please help.. bladder problems again, want to be prepared

[piggiemummy03x]

hi guys, i really would appreciate some advice/talking to someone who may also be experiencing problems like this in their piggie as i am literally pulling my hair out.

unfortunately, yet again, della has started weeing pink wee and slightly crying when going, we have only just finished a course of antibiotics for suspected UTI (start of feb) and where so relieved when we thought it was over but less than 3 weeks later it seems to be back.

i really do not know what to do, we have an appointment booked anyway for tomorrow (both the girls are full of dandruff) so i’m hoping we will get some answers and obviously wishing and praying its just a little blip and isn’t anything serious.. i just wondered if there was anyone on the forum who has / have had piggies that have reoccurring bladder problems?

of course i really hope this isn’t the case but i feel like unfortunately, due to the amount of problems she has had with her bladder so far, i may need to be prepared that this may be something della is just predisposed too and may have to deal with her whole life.


i was just hoping i may be able to talk to someone in the same boat and possibly pass on a bit of knowledge / advice to a very worried, anxious guinea pig mummy

 

[Merab]

Sorry I can’t help but want to add support

 

[weepweeps]

Good luck tomorrow at the vets. I don’t have experience of these issues but wanted to send healing vibes and a hug for you.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Sorry I can’t help but want to add support

thankyou so much x

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Good luck tomorrow at the vets. I don’t have experience of these issues but wanted to send healing vibes and a hug for you.

thankyou, its greatly appreciated x

 

[Free Ranger]

Did they say whether she deffo had a UTI?
If it's urinary in origin, you are generally looking at UTI, sludge/stones or SIC (a 'sterile' cystitis that comes and goes in some piggies). The first two can be treated, the third 'managed' and it's a bit less well known. Maybe a bit less common? Generally UTI is thought to be more common in sows - possibly a combination of anatomy (like in human ladies) and the fact that they wipe their bits on the ground to scent mark especially after they pee. Nice! But boars can get UTIs too - we have to be careful to clean up my old impacted boy for instance. Stones - well, who knows - but girls have a chance of passing them and boys not so much. And apparently SIC is about 50:50. Understanding this condition in pigs is still relatively new so who knows what the future will bring.

I type this next bit a lot so forgive me if I'm repeating from one of your other threads. If you have a UTI and if you are prescribed the correct antibiotic (i.e. one that is able to kill the invading bacteria) you should see improvement within a day or so of starting treatment. Complete the course - whether 5 days or 3 weeks - whatever your vet has told you. Sometimes you get the same AB as you've had before but maybe a different concentration or for a different length of time. It's always useful to make a note of that but it doesn't mean the prescription is 'wrong' because there are a range of active doses/lengths. If you don't see any relief of symptoms within the first few days you've either got the wrong antibiotic (the bug is resistant to it) or it's not a UTI. Your vet may offer an x-ray or might just offer a different antibiotic to try instead. If we have an AB for 3 days with no change in symptoms I usually contact the vet at that point - they often offer an alternative AB and I switch to that rather than completing the course for the first one. Your vet can talk you through it.

I've recently bought some human pee-test dipsticks from amazon that test 10 different things in the pee by changing colour. They were about £8 for 100 and they're my new favourite toy! Some of these are supposed to indicate whether you have a UTI (Nitrites and leukocytes I think) but I'm not a nurse so I can't tell for sure. It might be something to think about though? If her stick comes up negative it would help to know what to look for next. They've come up negative on my girls though George is hit and miss...

If you finish a 'successful' course of antibiotics but the infection hasn't quite cleared the bacteria can multiply again and the symptoms will return - but when this has happened to us it has generally been within a few days to a week. If you've had 3 weeks in the clear and then symptoms have started up again I'd be thinking either a completely new infection or the problem might be something else. The timings are kind of important. If you started Della's ABs and she didn't improve for - say - around 5 or 6 days but was 'better' a week later I'd be thinking the pattern is wrong. They should have acted faster. That would make me think there's a complication. George's antibiotics relieved his pain and inflammation very fast - within a day or two he was much better - but he still had a pink tint to his urine for about 5 days and that's because he has a bladder stone as well. A honking great big one... but his UTI hurt him a lot more.

