, and reseal in 
another container, and just defrost what you need for each feeding. Just an 
idea, but if you can find an unsweetened concentrate maybe you could mix the 
metacam with it for the reasons I discuss below.

Metacam is an NSAID and is the very mildest on the stomach, many bunnies and 
piggies are on it for months and years at a time with no usually no untoward 
effects. See if your vet can give you a bottle that will last awhile. Also I 
have seen it on the $4 people drug lists as a tablet on low cost pharmacies 
like Wal-Mart. I wonder if a mashed pill dissolved in water would be as easy 
to give as the liquid I imagine your doc is using. I have heard the vet 
version is very vile tasting, maybe the pill is less so. Also you can go to 
compounding pharmacies and have it mixed and dispensed with a cherry or 
banana flavor, be sure to avoid the meat flavored one used for dogs and cats 
www.DrsFosterSmith.com are a compounding pharmacy online as well as 1800 
petmeds
I would keep him on white towels with just litter in a corner, there is a 
white, anti allergenic Carefresh product, that will show the blood very well 
if he is passing any.   If he has an attack and is in more pain than the 
Metacam can handle, then the Tramadol would be used, but I dont know if they 
can be used together, ask your vet if he hasn't already said, if he did say 
let us know. Tramadol is a different drug than either an NSAID or an Opoid, 
look here and notice that for people it is available as a sublingual tablet, 
that is one that dissolves instantly in the mouth and is absorbed under the 
tongue, this would make it fast acting, the article also says Tramadol is 
less likely to cause constipation than opoids, a good thing, but to be very 
careful about overdosage.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

Any info your vet gave you about the surgery, while not appropriate for your 
baby, would interest our member Alge or algernon07 at aol.com  as she has a 
young pig with stones who may be facing the surgery

I hope this is helpful, good luck to Herbie   Sandy and Li'l Pig, soon to 
have a pirate name




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <svetooshka at aol.com>
To: <Gpdd at gpdd.org>; <stones at gpigs-database.org>
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 3:47 PM
Subject: [Gpdd] health: herbie update


> Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!
>
> once again, thank you everyone for sending your support, prayers, 
> suggestions!? we appreciate very very much!
>
> i wanted to update folx on herbie's bladder stones....
> herbie and i went to see a new vet this past saturday.? there are no new 
> news.?
> basically, she also didnt suggest surgery due to her age.? her advice was: 
> manage the pain.
>
> she prescribed Opt Omega Usana, Tramadol (if she really isnt doing well) 
> and Metacam (which herbie is already on.)
> anyone have experiece using any of these drugs??
>
> as of now: she is active and eating well.? She is losing weight by the 
> day.? =((? Where is all the food and liquids going?
> also, when she painfully urinates, it is dripping; there is no longer a 
> natural squirty flow.?? no blood though.? i guess this is at least one 
> good thing...
>
> sigh...poor herbie... ive also started to give her cranberry juice and 
> shilingtong.
>
> much love to all piggies adn slaves!
> poopsies and shweta
>
>