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Poor Winifred - now a UTI

Qualcast&Flymo

Qualcast&Flymo

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:td: :(
Poor Winifred, she hasn't been 100% since early last summer... First it was arthritis, we finally got on top of it with the right combo of drugs (0.2ml Metacam and 0.58ml Tralieve, each 2x a day). Then in November she got bumblefoot, the vet thinks it's better now, still scabs but the skin underneath looks OK. Then 10 days ago I realised that she was very smelly, and when I picked her up she was all wet underneath at her back end.

I guessed she has picked up a UTI, maybe due to lying too long in one place in her wee. I gave her a bum bath and waited for a scheduled vet appointment 3 days later. The vet agreed that it was probably a uti, she prescribed 0.19ml of Sulfatrim twice a day. (In addition to the pain meds she's already on).

Winifred has been on the Sulfatrim for a week ( which was what the label says she should have it for). But it doesn't seem to have made any difference. She is as pungent as ever, and possibly getting more wet underneath.

Could it be something other than a UTI? Is there anything else I can do/give her to make her better? Is 0.19ml of Sulfatrim the optimum dose for a 900-1000g piggy?

I'll continue with the Sulfatrim for now and email my vet in the morning (Weds). But if anyone has any ideas I'd be grateful!
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
:td: :(
Poor Winifred, she hasn't been 100% since early last summer... First it was arthritis, we finally got on top of it with the right combo of drugs (0.2ml Metacam and 0.58ml Tralieve, each 2x a day). Then in November she got bumblefoot, the vet thinks it's better now, still scabs but the skin underneath looks OK. Then 10 days ago I realised that she was very smelly, and when I picked her up she was all wet underneath at her back end.

I guessed she has picked up a UTI, maybe due to lying too long in one place in her wee. I gave her a bum bath and waited for a scheduled vet appointment 3 days later. The vet agreed that it was probably a uti, she prescribed 0.19ml of Sulfatrim twice a day. (In addition to the pain meds she's already on).

Winifred has been on the Sulfatrim for a week ( which was what the label says she should have it for). But it doesn't seem to have made any difference. She is as pungent as ever, and possibly getting more wet underneath.

Could it be something other than a UTI? Is there anything else I can do/give her to make her better? Is 0.19ml of Sulfatrim the optimum dose for a 900-1000g piggy?

I'll continue with the Sulfatrim for now and email my vet in the morning (Weds). But if anyone has any ideas I'd be grateful!
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Hi

I am very sorry. Sulfatrim is double the strength of the old banana flavoured pediatric septrin, so it works out at half the old dose. You may want to take it longer than a week.

Alternatively, it could be sterile IC. Has your vet checked whether it could be from the reproductive tract - a strong smell can also indicate an infection in there?

I am very sorry; being old and frail is no fun... :(
 
Oh poor Winnifred. Hope she is feeling better soon. I think I would ask your vet to re-check. Was the urine tested for infection? Your vet can have a sample tested for antibiotic sensitivity. Or has your vet considered (in view of the odour) whether she has a problem in the genital tract instead?
 
To update ... I carried on with the Sulfatrim for several more days (in fact a week) and eventually saw that Winifred was no longer wet underneath, so presumably was getting better. I had a bad cold though so couldn't tell if the pungent smell had also gone. As her rear end still didn't look quite right and was losing hair, I made an appointment for Monday afternoon to see the good vet who has been treating her so far.