We've been blessed not to have experience of SIC but it's characterised by flare-ups of crying when peeing and pinky-red blood. Wiebke says this can be porphyrin that colours the pee so it is actually deep pink tint rather than the red of blood but it must be pretty tricky to tell the difference. There are different things a piggy can have to manage the pain and stress of this. Uncle Simon at the Cat & Rabbit clinic emphasised that a clear daily routine is important to minimise stress. It was from an experiment done in IC cats apparently (they also get it). Sometimes in people (who can also get it) certain foods can be a trigger... but then perhaps a change of foods can be also. It's going to be complicated but other forum members will be able to give lots of tips and advice.

Whatever the cause glucosamine supplementation can help a battered bladder. Some people use feliway cystease which has to be sprinkled on the food. George has either Oxbow joint support or oxbow urinary support lozenges - a sort of one-a-day biscuit he enjoys crunching down. The arthritis ones actually have twice the glucosamine of the urinary ones and it's the same stuff for both. They have nearly as much as the feliway... but my pigs regard them as a treat so that helps. The girls get upset if they don't at least get a half one each. They don't realise it's all George-medicine, they just feel left out and think he's spoilt! Glucosamine doesn't 'work' overnight... when George started these for his stiffness it was about 2 weeks before I thought I could see a change and then another 2 before I was sure but after that first month he hasn't looked back.

Good luck tomorrow x

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Did they say whether she deffo had a UTI?
If it's urinary in origin, you are generally looking at UTI, sludge/stones or SIC (a 'sterile' cystitis that comes and goes in some piggies). The first two can be treated, the third 'managed' and it's a bit less well known. Maybe a bit less common? Generally UTI is thought to be more common in sows - possibly a combination of anatomy (like in human ladies) and the fact that they wipe their bits on the ground to scent mark especially after they pee. Nice! But boars can get UTIs too - we have to be careful to clean up my old impacted boy for instance. Stones - well, who knows - but girls have a chance of passing them and boys not so much. And apparently SIC is about 50:50. Understanding this condition in pigs is still relatively new so who knows what the future will bring.

I type this next bit a lot so forgive me if I'm repeating from one of your other threads. If you have a UTI and if you are prescribed the correct antibiotic (i.e. one that is able to kill the invading bacteria) you should see improvement within a day or so of starting treatment. Complete the course - whether 5 days or 3 weeks - whatever your vet has told you. Sometimes you get the same AB as you've had before but maybe a different concentration or for a different length of time. It's always useful to make a note of that but it doesn't mean the prescription is 'wrong' because there are a range of active doses/lengths. If you don't see any relief of symptoms within the first few days you've either got the wrong antibiotic (the bug is resistant to it) or it's not a UTI. Your vet may offer an x-ray or might just offer a different antibiotic to try instead. If we have an AB for 3 days with no change in symptoms I usually contact the vet at that point - they often offer an alternative AB and I switch to that rather than completing the course for the first one. Your vet can talk you through it.

I've recently bought some human pee-test dipsticks from amazon that test 10 different things in the pee by changing colour. They were about £8 for 100 and they're my new favourite toy! Some of these are supposed to indicate whether you have a UTI (Nitrites and leukocytes I think) but I'm not a nurse so I can't tell for sure. It might be something to think about though? If her stick comes up negative it would help to know what to look for next. They've come up negative on my girls though George is hit and miss...

If you finish a 'successful' course of antibiotics but the infection hasn't quite cleared the bacteria can multiply again and the symptoms will return - but when this has happened to us it has generally been within a few days to a week. If you've had 3 weeks in the clear and then symptoms have started up again I'd be thinking either a completely new infection or the problem might be something else. The timings are kind of important. If you started Della's ABs and she didn't improve for - say - around 5 or 6 days but was 'better' a week later I'd be thinking the pattern is wrong. They should have acted faster. That would make me think there's a complication. George's antibiotics relieved his pain and inflammation very fast - within a day or two he was much better - but he still had a pink tint to his urine for about 5 days and that's because he has a bladder stone as well. A honking great big one... but his UTI hurt him a lot more.

