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Serious Gut Stasis

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Blobfish

Blobfish

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone,

I have a very poorly piggy (currently at the vets), and I'm really hoping for some advice. I have a piggy who is very bloat prone, and has been all his life (so were his brothers- I think perhaps it was a genetic problem). Anyway, I would say this pig has had bloat/ stasis around 30 times in his life - he's 4.5 years now.
I noticed he had bloat/ stasis Tuesday lunchtime. He must not have done any poos since late Monday night/ the early hours of Tuesday morning. I wasn't too badly concerned at first, as we have dealt with this so many times, have all the drugs at home and he was still quite chirpy. I gave him his usual dose of metaclopramide, ranitidine (both gut motility drugs) and metacam (painkiller) straight away. This usually always does the trick and gets things moving. It had no affect this time. I also had him walking about/ sitting on a vibrating pad etc. Nothing happened, so I gave him a second round Tuesday evening, but again it did nothing- still no poos. He wasn't eating himself, but I was handfeeding him mashed pellets. However he did seem to be feeling fairly ok - he was quite bright, and not huddled in a corner or puffing up his fur. He was happy to take dandelion leaves from me. Wednesday morning - I expected he would have done some poos, but still nothing, so I took him straight away to the emergency vets. They are a specialist exotics vets, and very cavy savy. They gave him the same motility drugs (also cisipride I think) via injection, plus handfeeding and giving fluids etc. I've called up to ask for progress a few times - it's now Thursday and they have said he still hasn't pooed. Although he was bright before, I think by the sound of it he may be going downhill. What can I do? Is there anything? I'm waiting to talk to the vet, I'm going to suggest they take some gas out with a syringe, and also try and get him to walk about (I don't know if they've been doing that). I feel really helpless , as I can't really control what they do (or don't do) with him. He hasn't pooed for well over 48 hours now. I'm worried the damage to his system may now be irreversible. He's such a great pig - always been a real fighter when he gets sick. But I think now... maybe there is nothing they can do. The drugs aren't working...
 
BIG HUGS!
I am very sorry for you!

It sounds as if all is being done for your boy that can be done. You have bought him so much more time than he would have had otherwise, but bloat and gut stasis can be both killers when a piggy is not reacting to any possible meds. It is always a gut-wrenching realisation. :(

Make sure that you can see him and if necessary take him home if nothing more can be done and he is not too bad discomfort.
 
:( It's really, really rubbish.
I think if things really don't work out, I'd rather have him pts if he is heading that way anyway. My last piggy I lost- I had to witness him pass in discomfort at home in the middle of the night. I don't want my current boy (Bramble) to go in the same discomfort.

:(
 
Blobfish said:
:( It's really, really rubbish.
I think if things really don't work out, I'd rather have him pts if he is heading that way anyway. My last piggy I lost- I had to witness him pass in discomfort at home in the middle of the night. I don't want my current boy (Bramble) to go in the same discomfort.

:(
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It is gutting, isn't it? But I am glad that you are prepared to let him go if necessary. It is what is best for Bramble that counts, not your own feelings and your desire to keep him with you - as heart-breaking as it is for you.

I've lost five of my piggies since last August bank holiday and three of them have sadly had to be pts to spare them further suffering, so I know how you feel. I have lost several piggies to bloat over the years. :(

All you can do is hope and send Bramble your love. Unfortunately we are still very limited when it comes to dealing with bloat and gut stasis. :(
 
Wiebke said:
It is gutting, isn't it? But I am glad that you are prepared to let him go if necessary. It is what is best for Bramble that counts, not your own feelings and your desire to keep him with you - as heart-breaking as it is for you.

I've lost five of my piggies since last August bank holiday and three of them have sadly had to be pts to spare them further suffering, so I know how you feel. I have lost several piggies to bloat over the years. :(

All you can do is hope and send Bramble your love. Unfortunately we are still very limited when it comes to dealing with bloat and gut stasis. :(
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Thank you. I'm going to do my best. I feel like the vet is too busy to try other things - like vibrating him and all that. Plus I don't think they see them as 'medical' methods. I'll chat to him when I can get hold of him. But yes, it's with a very heavy heart that I say that I'd rather him get pts if there is no way he can recover. :( My poor pig.
 
I spoke to the vet and he's said not to write him off yet. He's taking liquid feed, and is on all the meds and receiving fluids subcutaneously. He's apparently still reasonably bright considering. Seems like a long shot, but I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.
 
Blobfish said:
I spoke to the vet and he's said not to write him off yet. He's taking liquid feed, and is on all the meds and receiving fluids subcutaneously. He's apparently still reasonably bright considering. Seems like a long shot, but I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.
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Hang on in there! I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed for Bumble. It is not easy when you have to take things by the hour and trust in other people.

It is good that you have addressed your worst fears and are clear in your mind about which way you will go if that becomes necessary. That is making things a bit easier for you if it comes to that and you are going to be a bit less of an emotional wreck in case you need to make tough decisions. I find that it lets me deal better with supporting a very ill/dying piggy or family member once I have stared into the abyss, acknowledged my own emotions and charted my way, so I can then concentrate fully on their needs.
 
Good news! Miraculously, Bramble is doing much better :) I chatted through various options yesterday afternoon with the vet, and suggested that the vet nurses walked him round a bit. They did this,and when I called back in the evening he had done two tiny poos. Not much, but really encouraging considering there had been nothing for days. The update this morning is that he has done loads of poos now, is less bloated and feeling much better. They are still keeping him in and pumping him full of meds, but I really feel we've turned a corner :) He's such a fighter! I think this pig has about 20 lives!
 
Jaycey said:
Has he had a scan or xray to rule out a blockage?
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Yep, he had an xray when he arrived at the vets Wednesday morning. Showed big pockets of gas all over the place - stomach and various places in the intestine. The vet also said he wouldn't still have been alive at that stage if it had been blockage (as it had been over 24 hours, and he was still pretty bright).
 
Its great to hear he's improving you've done an excellent job with helping him turn that corner :wub:

Have u tried giving "gripe water " (dill based) when he has pockets of gas?
You can find it in the baby aisle in supermarkets or local pharmacy-usually about £3.
It helps to disperse the gas in little bubbles so making it less painful too.
Have a chat with your vet.
It may help if you get another episode to use with his gut mobility meds first off.

Speedy recovery xx
 
Brought this little fella back home from the vets at the weekend - he's doing well now :) Although I'm now completely skint and will probably have to live like a student again for the next few weeks!

Hopefully this can give some comfort to piggy owners that go through the same thing - Bramble didn't go for a poo for at least 80 hours. The vet said they can be okay, and can get through it as long as they see a good vet quickly, have the right meds administered (preferably by injection I think, rather than orally) and keep having food going in. I think his fighting spirit helped a lot too!

Thanks everyone for your well-wishes and messages of comfort when I thought he wouldn't be returning home x

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