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Possible stone but no xray appointments for 7 days

miowmix

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

My pig finished her 10 day course of cotrim and metacam for a suspected UTI and seemed better but then went downhill again within a few days.

On Saturday she produced loads of bladder sludge all over her vetbed. I hoped that would be the end of the problem but unfortunately she still seems to be in discomfort.

She is hardly eating on her own so I am syringe feeding mashed up science select grain free. Went to vet again today and have been given another 10 day course of cotrim and metacam, plus cystophan and they said she can have an xray to check for stones but the earliest they could book her in is 7 days time.

I would like some advice please as to whether I should try and get an xray with a different vet instead? Or if it is safe to wait until next Wednesday? There's a chance she might improve in the meantime with the meds. She is doing intermittent painful sounding squeaks and I feel so bad for her.

Also, I asked the vet if her metacam prescription of 0.2 twice a day could be increased, but they said no. However I'm sure I have heard of pigs on higher dosages than this so would also appreciate some advice on this.

Many thanks
 
My sow was on one antibiotic - possibly the same one as you - for about two weeks to clear her UTI last year. When it stopped she deteriorated again within a week. My vet just repeated the prescription and was not at all surprised - the next lot cleared it up permanently. I hope you have the same success. It could be that the bladder sludge is incidentally associated with her system being messed up and that if you can sort the infection it will sort itself out. Mine had passed a stone and the UTI was on the back of that. On x-ray there was something that might have been another stone or an accumulation of sludge at the bladder exit. She was treated by having a large subcutaneous injection of fluid (between 5 and 10 ml) under her skin, poor girl, and given an opioid painkiller injection in case she had to pee out a stone. It was sad and really scary to see her so out of it but she did pee pints and started to eat again by teatime. Next x-ray was clear - whatever had been there was gone.

With regard to x-ray, do they have to book so far in advance because they will use a general anaesthetic? We have had conscious x-rays on bladders by the vet wrapping piggy firmly in a towel to immobilise. Cheaper for owner, better for piggy. I don't know how widespread this practice is but others on the forum have also had x-rays done this way.

Also, I asked the vet if her metacam prescription of 0.2 twice a day could be increased, but they said no.
I am having a similar issue with painkillers at the moment. My vet practice has expanded and my piggy with an eye wound (grass seed - now extracted) was prescribed a much lower dose of painkiller than any vet here has ever offered before. It's frustrating as for the first couple of days I was giving 0.25ml twice a day of some left-over dog Metacam (1.5 mg/ml, which is what we've always been prescribed) but all we could get out of them this time was the cat strength Loxicom (same active ingredient but only 0.5mg/ml concentration) and the new young vet said essentially 0.15ml once a day and wouldn't budge. I was also overcharged for the consult which gave me a reason to get back in touch and ask for a 'check' with a senior vet who called today (and it wasn't one of the piggy ones - it was the one I avoid, although I hear he's great with dogs) and he kept talking about the "official guidance" saying 0.2 ml of cat strength once a day was as much as 'they' (he, though) could recommend. So annoying. My pig has a slightly sore eye and is improving leaps and bounds if her bouncing around and biting me is anything to go by (she's so fierce!) but piggies with a bladder situation can really struggle. We can't recommend anyone to go against vet advice so at least if I choose to do 0.2 ml twice a day it would be against advice and on my own head - and it still doesn't seem like enough compared with what we've had in the past. But I certainly am going to write a strongly worded letter to my practice about getting everyone in line with regard to piggy meds because three of those vets have vast experience with their own pigs and I've had great treatment - and the reasons for any deviation from standard practice or any sticking to their guns have always been explained with regard to pigs rather than saying "official guidance..." and basically reading out the advice sheet from the product. Annoyed? I should say so!

I hope you feel better soon little girl 💕
 
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