We've been blessed not to have experience of SIC but it's characterised by flare-ups of crying when peeing and pinky-red blood. Wiebke says this can be porphyrin that colours the pee so it is actually deep pink tint rather than the red of blood but it must be pretty tricky to tell the difference. There are different things a piggy can have to manage the pain and stress of this. Uncle Simon at the Cat & Rabbit clinic emphasised that a clear daily routine is important to minimise stress. It was from an experiment done in IC cats apparently (they also get it). Sometimes in people (who can also get it) certain foods can be a trigger... but then perhaps a change of foods can be also. It's going to be complicated but other forum members will be able to give lots of tips and advice.

Whatever the cause glucosamine supplementation can help a battered bladder. Some people use feliway cystease which has to be sprinkled on the food. George has either Oxbow joint support or oxbow urinary support lozenges - a sort of one-a-day biscuit he enjoys crunching down. The arthritis ones actually have twice the glucosamine of the urinary ones and it's the same stuff for both. They have nearly as much as the feliway... but my pigs regard them as a treat so that helps. The girls get upset if they don't at least get a half one each. They don't realise it's all George-medicine, they just feel left out and think he's spoilt! Glucosamine doesn't 'work' overnight... when George started these for his stiffness it was about 2 weeks before I thought I could see a change and then another 2 before I was sure but after that first month he hasn't looked back.

Good luck tomorrow x

thankyou so so much for your in depth reply i really really do appreciate it!
we are on our way to the vets now so we are unsure as of yet if its another UTI, i just wrote this post to be prepared. she has had a stone before when she was very young hence why i’m thinking these sort of problems may just be the norm for her. you’ve given me some really great information that i will be able to refer back too and will probably also make a note of, especially about the antibiotics and things so thank you!

i may have to look into these pee tests! do you have a link at all for the ones you had purchased?

with her last antibiotics 3 weeks ago, she seemed to improve after just the first day of the meds, like you have mentioned, does george get regular utis? do you think it could be due to the bladder stone or is it just unfortunate he also gets them alongside the stone? i’m sorry to hear he suffers with these problems, i was so anxious and scared when we where told about dellas stone. how is he doing currently?

i have never heard of SIC before so thankyou for informing me about it, i will do a bit more research into it! luckily we have a set routine with the girls so if there is a possibility of SIC, hopefully our routine will help minimise any stress.


we have some cytease left over from when della had the stone so i will mention using it to the vet and possibly start using a capsule daily for della again!


again thankyou SO much for all this information, i will let you know how we get on at the vets!

 

[Free Ranger]

does george get regular utis

Up till recently George didn't. He had one at about 3 1/2 which coincided with a few things. His cage-mate had become unwell which caused him stress as she made him braver - but he had also started to get arthritis and impaction which meant he wasn't moving very much and was bunged up round the back. One vet visit later and we had ABs, metacam and a new un-bunging regime in the evening. He was sorted within a few days and we didn't have any more trouble until last summer when he was 5 1/2 and the heatwave triggered a big stone in his penis that almost blocked his bladder. Uncle Simon said it would have been in the prepuce by the shape of it, so trapped under the foreskin. He got lucky that time and was fine for a few months. But it was in October that he got his big UTI and it was very severe. It took weeks on Septrin to get rid of it, and if he didn't have his stone to start with he sure had it by the end. We had it removed this Jan and he survived the surgery but by Feb it was already back. I have my theories about this - I think it's to do with the pH of his urine which seems to be higher than the girls' (they are pH 8, but he is 9) but there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it. George's stones are massive though - if you want to see his thread it's here Stone me! George's secret... (you can skip the blurb and just look for the x-rays!) But even so there's not any obvious blood tint to his pee most of the time, he's not inflamed most of the time, and if it wasn't for him squeaking (quietly) while he pees you'd not pick anything up most of the time. He's out and about *almost* as much as the others - he is quite old after all. When he had his UTI he hid away and was inflamed: he really squealed and peed very red pee. We've had smaller stones in some of our girls in the past but they've not needed surgery. They've either been extracted manually from the urethra with tweasers (ouch) or flushed out using a sub-cutaneous fluid bolus and an injection of an opioid to control any pain.