Unfortunately, I am today not sure she is going to make it that far. Overnight and this morning she doesn't seem to be interested in food, and didn't want to swallow all the pain medicines she normally has. She's now just snuggled up in a fleecy tunnel and staying put. I'm minded to leave her there, I don't think there's much point rushing her off to the vet if she has had enough... 3 of my other RB piggies passed alone at the vet after I rushed them there to try to save them... At least if she's here, she is in warm familiar surroundings with her husboar Squeaks. Of course if she shows signs of suffering (whatever those might be) I can take her to my vet to help her on her way. And if she is still with us on Monday but unchanged, I'll call the vet and check that they can do pts in a standard appointment.
:(
 
Thanks everyone.
Winifred surprised me just now by being at the door with Squeaks when I went in to check on them. She even took a blueberry from my hand - but then she put it down without eating it.
So not really any improvement. She is still quite lethargic, and I noticed also the fur under her chin is damp, and possibly her nose too. Are those signs of anything? I gave her her evening metacam dose a bit early to try to reduce any pain or discomfort she might have, but I don't know what else I should do... @Wiebke ?
 
I wonder if she's having any dental issues, might explain the dribbling and reluctance to eat, but taking food from your hand? 🤔
 
Wheekallweek said:
I wonder if she's having any dental issues, might explain the dribbling and reluctance to eat, but taking food from your hand? 🤔
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I don't think it's her teeth, she was eating fine yesterday.
I think it's more like when I feel unwell, I feel hungry and want to eat, but then when the food is put in front of me, I don't feel like eating it. Just now she did take a little water and very liquid syringe food from a syringe, but I think she is fading slowly, her eyes aren't open wide ...
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I don't think it's her teeth, she was eating fine yesterday.
I think it's more like when I feel unwell, I feel hungry and want to eat, but then when the food is put in front of me, I don't feel like eating it. Just now she did take a little water and very liquid syringe food from a syringe, but I think she is fading slowly, her eyes aren't open wide ...
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HUGS

You are doing all you can. There is sadly no magic wand trick. I am very sorry. :(
 
Sitting up with W and Squeaks on my lap in the house, waiting, but she is hanging on ... I can hear her drooling every so often, keep wondering if I should go to the OOH vet for help, but thinking she probably wouldn't make it. At least Squeaks is currently snuggled up beside her here :(
 
Winifred slipped away to Rainbow Bridge during the night 😢

I sat up with them until 4am, at that point I felt that it wouldn't be safe for me to fall asleep with them on my lap or other unsecured space, so I found a big box and put them in there with their cosies. When I came down at 9am, Winnie had moved from the tunnel she had squeezed into with Squeaks and was facing the corner, she must have died some time earlier. I hope it was peaceful. I still wonder if I should have taken her to the vet to be helped on her way during the afternoon or evening, rather than waiting.

I've been to the garden centre and bought a pot like the one in which I buried Rosemary last March. I'll bury her later or tomorrow with some spring flowers.

🌈Rest easy and sweet dreams now, Winnie-pig-pig, I'm sorry I couldn't make you better and you had to spend so much of your last weeks being given yucky medicines and stuff.
 
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I'm so so sorry. It sounds like she fell asleep peacefully with her piggy buddy beside her 😢
RIP Sweet Winifred, over the Rainbow Bridge now and free from pain 🌈❤️
 
I am so sorry little Winnie has gone over the rainbow bridge, sending big hugs to you and Squeaks :hug:I think you did the right thing, Winnie cuddled up the Squeaks and slipped peacefully away, far better than been prodded and poked in unfamiliar surroundings

I was chatting to my boys Bill and Ted this morning and looking at their snowdrops and pansies in their pots, I find it very comforting to have them in the garden

Popcorn high little lady 🌈
 
Thanks everyone. Winifred is now in her pot with spring flowers on the opposite side of the piggy room door to Rosemary.

This evening I was doing the veggies when I realised I'd done enough for 2 piggies ... old habits die hard! I need to get around to finding Squeaks a companion for his twilight years though...
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Thanks everyone. Winifred is now in her pot with spring flowers on the opposite side of the piggy room door to Rosemary.

This evening I was doing the veggies when I realised I'd done enough for 2 piggies ... old habits die hard! I need to get around to finding Squeaks a companion for his twilight years though...
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Sending hugs, I hope you can find Squeaks a little friend very soon
 
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