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Gwen's Sore Feet - Start of Bumblefoot? Heart?

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Thanks. :)

The lower dose has definitely had less effect today, no particular progress and nothing 'new' to report on since her diuretic this morning. The lower dose has had less effect (obviously!), heart sounds a touch muffled - not too bad but noticeable compared with healthy heart sounds. I'll post photos of her body shape for comparison too.

One thing I did forget to mention before, the cost of her treatment. Given her treatment so far has involved one examination, one injection and five Furosemide tablets...all of which would cost a minimum of £35 at the vets (not including all the tests they would want to run).

Well I paid £4 for the Furosemide and that's it! Goes to show what money-makers the vets are. rolleyes
 
Sorry to hear that Gwen isn't very well Laura. At least being near Vedra you can get the best possible care for her.
 
Thanks Ange. :)

She's improved a little more today, lungs sound completely clear although heart is still a touch muffled. Feet are also looking good, I will try to get pics up for comparison. On the whole she's much better for being on the Furosemide, just got to figure out the minimum effective dose for her to be maintained on and after feeding back to Vedra consider which, if any, heart med is best for her. For day four of the diuretic, she really is doing well.
 
I'm glad she's feeling better! I don't understand about her feet, pattering around in the fleece piggy paradise she is I don't understand how it could happen! Can sore feet be a symptom of her heart problem (thinking she might have poor circulation) or something else than in regular bumble foot?
 
The feet are affected for a few reasons, the main one being inactivity. She's always been a quiet pig, I put it down to her personality and deafness but it seems it was more to do with a heart condition. She simply hadn't enough energy to be as active as most piggies are.

Also, with poor circulation, the extremities (feet) are affected; the paleness of the skin compared with the very red patches on multiple feet tends to suggest the blood isn't circulating as well as it should.

There can be other causes of sore feet like Gwenny's but in combination with other symptoms including those like Gwen's, it can indicate circulation/heart trouble.

Gwen has had her fifth diuretic tablet so far, third one at the dose of 5mg. The 'pot belly' look is creeping back in and her activity levels have reduced again, and her chest/heart isn't sounding as clear as it was on 10mg. Overall she is still better than she was, but there is no improvement in the last 24 hours. I was aiming to reduce the Furosemide to 2.5mg eventually but at the moment, 5mg is having a very minimal effect. Wondering whether to up it to 10mg again or not, also thinking a heart med may be needed too.

Typically one of the other pigs in the group has bloody urine today, think it's Jasmine. Looks like she'll be going down to Vedra too along with Gwen, hopefully a course of Septrin will do the trick for Jas and it's nothing more serious. mallethead
 
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OH dear when it rains it pours! Hope you have a good time at vedras!
 
I am sorry; I hope that you can get obviously needed heart medication for Gwen and sort out the bloody urine - it's always worrying!
 
Oh Laura i'm sorry to hear Gwen's still not up to her piggie self :(
Sending her loving healing wheeeeks from the girls and lots of little kisses from me xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How'd Jasmine go? healing wheeeeeeks for her as well xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Gwen is back to square one, in terms of her symptoms and their severity. Gone is the pig with renewed strength and energy, and the hunched/rocking back and forth with breathing returned. Listening to her chest this morning was just the same as before her injection of diuretic last week, we've well and truly slipped backwards again. I've put her dose of Furosemide back up to 10mg and will discuss getting a heart medication prescribed with Vedra later today.

I did identify the bloody urine as being Jasmine's, she also had a slight odour yesterday. However, no blood and no odour this morning...I will of course keep a close eye on her but at the moment she seems to be right as rain.

They are running rings around me at the moment!
 
Sorry to hear Gwen has had a relapse, Laura, how saddening. I hope Vedra can give her something else that will help. She's such a sweet pig. Hope you get on ok later, it does seem as if everything happens at once sometimes.

Sophie
x
 
oh dear i really feel for you if only they could talk to us! Fingers crossed for a return back to better health

Thinking of you!
 
oh dear i really feel for you if only they could talk to us! Fingers crossed for a return back to better health

Thinking of you!
 
I hope you're alright Laura - so sorry to hear she's gone downhill again.

I hope you have it sorted soon

x
 
From your description of her condition the prognosis must be somewhat guarded.
 
I thought as much AP, I know it could go one way or the other and we just have to take it day by day.

Since upping the Furosemide to 10mg there's been an improvement again, more active and symptoms easing again. I do suspect she's had the problem for a long time, it's been in the back of my mind for a long time but until the problem with the feet came up and I recognised the 'grumbly' breathing as the 'hooting' that GL describes for heart pigs, I just felt many of her symptoms could be just "her". Unease with her environment due to deafness and what she went through earlier in her life before I adopted her. The symptom that always concerned (and still concerns) me the most is the hunched/rocking back and forth when breathing and although I knew that wasn't normal, I still couldn't piece all the signs together.

I have had her examined before - a few months back when she had the unexplained drooling - and nothing was picked up on. But, as said in my first post in this thread, you know instinctively when something is not right and I couldn't piece together the symptoms until her feet became so sore.

I didn't get down to Vedra yesterday, not had a good couple of days, but I did talk to her on the phone and she said to play it by ear.
 
As you said Laura, mum knows best....you had that gut feeling, you've acted as best as you can...... i know you'll monitor it all and be on the phone or to see Vedra if needs be :)
Sending little Gwen more loves and wheeeeeeeks from us all xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>

Is there any update on Jasmine? :)
 
Jasmine seems fine, thanks Glynis. No more bloody urine and no other symptoms. She's always been prone to bladder problems though so it's something I'll be watching closely.
 
Thanks Mandy. It's definitely the quiet ones you have to watch!

It does look like she'll be on the Furosemide long-term. I'm sticking with the higher dose until the meds I currently have run out (I have enough for another two weeks) then I'll try dropping the dose again.
 
I am sorry that you couldn't make it to the CCT, but glad that Gwen is better with the higher dose. Fingers crossed for Jasmine!
 
Hope gwen is still the same or improving! hope her feet are improving and i hope all your other piggies are behaving themselves and keeping well!
 
*gentle hugs* for Gwen and *massive hugs* for you Laura! Thinking of you both babes. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Thanks for asking after her and for the hugs.

She's taking longer to get over the relapse, not responding as quickly as before. 'Pot belly' is gone but her energy isn't picking up as well and her chest is still not sounding clear. The Furosemide is not working effectively enough on its own so I'm going to have to discuss getting some enalapril/benazepril for her, sooner rather than later.

She has her good times, she's just about stable, but I fear that if I don't get her on a heart med then she's no chance of improving. I'm not expecting a heart med to work miracles, but I get the feeling it's the only hope we have.
 
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