George didn't get on with cystease although everyone else seems to manage fine on it but it affected his tummy. Mind you he was also on his second successive AB at the time. So we've stuck with the oxbow biccies for him... it's one less thing to syringe because he eats them himself!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Up till recently George didn't. He had one at about 3 1/2 which coincided with a few things. His cage-mate had become unwell which caused him stress as she made him braver - but he had also started to get arthritis and impaction which meant he wasn't moving very much and was bunged up round the back. One vet visit later and we had ABs, metacam and a new un-bunging regime in the evening. He was sorted within a few days and we didn't have any more trouble until last summer when he was 5 1/2 and the heatwave triggered a big stone in his penis that almost blocked his bladder. Uncle Simon said it would have been in the prepuce by the shape of it, so trapped under the foreskin. He got lucky that time and was fine for a few months. But it was in October that he got his big UTI and it was very severe. It took weeks on Septrin to get rid of it, and if he didn't have his stone to start with he sure had it by the end. We had it removed this Jan and he survived the surgery but by Feb it was already back. I have my theories about this - I think it's to do with the pH of his urine which seems to be higher than the girls' (they are pH 8, but he is 9) but there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it. George's stones are massive though - if you want to see his thread it's here Stone me! George's secret... (you can skip the blurb and just look for the x-rays!) But even so there's not any obvious blood tint to his pee most of the time, he's not inflamed most of the time, and if it wasn't for him squeaking (quietly) while he pees you'd not pick anything up most of the time. He's out and about *almost* as much as the others - he is quite old after all. When he had his UTI he hid away and was inflamed: he really squealed and peed very red pee. We've had smaller stones in some of our girls in the past but they've not needed surgery. They've either been extracted manually from the urethra with tweasers (ouch) or flushed out using a sub-cutaneous fluid bolus and an injection of an opioid to control any pain.

George didn't get on with cystease although everyone else seems to manage fine on it but it affected his tummy. Mind you he was also on his second successive AB at the time. So we've stuck with the oxbow biccies for him... it's one less thing to syringe because he eats them himself!

oh bless his little heart! it sounds like hes been though a lot, what a strong little piggie! i will definitely have to check your thread out, thankyou for sharing. i’m glad to hear stories of piggies getting through having stones, i really appreciate you sharing your experiences!

just thought id let you know after our vet trip tuesday, della has been put on a 7 day course of baytril and metacam incase it was another UTI, we all decided it would be best to get Della in for an xray / scan to check for any stones now instead of waiting to see if the meds cleared it up.. this is happening today so fingers crossed i come back to you this evening with some good news!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

so dellas had her xrays done and its really great news.. no stones!
we are on our way now to collect the girls and have a little chat with the vet

 

[Claire W]

Aw that’s great news. So glad there’s no more stones

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Aw that’s great news. So glad there’s no more stones

thankyou, unfortunately though della still isn’t 100%, the day after we picked the girls up we noticed in the afternoon della making some funny noises, i would describe it as sounding like she had been winded almost? we had gone to the vet previously when she sounded congested and was told metacam would help so the fact she was still on the metacam and making these noises (all the time too, not just eating or squeaking like before) got us worried and we booked another vet appointment that evening. the vet confirmed she couldn’t hear anything concerning in her chest, throat etc and by the time of the appointment she had actually stopped making this noise, so we where wondering if it was maybe something stuck in her airways for a little bit! anyway, since her scan della has obviously been a little off, her poos where different shapes and we decided to cut out fresh veg and grass until her tummy was a better, we also got some fibreplex to help with that. today she is still not her usual self , not interested in nuggets, not really drinking or eating hay, just very sleepy, she has also lost 20g since yesterday, we are currently on the way to the vets to collect some critical care to syringe feed her, i’m assuming until she is eating properly for herself? (i have never used it or had a guinea pig thats stopped eating before)

we have everything crossed this critical care is going to perk her up and bring her back to normal!

 

[Piggies&buns]

thankyou, unfortunately though della still isn’t 100%, the day after we picked the girls up we noticed in the afternoon della making some funny noises, i would describe it as sounding like she had been winded almost? we had gone to the vet previously when she sounded congested and was told metacam would help so the fact she was still on the metacam and making these noises (all the time too, not just eating or squeaking like before) got us worried and we booked another vet appointment that evening. the vet confirmed she couldn’t hear anything concerning in her chest, throat etc and by the time of the appointment she had actually stopped making this noise, so we where wondering if it was maybe something stuck in her airways for a little bit! anyway, since her scan della has obviously been a little off, her poos where different shapes and we decided to cut out fresh veg and grass until her tummy was a better, we also got some fibreplex to help with that. today she is still not her usual self , not interested in nuggets, not really drinking or eating hay, just very sleepy, she has also lost 20g since yesterday, we are currently on the way to the vets to collect some critical care to syringe feed her, i’m assuming until she is eating properly for herself? (i have never used it or had a guinea pig thats stopped eating before)

we have everything crossed this critical care is going to perk her up and bring her back to normal!

