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Severe IC

Wiebke said:
You know your piggy best and know what works for her. It sounds like a bit of a flare, just with the extra bloating thrown in.

All the best for getting through it!
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I hope it's just a flare with gas. If it is a flare the question will be if I can get her out it. She's been close to being put to sleep before because of the length of not being able to settle her symptoms. But this level of pain is worse. She was still squeaking last night and this morning but not as loud and frequency definitely much less.
She has peed out some very sandy wee last night though.
Vet had said her uterus also felt thickened.. but didn't feel like my Pumpkins when she had cancer.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Thank you Claire.

It's really hard trying to manage IC.
Did Ellen arch her back trying to wee and poo too?
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Yes she did. It was heartbreaking watching her when she had a flare but she lived with it for over 3 years until she could take no more aged 5

We managed it with cystease and metacam x
 
Claire W said:
Yes she did. It was heartbreaking watching her when she had a flare but she lived with it for over 3 years until she could take no more aged 5

We managed it with cystease and metacam x
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Nancy's started after infections. She had two courses of antibiotics for a fishy smelling bum/discharge. She was 2 when it started. She's now 4. I didn't think she was going to live until 4.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Nancy's started after infections. She had two courses of antibiotics for a fishy smelling bum/discharge. She was 2 when it started. She's now 4. I didn't think she was going to live until 4.
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Ellen also had a few infections before it started. Nancy is doing so well

Guinea pigs can live a normal life with IC, you just have to manage it but sadly Ellen started getting flares every few weeks and then the big one that took her 😞 x
 
Claire W said:
Ellen also had a few infections before it started. Nancy is doing so well

Guinea pigs can live a normal life with IC, you just have to manage it but sadly Ellen started getting flares every few weeks and then the big one that took her 😞 x
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In nearly 2 years... We've had only 2 weeks in a row with 0 symptoms. She has symptoms on random days and not always a bad flare. Sometimes I only know because I sleep in the same room as her so hear it at night. Sometimes it's been very bad other times it's been some days and not others. She had been doing well since August in terms of no serous flare.
Her weight was stable. And had been in quite a long time.

She has lost a significant amount of weight this time.

She isn't as bad as Friday but is very much still in a flare. With IC I'm always questioning is it a stone, is it and infection. Have I done something? What happened the day or days around her flare to make her worse etc.
 
Piggies2023 said:
In nearly 2 years... We've had only 2 weeks in a row with 0 symptoms. She has symptoms on random days and not always a bad flare. Sometimes I only know because I sleep in the same room as her so hear it at night. Sometimes it's been very bad other times it's been some days and not others. She had been doing well since August in terms of no serous flare.
Her weight was stable. And had been in quite a long time.

She has lost a significant amount of weight this time.

She isn't as bad as Friday but is very much still in a flare. With IC I'm always questioning is it a stone, is it and infection. Have I done something? What happened the day or days around her flare to make her worse etc.
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I know how you feel as I felt exactly the same. Ellen would squeak most days but not have blood. My Emma also had IC but hers was milder and she would only have a flare every few months and it eventually cured itself. Ellen went 10 months without as much as a squeak and I thought we were over it and then her symptoms came back worse than ever 😞 x
 
How is Nancy doing this evening?x
 
What a roller coaster you and Nancy have been on. Sending you hugs and healing vibes to Nancy ❤️
 
Claire W said:
I know how you feel as I felt exactly the same. Ellen would squeak most days but not have blood. My Emma also had IC but hers was milder and she would only have a flare every few months and it eventually cured itself. Ellen went 10 months without as much as a squeak and I thought we were over it and then her symptoms came back worse than ever 😞 x
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I was very hopeful and it is so disappointing when there has been improvement.
She seemed happier on her own before she got her new cage mate. But she's not being bullied.
He is just like a little annoying brother most of the time. He annoys her for a reaction. She is very grumpy. He is very happy even though Nancy sometimes charges at him in response. It's like a game to him. If she leaves the side she has been spending most of the time in he's goes over to annoy her.

But I've noticed that he will put his head round her bed.. and if she's asleep he will be like mmm annoy her later 🤣.

I just worry it's having an impact as they do argue a lot. But don't want her alone either.
 
Tory93 said:
How is Nancy doing this evening?x
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She is still squeaking. But.. I think it's more just wees now & volume isn't as loud. And she isn't arching her back. The arching changed to lifting her bum in the air in pain but I no longer see that either. She is also coming out and being more active.

She has lost a lot of weight in a short space of time though. And is far from symptom free. But at the moment I can wait and see if she improves. I'm weighing daily as she lost 72g from Thursday to Sunday. But that has stabilised. But she had also lost weight in the previous weeks. So in one month lost 116g. She has lost this much weight 18 months ago and did regain it.

She's on a lot of meds though to still have symptoms. But she is greeting me very happily for breakfast every morning.
 
Piggies2023 said:
She is still squeaking. But.. I think it's more just wees now & volume isn't as loud. And she isn't arching her back. The arching changed to lifting her bum in the air in pain but I no longer see that either. She is also coming out and being more active.

She has lost a lot of weight in a short space of time though. And is far from symptom free. But at the moment I can wait and see if she improves. I'm weighing daily as she lost 72g from Thursday to Sunday. But that has stabilised. But she had also lost weight in the previous weeks. So in one month lost 116g. She has lost this much weight 18 months ago and did regain it.

She's on a lot of meds though to still have symptoms. But she is greeting me very happily for breakfast every morning.
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Although not symptom free, she sounds like she has improved a significant amount from a week or so ago, hopefully she continues an upward trend, even if slowly. I will keep everything crossed for Nancy 🤞🤞🤞🤞.

