Pellegrino's Lousy Day

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:49 am


Pellegrino, intact male silky boar, almost two years old. He was always pickier about food than Pepino but recently he’s become what Salana referred to as a “scaredy pig,” extremely hyper, spending almost all his time in the pigloo and hardly coming out to eat. Last Monday I really worried about him but the food was gone when I came home.

I thought it might be an endocrine thing as his water bottle was always empty earlier than Pepino’s (that hasn’t happened recently) and he’s so hyper. Pepsi was the same way—extremely hyper and thin when she died. Necropsy revealed enlarged adrenal glands (like human like pig).

Yesterday I took him to the vet and she found lice. I was surprised as I his coat looked great and I hadn’t seen him scratching much. Pepino, an Abby, showed up louse-free. The vet says lice can really grab onto that long silky hair and I guess they had been there a while. It was probably the stress of the move that brought them out.
Both boys are on Revolution, which kicked in for Pepino within days when he had mites. Vet says re-treat Pellegrino in one month. It sucks for Pellegrino but I am relieved that it’s easily treated, unlike endocrine or tooth issues.

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:00 am


Lice do not stay dormant like mites, so it probably happened during the move, as there is no way they could have been on a pig so long, unnoticed, without being swamped by now. It could have been in the truck even, they survive for 24 hours easily without contact with a living being. Don't blame yourself! They should start to feel better within days. Here is a decent link.
https://www.healthline.com/health/lice/ ... life-span4

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JaneDoe

Post   » Sat Nov 18, 2017 12:31 am


It's been one month--I dosed him with his second dose of Revolution on the 16th.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 12:37 am


Pellegrino is almost four now and doing great other than the mites about two years ago.

My only concern now is his hyperactivity--he is the most hyper pig I've had except for Pepsi.

At his latest vet visit he had lost seven grams since the last one although he's been eating well. I put that down to my being busy and having less time to feed him, his losing the guy he grew up with and pooping up a storm in his carrier on the ride over.

The vet checked him for lice and says there are no nits and his skin doesn't appear inflamed. Also, he isn't scratching and doesn't appear to be in pain the way he did when he had the lice. My question: do I just accept that he's just very hyper? Pepsi was, too and on autopsy the vet commented on her abnormal adrenal glands. Should I insist the vet put him on a course of Revolution just to set my mind at rest, ask for blood and urine tests or just leave him be?

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 1:15 am


As long as he is eating, drinking and acting normally, I would leave him be.  Mites are not very hardy and usually do not return, especially years later.  No need to stress him out with treatments/tests, unless he starts showing signs of something more specific.  Has he always been hyper?  It could just be a personality trait if that is the case.  A small amount of weight loss is normal with aging.  A sudden radical drop would be more indicative of an illness.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 1:21 am


Thank you, PinkRufus.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:58 am


I agree. Some theorize that mites lie dormant and can become active if the host is under stress, but I'm not sure how much validity there is to that if the host was previously treated for parasites. You could always do a dose of topical Ivermectin if you see more itching/scratching than usual. I would pass on the bloodwork for now. We had a guy a couple of years ago that I dubbed our little "ADHD" pig. He was in perpetual motion, couldn't sit still. He finally settled down once he turned 4 and got a more docile buddy, but up until then he was a wild man.

For now, if I were you, I'd just continue to monitor weight. Ditto PinkRufus that some pigs gradually lose weight as they get older.

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:13 am


You’re so funny, Sef. My boss’s wife had a cat she referred to as “our LD kitty.” As for the weight loss, for all I know Pellegrino pooped and peed out seven grams in the Uber ride to the vet’s office. He seems to be adjusting to the changes better now. Really, I should lose weight so easily.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:20 am


If you haven't read this, it may help:
https://www.guinealynx.info/hyperthyroid ... study.html

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JaneDoe

Post   » Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:29 am


Thank you, Lynx. As PinkRufus says, no reason to stress him out more.

One of my friends had a really hyper dog named Bailey. He said “Bailey will settle down when he dies.” I have no idea whatever happened to Bailey.

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