20g in itself is not considered weight loss. It is still within normal fluctuation. It is only weight loss at 50g or more.
However, if you are noticing she is not herself, then offering some feed would be a good idea.
You can use mushed pellets in the absence of critical care (mushed pellets have a familiar flavour so can encourage piggies to eat it, but critical care has a higher fibre content for longer term syringe feeding).

 

[piggiemummy03x]

20g in itself is not considered weight loss. It is still within normal fluctuation. It is only weight loss at 50g or more.
However, if you are noticing she is not herself, then offering some feed would be a good idea.
You can use mushed pellets in the absence of critical care (mushed pellets have a familiar flavour so can encourage piggies to eat it, but critical care has a higher fibre content for longer term syringe feeding).

thankyou, shes been loosing weight over the last week or so (since appointments started) so just thought it best to offer some feed. we have now got the critical care, it was recommended to give 5ml every hour on the hour, 4pm was her first lot, very messy and she definitely did not get 5ml she refuses it so much - which i am glad about because it means shes still got fight in her! i didn’t want to stress her out more so probably only managed 2-3ml. i have seen its recommended to get 40-60ml of it in the piggie in 24 hours, so i am hoping because we are doing it so often, it will bump it up to 40ml bar minimum. i really worry about putting the syringe too deep in her mouth, squirting too much in at once and squirting it in the back of the throat so its quite a slow process and i may not be doing it as efficiently as others but this is the best i can do. we offered grass before trying the critical care, as recommended by our vet, and she absolutely hoovered it up, we have also seen her eat a little hay and drink some water which is obviously brilliant. still no interest in pellets though and definitely not as much hay is being consumed as she normally would. vet has also given her some cisapride 2xs a day for 4 days.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

we’ve just given her her second 5ml lot however we are really struggling, she just spits it all back out and barely takes any.. i just don’t know what to do, theres already two of us trying to give it to her, we’ve tried wrapping in a towel, holding her up against us, trying the over head hold etc. we believe della was the runt of her litter, shes always been smaller than luna, takes longer to eat veg and nuggets etc and she chokes a lot when she does. her teeth have been checked and not causing a problem so we think her mouth is actually a bit smaller than the average pig, especially comparing to luna and how much easier it is to fit a syringe in her mouth! we’re a bit stumped with what to try next, i just hope her eating picks back up soon

 

[lauryn1289]

thankyou, shes been loosing weight over the last week or so (since appointments started) so just thought it best to offer some feed. we have now got the critical care, it was recommended to give 5ml every hour on the hour, 4pm was her first lot, very messy and she definitely did not get 5ml she refuses it so much - which i am glad about because it means shes still got fight in her! i didn’t want to stress her out more so probably only managed 2-3ml. i have seen its recommended to get 40-60ml of it in the piggie in 24 hours, so i am hoping because we are doing it so often, it will bump it up to 40ml bar minimum. i really worry about putting the syringe too deep in her mouth, squirting too much in at once and squirting it in the back of the throat so its quite a slow process and i may not be doing it as efficiently as others but this is the best i can do. we offered grass before trying the critical care, as recommended by our vet, and she absolutely hoovered it up, we have also seen her eat a little hay and drink some water which is obviously brilliant. still no interest in pellets though and definitely not as much hay is being consumed as she normally would. vet has also given her some cisapride 2xs a day for 4 days.

