Plymouth, MA: 2 young pigs found in woods

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:35 am


She was beautiful & I'm so sorry. I read the beginning of this thread & I'd say she's a lucky pig. Even though her life was sort of short, it was a good one with you.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:03 pm


Thanks, everyone. (shanachie05, where have you been hiding?!)

In hindsight, I recall a little more squabbling than usual in the couple of days before Cream Puff collapsed. Wish I had thought to investigate further, as I now suspect that the other two were picking on her. But overall she was a very content little sow who enjoyed her place in the middle of the pack of three--neither alpha nor omega: invariably the second to emerge for treats. And she wasn't sick long. Sigh.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Nov 22, 2014 8:52 pm


"Wasn't sick long" is important to me. Everyone's different (and the pigs can't say what they want), but I always feel worse for any of our pigs (or humans) that end up going through multiple disorders, surgical recoveries, treatments that don't completely do the job but do the best they can do, etc. etc. etc.

If she was a happy little pig with you and wasn't sick for a very long time, that to me is very important, and special.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Wed Oct 14, 2015 1:54 pm


So now Pepper (the brown and white sow) is squeaking while passing bloody pee. My partner got antibiotics for her last week (assumed UTI) and began full replacement feeding while I was away in Europe til a few days ago. I'm taking her back to the vet tomorrow. Her brother Bo had a stone which he passed, as an ultrasound immediately before surgery confirmed it wasn't there anymore. I'd been syringing him shillingtong in the hope that it would relax his urinary tract, and I'm going to start that with Pepper. Stupid bladder issues. We've never actually had a pig need to go through stone removal surgery, but that might be about to change.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:32 pm


Poor guy! I hope the shillintong helps too.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Thu Oct 15, 2015 12:25 pm


Sending good wishes to Pepper. Hope he passes that nasty stone if that's what it is.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Sat Oct 17, 2015 12:48 pm


How's she doing now, mmeadow?

Being female, hopefully if it's a stone she can pass it.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:30 am


Pepper went back to the vet on 10/15. No definitive stone visible; he did see a little shadow along the upper margin that was probably scar tissue from her spay, but could be a stone becoming encapsulated into the bladder wall. He guessed that she passed a stone and that the blood and pain were the result of a traumatized urethra.

He prescribed tmp/smz (sulfatrim) for two weeks, plus a dose of meloxicam (Metacam) that seemed like a decimal point mistake: 0.7mL of the 1.5 mg/mL. The last time we had a piggy of her size on meloxicam, the dose was 0.07mL.

Of course I immediately checked about the dosage, and the vet explained that the dosing standards had been adjusted sharply upwards. I'll put up a separate post with his response.

Pepper is doing better--less squeaking and blood, more eating on her own.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:30 pm


Interesting to hear about the meloxicam dosage adjustment.

Glad to hear she is not in as much pain.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Wed Jun 07, 2017 5:51 pm


It seemed to be time to update this thread.

Pepper died in February 2016 after surgery to explore her chronic bladder problems.

In the past couple of weeks, Rosie had been suddenly looking old and bony, and her breathing began to look a little labored. She was going to see the vet in two days, but we found her dead this morning. I would assume heart attack (which may have been what felled her sister Cream Puff at a much younger age).

Rosie was big and loud, outgoing and interactive--she would complain loudly if you passed nearby without a treat or a cuddle for her. I'm already missing her expectant face peering out of the cage. I can't help but feel guilty that I did not bring her in sooner, but she was still so lively, even last night.

A year ago, Rosie survived an arduous bout with malocclusion, described here. The vets who saw her have used her story to inform the treatment options they consider for other pigs. We have Pinta and her chin-sling research to thank for Rosie recovering to enjoy another very happy year of life.

Rosie had been diagnosed with a bladder stone late last year. (Her sister Pepper had had blood in her urine, but no visible stones.) We did not want to put her through surgery. She was getting potassium citrate, which reduced the flareups of discomfort and blood in the urine. There had a been a little more blood in the past few days, but I had not heard any squeaking.

The last of the quartet is Bo, five years old but not showing it. Still giving out with a low-altitude popcorn or a one-lap cage zoom occasionally.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Jun 07, 2017 7:33 pm


Wow. I remember the thread name from long ago. I'm sorry you lost Rosie and Pepper.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:51 pm


I am so sorry for your losses. What fortunate pigs they were to come into your home.

I hope Bo has some inkling that he is one lucky pig.

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