[Gpdd] HEALTH: Doris -- Obviously It Wasn't the Rimadyl !!!

[Penny Charlesworth]

Pat,

Just when you think that you have sorted Doris's problems along comes 
another one.

Some elderly piggies do sit around a lot but not to the extent that they are 
unwilling to cross their cage for a dish of veggies so there must be 
something else going on.

I haven't been in the same situation of having a piggy needing calcium but 
having the worry of stones but this is my experience of calcium supplements.

Some years ago my Poppy was suddenly unable to walk. This happened 
overnight. She could use her front legs to drag herself around but not her 
back ones. I don't know if Doris is using her front legs at any time. Poppy 
was treated by my then vet ( this was before the days of the 
Rodentologists ). He gave me a bottle of combined calcium gluconate liquid + 
Vitamin D, which I gave her orally at a dose of 0.5ml per day. Looking back 
at my record card, she was walking well within a couple of days. She 
returned to the vet a week later and I was told to finish the bottle but I 
haven't recorded for how long. She never had this trouble again and lived to 
be nearly 7. Poppy was not arthritic and was not on any pain meds.

In Peter's Piggy Potions book,  which you may well have, on his page about 
sudden onset paralysis, he suggests that the Vit D promotes the absoption of 
calcium and phosphate. On this page he recommends three 500mg calcium 
tablets on the first day, given eight hours apart. On thre second day give 2 
tablets , one every 12 hours and on the third day and following 3 days give 
one tablet per day. He says that any calcium based tablets will do but they 
MUST contain Vit D.

My Rodentologists recommend Osteocare liquid and this is what I used 
recently for my elderly Barley, who is getting along fine. He does have 
arthritis but when he was unable to move the Osteocare seems to have done 
the trick and got him moving again. He is now having Potter's tabritis daily 
and so far so good. Osteocare is a lot easier to give than a tablet as 
piggies seem to like the taste.

The main constituent of Osteocare, in England at least, is Calcium 
Carbonate. Secondly, it contains a lesser amount of Magnesium Hydroxide and 
a host of trace elements plus the essential Vitamin D.

Where you go from here, I do not know but, if you are worried about the 
possibility of stones, I would hold off from the high calcium veggies, which 
you can find on the GL chart.

It is a relief that she is eating up well and producing plenty from the 
other end. Have you got a piece of VetBed for her to sit on as this will 
prevent her getting urine scald if she persists in staying put.

Hope someone else has some ideas for you.

Hugs for Doris.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.