I could be totally wrong but I think putting it as far back in the throat until you can feel the back molars and at a side angle is okay as long as you’re doing very small bits at a time to not aspirate them but please don’t take my word on that, hopefully someone can confirm or deny. When I had pigs reject and spit up critical care that’s what I did, but I don’t want to concretely advise that incase it’s not correct, was just the only way I could get them to take it sometimes. I really empathise with you, it can be so difficult getting syringe feedings in when they’re so determined to not have it.
Praying for you both, I hope things start to pick up. It’s incredibly stressful caring for a sick piggy for us and the piggies <3

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I could be totally wrong but I think putting it as far back in the throat until you can feel the back molars and at a side angle is okay as long as you’re doing very small bits at a time to not aspirate them but please don’t take my word on that, hopefully someone can confirm or deny. When I had pigs reject and spit up critical care that’s what I did, but I don’t want to concretely advise that incase it’s not correct, was just the only way I could get them to take it sometimes. I really empathise with you, it can be so difficult getting syringe feedings in when they’re so determined to not have it.
Praying for you both, I hope things start to pick up. It’s incredibly stressful caring for a sick piggy for us and the piggies <3

thanks so much for your reply, i will see what others say before trying, not to discredit you just because i want to make sure i’m definitely doing the correct thing! i dont know if i should try with a smaller 1ml syringe, although id then have to refill it 5 times each time! if it works thought i can do that, at the moment i’m just using the big one it came with, you are right its so so stressful, i suffer from anxiety and its high enough just knowing my baby isn't well, let alone when she refuses the things that will help her, i feel like i'm not doing enough for her but i literally cannot do any more than i already am

 

[lauryn1289]

thanks so much for your reply, i will see what others say before trying, not to discredit you just because i want to make sure i’m definitely doing the correct thing! i dont know if i should try with a smaller 1ml syringe, although id then have to refill it 5 times each time! if it works thought i can do that, at the moment i’m just using the big one it came with, you are right its so so stressful, i suffer from anxiety and its high enough just knowing my baby isn't well, let alone when she refuses the things that will help her, i feel like i'm not doing enough for her but i literally cannot do any more than i already am

No you’re right to double check! It’s just what I did after seeing a video about but I’d never want someone to take what I say as gospel incase I’m wrong. I think 1ml syringes are always recommended, it’s a pain refilling them but it does tend to be easier to get the job done. I think with bigger syringes it can be riskier to shoot too much out by accident too, in my experience 2-5ml syringes tend to jam a bit easier.
If it’s accessible to you you can get boxes of 100 1ml syringes on amazon for 5-10€, that’s what I did and I’d fill a few syringes at once and have them lined up.
I know it’s so tough, I suffer from anxiety too and was in a similar position with my boy Bobby after a very rapid downward spiral after a bladder stone surgery recovery and then my old boy Kip a couple weeks later, unfortunately both passed away but I did all I could. Bobby especially completely refused syringe feeding near the end, and I don’t think he swallowed much if anything at all. It’s incredibly stressful and defeating and such tiring work. You really are doing all you can and your piggy is so lucky to have you, rooting for you both
If it’s any use at all, I found at times shoving the syringe tip into a cucumber or apple or any sort of juicy food tricked them into accepting the syringe and then feeding off it even for a few seconds.

 

[Piggies&buns]

thanks so much for your reply, i will see what others say before trying, not to discredit you just because i want to make sure i’m definitely doing the correct thing! i dont know if i should try with a smaller 1ml syringe, although id then have to refill it 5 times each time! if it works thought i can do that, at the moment i’m just using the big one it came with, you are right its so so stressful, i suffer from anxiety and its high enough just knowing my baby isn't well, let alone when she refuses the things that will help her, i feel like i'm not doing enough for her but i literally cannot do any more than i already am

It’s recommended to use a 1ml syringe.
Having several of them lined up, filled and ready to go

 

[piggiemummy03x]

It’s recommended to use a 1ml syringe.
Having several of them lined up, filled and ready to go

thankyou!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

No you’re right to double check! It’s just what I did after seeing a video about but I’d never want someone to take what I say as gospel incase I’m wrong. I think 1ml syringes are always recommended, it’s a pain refilling them but it does tend to be easier to get the job done. I think with bigger syringes it can be riskier to shoot too much out by accident too, in my experience 2-5ml syringes tend to jam a bit easier.
If it’s accessible to you you can get boxes of 100 1ml syringes on amazon for 5-10€, that’s what I did and I’d fill a few syringes at once and have them lined up.
I know it’s so tough, I suffer from anxiety too and was in a similar position with my boy Bobby after a very rapid downward spiral after a bladder stone surgery recovery and then my old boy Kip a couple weeks later, unfortunately both passed away but I did all I could. Bobby especially completely refused syringe feeding near the end, and I don’t think he swallowed much if anything at all. It’s incredibly stressful and defeating and such tiring work. You really are doing all you can and your piggy is so lucky to have you, rooting for you both
If it’s any use at all, I found at times shoving the syringe tip into a cucumber or apple or any sort of juicy food tricked them into accepting the syringe and then feeding off it even for a few seconds.

