[Gpdd] HEALTH - Sooty, another serious one, HELP PLEASE!

[juliejohnson12 at bigpond.com]

Hi everyone, Don't know what to say, so will just type what comes out of my head. Sooty has had diarrhoea, nearly ever since I got him on 18 Feb 2009.  He had soft pellets, and over time and what I believe was antibiotic toxicity (he was on it for at least 2 years due to coccidiosis).     When I stopped the antibiotics, it took months and months, but eventually I got pellets out of him, though they were still soft, at least they were formed. He also suffers from respiratory probs, and when he catches a piggy cold, his poos always became sloppy diarrhoea again.   I have resisted every time and not given any more antibiotics, just ensured was was warm, eating properly, given critical care, etc, and he's always improved. About 2 months ago, he got a bit worse in the cold dept than previously, so I gave him only one dose of antibiotic to help things along, and let his immune system do the rest with lots of mummy/slave help.    He had the worstest diarrhoea after only 1 dose of Baytril, and it actually took him until yesterday and he was doing soft pellets again. Last night, everything okay.  Normal meal, plus hay, plus pellets, and water.  Talking of water, I have noticed over last couple months he drinks much more water, and ends up wetting through the towels I use over the newspaper pellets on the bottom of their cages for comfort for my boys.     Of course, here in Queensland/Maleny where I live, we have had the hottest and wettest summer in approx 20? years, not sure, but very many years.  It's now autumn, and we had a major horrific storm last night because of supreme humidity and heat. At midday, changed his bedding because it was cow pat diarrhoea.   Then couple of hours later changed bedding in his tent again, this time watery running diarrhoea. I clean bed out again, and picked him up to help clean his little bottom.  (I've also been wondering whether he's reached his age of needing constant anal cleaning due to impaction and because he's always done soft poos or slop, maybe this was just that happening). Anyway, I had him on his back, he cried, I cleaned his bottom, spreading his little cheeks a bit, and almost clear fluid seeped out.   That kept happening until no more to seep.     What made me sit up & notice was that he was not interested in his beloved cucumber or parsley, nor his crusts of toast.  I checked his bottom again, same thing - more fluid, and more fluid.   I put him on towel, and it seeped out of him.     I remember reading something about gastric bloating, so followed the instructions, only on a very reduced scale as Sooty only weighs 908grams.  It said to give a teaspoonful of vegetable oil to piggy and bloating is cuased by gas and the gas is usually foamy and bubbly.   The oil should stop the foamy bit, and I guess make things right.   I only gave Sooty .04/ml, and then I rubbed his tummy with the oil trying to disperse any bubbles, if that could be the trouble.   Within 10 minutes of giving the oil, it all came out his back end on to the towel.   That basically means he has nothing in his tummy doesn't it?   It's the same as for humans when we prepare for a colonoscopy is how I'm seeing it. I did not give him any lomperidin because he wasn't pooing any more, just fluid. I have now got Sooty in his cage and bed on my bed so I can hear if he needs me, even just for comfort if he is going to die.  I will not leave my boy alone.    I know I will not have any sleep tonight, I am too alert to my baby's needs and feelings. What I am seriously concerned about is, if Sooty does have this gut bloating thing, does it follow that if things don't work out, he will automatically get a twisted gut?     Is there any warning signs of a forthcoming twist that I will be able to prevent him suffering from it, i.e. euthanase?     This little runt of the litter is a cuddly, gutsy, cheeky, cuddly, loving boy, and as I've had 3 piggies die from twisted gut, I cannot bear that he might suffer like that. Now.......... I'm so tormented, I don't even know why I've written, because what sort of advice can be offered when the cause is unknown? A desperately worried slave to a most special, precious master,Julie