Hi, All!
We've really been through the wringer with our 1.5 year old boy pig this week and I'm coming to you to hopefully hear some wisdom I haven't thought of yet.
We adopted this pig 3 months ago (with another boar). His estimated age is 1.5 years old. Until this started, they ate unlimited timothy hay, 1/8c Oxbow Adult pellets each, and assorted veggies (we knew to avoid things like kale, spinach, etc. but the veggies offered weren't otherwise bladder-friendly).
About three weeks ago, we noticed this pig seemed quieter than usual, though he bounced back within a few days. Last Monday, he stopped eating and started chattering aggressively and incessantly at the other (subordinate) boar—so we separated them. I took him into the vet one week ago today. They did X-rays and didn't see a stone, but he had a VERY tender bladder. They did an irrigation and sent us home with TMS (antibiotic), meloxicam, prazocin, and gabapentin for pain. They told us the urine expressed was sludge-y and he also passed a mucous plug.
The first four days were MISERABLE for him. He was constantly wheeking in pain even at rest, and his entire abdomen would contract super hard and he would cry out in pain while defecating and urinating. We maxed him out on the prescribed gabapentin dose. We brought him to a different vet on Friday and she prescribed maropitant (Cirenia) and gave SQ fluids. She also did more X-rays and again, no stone visible but very tender bladder on exam.
Here we are one week out, and I'm still force-feeding him Critical Care around the clock. He'll pick at hay and some veggies occassionally but nowhere CLOSE to supporting his weight without CC. He's spent most of the day facing the wall today (the previous two days had been better pain-wise). His urine looks cloudy but doesn't dry with any calcium deposits—though there are often small pieces of mucus in what he urinates. I started him on the Sherwood urine support tablets as well and am now giving oral maropitant. He hates being syringe fed regardless of what I mix the CC with, but he will gladly drink water (though only from the syringe) and I'm trying to get as much water into him as possible.
To summarize, current meds:
Gabapentin 0.1-0.2 ml Q8 hours
Meloxicam 0.18 ml Q12 hours
TMS 0.7 ml Q12 hours
Tamsulosin (swapped from prazocin) 0.01ml Q24 hours
I haven't slept a full night since this started. He's still in pain. His appetite isn't bouncing back.
Is this within the realm of normal for bladder recovery? Am I missing anything?
Any help would be so appreciated.
We've really been through the wringer with our 1.5 year old boy pig this week and I'm coming to you to hopefully hear some wisdom I haven't thought of yet.
We adopted this pig 3 months ago (with another boar). His estimated age is 1.5 years old. Until this started, they ate unlimited timothy hay, 1/8c Oxbow Adult pellets each, and assorted veggies (we knew to avoid things like kale, spinach, etc. but the veggies offered weren't otherwise bladder-friendly).
About three weeks ago, we noticed this pig seemed quieter than usual, though he bounced back within a few days. Last Monday, he stopped eating and started chattering aggressively and incessantly at the other (subordinate) boar—so we separated them. I took him into the vet one week ago today. They did X-rays and didn't see a stone, but he had a VERY tender bladder. They did an irrigation and sent us home with TMS (antibiotic), meloxicam, prazocin, and gabapentin for pain. They told us the urine expressed was sludge-y and he also passed a mucous plug.
The first four days were MISERABLE for him. He was constantly wheeking in pain even at rest, and his entire abdomen would contract super hard and he would cry out in pain while defecating and urinating. We maxed him out on the prescribed gabapentin dose. We brought him to a different vet on Friday and she prescribed maropitant (Cirenia) and gave SQ fluids. She also did more X-rays and again, no stone visible but very tender bladder on exam.
Here we are one week out, and I'm still force-feeding him Critical Care around the clock. He'll pick at hay and some veggies occassionally but nowhere CLOSE to supporting his weight without CC. He's spent most of the day facing the wall today (the previous two days had been better pain-wise). His urine looks cloudy but doesn't dry with any calcium deposits—though there are often small pieces of mucus in what he urinates. I started him on the Sherwood urine support tablets as well and am now giving oral maropitant. He hates being syringe fed regardless of what I mix the CC with, but he will gladly drink water (though only from the syringe) and I'm trying to get as much water into him as possible.
To summarize, current meds:
Gabapentin 0.1-0.2 ml Q8 hours
Meloxicam 0.18 ml Q12 hours
TMS 0.7 ml Q12 hours
Tamsulosin (swapped from prazocin) 0.01ml Q24 hours
I haven't slept a full night since this started. He's still in pain. His appetite isn't bouncing back.
Is this within the realm of normal for bladder recovery? Am I missing anything?
Any help would be so appreciated.