of corse! yes we tried the smaller syringe and it definitely was easier so thankyou for that! thats a great idea i will have to check on amazon!

oh my gosh i am soso sorry to hear both of your boys passed over the rainbow bridge my della has always been a monkey taking medicine (apart from metacam which she loves and tries to steal the syringe lol!) but this critical care is a whole new level.. i think its the amount and how often she needs it, i feel like such a horrible person syringing her because i can see how much she hates it and how uncomfortable she is, but i know deep down she needs it and what i’m doing is for the best, its just hard

thankyou so much, i really do appreciate it, i just want my baby better! shes been through so much already in her short life, but she certainly is a fighter bless her. thanks for the tip and thanks again for all you've said

 

[weepweeps]

Hello. The first time I syringe fed a piggy it was awful. I was stressed. Piggy was stressed. It was messy. I didn’t know what I was doing. But it gets easier. If you’ve got someone to sit Della on their lap and stop her from wriggling backwards that will really help. I found sitting on the floor in front of the piggy made it easier too. With my left hand I’d gently pinch their nose and slightly lift their head, pop the syringe (only use a 1ml) into the side of their mouth behind the front teeth and squeeze in about 0.3ml at a time. I didn’t have to put the syringe in too far. Good luck. Della will thank you for it once she’s feeling better. (I fed my piggy for over 6 weeks when they completely stopped eating due to being on antibiotics).

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hello. The first time I syringe fed a piggy it was awful. I was stressed. Piggy was stressed. It was messy. I didn’t know what I was doing. But it gets easier. If you’ve got someone to sit Della on their lap and stop her from wriggling backwards that will really help. I found sitting on the floor in front of the piggy made it easier too. With my left hand I’d gently pinch their nose and slightly lift their head, pop the syringe (only use a 1ml) into the side of their mouth behind the front teeth and squeeze in about 0.3ml at a time. I didn’t have to put the syringe in too far. Good luck. Della will thank you for it once she’s feeling better. (I fed my piggy for over 6 weeks when they completely stopped eating due to being on antibiotics).

hello! thanks for your response, my boyfriend always helps me give medications, at the moment we have gone for the ‘burrito on the lap’ method and then i think i do pretty much the same as you have said there. shes also on some antibiotics and painmeds which are so much easier to give her, i honestly just think it’s the amount thats the problem, we can barely do 5ml a sitting and they need a minimum 40ml each 24 hours so thats a minimum of 8 sittings and feedings, each one taking about 30 minutes, and she spits most back out anyway so actually isn’t even getting that

 

[Piggies&buns]

hello! thanks for your response, my boyfriend always helps me give medications, at the moment we have gone for the ‘burrito on the lap’ method and then i think i do pretty much the same as you have said there. shes also on some antibiotics and painmeds which are so much easier to give her, i honestly just think it’s the amount thats the problem, we can barely do 5ml a sitting and they need a minimum 40ml each 24 hours so thats a minimum of 8 sittings and feedings, each one taking about 30 minutes, and she spits most back out anyway so actually isn’t even getting that

The fact she has maintained her weight this morning without getting much critical care suggests she may well be eating enough herself.

 

[Free Ranger]

We've just ordered in a bag of CC 'fine grind' papaya flavour which is slightly easier to syringe and which has proved a favourite with my pigs. It seems a slightly bizarre choice but it works for us.

George has been making the odd 'grunt' noise when he's in his snuggle sack and thinks he's hidden. I put it down to his stone but I've had him on my lap this evening and he did a totally silent wee but a little grunt as he pooped. I'd been thinking that perhaps the stone makes it difficult as the poops accumulate in his pouch at the back. Is Della pooping normal sized poops?