Boadicea - another non-conformist - Medical thread

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 10:20 am


Boadicea is supposedly 3-4 year old unaltered sow. I occasionally found tiny spots of blood in the cage that I figured were from her. This probably started up a year ago? She never cried when peeing. After Cannoli died, I never found any calcium sludge in the cage. So I kept an eye on her, kept her on a low calcium diet and left it as is.

In the summer, when I brought Wedgwood in for her first wellness visit, I had the vet look over Boadicea. At that point I'd her Boadi cry every so often - like once or twice a week. But when I'd investigate I wouldn't see any blood. If I could see the pee, it looked normal. Still had the random spot of blood - it would tend to appear several times one week, then not happen again for weeks.

Vet examined her, xrayed her, found no evidence of sludge or stones. Couldn't get her to pee. Nothing to be done.

In October, Boadi had a bad couple of days - suddenly crying was multiple times a day. I couldn't tell if it was when she's peeing or not. Pee looked clear, not bloody, but I did find a spot of blood later. Often, after crying, she'd reach down like she was grabbing a poo. And that would be the end of it. She looks fine, weight is good. Nothing obvious.

I brought her in again. Insisted something is wrong. Xrays and ultrasound showed nothing (in fact, the vet had a hard time locating the bladder it was so small). I bought home a dose of Baytril in case it was infection. The crying stopped for a day or so, but then started up again before the course of antibiotics was done.

It's so random. It's not stones. It's not a UTI. I'm guessing something with the digestive tract? I'm bringing in poo for a fecal test on Thursday. The vet wonders if it's intussusception.

Any ideas? I'm mostly throwing this out there to start keeping track of Boadicea's symptoms and to see if anyone else has gone through this. Long post - sorry. Thanks for reading.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 11:03 am


I'm assuming the xrays ruled out problems in the reproductive tract?

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:48 pm


She didn't say one way or the other. But I'm sure that was on her mind, too. I'd be surprised if she didn't look. But I will follow up on that next if we still can't pinpoint the problem.

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Lynx
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Post   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 7:41 pm


This is a challenge. Nothing that looked like sludge?

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 8:07 pm


Nothing. Not in her bladder, not in her pee, no lumps of it in the cage.

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Lynx
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Post   » Wed Dec 21, 2016 5:59 pm


Since I have your thread up (for another reason), I thought I'd ask how she is doing. Still having the same signs? Better? Worse? Have you tried any Bactrim?

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:47 pm


Ooh, it's been a while. Let's see. We've actually had two days of not crying (which means I've probably jinxed us). There's been no blood or even any kind of sludge in several weeks. I started keeping a food journal, and discovered she cried more after eating some winter squash. This makes me think that it's something with the digestive tract - either a tumor somewhere, or - can pigs get IBS? I wondered if the extra fiber bothered her. On those thoughts, I've been giving her some probiotics the last few days. We have not tried bactrim.

Her weight is down a bit, but she's holding steady at a good weight for a few weeks. The vet had run all of the standard tests (xrays, ultrasound, checked uterus/bladder areas, fecal test). I'm kind of waiting for a change, then go back for another round of ultrasound and xrays, having her really focused on tumors.

Boadi doesn't seem uncomfortable, otherwise has a good appetite. So still a mystery, still a holding pattern, but I think we're in a good place for now.

Thanks for asking!

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Dec 21, 2016 8:17 pm


Great news!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:00 pm


I personally think intestines can be very touchy and have lots of nerve endings in them. I think of people with diverticulitis where (if I have it right) pockets in the intestines can catch food and cause pain. I like the idea of adding probiotics - should not hurt and will hopefully help. Oh, and have you ever noticed her being slightly gassy? (also a possible source of pain).

Anyway, good news is always wonderful to hear!

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Sat Mar 04, 2017 6:12 pm


So the good news: crying and blood has stopped completely, since some time in early January. Not sure if it was just time, or probiotics, or what, but she's better in that department.

However... she is slowly losing weight. Last time she was in the vet, she was about 1020. She's now hanging out at 950, and as low as 930g. I brought her in on Tuesday. Vet felt a lumpy thyroid, drew blood, but blood work shows high-but-normal T4 levels. She's not acting typically hyperthyroid either. Took xrays, too. Nothing abnormal except some extra gas in her digestive tract. I was told to cut out the probiotic I was still giving her.

What gives? We're still looking for a cause for her problems. I seriously expected to have the vet find tumors when she took xrays, but nothing. I'm to bring her in again for more blood work if she hits 900g. Other than this, she's acting normal, seems happy. She gets pestered by Wedgwood, but I've sheen her hassle Wedgie, too, so I don't think it's weight loss due to stress.

I'm really happy she's not in pain any more. So as frustrated I am about the current symptoms, it's not as heart wrenching as the crying nor as flat out alarming as the blood.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:50 pm


No teeth issues? In case you return to the possible hyperthyroidism as a possibility, this post might help:
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=151

I am sorry to hear she is losing weight.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:33 am


She eats like a pro. I keep checking her teeth, because that seems like such an obvious cause. I plan to watch them a little more closely today when they bicker. I am starting to suspect Boadi's trying to be the aggressor, but not very successful at it. If that's the case, I may have her check more carefully for ovarian cysts.

She's showing none of the symptoms Cannoli did, which were all classic hyperthyroid.

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