[Gpdd] HEALTH: Hind Leg paralysis in Treacle

juliejohnson12 at bigpond.com juliejohnson12 at bigpond.com
Tue Nov 19 05:12:35 EST 2013


Hi all my GPDD friends,
 
I only seem to make contact with you all when there's something wrong with one of my boys.  My life is quite hellish to cope with, crises after crises or my own serious health conditions.
 
I'm writing just to check what I am doing is correct at this time for Treacle.  Treacle has never been seen by the vet.   This is his first time in 4+ years.   He is a tri-colour crested, a very gentle, and nervous piggy.
 
I am suffering severe bronchial asthma.   I am wondering if because I spent a lot of time in bed yesterday, did I miss an earlier sign in Treacle.    I did notice yesterday morning, when I transferred him from his night bed to daytime longer cage that he clung to me, really snuggling my neck.   I was hoping we were getting closer as in he was getting more comfortable with me.   Because he's always been healthy, I haven't spent as much time snuggling him as, say, Kimba.
 
Treacle has reached the age where I have to clear his impacted anus twice a day.  Sometimes the size of the impaction is so large, I can't believe what I'm seeing.   He cried when I was cleaning him, and I'm blaming me for maybe did I clean a bit too far up the canal.  Sometimes the pellets come out separately but all forming a circle, like a gun where the bullets go (not 1st hand experience, just what I've seen in movies).
 
After cleaning him, I put him into the big cage, and he zoomed as fast as he could into the wigwam in that cage.  I thought he's very nervy today.    Well, when I put them away in the late afternoon, I put Treacle in his night cage, and he just lay on his side and didn't move.   Immediately alarm bells rang.   I put him on a carpeted floor, and noticed he rocked back on to his hind quarters, on the heel of each foot.   He didn't move.   I could tell he was paralysed. 
 
I had Dougall many years suffer with this.    I followed Peter Gurney's advice, took him after hours to the Emergency Vet, who kindly listened to me what I wanted done, and she gave Dougall a shot of calcium and within 24 hours Dougall was his normal self.
 
I rushed Treacle to vet last night, during a wild hail storm into the bargain, and that delayed me because I had to hide under a tree to try to protect the car.   The vet tested both back feet, said his nerves were working there okay.  She felt all down the spine.  There was a spot where he cried when touched.  The vet gave him a needle of Metacam to reduce any inflammation in case he had hurt himself when he darts back into his wigwam when startled, of even if I come to the cage.   As I said, he is a nervous big boy.  Also, she gave me a syringe with calcium in it and said give 1 drop on getting him home, 1 drop in 4 hours, and again 1 drop in the morning.  She hesitated to give calcium via needle because she explained something that calcium can do to piggys' hearts.
 
I did that.  I woke this morning to find he had not touch a mouthful of his veges.   However, when I went a got grass from the garden he wolfed into that.   So I was searching the property for suitable grass for him and my other boys.  I sat with him in filtered sunshine for about 1/2 hour to get some vitamin D.   I cannot let my piggy's on to grass up here due to paralysis ticks, hawks, seriously venomous snakes, horrid huge ants that have terrible poison, dangerous spiders eg red backs, white tailed, and tarantulas.  Also, the sun is too strong and bright and hot - getting worse as years go by - and it's hard to find a suitable spot that doesn't get blasted with sun or incredible winds.   My 4 boys are touchy with their respiratory system.  I was given hope when Treacle moved his right leg from sticking out under his body and pulled it by himself under his body.   
 
However, after constant checking, there's no more improvement, except his eyes do not have the fear that I saw in them last night.        I changed his food bowl to a flat saucer, but he just cannot or won't move his body, I put the food in his wigwam and he eats what he wants, corn husk he adores, cucumber which gives him the fluid, and a piece of tomato.  When I walk away he stops eating, when I go to the cage he starts again.
 
I have Peter Gurney's Piggy Potions book.   I am giving him syringed calcium (500mg) every 8 hours (next feed at midnight), and squeezed some vitamin D from one of my gel caps because I know calcium needs vitamin D to work.  I put in a little hydralyte to give him electrolytes because he cannot get to the water so what few poos he has done are dry and small.
 
Could I have caused this by putting him on his back in my arms to clear his impacted anus?Am I doing the right thing following Peter Gurney?  (The vet didn't say what to do if he wasn't alright by tonight).Am I worrying too early?  Peter Gurney's book says it can take 24 hours to 3 or 4 days.What else could it be?  Broken spine?  Hurt himself running into the wigwam and perhaps be resting and not using the leg/s cause of pain?Should I have him x-rayed?What will I do if I have to have him put to sleep?     
I just cannot cope with much more.   I've lost so many piggies, especially since moving here to the country with my Mum and brother, the place is a graveyard, and what was my paradise from reality now just signifies death to me.
 
 I need some prayers from my GPDD friends please.
 
Sorry for the long post..........
 
Julie xx
 
 
 		 	   		  


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