70g lost in a week, down 190g in total

[PiggiePerson]

Hi friends,

My poor baby boy Pepper (4.5 years) has been at a stable weight of around 1150g for the last few years, but noticed a couple of weeks ago that he was doing small wees (no blood, but he’s had this in the past a few times, latest at Christmas) and small poos, plus had lost some weight - dropping to 1030g. Most importantly he seemed to be in pain when going for a wee with some sad squeaks a trip to the vets last weekend put him on 2 weeks of 0.2ml of cat/GP metacam daily (0.4ml first dose) and a urine sample that I’m waiting back on. However he still seems to be in pain despite the meds and is now 960g. He seems to be eating ok, especially on the grass now the days are sunny - he gains about 10g after 30min outside!

I’m going to call the vet tomorrow morning but is there anything in the meantime that you would advise? I asked the vet last weekend if I should be syringe feeding him to get his weight up and she said no. I feel like I should be giving him some critical care…

Thank you in advance for your help xx

 

[Wiebke]

Hi friends,

My poor baby boy Pepper (4.5 years) has been at a stable weight of around 1150g for the last few years, but noticed a couple of weeks ago that he was doing small wees (no blood, but he’s had this in the past a few times, latest at Christmas) and small poos, plus had lost some weight - dropping to 1030g. Most importantly he seemed to be in pain when going for a wee with some sad squeaks a trip to the vets last weekend put him on 2 weeks of 0.2ml of cat/GP metacam daily (0.4ml first dose) and a urine sample that I’m waiting back on. However he still seems to be in pain despite the meds and is now 960g. He seems to be eating ok, especially on the grass now the days are sunny - he gains about 10g after 30min outside!

I’m going to call the vet tomorrow morning but is there anything in the meantime that you would advise? I asked the vet last weekend if I should be syringe feeding him to get his weight up and she said no. I feel like I should be giving him some critical care…

Thank you in advance for your help xx

Hi

Smaller poos and pees (both food and water intake) in combination with an increased weight loss are pointing to a developing health/pain issue. Please switch to weighing on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison and to help you plan out the level of support feeding for the day. Step in with offering syringe feeding top up and up the level if the weigh continues to go down.

You may find this newer guide here helpful, which explains the different monitoring methods and what each contributes (or doesn't), how they combine so you can put any weight and appetite loss into its individual perspective and support your piggy optimally.
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

Please see a vet. That kind of amount of weight loss is significant enough to warrant an proper hands-on examination. Mystery weight loss without any clear pointers is one of the more difficult challenges for any owner or vet (it's my least favourite symptom because so many different problems can be behind it) but nevertheless, they need to be tackled.

All the best and please keep us updated.

 

[PiggiePerson]

Hi Wiebke, thanks so much for your reply. By way of an update:

Saw the vet on Monday morning. Teeth fine despite eating more slowly than normal and less hay intake.
Good news on the urine results, all levels within normal markers, no blood. Although frustrating that it doesn't tell us anything about Pepper's illness. Vet advised to stop the Metacam he'd been on for the last 10 days as it can be harsh on the kidneys, and switch to paracetamol. So he is on the following:

• Paracetamol x2/day
• Potassium Citrate x2/day
• Gabapentin x3/day

Sadly Pepper is still continuing to lose weight - his weights since Monday's vet visit (taken in the morning):

• Mon: 946g
• Tues: 936g
• Wed: 922g

I've started Fibreplex today as it's just arrived in the post, and have been syringe feeding Science Selective Recovery Plus since yesterday, as I was able to get this from another vets locally.

I'm not sure if it is just old age rather than a specific illness... but he has really slowed down, is very quiet where he is normally quite vocal, he is struggling to push his poop out as it is collecting in his sac (actually these are ok in terms of form, just smaller) - which suggests to me he is quite weak, in pain and potential digestive issues (especially as he is not really eating hay now, only lettuce, limited grass and the syringe feed). He seems to be in pain from his noises when I try to clean this out for him. I don't think he is dehydrated as he is drinking a lot. I'm not sure how he can get better from this sadly but we will keep going to see if there is any improvement by the weekend.

Have updated the vet on the above also and she's said the next step to understand what's happening is an x-ray and bloods, which he'd need to be under general anaesthetic for. I'm not sure how I feel about this given his current state and how piggies are usually quite sensitive to GA. Would be keen to know what would you do from here?

 

[CTWC]

I think for x-rays especially it is a very low does of anesthesia but I'm no expert of course.

 

[PiggiePerson]

Another update... yesterday we visited the vet again, and given his lethargic state she was able to do a limited xray without GA which is where we discovered the problem - two huge bladder stones and a further three smaller ones. My poor boy quite a lot of gas in the stomach and both intestines too. He is now on a whole host of medicines to help with this but I'm under no illusion how big the stones are and how difficult they will be to pass - though the vet did say she's seen pigs pass even bigger ones. Syringe feeding critical care to keep him going in the hope he will get a bit stronger with the meds once they kick in.

Please keep all your fingers crossed for my Peps!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear this.

I would just say that boars have a hard time passing stones. A boars urethra has an angle in it which causes stones to get stuck (unless they are tiny stones) and this is unfortunately an emergency situation. In a boar, surgical removal of stones is usually needed.

I would also look to get him on glucosamine to help protect the bladder from the damage stones cause (abrasions etc).

I hope he is ok
Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

 

[PiggiePerson]

Thank you @Piggies&buns. He is such a special piggy and it's a heartbreaking situation to be in, watching him like this, miles away from his normal bouncy loving self

With how weak he is, both the vet and I categorically agreed that surgery wasn't an option for him right now as he wouldn't make it in his state. She did prescribe him further drugs so now in total he is on:

• Paracetamol
• Gabapentin (pain relief + anti-inflammatory)
• Potassium citrate
• Cisapride (prokinetic for the gut)
• Hypovaze/prazosin (relaxes muscle around the bladder and prostate to pass urine more easily)
• Co trimazole (antibiotics for possible secondary infection in urinary tract)

She's also recommended a vitamin c and tryptophan supplement which are on order.

