Skinny Pig with Broken Leg - Convenia??

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:10 pm


I would consult your vet concerning upping the pain meds. Pain serves the purpose of warning an animal there is something wrong. Masking pain can occasionally lead to additional injury, though it is likely increasing the dose would help.

analgesics.html

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:42 pm


Pain could absolutely affect her appetite.

Metacam generally isn't recommended long term, but it can be used that way. My vet says it's way underused because of that recommendation, and says he's had guinea pigs and other small exotics on it for long periods of time with no harm. I'd for sure continue the medication, with or without the vet's say-so.

Have you tried mixing the CC with something she really likes? Mine go nuts for it with watermelon mixed in.

And I'd definitely continue with the poop soup for at least a couple of weeks. It won't hurt her, and as long as there's antibiotic in her system, she's going to need supplemental bacteria to get her gut balanced again.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:58 pm


I gave her another dose of Metacam a couple hours ago and she seems a lot happier. Still hovering right around 500g which she usually is at in the afternoon. Lately she'll get up to 520g at night and then by morning it drops 30-50g which is really troubling.
I'll definitely keep up the poop soup. It seems like no matter how I mix it, she just hates the taste of the CC. Can't really blame her, lol. I'll stick to force feeding until her weight stabilizes. Thank you both

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:59 pm


That's not real weight loss. The best time to weigh a pig for an accurate weight is in the morning before breakfast. After that, you're weighing some unknown amount of poop and food. If the morning figure is stable, don't worry about the other ups and downs. What you'd need to worry about is a downward trend of morning weights over a period of days or weeks.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:07 pm


Yeah as I think I said above, her weight in the morning has been steadily declining which is why I'm worried. She went from 513 to 473g in the span of 3 or so days.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Mon Apr 24, 2017 3:42 am


Update:
Since I've last posted, her weight has become pretty consistent and stayed around 503g. She's been off her Metacam and any CC for 2 days now and is doing great. Really seems to be back to her old self again.
The last couple days I've noticed some black scab-like things on the edge of one of her ears. I used some jojoba oil and most of it came off no problem (I've done the same with skinnies in the past). I assume it's just dry skin but the dark colour is slightly concerning. Should I be worried?
Otherwise, everything is back to normal. Her foot is still swollen but the vet had said that that is to be expected.
Thank you all so much for putting your energy into helping me do the best I can for my piggy!

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:28 am


That is great news!

The ear scabs could be parasites, fungus, or an indication of poor circulation.

Look these over. They may be helpful for future reference.
fungus.html
mites.html
heart.html

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:52 am


A couple of people on the board have routinely used cold pressed virgin coconut oil on their skinnies' ears.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:55 am


Thank you! I've got coconut oil, I'll try that out.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Sun Apr 30, 2017 5:44 pm


Update.
We took her to the vet today. The spot on her ear is gangrene; the vet thinks she must've gotten an infection despite the antibiotic that ultimately led to her system becoming gangrenous. We're euthenizing her tomorrow. Until then, she's gonna be the most spoiled piggy on the planet.
Thanks again for all your help, folks.
I'm devastated.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sun Apr 30, 2017 8:41 pm


Wait! The vet thinks her system is gangrenous because her ear is? As far as I know, that is NOT the way gangrene works. She would need to have the gangrenous spot removed, of course, but plenty of people, and animals, live perfectly well after surgery for gangrene on a limb.

chukshewchuk

Post   » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:05 pm


It's on all of her feet as well.

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