I saw your comment about her male friend and you not wanting her to be alone. I know its better for pigs to have friends as they are herd animals, however I have known people to have pairs of pigs, one passes away and the remaining pig come out of their shell and seem happier alone. It may be something to consider if her male friend is causing her upset.
 
Tory93 said:
Although not symptom free, she sounds like she has improved a significant amount from a week or so ago, hopefully she continues an upward trend, even if slowly. I will keep everything crossed for Nancy 🤞🤞🤞🤞.

I saw your comment about her male friend and you not wanting her to be alone. I know its better for pigs to have friends as they are herd animals, however I have known people to have pairs of pigs, one passes away and the remaining pig come out of their shell and seem happier alone. It may be something to consider if her male friend is causing her upset.
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Thank you. She didn't have the best relationship I thought with Pumpkin, she used to flare when Pumpkin was in heat and she got told to go away when she wasnt doing anything. But i think it maybe because Pumpkin was poorly. Then when she died Nancy was so sad for 2 weeks. Then she started zooming happily once her IC symptoms settled on new med regime. She looked happiest I had seen her in years. Then I didn't see her for 3 months because I was unwell. So it was harder to judge if it was that she had got older in 3 months.. and if the relationship would settle. But I've had concerns from the start. They get on better than they did to begin with so I've held on thinking it's better than it was. It's hard to know what the right decisions are.


Nancy is sensitive so something that maybe fine for one pig may not be fine for her.
 
Piggies2023 said:
I was very hopeful and it is so disappointing when there has been improvement.
She seemed happier on her own before she got her new cage mate. But she's not being bullied.
He is just like a little annoying brother most of the time. He annoys her for a reaction. She is very grumpy. He is very happy even though Nancy sometimes charges at him in response. It's like a game to him. If she leaves the side she has been spending most of the time in he's goes over to annoy her.

But I've noticed that he will put his head round her bed.. and if she's asleep he will be like mmm annoy her later 🤣.

I just worry it's having an impact as they do argue a lot. But don't want her alone either.
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Please do not be disappointed. It sounds like Nancy is doing much better than she was a week ago ❤️

Has she ever been checked for ovarian cysts? Just with you saying she can be grumpy sometimes around her male cage mate and is losing weight so it may be something you’d like to rule out

I doubt it’s him making her grumpy and more like she isn’t feeling 100% with her IC x
 
Claire W said:
Please do not be disappointed. It sounds like Nancy is doing much better than she was a week ago ❤️

Has she ever been checked for ovarian cysts? Just with you saying she can be grumpy sometimes around her male cage mate and is losing weight so it may be something you’d like to rule out

I doubt it’s him making her grumpy and more like she isn’t feeling 100% with her IC x
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Thank you. I just want her to have the best life. I love her loads.

She's had both ovaries out already. She had become a hormonal pig. But she has her uterus still.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Thank you. I just want her to have the best life. I love her loads.

She's had both ovaries out already. She had become a hormonal pig. But she has her uterus still.
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In that case it’s likely she’s just grumpy from not feeling 100% from the IC and not him

She’s much better off with a friend than without one 🙂 x
 
Not sure what to make of her this morning. She didn't get up for her breakfast which is unusual. So I rewound the camera and she spent 7 hours sat in a bed and hardly any poos in there.
She ate her breakfast but didn't run over for it just sat in the bed which is really not her.

She is sat eating now though. So case of seeing how she is.
 
Update on Nancy..

She is on a lot of medication and unfortunately not symptom free which is very disappointing as she had been doing much better before this big flare.

She woke me up just before 6am with a loud pain squeak.. and me lying in bed trying to judge whether it was a day that required the vets as it was loud.. thankfully not, she then acted fine for the rest of the morning. But honestly does wear me down a bit. She is unpredictable.

But.. the good news is even though she's not symptom free she is now very active. She isn't staying on one side of the cage, she's out exploring doing usual piggie stuff, she isn't acting old.

She also has gained back 77g from the 132g she lost which I'm very happy about. The amount of weight she had been dropping I thought she was on her way out.

Overall I'm pleased she's till with me. But I also find her unpredictable in a sense that I can't be certain she doesn't have a stone. But wouldn't operate, so no point in putting her through the stress of an xray.

I'm glad she looks so active and is gaining weight. Just feels a lot to manage sometimes. I'm often trying to guess why she's flared and have I done anything wrong etc. But boy do I love her. She's such a lovely piggie ❤️
 
Awwww love her little heart.

I'm so glad that she seems to be doing so much better (minus the loud squeak this morning), even with symptoms it sounds like her quality of life has massively improved if she is out exploring and about acting like a piggie.

Also so pleased to hear she has put on some weight - that's really good too.

I'm going to keep everything I have crossed that she continues either as she is as of right now or improves.

You go Nancy!

And you go Nancy's Mum, if you have both certainly been through it xx
 
Tory93 said:
Awwww love her little heart.

I'm so glad that she seems to be doing so much better (minus the loud squeak this morning), even with symptoms it sounds like her quality of life has massively improved if she is out exploring and about acting like a piggie.

Also so pleased to hear she has put on some weight - that's really good too.

I'm going to keep everything I have crossed that she continues either as she is as of right now or improves.

You go Nancy!

And you go Nancy's Mum, if you have both certainly been through it xx
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Thank you very much. At the moment we are getting squeaking everyday but... she presents as pain free between these moments and happy and active so it's not time yet. And it's not every wee either. I'm hoping this will settle. I find myself getting excited when she has some pain free days, she did about 10 days ago have five days of being pain free. And then it's such a disappointment when it starts again.

She had some ringworm and that's gone now too so that's good.
 
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