Gassy Senior Pig

Vesperia

Post   » Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:59 pm


When my pig has diarrhea or soft poop, which is very often, I give him mint leaves, fresh or dried. From my observations it definitely helps him and he likes them a lot too. I also second tummy massages, I did them for him a few years ago when he was very very sick.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:31 pm


Thanks, Vesperia. I may have to try that. I'm generally not too big on herbal remedies, but everything I've read so far seems to indicate that mint/peppermint can help stomach spasms during IBS flare-ups, so I think it's worth a try. How many mint leaves do you feed at a time?

I already do stomach massage with him when he has a flare-up, and it definitely does help.

Just really wish I knew what is causing this. He had been episode-free for several weeks, and the only thing I can think of is that I fed him a little bit of Kaytee hay this morning with his usual Rabbit Hole hay, just for variety. Otherwise, same veggies; same pellets; same everything else.

Vesperia

Post   » Tue Sep 03, 2019 4:50 am


I don't give him a set amount, one or two leaves at a time or even a little stalk until I see a difference in his poop quality. Sometimes I mix some leaves with his hay, but he's like a cat, knows how to pick what he likes.

Did you try eliminating all vegetables from his diet and reintroducing them one at a time to see if it makes a difference?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:23 am


I did try an elimination diet awhile back, but couldn't find a trigger food. He eats pretty much the same thing every day, with nothing new introduced lately other than a little bit of another brand of hay.

The only other thing I can think of (and this may be a stretch), is that I have been waiting a while between feeding him his veggies and feeding him his pellets, but on Sunday morning I fed them fairly close together.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:44 pm


Buddy of mine who has had rabbits for many years, suggested that I try activated charcoal to reduce gassiness and bloating. Has anyone here heard of this? A search hasn't produced results other than for the obvious use, which is to absorb toxins.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:08 pm


It seems to help humans. Perhaps give it a try?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3521259

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Sep 06, 2019 6:20 am


Thanks, Lynx. I found similar references, but couldn't find anything on its use in small animals (for gassiness/IBS). I suppose it's worth a try. This same person told me that she avoids using any sort of mint for gastric upset, as it can exacerbate the problem in some cases. I'm not sure why. I occasionally use peppermint tea for my own IBS and it always seemed to help calm the stomach spasms.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:32 am


I spent the better part of the day yesterday nursing Harold through another bad gas/bloating episode. After more trial and error over the past couple of months, I thought it seemed as though lettuce might be a trigger food for him, so I had reduced his veggie intake to just tomato, carrot, zucchini, celery, corn husk and red/yellow/orange peppers. He was doing great for nearly three weeks with just a couple of minor bouts last week. Yesterday, though, he was bloated, uncomfortable and not eating. This despite being on a daily maintenance dose of Metoclopramide. I pushed massage, Metacam, Metoclopramide, CC and fluids, and he did produce a few normal-looking poops and nibbled some hay later in the day. He is not impacted.

Normally he bounces back from this fairly quickly, but he still seems a little uncomfortable this morning. I was wondering if anyone here has ever heard of an anti-spasmodic being used in rodents for gut issues like this. I'm on Levsin myself for IBS, and it has been fairly good at reducing the pain, spasms and bloating associated with a flare-up, but I couldn't really find any information on it being tested or used with animals. I can't find any anti-spasmodic listed in Carpenter's Formulary, actually, unless I'm overlooking it. Any thoughts?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:58 am


Quite interesting. One vote for it might be if you ever actually feel spasmodic activity when you are holding him. I would also imagine it could be accompanied by pain.

Next time you see your vet, maybe run this by him/her and see what they think? If they have access to VIN, perhaps a search could turn up its use in specific situations?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:37 pm


Could use...something. Words of support, I guess. It's a long story, but my special old guy Harold has been having an increasing number of "episodes" with his stomach over the past several months, with each episode being a little more severe and lasting longer and taking him longer to recover. He has been on a low daily dose of Metoclopramide, which was helping for a while, and we recently just added Cisapride (first dose of that was this morning).

This morning, he was having another bad bout. I worked with him all day today---took the day off work to feed him CC, do massage, give meds, syringe water, warmth, monitor, try to get him to walk around, all the usual things for slowed motility. He was clearly miserable. I ended up having to take him to the vet (our usual vet was off today, of course) at 1:30 after he had only produced two very small poops. She didn't really see anything remarkable other than some "frothy gas" in his lower GI. Sent me home with fluids and said to keep doing what I was doing. He had produced a few bigger poops on the ride over there, but nothing much since then.

He is behaving strangely this evening, almost like he has had a stroke or has something neurological going on in addition to the slowed motility (or maybe they are somehow related?). I don't know what to think. He will walk over to hay, eat a few bites and then stand there almost like he is confused. Same with me holding him. He coos at first, then just stares off into space. Not good.

I just pushed more CC this evening and 10ml of Ringers, along with another low dose of Metoclopramide and Metacam. He looks fairly bright and alert and takes the CC readily, but it's almost like he's not "all there."

I can't lose this guy. He's my special little old man and this can't happen, especially right now. :( Crap.

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mmeadow
Supporter 2004-2022

Post   » Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:24 pm


C'mon, Harold, more poops!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:36 pm


I'm so sorry he is having these issues. :-( Though it sounds like you are doing all you can there is always kind of a helpless feeling when things aren't right. I am hoping he stays with you and improves. Hugs to you both.

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