[Gpdd] (Health) growing bladder and diarrhea 2 sick piggies,

[warmbreath]

For Herbie the bladder will burst he must have surgery, I really good vet surgeon can go straight up the urethra to grab the stone, It is now a screaming emergency, blocking the poop is a secondary issue, I would do the surgery immediately regardless of his age, The bladder must be drained and the blockage removed. Make sure your vet uses a quick acting anesthetic, administered through a mask so it can be immediately reversed if he gets in trouble, better than a longer anesthetic administered thru a tube. There was a recent case at the etherbun yahoo list where this happened and the bladder did burst followed by immediate passing of the poor bun. And I completely agree with Judi at bunsnpigs, if the surgery proves impossible to finish  then he can be administered more drug and go quietly to the Rainbow Bridge 

If your vet isn't good enough for the surgery get his opinion on the best surgeon or  go to the www.rabbit.org, the house rabbit society homepage and see the section they have on recommended vets, you then also look up the local state chapter where you live, they maintain lists, if there is a veterinary University in your state go there.

For Lyn's piggie that has the diarrhea, this an abnormal condition, obviously, and the diet is the first culprit  First look at the pellets, make sure they aren't made up of corn and wheat, they should be mostly hay, preferably timothy if this is an adult piggie. Then make sure piggy is getting lots of fresh  hay, all he can eat every day. Then he can have romaine and parsley and cilantro and  a little kale, very well washed. Cut out every thing else. make sure the pellets are fresh and nothing smells moldy or has black spots 

But go to the vet as there are intestinal parasites and he should have a fecal float done.  The vet could get you some Bene-bac  which is the best probiotic for our little furballs and a shot of B vitamins. Also report if there is mucous with the diarrhea, this is often a sign that there is an irritant in the intestines, and the mucous is made to protect the gut and help expel the foreign matter The vet must also check for a  bacterial disease, some of which can kill like cossidiosis (weight loss is one symptom) another parasite, or a bacterial enteritis which can be caused by e.coli or clostridium.

Do not give yogurt, a milk product to a piggy with diarrhea, use the Bene-bac, milk would make matters worse. www.guinealynx.info suggests that 1/2 of a fresh dropping from a healthy pig can be mashed with water and given. Also kaopectate can be given orally 0.1 cc every 6 to 8 hours as needed . Make sure the brand you use has only kaolin and no pain relievers They say another source suggests the dosage should be 0.2 ml also 2 to 3 times a day. This does not treat the cause, so the vet should be seen, if a parasitic or bacterial infection is present, kaopectate wont cure it and piggie could get a lot sicker and waste away if you try home treatments before going to the vet. You and the vet must make sure the piggie is getting enough fluids especially if the diarrhea  is very liquid, and keep his little bottom clean, avoid ant possibility flies could be attracted

if the vet finds no bacterial disease the it may be useful to use a motility drug like cisapride or metoclopramide as stated in an article meant for rabbits at www.medirabbit.com.  this must be very carefully considered  the link is here http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/GI_stimulation/motility_diarrhea.htm and the subject of diarrhea  in rabbits is found here http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/GI_diseases_main.htm  This would be for your vet, piggies and rabbits are obviously different animals and their physiology is very different, but this is what I can find 

Have a friend check the piggies environment for anything he could be eating, like his bedding, some will eat it, or once I let the bag of hay get too close and he nibbled that, can he reach the drapes?  Sterilize the water bottle completely, vinegar is probably ok but bleach is better, likewise the cage, some will eat corn cob bedding. Let the water bottle and cage dry completely before using or refilling, change the water every other day let it stand half an hour without the lid to clear off the chlorine, but dont use distilled water.

If there are any characteristics to the diarrhea like pain, gas, excessive wateriness, really foul smell, the age of the pig all these should be stated as well if he is loosing weight. have this ready for the vet as well as a fresh sample

Good luck to both pigs you are in my prayers and thoughts, love Sandy and Li'l Pig soon to be a pirate hopefully with a pirate lass on his arm



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Algernon07 at aol.com 
  To: warmbreath at comcast.net 
  Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 12:50 AM
  Subject: reply to Da Piggy Pirates address


  Hey, oh wise and knowledgeable woman. What do you do when a piggy is showing signs of diarrhea? You have a solution for just about everything. (I want to strangle Herbie's Mum -- what that poor piggy is going thru! I tried to somewhjat nicely tell her that passing only dibbles of urine but without blood was not an indication of things getting better but something for greater concern. I've been saying prayers for that poor little pig. Its bladder now so big its pressing on its colon and that's why piggy can't defecate. Jesus, it makes me want to cry just to think about it. At least she's got it back to the vet and Judi the buns and piggy person wrote her a very nice and diplomatic email. If you're reading the digests right now, you'll catch it. I think it was in todays. (Thurs) Mine have been less diplomatic. I think this woman loves her piggy and wants to save it, but sometimes we need to love enough to help it to the Bridge.)
       The diarrhea piggy isn't that poor sweet little Herbie, but Lynn's piggy. You remember Lynn. She's blind, went to the hospital for surgery and they nearly killed her. After a day or two back at home was taken to a different hospital and they got her turned around -- then she tripped over her guide dog's box and broke all the bones across her foot.
       I wrote her a very brief note tonight and told her that Jaime and some of the other people wish her well with her father's illness, etc. and miss her on the digest. She wrote back and I think is really seriously grieving the death of her father. (Yes, he has died. May 11th) and her piggy Tabitha is showing signs of diarrhea. I think she's in one of those deep dark places that we wonder if we'll ever  escape from (all private between the two of us of course). But you and I have been there.  Anyway, any suggestions for the diarrhea -- or showing signs of?? Apparently its not full blown yet. Of course my usual advice (and it will be here too) is get it to the vet if it's at all bad. AH, but you may know something corrective. No fruits and veggies maybe -- just hay and pellets. What would I do without you when something goes wrong or I need sound information?

  Love you my good friend,
  Alge  PS: Remember, don't reply to this e-address. How Lynn got something thru amazes me. I did have it down to 997 tho and it doesn't bounce things until it hits 1000.


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