Pepper is interested in some veg and grass and will give it a good go, but I'm finding that some of it is just remaining in his mouth and I think he's in too much pain to even chew with his back teeth/swallow I really don't know what to do here but will speak to the vet again, as I did ask if we should be continuing with treatment or thinking about other options (pts), but she was keen to persevere and see how he goes with a view to doing another xray in two weeks.

 

[PiggiePerson]

I’m really sad to report that my sweet boy crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday evening

He declined really quickly and it was clear that he wasn’t going to recover. We made the decision and took a final trip to the vets so he could sleep peacefully and no longer in any pain. So heartbroken - he’s the most special pig I’ve had the pleasure of loving and was definitely more dog than pig with his emotional intelligence, affection and curiosity - amongst many more gorgeous qualities that gave us our special bond. I hope Pepper boy is now free-roaming and chomping on beautiful grassy fields and finding some time to sunbathe and nap like the king chiller he was

 

[CTWC]

I am so sorry you had to make that decision it must be heartbreaking
I am certain Pepper is happily grazing in fields of all of his favourite treats over The Rainbow Bridge

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry Pepper has gone to the rainbow bridge. He was a beautiful, special piggy. Popcorn high Pepper.

Take care

 

[rhymer]

So sorry.
Sending you massive hugs.
Popcorn free little Pepper at the rainbow bridge.xx

 

[Wiebke]

I’m really sad to report that my sweet boy crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday evening

He declined really quickly and it was clear that he wasn’t going to recover. We made the decision and took a final trip to the vets so he could sleep peacefully and no longer in any pain. So heartbroken - he’s the most special pig I’ve had the pleasure of loving and was definitely more dog than pig with his emotional intelligence, affection and curiosity - amongst many more gorgeous qualities that gave us our special bond. I hope Pepper boy is now free-roaming and chomping on beautiful grassy fields and finding some time to sunbathe and nap like the king chiller he was

BIG HUGS

I am so very sorry but please try to take consolation that you have made the right decision by speeding up his journey and cutting short any unnecessary suffering. Sometimes this is the only but the most loving if heartbreaking gift we can make.

Because of their huge personalities, we tend to forget that when the chips are down piggies are still small animals with a much faster metabolism. They are also prey animals who suppress illness and pain to an astonishing degree, so when they finally become noticeable, the problem is usually already well advanced.

Please try to remember Pepper in his best times once you get past the initial pain of the loss. Be proud of having done all the right things and your personal best for him as a caring owner. You haven't failed him in any way - you are not in control of so many things that you feel you should have been. We humans are wired to reflect everything back upon ourselves whereas the whole soulsearching and guilt is in fact an expression of how deeply you care and not how badly you have failed.

If you struggle, we now have got a new dedicated End of Life and Bereavement community support section where you are welcome to post at any time of the grieving process.
End of Life and Bereavement Support Corner

PS: I agree with @Piggies&buns that the stones were large enough to potentially either remain in the bladder or - in the case of a boar - get stuck in the inglenook in the male urethra that sadly all too often spells real trouble as they are a lot harder to get out of there, especially if they embed in the wall or block the urine flow with fatal consquences.
In Pepper's case, the secondary knock-on effects were sadly already quite considerable. Sadly, you were really between sheer rock and a very hard place with him.

 

[Merab]

So very sorry that you had to make the difficult decision to let your gorgeous Pepper go.
He was clearly a much loved boy and you gave him a wonderful life.
He will leave a huge hole in your heart.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[PiggiePerson]

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words. Really devastated and feel like I should have done more and especially frustrated that at Christmas it wasn’t suggested by the vet to do an xray, given his history and blood in his urine at the time. Things could have been different as he would have been fit for surgery sadly we have never had any exotics specialists anywhere near us - until last month, as one has thankfully joined our registered practice which is who we had been seeing this week

Given the above, really appreciate your words especially @Wiebke, providing some reassurance

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words. Really devastated and feel like I should have done more and especially frustrated that at Christmas it wasn’t suggested by the vet to do an xray, given his history and blood in his urine at the time. Things could have been different as he would have been fit for surgery sadly we have never had any exotics specialists anywhere near us - until last month, as one has thankfully joined our registered practice which is who we had been seeing this week

Given the above, really appreciate your words especially @Wiebke, providing some reassurance

You can only every do your best in any circumstances, which are all too often less than ideal. But doing your best is all that is needed; the rest we cannot influence.

Vets are only normal people trying their best as well; you do not know their thoughts and time constraints at a rather busy time of year. As I have often stated - hindsight is a great thing but foresight is like trying to work your way through a large maze in thick fog without a map. We all have to make any decisions with limited and incomplete information and without any helpful hints at the outcome. Sometimes, all of us make the wrong decisions; nobody has a faultless record. That is the nature of being human.

As owners, we all have our regrets and 'what ifs'. The problem is that if you get really stuck on those, you will be unable to move on and deal with this part of the grieving process (the soulsearching/guilt bit at the start) constructively. Blaming yourself or others won't help anybody unless you turn it into a life lesson by suggesting to a vet whether they would think that a scan (or other diagnostic or treatment) would be useful at a particular point. As long as you do so respectfully, by leaving the decision to their professional training and experience, it is usually not a problem. I have actually learned quite a bit over the years by listening to their thoughts on particular issues.

Look after yourself and try not to get caught in that particularly unproductive mind trap, as difficult as it may be right now.

HUGS